Many pregnant people envision the early days of parenthood snuggled close with their new cooing baby. But, what happens when the dream-like vision collides with brutal reality of a constantly crying baby? One in four babies suffer from a condition called, colic. The baby cries for long stretches of time with little break and no obvious reason as to what is wrong. You can imagine the stress, frustration and sense of helplessness this puts on new parents.
In this episode of Yoga| Birth|Babies, I speak with Licensed Mental Health Counselor and mother of a colicky baby, Jackie DelVecchio. Jackie shares her story of having a colicky baby and what she learned about herself as a new parent. As a social worker, Jackie specializes in Perinatal Mental Health and draws on her experiences to support other parents living through life with a colicky baby. She offers solids tips for coping through this challenging and transient time.
In this episode you will learn:
- About Jackie and what lead her to specialize in perinatal mental health.
- What is colic?
- How Jackie realized her baby had colic.
- Some tried and true methods Jackie learned that worked to calm her baby.
- The toll it on her mental and physical well being to have a baby with high needs.
- The sense of frustration and helplessness many new parents feel when they can’t sooth their own baby.
- Encountering new “mom” friends who were having a dramatically different newborn stage.
- How a colicky baby can create a riff in the family structure, the baby and parent relationship, and rebuilding relationships
- Learning to stay on the same team with your partner during challenges like this as new parents.
- Jackie shares the support she received and how it helped her that tumultuous time.
- What doctors know about colic.
- When choosing to have another child, the anxiety of possibly repeating the the experience of colic and how to mentally prepare for that.
- Survival tips for parents with a colicky baby.
- Support groups.
- The importance of self compassion.
- One final tip/piece of advice for new and expectant parents.
- Where to find Jackie’s work!
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About Jackie DelVecchio:
Jackie DelVecchio is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts. She graduated with a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and went on to become certified in Perinatal Mental Health. Jackie also received a certification in laughter therapy to incorporate a much-needed skill into her work . She currently works in private practice. On a personal level, Jackie is married and a mother of two.
Connect with Jackie:
- Instagram @butletsberealistic
- Facebook @jdelvecchioLMHC
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To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:
Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter
Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center
