Fussy Baby from Birth

My first was fussy and still is - 22 months :)
In the beginning she lived in her swing. I felt bad, but the docs said whatever works! Also baby wearing worked wonders for us. I used a Moby Wrap, but any holder that keeps them close to your body should work! Over time she did get better and even started to sleep well- but like I said she is just still a fussy little thing.
I now also have a 6 month old and she is just pleasant and happy- so I hate to say it, but every kiddo is just different and there is no magic pill.
However I will say the cry it out method has been proven to do more harm then good, so just give lots of love and attention, hold as much as you can and it will get better!

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ok, your son is way to young to try letting him cry it out. a 7 week old needs a lot of attention. he didn't ask to be here and he's trying to figure out what the heck happened from the time he was all cozy in you to now.

have you tried wearing him in a baby bjorn or other carrier? both of my kids loved the Moby Wrap and bouncing on an exercise ball while in it. I have done so many squats with my 12 week old you'd think my butt would look better than it does. does he like the carseat? how about a walk outside? i know it's hard with a toddler, my kids are 20 months apart and i feel guilty every time the baby is needy and my toddler is looking at me with the side eye but it's only temporary.

also, we've had great luck with Hyland's Colic tablets which i found at whole foods and the health food store. If you go to www.askdrsears.com he has some great advice on dealing with fussy babies.

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Have you tried to keep him awake after feeding to develop any type of schedule? Sometimes the consistency of that can settle them down. (Not for everyone, but it sounds like you are looking for any suggestions right now.

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Hi A. - I just wanted to say that I sympathize! You've received tons of "tips" on what to do. Some may work, and some may not. Unfortunately, sometimes certain babies are just crabbier than others. My daughter who is now 3 1/2 years old was THE crabbiest baby! No matter what we did...she cried. We tried everything...pretty much all the stuff people are saying here, but none of it worked. Like you said, for a short time it worked, but nothing had a lasting effect. However, now, while she still has a short fuse and a fiesty temper and is very strong willed, she is a very delightful and intelligent girl almost all the time. Everyone loves to see her and talk to her - she is so funny and just full of personality. So...while it seems like the crying will never end for you and it is very hard to go through....just know that it will eventually get better! I promise. Every baby is different and it sounds like yours just has one of those temperments. Think of it this way...he will most likely be a very strong boy and man someday and won't be one you'll have to worry about getting taken advantage of...sounds like he is strong willed and fiesty just like my daughter. But my one tip to you is...sometimes a mom just has to put the baby down and go have a good cry herself...it does wonders sometimes just to let it out yourself. Take a break and accept help from others. When you have a colicky baby you have to realize that....wish I would've! Also...just so you know...just cuz this baby is crabby, doesn't mean all of yours will be. My next one wasn't like that at all (no angel...but definitely not like the 1st). Hang in there momma. You will eventually get some sleep and your body will adjust.

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Have you tried mylicon? He may be gassy, even if you get a burp after feeding. Try burping him more than once, even if you get a burp pat him again and see if you're able to get more out. Have you tried putting him in his carseat and rocking it for him to go to sleep? That will probably help too.

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My daughter did a lot of fussing her first few months, she would only sleep in her swing or on me. I don't really know what to tell you just that I have been there. She is my never slept , still doesn't 8 yr old ADHD kid.
Have you had him checked for reflux?
Have you tried elevating one end of his crib?
I would definately take him to see the ped. if he is crying that much.

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Do you "wear" him at all? My daughter was like your son, but as soon as I started wearing her in a HotSling - doesn't need to be that kind - she seriously turned into the most mellow baby in the world. I wore her everywhere, all day, for about the first four months of her life. I realize this might be impossible for you with a 19 month old, but maybe try it out and see if it makes a difference? I had my daughter on a schedule - eat, play, sleep, repeat. Sometimes she didn't like to play, but if I had her in the sling and she was swaying along while I did whatever, she was fine with being awake and looking around. I hope this helps... Good luck, poor tired mama!

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All babies are different, some are really fussy, some not at all. He's almost 2mo so maybe he hitting a growth spurt and is hungry. Try giving him an extra ounce or so of formula. If he's fusses worse when he's sleep maybe it's something that gets worse when he lays flat like reflux or even an ear infection. Check with his doctor to rule out these as a cause. Good luck!

