Fussy Baby!

Find the dvd/book "happiest baby on the block" and find a good baby carrier or sling. You can't spoil a baby at this age - they thrive with human contact. If you can wear him, it may help. One of the things in the "happiest baby" book is that infants aren't quite "done" yet and ready to be outside. Kinda like their systems are overwhelmed. The extra comfort of close contact helps them adjust. I was lucky with an easy first baby, but this book/dvd helped me feel confident and comfortable with giving my baby the extra comfort and contact we both enjoyed :)

Time has not allowed me to read what other moms have said, but we useed Mylicon or actually the generic, simethicone. My oldest child, and my sister who is 20 years younger than me had "colic", and the simeticone worked great. You can get it at Walmart, it is made by Equate. HTH

Hi there! First I just want to say that I am so sorry you and your baby are having such a rough go at things... you must be exhausted! Couple of things, if it is reflux I do not think Mylanta is the answer, my son has had severe reflux since he was 3 weeks old, and we have tried several remedies and medications to find what helped him get relief. Even if he has stopped spitting up that doesn't mean the reflux has stopped, that is what is called silent reflux- they have the pain but do not show it with spit up. This would not only explain all the fussiness, but also the reason he wants to nurse so much, that is soothing the pain (or so he thinks... really it soothes it for that moment but makes it worse in the long run). You need to stop allowing him to soothe by nursing, it will only cause more damage to his esophagus if he has reflux. OTOH, this could be colic and will subside in the next week - 2 weeks, but it is so hard to tell when they are little. I would make an appointment with the pediatrician to talk about the possibility of it being reflux or silent reflux.

Good luck, I hope they will listen to your concerns and find him some relief!

K.
Helping MOMS work from home!
http://www.stayinghomeandhavingfun.com

Hi C.,

My son was colicky. We tried all sorts of things (including me eliminating things from my diet, gas drops, prevacid, ect), to no avail. His was actually most of the day, and even holding him did not generally stop his cries. Are we allowed to put outside links on here? Hmmm...well here's a website that helped me so much! www.colicsupport.com. I'm *not* saying that he has colic! But, the website is a great support for dealing with a "fussy" baby, too! It's true, it could be gas, or something in your milk or a formula issue. Here are some things I tried with my son:

the swing, only on the fastest setting (helped sometimes)
white noise (the vacuum cleaner, vent a hood in the kitchen, ect)
happiest baby on the block (there's a dvd so you don't have to read the book!) by dr harvey karp
swaddling very tightly
bouncing him in my arms (kinda like jiggling him, somewhat mimicking a carride)

I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to message me if you'd like. Oh, and if he calms down when you hold him, I think the sling idea is great! Allows your arms to get a break : )

K.

Oh no! Your poor little baby probably has acid reflux. My little guy had the same. Its like REALLY bad heartburn-imagine their age...they can't tell you what hurts. My heart hurts bc my baby was in pain and I didn't do anything for a few weeks. When we finally took him to the dr and he put him on prevacid it was like I had a new baby. You could tell he felt better.My dr also said they don't really use the term "colic" anymore as most babies they thought had it actually had acid reflux. There esophagus is burning. Pls ask the dr for a prescrip soon so your baby will feel better??

It sounds like your son is not liking the real world and/or your milk supply may need a boost. If it's milk supply, The Nursing Mother Companion and/or lactation consultant would be in order. You can try giving him goat's milk when he is fussy to see if he is still hungry. If he guzzles down an ounce, then you know you need help with milk supply. If he's not hungry, then the book will help you figure out foods that might be upsetting him. I know with my daughter I thought she was sensitive and was very careful with what I ate. When my son was fussy, he was still hungry- period. He even had a yeast rash and didn't care as long as he was fed. (I had to eliminate sugar and processed grains, etc. to clear up his yeast rash since he was exclusively breast fed at the time.)

Do you have a sling? If it is reflux, keeping him upright will be more comfortable. But you said he's not happy in a bouncer so he may just want to be close to you. He has been snuggled, fed and warm for 9 months in your womb and now he doesn't have that. ("The Happiest Baby on the Block" explains this well.)

If your worried about looks: I didn't want to look hippie with my daughter, but I had to consider slings when my son came along since I new it would make us mobile at the playground. I never knew it was so easy and had such benefits- calm, content, secure baby. If you are going back to work, you will probably want to sling him up after work so he gets his snuggle needs met. If your babysitter is willing, she can sling him up, too.

My first was a girl and second a boy. My son has been much needier than my daughter. I used to put him in the sling a lot when he was smaller, now I use it when we are out or if he is super fussy. (Since he can sit up, I can put him on my back and cook dinner while he is getting his need met. I have a Baby Bjorn type carrier and it was too hard to put him on my back. There was no way I was going to cook dinner with a crying baby at my feet or in front where he can get cut or burned)

If you have never used one, please go to Peppermint in Richardson (www.peppermint.com). They will show you how to use a sling and probably recommend a ring sling. It is adjustable and can grow with your baby from newborn to 35 pounds. They also have classes and live web help if you can't get to the store. I admit I couldn't quit get my sling right with the directions that came with my sling, but the class cleared that up within 5 minutes.

I got a second sling on eBay dirt cheap so now one is clean and packed in the diaper bag whenever we go out. When you get good, you might see other moms hauling out the stroller and everything while you are walking away with your baby in the sling.

Oh, yeah- added bonus of the sling, people will admire your baby without touching and kissing him. Since he's in the sling, they would have to invade your personal space to touch him. So you can be mobile with him and your daughter much sooner while still giving him some immune protection.

Sorry for the ramble, but your bio says you are dealing with a lot of this without your husband. I just wanted you to have lots of ideas to check out/eliminate since you are probably tired right now. I wish you lived closer. I have a just-turned 7 year old and 10 month old, so feel free to email me.

