Baby Crying for No Reason??

Hi J.,

There are MANY reasons baby's cry. And no, you CAN NOT spoil a newborn. Babies cry for a reason. There is always a reason!

As mentioned, colic tends to follow a pattern. Typically about the same time, etc... but I have heard of colicky babies crying all day. Typically a baby with colic will draw up his/her legs quite a bit.

You don't mention how old your baby is, that is a big thing. Newborns can be very overwhelmed with their new environment. They've gone from a very snuggly, warm, constantly held, constantly snuggled, fed on demand 24 hours a day 7 days a week womb... to this big bright, too cold, too hot, not held nearly as much world. It's frieghtening!!!

So, that being said... .babies will cry when they are hungry, when they are wet or soiled. But they will also cry if they are over stimulated, or under stimulated.

The BEST remedy for colic that I found was: www.coliccalm.com Trust me... I tried everything else. We were living in Germany and our Pediatrician there said the regular Over the Counter gas medications... like Mylicon or something aren't really good for babies. There is too much sugar in them and the babies like the sugar, but really, it isn't doing much for the gas.

The Colic Calm I found worked great! It is all natural, no sugar.

If it is not colic, then things you can try:

swaddling baby
Stove fan (the loud "white noise" is actually calming to many babies since the womb was actually a very noisy place)
"football hold" face down and GENTLY jiggling
Holding baby on your shoulder and bouncing

A great book that addresses these is: Happiest Baby on the Block.

I highly recommend it.

Sometimes...baby just needs to be held and know Mom or Dad is there.

Your husband might also try "wearing" baby. The Ergo Baby carrier is a great carrier. You can get it cheapest at:

www.myfavoritebabycarrier.com

This site has a 90 day money back guarantee. So, you try it for 3 months... and then if you hate it, send it back for a full refund. Doesn't get any better then that!

But, really fussy babies often just want to be held. My daughter HATED being left alone if she was awake. She wanted to interact. That was just her personality. We have friends with a daughter just 3 days younger then our daughter. She was fine to just lay in her crib and stare at the ceiling while our daughter needed to be held all day long. She was like this from the moment she was born. You have to learn your baby's personality and then work within that. If you try to "train" your newborn into what YOU would do...then it's going to be a fight. It's better to work within their personality and find what works for both of you. Training comes later when they are more aware of their actions and their surroundings.

Being a new parent is hard. Babies don't come with an instruction manual and every one is different! But that is good. You just have to trial and error until you find what works for your baby.

I hope my suggestions have helped!
Good luck!

Bottom line... shower baby with love and affection.

Oh...the no poo for a couple of days IS ok for an exclusive breastfed baby. If baby is getting some formula, I wouldn't let it go more then 2 days. Things you can do to stimulate poo....
gently rub their belly clockwise, DILUTED apple juice, increase the breastmilk feedings.

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Have you tried quitting the formula? I would assume that's the problem, it's not easy to digest like breastmilk and can create a lot of gas. Cut it out and nurse on demand, your supply will meet her demand withing a couple days.

Gripe water is natural and homeopathic, so you don't need to worry about using it. I just don't like the gas drops like Mylacon (sp?).

If you've cut out formula and gripe water isn't helping, then I'd look at your diet. Cut out all milk. It can be hard if you don't make your own meals because most processed foods have milk in them. If it's not dairy, then go to askdrsears.com and search for the "elimination diet". You cut down to less gassy, less allergenic foods and then slowly add them back in.

Good Luck! :)

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J.,
I breastfed by little girl for 18 months, and what I found out was that what I ate affected her, it made her gassy and her little tummy hurt. Especially things like onions and broccoli. Avoid those and other gassy food, and that might help her. I learned that most babies don't just cry for no reason during the first months of their lives. For my daughter, it was either she needed burping, her diaper was uncomfortable, she was wet, she missed your attention and sometimes just wanted to be held. As for mine, she pooped everytime she was fed, like clock work :). This is her only means of communication. When she cries, pick her up and find out why she's crying: try to burp, check diaper....Then put her back down once she's calmed.
K.

