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Wondertime's interview with Rachelle, mother of Kayla, (both shown left) who was 3-and-a-half months old at the time.


Wondertime: How old was Kayla when she started acting colicky?

She was just one month. Actually, she may have been displaying symptoms earlier and we just didn't realize it.


Wondertime: When you started taking her to the pediatrician, what was that process like?

We have a very good pediatrician. When we explained what was going on, she tried the initial medication, a liquid form of Prevacid. At first we thought it was making an improvement, but then Kayla started showing symptoms again. And so, when it kept escalating, our pediatrician ordered an upper GI, and we tried various medications from there. When she had exhausted all her resources, she told us that we needed to go to a specialist, which is where we met Dr. Vartabedian.


Wondertime: What have your experiences been like, talking with people who haven't had colicky babies?

It depends. People that have babies about the same age as her, they've been sympathetic. They wish that there was something they could do. One friend in particular helped me out with trying to go on a message board, to see if there was anybody out there that had advice. And some of that helped a lot, knowing things not to try. Like rice, for instance, can give babies constipation. And so that was helpful, to know not to put rice in the breastmilk to thicken it up, so it stays down. Because that was a problem: it just kept coming back up with her, with her reflux. So that was helpful.

People that are older, because they were used to the term of generalized "colic," they just would say, "She'll grow out of it," or "Try to prop her up on her stomach," things that we already had tried, and it just wasn't working. And so, on that note, it was more dismissive. So you got different advice depending on what age group you were talking to.


Wondertime: Are there any products — swings, bouncy seats — that helped soothe Kayla?

Of course, every baby is different. For us, it helped to have something to prop her up, to get her slightly angled so that she wasn't completely flat on her back. When she was taking a nap, she liked sleeping on us, because we were kind of elevated, and it relieved some kind of valve that has pressure on her — but it's not recommended to put them on their stomachs without being carefully watched! When we finally found the medication that worked, and she could sleep on her back, we had her propped up with a wedge made out of foam that helps position the baby so that they can stay on their side or their back. It was enough of an incline that it helped out.


Wondertime: Do you have any tips for relieving stress when your baby won't stop crying and you're just so overtired?

Well, I have a very supportive husband who would take turns when he could. I'm one of those people who need sleep. Family members would try to come over, at least give both of us a good night's sleep, stay up with her. There really wasn't anything that would comfort her at the time. She literally would cry, and it wasn't like an "I'm bored" or "I'm agitated" or "This is my personality" kind of cry. It was "I'm hurting," and there wasn't anything that would soothe her.

So I think for somebody that's stressed, just try to see if you have any support. Like a family member or even a really good friend that wouldn't mind, even if it's during the day, helping you out, get you a couple of hours of sleep. I think being sleep deprived really, really takes a toll on anybody. If you keep it up for so long, you're just causing more anguish to yourself, because eventually you're just going to break down and cry.