Healthy infants with colic have frequent, persistent or intense crying or fussiness. Colic can manifest in breastfeeding troubles, constipation and reflux, which all point back to the baby’s body. So what’s going on? The baby’s nervous system is stuck in a hyperactive state-in a stress response or a state of sympathetic dominance.
Many times we’ll find that there was some sort of history with stress throughout pregnancy or some sort of trauma during labor and delivery, which may include:
Any of those interventions may have added stress on the baby.
If a baby comes into the world in a stressful environment, typically they’re going to be more wired for stress. A colicky baby is unhappy and crying constantly as their only way to communicate. Many parents find themselves exhausted and frustrated because they don’t know how to help their infant.
When evaluating a baby for colic, we’ll ask the following:
Are their arms flexed up in a fighting position?
Are their legs sticking straight out?