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First off, you probably don't need to take her to the doctor. Second, babies don't cry for no reason (I'm not being mean about it, please don't take it that way) that's their way of communicating. It might not be very pleasant at times or convenient I do agree. She's probably just a gassy, fussy baby. My baby was like that for awhile (about 12 weeks or so). It could be the major change in her food, going from breastmilk to formula. I understand you sometimes don't pump that much, but keep trying to get more if you can. The more you pump/nurse the more you make. Nursing is the best way though. If you have to keep using formula, maybe try a different kind. As far as colic or gas goes, we gave our babe gripe water. That worked pretty good for her. And no, you cannot spoil a baby by picking her up all the time. Some of the times that could be what she wants. I mean think about it, if we don't get something we want we might get upset right? So with a little baby why should we think it's weird when they cry for things other than hunger, dirty diapers, or pain. Not to mention they spent 9 months in the womb. They want to be held and snuggled, especially when they are upset. I don't believe in the Ferber method or Dr. Spock's theories. Check out Dr. Sears website, that might give some ideas and comfort. And again, don't give up breastfeeding!!!!!!!!! Seriously check out the Dr. Sears site.

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Just going throw this out there-- breastfed babies tend to have MORE bowel movements than formula fed babies, not the other way around. Sounds like she is constipated, I would follow as Lisa W. says.

And as for spoiling her, it isn't going to happen until later on in life, baby her now! She is clearly uncomfortable..think about how bad it feels not to have a BM and as tiny as she is...aw its so sad! Anyway, good luck!

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My babies #2 and #3 both were very gassy. It would appear that they were crying for no reason. Both were breastfed and had a bottle about once a week. I could tell it was gas because their little tummies would get really hard. Some tricks are to burp after eating (many breast feeding moms don't do that), sit up on the knee and bounce slightly up and down worked best for our girls for burping. Another good trick is to lay them on their back and 'bicycle' their legs in the air and bring the knees up the chest every few rotation to "squish" them. Sounds wierd but the movement helps (just like exercise/moving helps bigger kids/adults relieve gas/constipation).

The best thing was gripe water. It's very common in Canada and the rest of the world but harder to find in the US. I bought a bottle at Whole Foods.

If you try all this for gas relief and there's no change in 3-4 days then get to the doctor. You never know with little ones if it's serious or not. At least call the doctor with your concerns and see what he/she says.

I highly recommend the book "Happiest Baby on the Block". All the 'tricks' work wonders and they aren't really tricks. They are time-tested techniques used for generations. Swaddling is a big one. All my kids wanted to be swaddled until 5-6 months old... not just for sleeping but when they were awake and being held, too. Didn't interfere with crawling/walking (all crawled by 8 months - one at 5 months - and walked before their 1st birthday).

And you can't spoil a 3 month old. Pick her up and hold her as much as she needs you to. It's too early to start worrying about her being spoiled or dependent. One of my kids wanted to be held constantly up until about 6 months when she would be content to sit/lay on the floor with me nearby. By her 1st birthday she would happily play by herself (ignoring her brother and sister) for an hour and today is very outgoing and independent. Give her all the comfort she needs now.

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The ingredieant in gas remedies, symethicone, is innert, which means that it works in the gut without being absorbed. It is safe and effective, and if you use it and it does not work, then you can quit wondering if it is just gas and move your worry on to something else. You do not have to be worried about giving your little one something so safe.

Colic usually has a pattern of a particular time of day that they start to fuss. If you are not seeing a pattern, then you might try some of the simple constipation remedies first, a few teaspoons of corn syryp in a cup of cooled boild water is another easy remedy. Glycerine suppositories (also innert) also work well.

She will be fine, worry won't help her feel better, so relax. You are doing a fine job, and you cannot spoil a baby, so if it makes her feel better, just pick her up.

M.

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J.,
First of all , no, you can't spoil a newborn. Babies need you at this time and crying is their way of telling you that something is wrong, this coming straight from my doctor. And I am sure it is the acid reflux. It is extremely uncomfortable. Imagine constantly spitting up including the dehydration on top of it all. My son is now 7 months and also had acid reflux at your daugter's age. I see nothing wrong with giving your baby the Little Tummies drops. If it helps your daughter, then why not? Everyone needs the relief, including your daughter. And if it gets too bad, call the doctor and talk to them. That's free. They can give you advice on what to do, especially being a first time mom. Good luck to you!