Have you tried a gas medication like Mylecon or Little Tummies? My son cried the first year of his life and they always said he was "colicy" but now we know that he is allergic to dairy, wheat and soy!! If your breastfeeding, try changing up your diet for a day or two and see if that helps him feel better. I would start by eliminating most childhood intolerance's like dairy, peanut butter, etc. If swaddling helps, you can swaddle him during the day too. Have you tried maybe laying him on his tummy instead of his back? Maybe try putting a teddy bear where he can see it when he's laying down so he see's another face and doen't feel so alone? If he doesn't like laying flat, try proping up his mattress by placing a pillow below the mattress on one end (this creates a slope). Make sure he's not crying because he's getting too cold or too hot. Good luck! I feel for ya!

I agree with Raissa - it sounds like your first baby was super easy-going - for newborns like yours, most like to be close to you all of the time. Each baby has a different temperament & it just sounds like your new baby just needs lots of holding & snuggling. I would definitely suggest getting a sling or snugli of some kind - that way, you can still get done whatever you need to get done but your baby is still happy! Also, if it is acid reflux (I've had three babies with it), this will help because it will keep him upright which helps the acid from splashing up so much. Best of luck & try to remember that they grow up fast & they won't always be like this!

My first was fussy - would just cry for no reason starting around 7pm at night. I still remember our dinners being serenaded with a crying baby in the backround. I thought this was normal b/c this was my first. It wasn't until having my second that I realized that was just her personality. My second only cried when she was hungry, needed a diaper change or was tired. I thought something was wrong with her! Anyway, my first still has the same personality! She just is a crier - even now at 2 1/2! The only thing that seemed to calm my first down during one of her crying episodes was holding her underneath the fan while it was running. She would stop crying intstantly and just stare at the fan mesmorized! Just try to be patient and enlist help to ease your patients. Also, rocking back in forth in my arms also helped to calm her down. I really don't have a quick fix for you - it all involves holding! Good luck!

Hello C.,

I'm sorry to hear your baby is having a hard time. have you changed formulas or if you're breastfeeding, have you changed your diet? perhaps eliminating certaing things from your diet will help him (like milk, cheeses, onions, carbonated beverages) Good luck and keep trying until you find the right answer for you and your baby. have you thought about chiropractic treatment? ~C.~

Try reading "Happiest Baby on the Block." It has some good tips for calming fussy babies.

Hi C.,

If he likes being swaddled at night, try doing it during the day as well. I know both of my boys really liked being swaddled when they were newborns. Also, try out different types of pacifiers to see if you can find one he likes. The pacifier worked like a tranquilizer dart for both of my boys. They would just instantly calm down with it. Hang in there...this too shall pass!

M.

P.S. I am building a team of 5 financially free champions over the next 2-5 years. Want to be one of them? Email me through Mamasource if you are ready for change!

My daughter was the exact same way. She seemed to never be happy unless she was interacting with me. And of course she would cry non stop at night for about 3 hours. The doctor said she had colic!! My worst nightmare!! I switched her formula like the doc said and no change. So, I thought that maybe all the gas was coming from what they put in our water. If you use formula, try switching the water to Distilled, instead of using tape water. When I made the change with my daughter, all the crying went away and she had no problems with being by her self anymore. I guess she felt more at easy when I held her or cuddeled her. But was so amazed on what a turn around she made by just switching the water. Good luck!!

Hi, C.. It sounds like your baby is more the norm than the exception (your first baby may have been an unusually easy going baby). Most babies do not like to be out of their mother's arms for more than a few minutes -- it is how they were designed to be. Using a sling is a great idea. The best product I have seen out there is a carrier/sling by the company "ergo". My daughter also nursed almost constantly during the evening -- she outgrew this after a few months and after me following babywearing guidelines during the day. When babies nurse, they are doing more than just eating, they are getting their emotional needs met by being close to their mother . . . your little one may be making up for lost time out of your arms during the day. As your little one gets older (around five or six months) he will begin to entertain himself and play more nauturally, so the need to be in your arms will lessen. Hope this helps.

R.

talk to doctor first but try a little cereal help with all my kids but have not tried before about 2 2and half monthe before

Hi C..
First, if your baby is crying all the time then something needs to be addressed. Babies that young are very instinctual and will only cry if there is a reason. Watch him closely - when he cries, what is he doing? Is he pulling his legs up to his chest? Is he tooting (i.e. farting)? Is he ever happy? If so, when is that?

I have 4 kids and 3 of them had reflux or milk-protein sensitivity. I recently read the AWESOMEST book called "Colic Solved" by Dr. Bryan Vartebedian. It answered every single one of my questions and put my mind at ease that I'm not really crazy and that if my baby has a problem, it can probably be solved easily.

Talk to your doctor. If he/she is dismissive, trust your gut and get a second opinion. Good luck!

some things to consider:
1) reflux (my 2 favorite sites for more info were infantreflux.org and marci-kids.com. and if you give mylanta, be sure to use the cherry supreme (it doesn't have aluminum in its formulation. our final 'wonder combination' ended up being zegerid and mylanta cherry supreme for flare-ups.)

2) food allergy (nursing or formula? if nursing, seek out advice from kellymom.com for more on elimination diets to rule that out as a cause for your little one's troubles. if formula, try nutramigen & see if things improve. if so, but things start regressing, you might want to check into neocate. our son improved on nutramigen but was totally fine once we started neocate.)

3) we loooooooove ***cocyntal***!! we tried gripe waters too, but had much better results with cocyntal. boiron makes it; weird names, but boy did i learn them quickly!!

HTH!!