Crying Infant!!! - Plainfield,IL

Hit the library or bookstore for book/dvd "the Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Karp - it may help. Some babies just need an extra few weeks/months to get used to the "outside world". This book/video give comforting tips for this tough time.

1 mom found this helpful

I remember becoming the master of the "sway" back & forth, back & forth....then walk, walk, walk through every room in my house...it's very hard but it won't last forever. Hang in there. Try to rule out problems with formula, gas, colic etc with your ped. Keep a journal of EVERYTHING...times and amounts of intake, output, crying times, etc and show to your ped.

1 mom found this helpful

Hunger
Colic
Gas
These are the common things which makes a baby unhappy and crying.
And it can also be many things at the same time. Not just one.

I would try Mylicon infant gas drops.
my daughter, had a lot of gas pains as a newborn.

Next, if breastfeeding, make sure you are producing enough milk... and that she is latching on properly. If not, she will NOT be getting enough intake... my friends' baby was that way, and he'd cry all the time. The Mom didn't know she was not producing enough milk and her baby didn't latch on right. If this is the case, a baby is basically hungry all.the.time.
3-weeks was a growth-spurt time in an infant... and every 3 weeks is a growth-spurt, then at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and so forth.

Feed on-demand, no matter if by breast or Formula.

Call your Ped.

all the best,
Susan

1 mom found this helpful

If it is cholic or gas I would drap my son over my arm. His head by my wrist and him straddling my elbo with his legs. He loved this and often times was the only way to calm him down and lightly bounce. I would also rub just under his belly button to help relive gas and move poopy around and anything else that was uncomfy.

The Happiest Baby on the Block will give you tips to make this normal, transitional period survivable. Your baby is in her most difficult period right about now.

My daughter was like this for her first 2 1/2 months, then gradually improved. It took exactly 6 months for her to get over her 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. colic, though. I walked, rocked and patted her 4 hours a night for those 6 months because I simply couldn't let her struggle and suffer. After the nightly colic, she became a pretty decent sleeper by the end of her 4th month. At six months, the colic simply stopped.

Hang in there. I know you feel puzzled and helpless. Looking back on it someday, you'll be amazed how quickly it passed.

Make an appointment with your pediatrician. Your baby could need her formula changed due to gas or reflux. I had screamers myself. if would sit on the edge of the sofa, lay them across my legs and bounce them gently. My doctor also told me to get an infant sling. I would put her in the sling and keep her close to me during times she was really fussy.

It is possible that it is Colic. Call your Ped tomorrow and see if you can get her in for an appt. Tell the Dr. how she is acting and what she does when crying. Colic babies either Curl up or stretch straight out (I forget which), my Ped told me that because my youngest didn't like nights. She was just getting really gassy though and now is on a probiotic. But Def talk to ur ped about whats going on, what they think and what you can do.

My son cried and cried. He especially screamed in the carseat. He had acid reflux. Some people told me he just had colic. However he cried all the time and not just at certain times of the day. From what I hear babies with colic cry at about the same time(s) each day. I suggest going to your pediatrician. It could be many things. In the mean time other people have offered great suggestions. The Happiest Baby on the Block is a great resource. Good luck!

All healthy, normal babies become fussier from the day they were born until they hit "peak fussiness" at 6 weeks (after their gestational 40 week date.) From there, 80% of babies then start to calm down week after week. The other 20% remain at the "peak fussiness" for another 6 weeks. Those are the babies with "colic," in which there is usually little to do but wait it out. I had one with colic -- it was absolutely awful...but we did survive. (I won't forget it, though!)

Of course, all this is assuming that your baby has no health/medical issues, and it sounds like your little girl is doing great. See what happens after your daughter turns 6 weeks, post-gestational 40 weeks. If her screaming persists at the same extreme level, see your Pediatrician. If it's colic, there's not much to do. You may find little things that may help a little (try the DVD "Happiest Baby on the Block.") However, your baby will just have to outgrow it -- and she will by 12-16 weeks old (if this is the case). Good luck and hang in there!!

My daughter was like this-she would cry after a bottle for 3 or 4 hours (mostly in the middle of the night). We switched her formula around until we settled on a soy based formula. She is now 3 1/2 and has been drinking regular milk for over a year, so it doesn't have to be an allergy. If you are breast feeding, it could be a certain food you are ingesting that is giving her gas. So try to track what you have eaten when she gets this way. I also highly recommend a product called Gripe Water. You just add it to the bottle, or give it straight with a dropper and it helps soothe their tummy naturally. I bought it at Fruitful Yield. As others have said swaddling is also very sootheing for an uncomfortable baby. Good luck and congrats on your new baby.
C.

Try calling the Erikson Fussy Baby Network. They are a GREAT support- I used them with my now 5.5 year old when he was a baby, and I have called them for my 4 week old as well... I can't imagine what I would have done without their help!

http://www.erikson.edu/fbn.aspx

this probably sounds crazy but it worked for my niece who was colicky (sp?). They took her to a chiropractor (who specialized in working with infants) who adjusted her and it was like having a new baby.