My doctor said there is no such thing as "od'ing" on the gas drops. She told us to give our baby a dose with every meal. You can even put it in a bottle if your baby takes one.

I don't know about you but constipation is painful to me and to babies as well. Gas pains can also be painful/uncomfortable for adults so we know they are the same for the baby. What is "normal" for one person is not normal for another person.
Have you tried giving her some water? It will help get her bowels moving again. She is to young for prune juice, apple juice, or grape juice or I would recommend giving her some watered down juice to help get her bowels moving. A warm compress on her little belly will relax the muscles and bring her some relief as well.
And, yes, you can spoil a baby just as easily as an older child. They are conditioning you, training you, don't let her completely control you, you are the parent.

Sometimes "exercising" the baby's legs can help with the gas. Pushing her legs up - knees to her chest - and back down can help move the gas through her system and make the baby feel better. I did that with my granddaughter who is now 18 months. And sometimes placing the baby face down on your lap, or bed, and rubbing her lower back helps. I too think that when the baby is so young, it doesn't hurt to hold the baby when she cries - it reassures and comforts them even if they are hurting. (kind of like when we need to cry on someone's shoulder) If you or your husband can sing to her, or else put on some gentle soothing music, that can help calm their fears and ease pain. Music has been used to help lessen the need for anesthetics during surgery, for example. Hope these suggestions are helpful, since they are free and non-chemical.
R. N.

Sounds like your little one is working on getting a case of colic, not good at all. The gas drops will not harm her.She is probably getting too much air when she eats from a bottle, you probably need to incease the flow of the nipple.Also I would burp her after every ounce she eats.Picking her up will not SPOIL her at this age, she cries because that is her only way of telling you she is uncomfortable.So pick her up and pat her like you are trying to burp her, then lay her down and work her little legs like she is riding a bycycle, this should help her pass the gas.You can also lay her across your legs and pat her some babies really enjoy that.
Good luck.

J.,
Has she been having reg. BM's? If you think it's gas lay her on her back and push her legs up to push on her tummy.
also with my son the only way he could get rid of gas was to hold him like a football tummy down on the palm of you hand so it pushes on her tummy and pat her bottom hard so your pushing on the tummy to push the gas out.
Also so this my sound strange but once when out daughter was very little she would not stop crying and I found a tiny hair wrapped around her toe you could not see it because of the folds in her skin. Chubby toes and a fine hair.

It sounds to me like she may be colicky. My youngest was like this. It didn't set in until she was about 2 months old. We went though almost 6 weeks of this before I realized that it wasn't just me doing something wrong. She also suffered from acid reflux. Once we saw the doctor, I was soooo relieved. She was treated for the reflux and that helped tremendously. Even though there was no real way to treat the colic, it was helpful for me to just know that there was a reason for her crying. Hang in there, and if it is helpful for you to pick her up and hold her, then do it. You will not spoil her. Just imagine if you were in horrible pain and no one would show you compassion. She needs to know that you are there and willing to do what you can to comfort her...even if its pacing the floor for 5 hours at a time.

One thing that also worked for me was the backpack carrier. I would put my daughter into that and she'd be happy because I was holding her, and I was still able to get other stuff done.

And you're right, she may be having less BMs due to the breast milk. Breast milk is absorbed at 90% unlike formula which is only at about 75%. It is not uncommon for an exclusively breastfed baby to go 3-4 days without a BM. However, since you are giving her formula on occasion, and she's still not had a BM in a few days, I would be a little more concerned. A call to the doctor is well warrented in my opinion.

My son behaved like that at 3 months -- I remember it being awful. It's got to be worse when you're at work and can't be there to help. But what we finally figured out is that the simple truth is: babies cry. That's just what they do. Which, to be fair, if I had no ability to go where I wanted to go or communicate what I wanted, that's exactly what I'd do, too: Cry.

If you can find a copy of "The Happiest Baby on the Block", those suggestions worked well for us. www.thehappiestbaby.com And getting out of the house as much as absolutely possible. We went shopping and to the library and walked all over town for hours. If there was something more exciting to look at than our apartment walls, there were fewer complaints. Or maybe it just made the day seem like it was going by faster. :)

If picking her up and distracting and all of those things don't work, then it might be worth a Dr's visit. But if she was really in pain, you'd probably know the difference.

