Fussy Newborn

My little girl had the same problem around 5 weeks. Our pediatrician put her on Prilosec. We bottle feed her now and mix rice cereal in with soy formula which the pediatrician suggested. After a few days we saw a huge change. Now she is 16 weeks old and a very HAPPY little girl that sleeps through the night.

Good luck!!!

Sounds like plain old colic to me. This can be extremely difficult to deal with. I would suggest that you go back to your ped and find out things you can do to make her more comfortable. There are also a lot of websites and books that discuss the subject. As with everything this too shall pass...it is just a long tough road, but they generally outgrow it (probably right around the time you have to return to work!). Good luck!!!

have you thought of bringing her to the chiropractor. did you have a difficult delivery her spine may be out of alignment all of my children go every six weeks or so my newest started at two weeks and she is my happiest baby.....mother of 13 11 8 and 14 mths K. d

This sounds exactly how my LO was at 7 weeks. It lasted til she was FOUR months old! She was colicky. I would say RUN out and get the book - The Happiest Baby on the Block and his DVD. It was a LIFESAVER for us.

Keep your baby swaddled - that will help. We also used to keep the stroller in the house and rock her in that because we got so tired from holding her all the time. She too hated the bouncy seat, the swing, the sling and the pacifier! The stroller was the only thing that worked. Sometimes she would suck on my finger and I could slip in a pacifier, but that did not work until she was 8 weeks old, and lasted about 2 weeks before she started hating it again, but you might have more luck that way.

She also preferred darkness and we used white noise (a fan and static on the radio).

I used to swaddle her, turn on the white noise, used room darkening shades, and put her IN her crib. I would slide both of my arms under her, so her head was cradled in my hands, and her butt was in my forearms/elbows and bounce her that way until she fell asleep. I would say shhhh...shhhhh over and over again. As she got sleepy I would quiet down, slow down the movement and pull my arms away - slowly and carefully. If she stirred I would start the shushing again, and put my hands next to her in the crib and bounce the crib a bit.

It was so much work, and I had to do it for every nap and at bedtime, and I too had to walk away many times.

Once she grew out of the colic we started sleeping training her, but we needed peace in the meantime!

Go get that book - it was GREAT. If you lived near me I would bring it to you! Having a fussy baby is so hard.

Good luck and let me know if you have questions.

Hi R.,Lisa and Gina gave you WONDERFUL advise...just want to tell you hang in there,you are both doing a great job.Make sure you try to get someone to come over even for an hour so you can relax...if you can!1Hang in there,it will get better!!Congrats on your little munchkin!!

My friends had a fussy baby for their 1st (she's now 6, they survived!) They swear by the book "The Happiest Baby On THe Block".
good luck,
L.

R.,

Glad to hear you asked the doctor about reflux. As for cutting dairy out of your diet, there is a website www.kellymom.com where you can find all the foods that have hidden dairy. This is not an easy task to cut the dairy out but if you want to try it the list is there.

Have you tried a change of scenery can help. Walk around the yard would do the trip for my daughter. Another thing to try is swaddling the baby - hands down. This tends to settle the baby. Also get an exercise ball and sit on it and bounce. If the baby settles with you holding her on the ball, great if not, swaddle her and bounce with her on the ball. This as always worked wonders for us. I generally hold her upright at my shoulder. Try shhhhing her when you bounce. It apparently is the noise they hear when they were in utero.

Glad to hear you walk away when it gets too much. I have found it's hard to walk away but sometime very necessary. Try and get some help, a neighbor, a friend, a relative that can run to the store for food or cook dinner or do a load of laudry or even hold the baby when you go to the bathroom or maybe get a nap. Just having a fresh new face and person to talk to can help you cope with a difficult situation. And remember this will pass.

Good luck,
L. M

We had the same thing with our now happy 7mo. The first 12-13 weeks were rough. We found the hood vent over the stove to be magic! We did have an older rather noisy one, so if yours is too nice it might not do the trick. :) We both spent a lot of time with our son in the baby bjorn pacing back and forth in front of the stove. Good luck and this too shall pass. :)

R., all I have to offer is my sympathy. My daughter was the same way. Not quite colicky, but extremely fussy, would only sleep in 15 minute to 1 hour stretches. I cut out dairy from my diet, as well as strawberries and a few other things I read could be irritating her. This helped a little but not enough. Somewhere between 8 and 9 weeks, all on her own, she turned into a different baby- she calmed down, started sleeping more, stopped throwing up as much. My once super-fussy baby is now really happy and laid back, and rarely cries!
A year later, I still remember how tough those days were. But really, crying isn't going to hurt her. I say this now, even though at the time I was the same as you, couldn't let her cry for more than a couple of minutes. Just be patient, this may be something she just has to grow out of. You will sleep again!