I did not read your other posts so please forgive if I repeat, but did u speak with the pediatrician- One thing I do notice on here is people should be asking hteir ped some questions and not guessing-esp this young-my son was the same way and after trial and error with formula(we thought maybe a milk allergy), but it turned out to be reflux-why not try the ped first and stop guessing-that is why we trust our peds-at least I do-I know I can call anytime for anyhting-L.:)

Sounds crazy, but there is a movement you can do with your baby to quiet her at that age. I found out about it from Gymboree, which teaches a class on the "4th trimester" - based off a baby book with similar title.

Anyway, you hold your baby facing forward (so her back is against your belly), and with one arm, you craddle her across her body, and the other arm, you craddle her between her legs. You then do a squat, - bending at your knees and going half way down. You walk around doing that, and making a "swoosh" sound. It is also great for your butt.

I haven't found a baby yet that it doesn't work with. I"m in healthcare and rotate up to pediatrics and neonatal every now and then. New babies like to be held snug, as you may know. There is something also about the movement that I described that soothes the baby. Maybe it mimics what they feel in the womb?

I recommend the Happiest Baby on the Block. Here are his suggestions: http://www.babyslumber.com/happiestbaby.html

I swear, the swaddling, shushing, swinging and sucking took my baby from crazy crier to easy to calm. If there's no physical reason for her to be crying, this is a good way to go.

She could have more gas that she's not burping up. After feeding her, wrap her snuggly in a receiving blanket, just as though she was still in your tummy. When I say wrap, make sure her little arms are inside as well. Hold her close to you with her tummy touching your. I'm sure you will find with just the warmth alone she will feel so much better. Take care and I hope this works for you. Best of luck!! As well congratulations on your new arrival!!

My now 8 yr old did this same thing.
all night long she'd cry and cry , until she was about 4 months old.
She was VERY high needs I ended up wearing her in a front carrier during the day and I spend many nights walking , and bouncing for , forever. we'd finally end up on the couch , her on my chest on her tummy with 101 Dalmatians on the TV. She still loves dalmatians. :)
if it's gas you can lay her on her back , bend her knees and push them up into her tummy kind of rolling her hips around.

It is probably colic. I'm sure you have read about it. Talk to your pediatrician the next appointment.
If it is colic, then there are a few things that can help. Tight swaddles (we used the Miracle blanket), standing in the bathroom with the shower on, white noise. All babies are different with what will calm them down. You will have to experiment.

I guess you have to figure out lots of what, wheres and when. Is that her way of showing she is tired, hungry bored or wants to be held? When she is not crying what is she doing or are you holding her or rocking her? Does she cry in the car? In buggies when you are walking? Once you figure this out you can decide if you need to invest in one of those huggy things, wait it out for her to sleep, feed her and so on. That is barring all medical issues, but it didn't look like there was a big issue.

I had a son with colic. He is 2 1/2 now. Every night from 12am-5am I would have to stay up listening to him cry and trying soothe him. The only thing that would make him stop was putting him in his car seat, strapping him in and swinging him with my arm for hours. That is the only thing that would stop the crying.

sounds like she may have the colic. I really don't know any remedies for this but just make sure you do everything needed (feed,change,comport etc,), also have you tried swaddling? that may help. But the biggest thing is try and keep YOUR sanity! i know it's hard especially when you know that you have everything in your power to try and help her. Sometimes you may have to just put her in the crib and let her cery for a few minutes so you can get your nerves in order. Good luck and your in my prayers.

you sound JUST like me in September of 02. My 3 yr old had been an easy baby and the newest addition had colic something fierce. I had no help from the doctors (it will end soon they said, yea, 9 mos old was NOT soon thank you very much). Life was horrid. Because of this, combined with my older child not sleeping through the night yet, I researched sleep and found the following to work wonders. It did NOT solve the colic, but it sure made it so much better. What SOLVED it was a trip to the chiropractor. One adjustment and she was a happy baby that slept through the night.

So, here is my sleep method for infants that works wonders - I have used it not only for my colicy daughter but also for LOTS of daycare infants and other daycare providers and parents have used it -

try using the Baby Whisperer's EASY method for a schedule, and the Happiest Baby on the Block 5 s's method. Those two combined will make cio not be a needed thing (at that age)
EASY - when the baby wakes up it Eats. After you feed it, then it has Activity - bouncy seat, tummy time, sitting up and playing with toys, swing, exersaucer, etc. When the baby gets fussy check the B's - boredom, butt or burp. If it's none of those then off to Sleep. Don't wait for the baby to do more than get the tiniest bit fussy, then see what is causing the fusses - if it's just that they needed their diaper change do that, but if it's not the activity is boring, the butt is dirty or they have to burp, then put them down. This may happen after as short as 45 minutes, don't freak, it really means they are tired.
Now, to get them to sleep use the 5 s's. Swaddle the baby, hold the baby on their side and sway as they suck on something (paci, your knuckle or their finger/thumb) and make a shush noise. This will calm your baby. When the baby is calm, but not asleep yet, keeping them swaddled lay them in the bed. I like to pat them instead of sway after a minute or two cause you can still pat after they are put down but you can't sway, so pat the baby and continue patting gradually decreasing it as you put them in the bed. Also continue the shushing as you put them down, again gradually getting quieter.
If you do these two you will find a well rested, easily managed baby in no time.