And I'm with you, babies that cry need to be picked up and loved. She doesn't have the intellect level yet to be spoiled. But if you've got a fussy baby, you're husband is going to need a lot of emotional support and breaks so he doesn't go nuts. Taking care of someone who screams at you all day can be nerve wracking...

Hi J., My first daughter got real fussy at about 2 months old. She would cry non stop. I don't like meds either. But we had to give her gas drops about every 15 minutes for a few months. That was the only thing that would calm her and let us sleep. She had gas problems and it comes on without warning. I have found out that you can not overdose them on gas drops. if that is what helps then I would use them. Gas pains hurt and I know you don't want her in pain. I used gas drops on all 4 of my daughters. My oldest is now 7. I hope this helps. D. B.

Hi J., I don't know if you've tried this, but HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY (did I say highly?) recommend the breastfeeding consultants at the Elizabeth Blackwell Center. They are free. They also have a support group that you can go to in the evening. They can offer you their incredibly knowledgeable insight and help your baby. The number is ###-###-####. They have helped my sister and me.

What you describe sounds like gas. And in my experience breastfed babies have more consistent BMs while the formula fed babies go longer and have a higher tendency for constipation.

Anyway, I'm so sorry that you're stressed. I have been in your shoes. Please consider calling the consultants as I know they can help you.

J.

Gas pains can be extremely uncomfortable.Some of the old fashioned remedies for tummy aches might help. A warm blanket on the tummy(we warmed ours in the oven)will sometimes bring relief, keeping the baby on thier tummy when you are with them and encouraging some movement like head up and looking around may help push the gas out. We tried letting our son cry but it only made gas worse because of all of the air that he sucked in while crying. My husband was a very warm person and he found that holding the baby on his stomach, covering with a blanket and batting his back really comforted our son. He would often fall asleep and they would both sleep several hours like that. There are things that the doctor can perscribe and I completely undersand not wanting to give meds at such a young age but on the other hand I am sure that you do not want your child to be miserable and in pain. Little babies do not cry for no reason.

So many of us have been there. I agree a lot with what has been said, gas drops, etc. I didn't see anyone mention Gripe Water which worked wonders for one of our twins. It is all natural. I believe it has chamomille, ginger, and something else in it that helps sooth stomachs etc. It worked like a charm on our son. Now our daughter did this and it turns out she had reflux and wasn't getting enough BM from me. So something to look at also. Once we took care of those two problems she was a different child. I would try just calling your peditrician to see what they might be able to tell you over the phone. Best of luck to you!

As a Grandmother to six,and a nurse-my first thought is she's normal-1. Having dreams of falling, 2. Feelings of abandonment -they do need constant reassurance that you're there, remember she was in your womb for approximately 42 weeks. After that she's been held closely by you to nurse- 3.Are you still swaddling her the way they showed you in the hospital? This will increase her comfort level. 4. Are you eating differently now that your back to work? Fast foods etc...all the chemicals pass thru your milk.

I hope this helps. My own firstborn had these issues, my first grandchild did as well.

Good luck--remember--this is a temporary thing, hold her while you can.

My son cried for SEVEN months!! I feel your pain, but he however had multiple ear infections, no fever, and never pulled at his ears, could this be possible for your daughter?

Please read the Happiest Baby on the Block, the new way to calm crying and help you baby sleep longer by Harvey Karp. My local library had several copies so I'm sure yours will have one if you don't want to buy it. It won't help you if it is just gas but if it is not it will give you some tools to help sooth her, and something to do when she is crying and feel helpless.

Sounds like gas and maybe a little constipation. The gas drops are perfectly fine for newborns. You can give the drops to them up to 12 times in a 24 hour period. And you are right, you can't spoil a newborn. If she cries, it's for a reason. I will caution against the thermometer trick. We were told by our pediatrician to NEVER stick anything in the baby's rectum. If you don't do it correctly, you can actually rip tissues and cause lots of damage. Sometimes I put my 6 week old dd in the travel swing in the bathroom and turn on the fan. The noise seems to calm her right down. And it gives me an excuse to soak in the tub ;) Good luck to you and your dh. A crying baby is no fun! I've got a fussy one on my hands right now!