Hi R., your exhausted, but hang in there. I am the mother of two, one five and one two. For my older one, it started around the five month mark and lasted roughly four weeks. With my younger (a daughter), it started much earlier and continued until she was about three months. I limited my diet to very bland and less likely to cause an intolerance items to putting her in the stroller and going for a walk......in March. The only thing that seemed to work was black and white photos/pictures. She would instantly calm down. We would swaddle her and put her down on our bed which had a black and white photo over it and that would do it. She would stare at this photo until she fell asleep.

Hang in there.

You could be describing my second born child! I often say that if she had been my first- there would not have been a second!
She screamed and cried from the age of 4 weeks to the age of 6 months! It did get a bit better at 12 weeks- then slowly got better from there. I can honestly say that nothing worked- we tried it all! My mother would often joke that she knew when we were coming over because she could hear the screaming coming down the street. It was really that bad.
We tried swings, bouncers, mobiles, the dryer hum, vacuuming, loud music of every variety, swaying, car rides, slings, carriers, varying my diet choices, lights on, lights off, white noise machines, antacids, massage, warm baths, warm baths with me, singing, humming, and the list could go on for hours. It was so frustrating!
After going through that experience- I can honestly say that I think all you can do is wait it out. I would just take breaks when I could. She was happy when I was nursing her so sometimes I would just sit in front of the tv and nurse her as long as I could. If she fell asleep there- I didn't move! She was basically attached to me all the time. She slept with me at night- often nursing through the night. I got very good at holding her while getting stuff done around the house. I would lay a sling out on my lap while I nursed her and then ease it up onto my shoulder while she was busy eating. When she'd fall asleep she wouldn't seem to notice the sling. Doing it this way I was able to get her used to being in there and she was more comfortable in it.
Just make sure you take turns with the crying baby. Get out for a walk or just a drive for 15-20 minutes when you know she's safe with daddy. The quiet is good for you.
I promise you that it will get better. 6 months seems like a long time- but my daughter is 3 1/2 now and I know how fast that time flew by! I'd do anything to go back to that screaming baby even just for a few minutes!
I do have to warn you that it seems to be my daughter's overall personality to be a mommy's girl and a bit of a whiner. She clings to me and prefers me to anyone else. She is still quick to complain and has a short temper. I think some of the early screaming was just her personality!!
I wouldn't trade her for the world though- and the screaming was worth every second.
Good luck- and feel free to contact me if you ever just want to vent! I know it seemed to me like everyone had an opinion but no one could just sympathize with me!
-S.

How exhausted you and hubby must be!! Try Gripe Water by Baby Bliss. It has been a life saver for most parents of colicky babies I know. You also said that you eliminated dairy from your diet and maybe you should think about wheat as well. There are also other gassy foods like broccoli, cucumbers, turkey, cabbage etc. that might help if you eliminate those from your diet. Try drinking some fennel tea as well. Fennel is a great herbal remedy for gas and it will get to her through your breast milk. Good luck. It will pass....really...it will. :)

I am not a doctor but it sounds like you have a baby with Cholic. Our youngest daughter went through that and it's an absolute nightmare, but the good news is, it goes away usually after 4 months. Check to make sure she isn't constipated though too, she may be having tummy trouble. Wishing you the best of luck.

