Q: My son is a month and two weeks old. Ever since he was born, he grunts, fusses, kicks, punches, makes cry face and other funny faces when trying to pass gas and poop. He does it every day throughout the day. For example, he was just lying with me, he started stretching his legs out, making cry/fussy noises and pushing hard, all of a sudden, i hear the loudest fart and then he stops. I feel bad for him and I feel like since newborn poop is watery, it should not be a challenge to him. He also rubs his face, pulls his legs, stretches them out too as well as his hands, and makes groaning noises in his sleep. Please are these normal???

A: Thanks for writing in dear. The first thing to do when you are not sure what is wrong with your baby is to go see the paediatrician (the baby’s doctor). It is better to be safe than sorry.

The good news is that your baby makes stool and farts (?) normally.

The stomachaches that babies have (colic) can be very distressing for a parent to watch but perhaps understanding what it is about may be helpful. Colics usually start occurring in some children between 3 to 6 weeks of age and disappear between the 3rd to 4th month of life, without any treatment. So, your baby fits right into this age group. Unfortunately, we still do not really know what causes these colics and why some babies suffer from it while others do not. However, it has been found to occur more in first born babies (whether boy or girl), formula-fed babies and can also be associated with the diet of a breastfeeding mum.

Some modifications may help reduce their severity:

§  Be sure to burp baby after each feed

§  Hold baby and gently rock her after a feed

§  Hold your baby upright during her feed

§  Check your diet: reduce caffeine-containing foods and sometimes, it may be the dairy in your diet that you baby is reacting to. Taking dairy off your diet for a week or two may lead to improvement in symptoms.

Remember to see your doctor where in doubt, especially if this continues past the time noted above.

Just a note about gripe water which a lot of people want to give their babies when they have this condition….honestly, the benefits are more in our imagination than in actual fact 

So, with or without gripe water, this colic shall pass

Have a great night, y’all