Try swaddling her (wrapping her in a warm blanket or towel). This may make her think she is being cuddled.
to help relieve gas do some baby excercises with her. Gently hold her legs so that it looks like she is squating the legs bent and knees up by her belly kind of like a fetal position may help her be able to push the gas out.
go on line to look up natural remedies for cohlic.
Best wishes. Hang in there. this too will pass ---and you will miss these days believe it or not.

Yeah, nobody likes giving their kids "medications", but sometimes you just have to to save your sanity

With gas relief drops, we always used Mylicon, and it's worked very well for us. But I know people who've said that doesn't work for their kids - that Gerber's gas drops or some other brand worked better for them. So that might be something to consider.

With us, we did what we called, "Spinning the wheel". Is she hungry? tired? too hot? too cold? is it gas? And you keep going until something works, even if you have to try some of the things twice.

Yes, sometimes breastfed kids can get a little backed up. It might be worth considering to put just a little bit of corn syrup in one of the bottles you give her to help that along too.

For what it's worth, and good luck!

My baby was colic and did the same thing! It was HORRIBLE. It stopped at around three months old. She might be constipated. Try the thermometer trick with wiggling it around gently. Also put her in a warm bath and rub her lower abdomen gently. This can also stimulate a bm. She might be getting a stomach ache from the formula. A breastfed baby can have a hard time with formula because it is harder on the tummy and digestive system. The gas drops are very safe. I was terrified to medicate my baby too, but the gas drops are like us adults eating a tums. Its not really "medication".

What helped my baby when she was screaming was loud music. I mean really loud. She loved it. I would turn on country music loudly, put her on my shoulder and rock her, and she shut right up every time. She usually fell right to sleep too! You coud also try the vacuum. The noise in the womb is twice as loud as a vacuum cleaner, so some babies find loud noise to be a comfort. But some don't, so you never know. Give it a try. Also, my baby would stop crying if I walked her around outside. She just might need a change of scenery. Have your husband try some different things, and see what works. My husband used to call me at work too, and tell me our baby had been crying for hours. It tears your heart out because there is nothing you can do. But trust me, this does pass as she gets older. It does get better, I promise! Good luck!

I know that formula can be hard on the baby sometimes. It may be constipating her. If she's eating formula everyday, even one bottle, then she should have a BM everyday. Breastfed babies don't necessarily BM everyday, that is true. My breastfed daughter had gas sometimes from what I ate (cabbage or broccoli), or didn't sleep either (coffee ice cream had caffeine, duh). Pay attention to what you are eating to see if it may be causing her an upset tummy. Those gas drops work very well, too, and they are pretty natural. Not like cough medicines or allergy meds. Try putting the baby on her tummy across your lap and patting her back/butt for a minute or two. If she has gas, she will love this.
It's true that you can't spoil the baby, but you can't hold the baby all of the time either. I know the guilt of leaving your little one at home when they are so little. You want to hold them constantly. But, when you leave someone else in charge they will suffer the consequences! It sounds like when she's with Daddy, she might be crying for you. Try instead spending more time on the floor facing each other, or having her lay beside you on the couch, or putting her in a bouncer and talking to her. Quite possibly she's bored and wants new stimulation.
New daddy's freak-out just like we do, but they assume that we will know the answers cuz we did the birthing?? Calm your husband and let him know that he can do it, not to stress out. The baby will respond to his soothing ways eventually just as she does to yours. He needs to remember that she can feel his anxiety/agitation. Be confident and soothing. The baby is new to all this, too.
Darling, the first year is sooooo darn hard. You don't get enough sleep and worry constantly if you are doing the right things. Everyone else seems to have no probs, and tells you not to worry. Well, I'm here to tell you, YEAH IT SUCKS, BUT DON'T WORRY, YOU WILL MAKE IT!! ;)

If the gas drops are helping, then give them to her.You also need to keep an eye on what you are eating. What you are eating could be giving her the gas. Try different foods, that are generally more gentle and see if it makes her less gassy. It could also be the formula.
Don't be afraid to give her like the gas drops when she is in pain like this, it's not fair to her. I'm not saying give them to her constantly, but just as needed. I've given them to all my kids and I'll tell you the older 2 are very healthy and happy kids. My 2 month old has gas issues and constipation issues as well and the gas drops actually seem to help with the constipation as well, since he will relax after taking them.
fussy babies are hard to deal with and I know we all want what's best for our children. But you'll all be happier if you give her something to help her with the gas. Good luck!

