Perhaps the only retired New York City police officer who owns a breastfeeding boutique, she was born in Berlin 40 years ago. Though her own colic was dosed with British gripe water, as her mother tells it, she was resolved to give her babies nothing but breast milk for the first six months. Then her second, Jack, wailed for weeks, and her mother screamed, " 'Give your son some gripe water or I'll kill you now!' "The NYT takes a look at colic remedies from the many cultures of New York City: "Chinese acupressure, Haitian belly binding, Mexican swaddling, Indian oil massage, African cowry shell bracelets..."
The first half of the article--which convenes its colic klatsch about immigrant remedies from the Upper Breast Side--might as well be called, "What Your Nanny Is Up To While You're At Work."
There is mention of our melting pot parents, too, where the Jewish/Italian and Guatemalan grandmothers pipe up with competing advice. My favorite, though, is "Mexican swaddling," which turns out to be "swaddling by a Mexican" [and a Mexican dad to boot.]
Still, the cure for colic seems universal: swaddling, then do whatever it takes that doesn't involve alcohol or narcotics. or cayenne pepper, maybe.
For City Kept Sleepless by Colic, No End to Cures in Melting Pot [nyt]
previously: Opium--it's not just for teething anymore
Can you do something about that colic??
Ancient Geek swaddling technique