Have you met with a lactation consultant at all? You did mention that your daughter cries after you nurse her and loves to suck, but are you sure that she is taking in enough milk? My son was very fussy at that age, too. He would cry after nursing as well, and I met with a lactation consultant who diagnosed him with a tongue tie. He was having trouble getting enough milk as a result, even though he nursed for what seemed like forever at a time. The lactation consultant proposed that he was probably hungry all the time, which was the reason for his fussiness. We had his tongue tie clipped and after that, he breastfed much more efficiently and was much less fussy as a result. Just a thought.... :)

I'm going through something similar with my 6 week old. I don't think he's quite as bad as your little girl. He's my second, and I just don't remember it being this way with my daughter. He cries after feedings and spits up a lot. I've cut out dairy (its been not quite a week yet), although the Ped was skeptical about this helping. And so far I haven't noticed much difference. He will sleep in his bouncy seat for long stretches sometimes, and sometimes the Bjorn will keep him quiet. Someone suggested I wear him to cook and eat meals, but I've found he even cries then. He definitely gets enough to eat. He's almost 12 pounds already! It seems to be slowly getting better, but its still frustrating and sad when I can't comfort him and have to let him cry. Sometimes he will stiffen his whole body and just look at me like, "Mom, can't you do something?" But I've tried everything I know and it hasn't worked. And with a 2 year old, I can't give him my full attention for an hour at a time to try to get him calmed down.
Supposedly 6-8 weeks is a turning point for babies and things might get a little better. Colic usually resolves around 4 months, I think. Sorry I don't have any advice, just empathy.
Gotta go - he's crying again.

My son (now 29 months old) had colic for the first 7 weeks, and I recall it being the roughest time of my entire life. He seemed to want to nurse constantly, and now after MUCH research, I have found that this is because his hurting tummy was interpreted as hunger. He liked a pacifier, but only if we would hold it, so that was out. I cut out dairy at 4 weeks and really, it took a few days but helped a lot. I also found we absolutely could not lay flat on his back, so we had this travel bouncy bed that was on an incline, and he slept in that for months (the car seat helped too). Other bouncy chairs didn't work, so try different ones if you have that chance.

My sister swore by giving her children Mylicon for gas, although I had limited success with that. What did help a little was an old wives colic-recipe that called for giving the baby a bottle with some very watered down chamomile tea. When he would drink it, it helped.

One day at 7 weeks old, the colic just stopped, and my son became the sweetest best natured baby ever. Within a month, it was hard to remember a time when he seemed to cry for no reason. I have read that colicy babies tend to grow into some of the best natured babies when the colic is gone, and that certainly was true for us.

I guess the best advise I can give is hang in there--it will pass, and then every day just gets better and better.

Please pay very close attention to her crying. I had a child that cried all the time she is soon to be 30yrs old.I took her to all the Doctors in my city including her pedi doctor and never got any results. I took her into childrens hospital and when I did leave that hospital I left with a perscription and a diagnosis. My daughter had colic. If your little one seems to scream and pull her legs upto her belly area that is one sign the other sign is that everytime you put her down the gas just builds up in her belly and hurts they are not strong enough to push the gas out so they need a little help. I would massage her belly area and do not lay her down after she has finished eating. It is very important to make sure you are burping her extremly well. You may want to try and start burping her from the waist band of the pamper and up then push the gas up. Hopefully you will get some sort of results. Are you burping to lightly on her back? You can cup your hand and put a little pressure on the purbing. Good Luck
T.

I can completely relate ! The one thing that soothed my son was bouncing on an exercise ball. As silly as it sounds it worked and you can at least stay in the same position...watch tv or check email. Its not the best solution but it beats walking around all day. Also Dr. Karp's book the Happiet Baby On the Block helps to.

Oh I remember the first few months just like this. My daughter cried from 2pm-11pm every day.
The 2 things that worked like a charm and gave us a break were the vacuum. Just turned it on and either held her in my arms or if I needed a break from holding her I would put her in her swing and just leave the vacuum next to her on.
The other thing was the dryer! We would put her in a bouncy seat, turn the dryer on and lay next to her on the floor. Granted the dryer was on the level with our bedrooms and I would plop a pillow on the floor because it was carpeted right outside the laundry room.
Good luck. This will pass... eventually :)

My daughter responded really well to being held while mom/dad bounced lightly on a yoga ball. It won't magically solve your baby's issues but, if it works, it will make soothing her less physically straining.

Hi R.,

My heart goes out to you, sweetie. Your story sounds so similar to mine 7 months ago. My son, almost 8 months now, wanted to suck/nurse all the time and cried all the time. He could fall asleep in my arms after nursing and as soon as I laid him in the crib he would wake up crying. He would also wake up at 4-5am screaming and pulling his legs up.