Could it be colic? We gave my son "Gripe Water" when he had colic. It can be found at most health food stores or order it on the internet. It helped him. Also I hear they have made some advances on probiotics for colic so you might want to research that or check with your pediatrician. We also used baby gas drops which seemed to help some also.

You will not spoil an infant by picking them up. Loving your child will not spoil them. Good luck and remember that she will outgrow it.

Hi J.! I agree with the others that it sounds like gas. You can usually tell if it's gas because the baby will draw their legs up towards the belly. If you see this, try some infant drops (Mylicon). These drops are completely safe, but it seems to me that they work on some infants & not on others (they worked like a charm on my daughter but not at all on my son).

Good luck to you!

OMG J. I was in your shoes back in Jan. I was up for EVER with a crying baby girl. She was breastfed too. I endured the crying for 4 weeks until my mom came to my rescue and told me what she did for us 5 kids growing up. (she is also a nurse). She told me to just take the babys temperature in her butt and then gently wiggle it around. It stimulates a BM. My baby girl had TERRIBLE gas and then poo's all over me. She passed out and slept for 6 hours. I ended up waking her just to feed her because my chest was ready to explode. I am telling you it WORKS..those gas drops didnt seem to help. Also I figured out my baby got gas because I drank milk. So I illiminated milk from my diet and dairy products (I just took a calcium pill at night).
Keep me posted. I feel terrible for you. I was there and felt sooo helpless. I hope I helped you. Email me if you have any more questions. Good luck!

My third son was extremely gassy, and we gave him Mylicon all the time, and it really helped. It turns out he was sensitive to dairy, so I had to quit drinking milk (I too was breastfeeding), and eating things with uncooked dairy (I could eat products that had milk in them, just not have straight milk). It was such a learning process, and it took a week or two to see results. Hope this helps!

HI J., and Congrats to you and yer husband :) you probley can spoil a newborn, but she will only be a baby once, hold her to pieces and love every sec of it. No poop, but alot of gas, she very well could have a tummy ache. i know you can't afford the dr visit, but you could still call and maybe they can give ya some advice, and the pharmasist can recommend something also. warm bath and a tummy rub mite relax her. GL. God Bless

Hi J..

I was nervous about giving my first son meds when he was born, but I soon learned that little babies tend to have lots of gas which does cause them pain. The gas drops work really well for that and are very safe. Even if you can't afford to go to the doctor, often you can call and ask questions about things like this at no charge. Also, both of my sons were breastfed and had several bms per day. Breastfed babies tend to digest there food faster and easier than formula. She may need a little apple juice or something to help her have a bm because of the formula she's been drinking. I would call your doctors office and ask. They're used to lots of questions from first time moms! :) Best wishes. I hope things get better for you!

well i work at a daycare and i also have a 3 month old son at home. he used to be like that he has a lot of gas. and it smelled so bad he would not have a bm for days on end. i called and talk to his doctor and she said to try gas drops he was only 3 weeks old. when went to our next visit i told her i did not know giving him gas drops all the time. so she told me to try a little bit of apple juice like 1/2 oz to 1 1/2 oz of water. it was working he was going everyday but still cried all the time out of the blue. then i talked to her about that and they changed formula. that had helped him so much more now. she may also just need so mommy or daddy time. if you know it is not that just remember to read and always ask questions. you are the mother!!! and if something is not right speak up. if it is to much remember to but her down in a safe place and walk a away for a little bit to clean your head. i child can feel you getting upset and it makes them upset too. if she cried it is ok close the door and relax for a min. then come back with a clear head.