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His food may be causing his stomach to hurt. My son had milk protein intollerance. I discovered this because he cried after eating, and was generally uncomfortable. However, he still got hungry and nursed like a hungry boy. My ped' recommended soy formula. That didn't work. Then she switched us to Alementum (a predigested formula), and after a week, or so of healing his tummy, he became his happy self.

At any rate, your baby sounds like he's experiencig discomfort, and it's worth describing to the ped'. If you don't have a pediatrician, I'd get one. They're much more in tune to baby situations than general practitioners.

Good luck.

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It sounds like he has some problems, A.. I think that you might need to have him looked at by a pediatric gastroenterologist. If they find that there's nothing wrong, then you may just be looking at colic. Tough, but hopefully it won't last more than 3 months.

You could try putting him in the car seat to sleep to see if sitting up at night helps. Put the carseat in the crib so that he is used to the crib. It's just a thought - some babies need their heads to be inclined. Babies R Us has colic tablets - a friend of mine used them and she told me they helped.

Good luck, and I really hope you get some sleep soon!
D.

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You've gotten some great advice. We had a tough baby too. In hindsight I wish we had tested him for reflux because I think that might have been part of it. If you are looking for resources that might help you through this, I liked "the baby whisperer" she talks about ways to try to get your baby to sleep (among other things). I didn't read the book until our son was 6 months old but wished I'd read it before he was born or right after. She also talks about the different personalities our babies can have and how that affects their eating, sleeping, etc. If your son is like ours, he will cry less and less as he gets older. I remember it being a little better around 4 months and it continued to get better as he aged. If you have friends or family nearby who are willing to help, then please let them take your son overnight once in awhile so you can get a good rest. We didn't have that option but if you do then use it! Best of luck to you.

I had a baby like this. We tried lots of different things and many of them worked for short periods of time. It was almost like our son was programmed to fuss and not sleep. Some of the things that worked for us are the Amby (which has had a recall), sleeping in the swing, reflux meds, taking turns (hubby and I) sleeping in quiet basement alone, rain-sounding sleep music,aromatherapy, and there are other ways too.

We also got one of those heating pads which is actually a sand filled sack, and smelled lightly of lavender. They sell them at gift shops, mall kiosks, etc. When things got really bad, we would heat it up a little bit and sit with our son in our laps with the heating pad on his body and hum to him. It would calm him down, but was certainly a bit more work than we would like to be doing at 4 a.m.

I hope some of this is useful for you. I would be happy to talk further if you want. I hope you can get a massage or some other pampering that you are soooooo deserving of.

I would have a reflux study done on him. Both my girls were diagnosed at just a few weeks old with reflux and were never able to lay flat... (it could eventually burn their esophagus and possibly larynx if not treated... this happened with my nephew). With meds they were both much happier. Please research the side affects of the reflux meds if your child is given them. My second daughters crying actually got worse on Prevacid. Zantac was our med of choice and both slept on Reflux wedges until about 7 months.

This is a tough one to tackle because every baby is different. What works for one, may not work for another.

My son was the same way, and eventually I just let him cry it out. SO difficult, and now he knows when Momma puts him down, Momma don't play lol.

You know your son best, do what you can, and what works, stick with it. Consistency is key. If you choose to let him cry it out, stick with it; if you choose to swaddle him, stick with it. It will eventually become routine and he should feel more relaxed to know what's coming.

Also, make sure you spend time away from the baby. If he is stressing you out, don't be afraid to ask for help! Good luck and I hope the little one gets better so Momma can have rest and not be stressed :)

Congratulations by the way on your little man!

Get him in to see a Chiropractor. They can do wonders on whinny babies. All 3 of mine have been adjusted since birth.

You have some ideas here and I agree on switching to soy formula and using the drops incase it has to do with gas. My granddaughter had milk intolerence and would get very uncomfortable even with the soy so the drops helped a lot.

Also when you are tired and irratated your body shows it and that could add to the problem. How is he with the baby sitter? Sometimes relaxing when holding him makes him feel safe and relaxed also. Keep in mind that this too shall pass and if it gets to where you are losing it and crying talk to your doctor about the baby blues. That could add to the problem. 2 children under 2 years of age is enough to make any mother feel a bit crazy. This too shall pass and all will be fine when he gets past this new born age.