After much ado, we figured out he had both reflux and gas. He was solely breastfeeding, and so I was convinced something I was eating was giving him gas. Many people will tell you changing the mother's diet won't make a difference, but it absolutely did with my Ryan.

It took many months of trial and error, and eventually eliminating EVERYTHING possible that could bother him, then reintroducing one food at a time, to figure out what was happening. Ryan had gas and tummy pains if I ate any diary, nuts, or beans (including soy). Yes, ALL those foods. He was a different baby after I figured this out and cut them all out of my diet. I suspect this doesn't work for all babies, but I do think that MANY babies are sensitive to multiple foods their mother is eating, and so if you don't cut them ALL out, you don't notice a difference.

Every month or so I would try one of the foods Ryan was sensitive to, to see if it still bothered him. At around 7.5 months he seems to be able to tolerate me eating some nuts and beans, and I just tried dairy last night and things look good so far. Yes, it is very difficult to cut your diet back so much, and I know many women have told me they wouldn't be able to do it. But if you saw how much pain my son was in and what a completely different baby he was when I cut those foods out... it would make all the hard work worth it! Breastfeeding my son was very important to me, so I made it a priority to figure it out instead of switching to formula.

If you want me to send you the list I compiled of all the foods I cut out for 3 weeks to test out if there was a dietary connection (there were A LOT), just send me a note. I'm happy to help you figure this out so you can continue to breastfeed your baby girl and get rid of this pain in her belly! In the mean time, Baby's Bliss Gripe Water really helped us when he had terrible gas.

Hang in there, R.... you are doing a great job! These first few months can be SO HARD!

Warmly,
L.

Hi! Yep, colic. BOTH of my children had it and it really sucks, there is just no other way to put it. It's different with every baby, 'typically' peaks at 6 wks and is usually gone by 12 wks. Don't feel bad/guilty if sometimes you just need to walk away and leave the baby somewhere safe for a few mins. She won't remember and you might gain a minute of sanity. It's really hard, I KNOW, but just hang in there b/c by the time your daughter hits the 3 month mark, things will really start to change. My youngest just hit 3 mos a couple weeks ago and is just a peach now :) All babbly, smiley, cooing & rolling over all over the place! I would recomment 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' book too! The strategies often help (at least somewhat). With the 'shushing' you have to do it loud, loud enough in their ear to drown out their own cry! Also, I am a believer that babies like to be swaddled, even if they fight it and kick out (that's all a reflex), ultimately the snug-ness & security will help to sooth them and get them to sleep!

Oh and one more thing, I also experimented with my diet with both - didn't make a difference! So I just basically ate whatever (generally healthy of course). My son was a major post eating spit-upper, but my ped said so long as he's gaining weight & a 'happy' spit-up baby, then no need for meds, that the best treatement was no treatment! Everyone used to tell me he had 'reflux' except for the doc! And he got through the colic, kept spitting up for months, but it never bothered him and he kept gaining weight well :)

Good luck, hang in there - this will end! Before you know it you'll be chasing after a toddler!!

This may be too late to help. Both my kids have acid reflux. It is tough. I had one just like yours, wouldn't swing, bounce, etc. I had one who needed to be held when she napped! I learned how to do things one-handed while she slept for 3 hours. Do whatever it takes to let them rest, as acid reflux babies really need to not be tired. And the more they cry, the worse the reflux, the more the pain, the more they cry - it's a vicious cycle. You'll think this is strange advise - I know I would - but the Baby Einstein series of videos for infants (Baby Mozart, etc.) - are like some type of hypnotic magic. When my kids were having SCREAMING acid reflux moments, I would pop that tape in, and magically they would calm down, forget their pain, and become absorbed in the images. Good luck, an acid reflux child is VERY hard - others won't understand.

I went through the same thing with my daughter, who is now 3. She was so hard to comfort. I ended up buying a large ball (like for working out with) and I would sit on it when I was holding her and would rock back and forth and all around with her. She would finally stop crying and go to sleep. I think she liked it because I could rock her and bounce at the same time. Good luck to you....you must be so tired.