Hi J., I am a grandmother now - with two beautiful grandsons. My daughter, their Mom, had the same thing when she was a baby. I nursed her so it wasn't formula, doctors said colic - I, like you was at my wits end. Where I lived there was an older Italian woman who told me to give her one to two tablespoons of cammomile tea. It worked !!! I made the tea - and let it cool, then put a little bit of sugar in to sweeten and it seemed to do the job. As she got older I used to put it in bottles. And with my other two children I have always used cammomile tea to ease any stomach upsets. Have you ever read Peter Rabbit when he goes into Farmer McGregors garden and eats too much. In the story his mother gave him cammomile tea - you can buy this at the grocery story. I have also used Sleepytime Tea as well. It has just a touch of peppermint which is also soothing. This is a natural remedie as I didn't want to give anything to my children. They still love it today, and so do my grandsons. As far as bowel movements, with breastfed babies there is no issue if they don't have one for a while - don't know much about formula casue I breastfed all 3 of mine. Hope this helps, L.

two secrets-- homeopathic colic tablets and a big exercise ball. my kids were both colic-y and they loved to be held upright with our arms holding them by the tummy, bouncing on the big ball. can you try taking formula out of her diet for a few days and see if that helps? it's harder to digest and slows down the bms...

one other trick my friend did that helped her baby-- she would lay her baby on her lap and do bicycle motions with the baby's legs. it really helped her tummy feel better.

J., my Dr. (who was a great Mom source for me when I had my little girl) reminded me that the ONLY form of communication for her is to cry at this point. Yes, she could have a gas bubble. Yes, she might be wet or dirty. OR she could have some lint between her toes from her socks that's really bugging her. My Dr. had long hair, and one of her littles used to grab her hair - and cry because one strand of hair was stuck between her fingers and annoying her. If you're giving gas drops regularly and she's still crying, think about maybe her diaper is folded over in the back or the blanket is not bundled around her just right. And trust me, it will stop eventually :) If she seems to be in pain or agony and it's at regular intervals, it could be something intestinal - get to Children's Hospital or your Ped to have it checked. My nephew's intestine retracted inside itself and needed medical attention to correct it. Just listen to the cry and see if she's "annoyed" or in pain and go from there. Good luck!

the infant gas drops are very safe. BUT i don't like giving my kids meds either so i understand. this is normal, most babies go through periods of crying like this. could be gas, could be an allergy causing a tummy ache, could be colic, or constipation. if you use formula you could consider switching to a soy based, my middle son had acid reflux, and we had no idea till it got really bad, and the soy formula helped some. also you could just try changing brands, carnation is supposed to be really good.

she could also just need nothing more than a change of scene, try taking her for a drive, or a walk when she gets fussy, or changing from the swing to a bouncy seat or the floor.

something that worked for me and my kids, was to turn the radio on, at a decent volume, partly to drown out the noise, make sure it's something YOU like to hear and sing and dance around with the baby, it will calm you down, and that alone can really help calm baby. the sweeper also quieted my kids for some reason.

good luck, and remember, she's likely perfectly fine and healthy and it's just a stage and it will pass, try not to stress, you're doing everything you can do and it will be alright.

I will share my story with my daughter to see if this helps. My daughter was about 9 weeks old when she got "colicky". She was unconsolable from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. every night. We had to stop breastfeeding (she vomited every time she ate) and had to go to soy formula to stop the projectile vomiting. She was incredibly gassy so we also have to give her a dose of Mylecon with each bottle just to help her out. Our pediatrician advised that Mylecon cannot hurt her and to use as needed. Basically this lasted for about 9 weeks and stopped. We also found that laying her across our knees and gently bouncing her helped with her tummy issues. laying her on our stomach helped due to the heat - so we also used a hot water bottle. We were told her digestive system was still a bit immature and it just takes some time. Once we introduced cereal to her diet, things improved quickly in combination with the soy formula. Unless there is a chance she is injured, I would discuss some of these changes with my pediatrician - colic really is hard to handle because the baby is inconsolable. I was a really rough couple months. I hope this helps and good luck!

My son had the exact same problem and his dr told me to give him one ounce of karo syrup mixed with 2 ounces of water. This was to help with the bowel movement. I would first try getting some chammomile tea for her. If she is colicy (like my son and I were) this will soothe her tummy. All you have to do is go to the store and buy the tea, make it like you normally would and put 3 ounces in her bottle. The tea can be warm or cold, but I found that if it was warm, it seemed to help my son more. Hope these tips help you out!

N.

I'm a single mom to an almost 3 yr old boy. I work part time and go to school full time.