I'm not saying this is it - but have you thought about having him adjusted at a good chiropractor? My daughter received an adjustment about a week after she was born. She has some head trauma from the long labor. And a good chiro is worth a million dollars! it sounds like your little one is in pain. I have gone to tons of them throughout the years and the good ones are defined by this: unless you have a major, life-long injury, you will feel better after just a few visits. My daughter gets pressure built up at the base of her neck - which is not only painful, it affects the immune system. Do you research, and find someone that's taken their infant to a chiro and was happy with them. They will be adjusted much differently than an adult - but I swear by it. Bless you mom & dad - and some prayers that you will get to the bottom of this quickly.

My second one was colicky (is that even a word?). They only thing I can offer is support and empathy. She did nothing but cry for the first 3 months - my whole maternity leave. The very DAY I had to go back to work, she decided to become this happy baby! Unbelievable. Keep trying, keep faith, this will pass. I tried everything anyone suggested like you listed above - including the "colic" hold, dancing, rocking, white noise (one of my BFFs said the vacuum was the only thing that ]kept hers quiet so she made a CD of the vacuum noise!)... She just would NOT be consoled. Hang in there though, she's quite a joy now - but she has attitude LOL. I just wonder if it's personality!

Try taking him to a pediatric chiropractor. Birth is very traumatic for a baby. My chiropractor has alot of success treating infants. Don't worry, it is safe and very gentle. He has helped lots of babies. And lots of moms and dads in the sleep department!

Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding? If he is on formula, what kind? Gerber Goodstart is a really good one and I have heard of babies having issues like this before switching to this brand of formula. I would recommend that you try the Green can (I can't remember the actual name, which is funny because I buy it every week! haha) - it has probiotics in it and this has been found to relieve colic. Something I have read (Babies 411 - a really good book) and maybe something you could try to see if that helps/works. I have always used Goodstart and my babies were never like that. My son was actually 6.5 weeks early and for the first 4 months, he was on Enfamil EnfaCare (22 cal for preemies) and it was a lot foamier than the Goodstart. This caused me to stir his formula vs. shaking it because it would produce sooo much foam and I couldn't let him drink a bottle of foam. I still stir the formula, even though the Goodstart brand is not formy. He had issues feeding until it was time to take him off of that formula and put on a regular formula. You could also try different bottles, some bottles are better than others. I currently use Dr. Browns and I really like them. I am currently having no issues with my 7 mo old daughter. I used Playtex Ventaire with my son and loved them, but then they changed them and I didn't like them as much. I really think the formula would make a big difference for your baby. Anyway, I hope that helps. Good luck!

Hi A.-
My 6 yo was an extremely high need 3 week early baby! He was "colicky" and wouldn't / couldn't sleep. The first time he actually took a nap was in a swing I got for $5 at a garage sale just to see if it would help - he was almost three months old. I finally started using goat milk with his formula to help keep his tummy settled. The goat milk helped a lot with tummy issues but he was still very fussy. We finally just developed a routine. Home from work, I changed clothes, fed him dinner, and then I held him until he fell asleep and was asleep for over an hour (otherwise he would just wake up). If I was able to put him down then I would eat dinner and go to bed. And that is just the way it was for almost a year. His doc never thought there was anything wrong that needed testing, just that he was high need. And now he is a very lively and fun and intelligent 6 yo! Hope this reassures you a little that there is light at the end of the tunnel!
J.

Try the techniques in this book /website by Dr. harvery Karp - check your local library: The Happiest Baby on the block....www.happiestbaby.com, and also check for reflux with your Dr.

Hi A.! My now 3 1/2 year old was a very fussy baby! As soon as we brought him home from the hospital all he seemed to do was cry. At first I thought it was colic and that there was nothing I could do but I finally took him to the dr and he ended up having Acid Reflux..They prescribed medication for him and eventually had to put cereal in his bottle due to the spitting up..if he seems to spit up more then normal it could be possible that he does acid reflux but you didnt mention that..all babies are different but if he cries for more then a couple of hours straight I would call the dr. they can go over the symptoms and hopefully figure out what may or may not be wrong. I know how you are feeling and it is not fun being sooo tired. My son was a lot worse at night too and would scream for hours!! and my daughter was 19 months at the time ALSO so that makes it even hard trying to take care of another little one, the baby and yourself! Good Luck!!