R., I am so sorry that this is such a challenging time. That is so good that the pediatrician is trying to see if the issue might be reflux. My son had reflux for the 1st year and was much better after the medication kicked in, he wasn't fussy to the degree that you are describing though, and I thought I was going out of my mind with how he was. I found a lot of help from a class I took at our local hospital (Lawrence and Memorial in New London, CT); the class used info from the book and video "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr Karp. I think someone else suggested the book on here, but if you find that watching a video is easier than reading you could check out your local library or see if your local hospital has the video to lend out. I also found a lot of help from "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child" by Dr Weissbluth; he also wrote a book called "Your Fussy Baby", I haven't heard any feedback on the 2nd book, but I have found the sleep book so helpful that I think that the fussy baby book may be good also. I hope you find what works for you. You guys sound like you have been trying many wonderful things and have a lot of patience. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

R.,

She sounds just like our daughter (now 4 1/2 months). From about 2 weeks to 3 months, we basically had to walk while holding her- unless she was asleep. She still is pretty fussy girl- just it isn't 100% of the time now. The good news is it gets better. The bad news is that I don't think there is any spectacular cure. We started supplementing with formula around 3 months- she started calming down then- but I'm not convinced that they are related.
Good Luck!
Jess

Every baby is different, so I don't know if these tricks will work for you, but here's what we did with our baby...

If you can, read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp. The suggestions he gave really helped our baby. One of the things he talks about is swaddling, which was tremendously helpful for our little girl. We used a Kiddopotamus/SwaddleMe swaddler rather than having to deal with blankets and it was great. Another trick was white noise (there are some good CDs out there). We would also lay her across our arms on her belly and swing her which seemed to help with bellyaches. We didn't need a swing, but for a baby who won't let you stop moving, that may also be a help. Our little girl did not like the baby bjorn until she was almost 5 months old, we used a Moby Wrap instead. It's a pain to put on, but she LOVED it and would quiet down completely in it. I think that there are some slings available now that are based on the Moby wrap if you don't want to deal with getting in and out of it.

I hope these suggestions help - I definitely recommend the book. Good luck!

Hi R.,
Hang in there!! My mantra in the early infancy days was "This too shall pass" and it will. You got a lot of good advice for soothing in the meantime. How long have you been using the Pepcid? My daughter was similar to yours and started on Zantac for reflux. It didn't help at all so after about 2 weeks the pedi changed her to Prevacid. That did the trick. She was like a different baby after the new medicine started working.
Also, we had a lot of luck with swaddling as well.
Hope this helps and hope her fussiness passes soon.
Good luck,
J.

I think most people have said it all. Lots of us have gone through this. I just want to add, if you can, try and have you and your husband take turns with the baby so the other one can rest. I know easier said than done. I use to ate leaving my husband with a crying baby while I just go lay down, but not only do you need the rest, but you feel more refreshed and getting that little break from the baby will help you in turn to deal with her fussiness. Also as someone else said, have someone come over, a friend, neighbor or family to have a turn rocking and walking her. I know this will soon pass, then it will be something else!! Oh the joys of parenting....... I wish you luck, sounds to me like the both of you are doing everything you can for your baby. Enjoy her!!

Hello R.,

It sounds like you and your husband are doing a wonderful job as parents to your little girl! I hope you have accepted offers of support from friends and family (and assigned them to do laundry, dishes, and cook meals or look after the baby while you rest!) Help for you can be so important during the early weeks and months, although sometimes it is hard to say "yes" when it is offered! Offers from co-workers, church members, and neighbors can be turned into at least some nice meals to put in the freezer so that you can keep up your spirits during this miraculous yet challenging time.
Kellie (above) mentioned Happiest Baby--if you don't have time or energy to read the book, you might be able to view his video at http://coaches.aol.com/kids-and-family/harvey-karp. His techniques really work and this video shows you clearly how to do them with your daughter.
If your husband can be there to help you and you feel comfortable, some newborns appreciate water and nursing in the bathtub 1/4 or so full can be soothing for them. (You get in first and lie down and then have your husband gently hand her to you.)
Obviously with 32 responses, know you are not alone! Feeling overwhelmed is normal and you will get through it. You are already doing a great job by asking for help and sharing your feelings.
Warm Regards,
Lisa

Hi R.- that's hard in those first few weeks!! A few things I've heard...

My sister had an issue with her newborn recently where he was very very fussy in the evenings- she realized it was all the salads and veggies she was eating during the day- sometimes that stuff makes babies gassy- sure enough, she cut WAY back and stopped eating so much salad and he is doing better! Go figure!! I would try to adjust other parts of your diet and see what happens- a friend of mine had to cut out cheese and tomoatoes...

Have you tried different types of pacifiers- my daughter never liked those Ortho ones, but she has LOVED the MAM brand...they have different shapes- maybe your little girl is just picky about her paci selection!

Are you swaddling her? I've heard that can really help...

Also, another funny thing- my daughter didn't really like the first swing we had which rocked forward/backwards- we borrowed one from some friends that swung side to side and it worked like a charm!!

I would try the diet stuff first...I think once you get that figured out the other stuff will be a little easier- she probably doesn't want to be put down anywhere b/c she is uncomforatable-

good luck-

My son had major reflux and colic- he tried all the various formulas, and while not allergic, he has a milk sensitivity and possibly is lactose intolerant- your daughter might be the same, and in addition, it sounds like reflux. The best thing you can do is keep trying the medecines, because some work, some don't. We used prilosec, prevacid, zantac and one other one which I am not forgetting. Prilosec didn't work and he became immune to the first one (who's name I forget) after 6 weeks and then again with zantac (immune is the wrong word, but basically their body gets used to it, you increase dose until it no longer works, and then you have to switch medecines). Hopefully she isn't as severe as my son was, but the best advice I have is to force your doctor to help you get her on the right medecine. Our son started sleeping on a reflux/colic wedge for the first 9 months, it made a huge difference. Otherwise, we survived by having him live in the baby bjorn (being upright is the best) and got him into the toddler carseat ASAP- apparently the infant seat is very painful to kids with real reflux issues. Good luck!

Sounds very much like my firstborn. He liked being outside and would cry the minute we walked in the door. (He liked the snuggly)I would nurse for an hour and he still wanted to nurse! I remember crying, what happened to "sleeping like a baby" My FIL paced the hallways pushing the stroller between feedings My sister had a fussy baby too. We swear by the vacuum cleaner and swing. We would put our little guys in the swing, then turn on the vacuum and they would fall asleep instantly, like a switch! turn it off and they were aawke again! my sister even recorded the vacuum and played it back on tape I think there is a Cd now. in the car I would put AM radio on between stations and turn it up really loud!!
It does pass though. PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP ON Breastfeeding even if you could caox her into taking a bottle, nothing is as good for her. I found altering my diet did not help significantly. I also tried every size shape and color pacifiers. I filled a whole cool whip conatianer with the different kinds. I think there are more options now! My first never used a bottle or pacifier at 9mon I introduced the sippy cup.
I now have four children and none of the others were as fussy as #1! My youngest 2 did sleep the first 3 mo in their carseats, swaddled, because they ALWAYS woke up when I laid them flat on their backs! I gradually transitioned them in daytime sleeping on their sides, then at night Swaddling worked for all mine, even in the summer heat. They are all great, independent sleepers now (11, 9, 6 and 3yrs) My favorite phrase" this too shall pass." Good luck! Enjoy it as best you can.

Babies at this age should be on a structured routine. I always nursed every 2-2 1/2 hours feeding 20-30 minutes a feeding. After the feeding she is not hungry, she might just want to suck. Do not let her use you as a pacifier, try all brands of paci's you will likely find one kind she likes. EASY- Eat, Activity, Sleep, You. I always found that if I followed this at the infant stage it really worked. Feed her, change her, play with her than by the end of @ 2 hours she will be ready for sleep. Also, try to count yawns. By the third yawn she is already over tired and likely hard to deal with. Try to put her down for nap by yawn 2. An overtied baby won't want anything. Also, it is ok to let her cry alittle to fall asleep. GOOD LUCK!!! This brings back memories!

Also, my second had reflux and I remember it was terriable. We slept her on her stomach and often put a warm compress on her belly when she slept to help the pain. Good luck!

My daughter was the same way and it was colic...it does pass but I know that doesnt help (for us it wasnt until about the 3 month mark). You've gotten a lot of good suggestions...my one pieces of advice is GET A EXERCISE BALL that was THE ONLY thing that worked for her. My daughter also evolved into having food sensitivities and severe eczema...dont rule anything out, try whatever even if it sounds silly and follow your gut. GOOD LUCK!!