Seven Week Old Seems to Never Be Very Content

Snuggle spot...It is a baby bed/pillow that makes a baby feel like it is being held when you cant hold it. www.laneybug.net

He is allergic to milk. Try a goat milk based formula. Or you could bring up your own milk by letting him suck on your nipple. It will come in fast. It will agree with him right away.
He is a perfectly normal baby just different from his brothers in habits and temperment.
Get a baby pack to carry him around in on the front of your body. He very likely will sleep in it loving the close contact with you.

I never used formula but have heard that babies are sometimes allergic to Soy-based formulas.

My newborn had acid reflux and Zantac worked well for him.

Do you have an opportunity to wear him much? It seems like it might help him to calm down, plus he would be more upright (which would ease the symptoms of reflux. The Moby wrap was a huge help to me with my first child because I could wear him and still do other things--he was very snug and secure.

First of all, changing his formula that was working to something else because it had worked for your older son probably wasn't the best thing to do. They are totally different babies with different systems. Go back to what worked and stay there. He's a growing baby, he needs to eat often during growth spurts. And when you're feeding him, you're holding him and he wants and needs the comfort and warmth of your body. It makes whatever cramping he's got going on more bearable. Take the time, yes you have two other kids, but you need to give each of them what they need to grow and thrive. Get your husband involved in the act, big time. Bath and play time with the older two. Feeding the baby when he comes home so you can have some quality, one on one or two on one time with your older kids. Yes, you're as busy as one can get... but kids are individuals, and try as parents may to push them into the cubbies of their lives, the kids have a way of breaking out of that box, and well they should. 7 weeks is a newborn. Go back to the formula that worked for this little guy. Realize the snuggle/close time is much theraputic as it is comforting. Get you big boys to sit next to you on the couch and have story time for all three.

But changing formulas 3 times within 7 wks is not a good idea. His digestive system is so delicate. Go back to what worked in the first place and stick with it.

Very simple, very basic- Infants decide how much they need to eat, not us. Until he is at least 2-3 months old feed him at will, because he will honestly be hungry. After that you can try to establish if he needs comfort by offering the pacifier first. I will graduating with my degree specializing in Infant/Toddler Development in June. Good luck balancing everything you need to do:)

My breastfed daughter (now 11 weeks) has a similar pattern of eat, eat an hour later, and then sleep for a couple hours. If he's acting hungry, please feed him. Even if it's only been 20 minutes. Another thing that works for us (sometimes) is to feed, burp, then feed a little more. It's as though the gas bubble is taking up room that needs to be filled with milk.

I am so sorry!!!
My daughter had reflux and we had her on axid and zantac and she did better on the Axid. The zantac is nasty tasting. I had to be very religious at giving her medicine at regular intervals and this seemed to help.
She breastfeeds so no advice on the formula.
Also have you tried putting him in a sling? It helped her because the warmth of your body helps with the reflux. (at least that is what my sister in law told me, she may have tricked me but it worked!)I also put her on her side and not her back to sleep.
I hope this gets better before he gets really bad habits. We are still dealing with her sleep issues because I started nursing to sleep, I was so tired!
Good luck and congratulations!

I used the Enfamil Nutragimen and it worked wonders. I was not up in the middle of the night with a very fussy baby. I didn't have to use the zantac. I know people that have used Zantac and Nutragimen and the say it works. Soy can be very gassy for some babies. Try it . the result maybe a happy baby.
M.

To be honest I do not believe it has anything to do with the formula. If at all, he might be sensitive to soy, which is actually more common than sensitivity to cow's milk.

Anyhow I would suggest that you speak to your pediatrician about a good feeding regimen and review your practices for preparing his bottles. Other than breastfed babies who feed on demand, formula fed babies need to be monitored for intake (to avoid both over and underfeeding). The formula needs to be prepared EXACTLY as prescribed on the package, unless you are using preprepared formula, especially if your baby is already experiencing digestive issues (reflux).

And after all, at 7 weeks babies simply still need a lot of physical contact and it is not unusual to go through several phases of development (growth spurts) where they are more demanding. Now that is not easy if you have two more young children that need your attention. I would strongly recommend that you try babywearing in a sling, pouch, wrap or even carrier. This will keep your baby close and your hands free to attend your other children.
Good luck!

could consider asking a pediatric naturopath ...

I'd have to agree with the "babies don't feed on a schedule that makes sense to moms" advice, though (sigh) ... at this age, any "pattern" lasting more than two weeks would be surprising. Not that you'll like the next one better necessarily, but at least just remember that anything going on now will only go on for a short time, unless there is some major underlying cause ... and it sounds like you are already looking at the two most obvious, acid reflux if his symptoms add up and diet.

Long shot, consider chiropractic evaluation; spinal misadjustment can cause some weird stuff and I wouldn't put acid reflux past it, especially in a small body.

Dear Mom,
I totally understand your frustration. Please know your not alone in thinking it should be easier!! I think if it were me I would go back to the original formual and give it some time. He is only 7 wks so just give it time. My son was on axid for 1 yr and now at 2 he had to be put back on meds, this time zantac. I really liked the axid, it worked great. I think that his new discomfort is simply the change in formula. He may be going through a growth spurt like they do, and the reason he is not taking the pacifier is beacuse he wants food not to just suck. I would feed on demand at this point. I know that it is time consuming and it seems like your unable to spread yourself so thin but your a mom and you'll figure it out. WE ALL DO!! Just take a deep breath and relax, all you can do is what you can do. Try putting the baby in a front carrier and going about your business with the boys. This not only will give your little one the closeness he so wants but also you will be able to be with your other boys to. Plus it will keep the baby sitting up so the acid relux isn't such an issue. Keep in mind he is only 7 wks and as hard as it is this will pass fast and he'll be more independent and you'll miss the days he wanted you to hold him all the time. Bad habits are not formed at this age, bonds are!! I think your doing a great job. As moms we all feel like we will go crazy. breath and take time for you. But most importantly just do what you can do and if one of the boys is needing you and you are busy with the baby, DON'T blame the baby, simply say I can only do what I can do and leave it at that.
Keep your chin up and keep lovin' those kids!!
Blessings,
C.

Hi M.,
Have you ever thought about chiropractic care? You say that your baby doesn't seem comfortable to you. Maybe he isn't. My daughter was breech and I had her by c-section. She came out with her legs stuck in the splits and one leg wouldn't bend. Her right side of her body was contorted a bit and pulled in compared to the left side. At about 2 weeks of age, I started taking her to the chiropractor. Over time all of her physical challenges were straightened out. For us the decision was very easy to make because we could see that she needed something. The birthing process can be difficult on a little ones body. Maybe if your son had an adjustment, he will become more comfortable and provide you the rest that you need.
I wish you the best with your decision. God Bless-

My daughter suffered from acid reflux at a very early age as well. We tried prevacid and axid, and also probably every type of formula that is made. We did try nutramigen and she had the same systems on that as any other formula. Neither of the medications seemed to be working and she had a hard time gaining weight. Our pediatrician at 8 weeks finally told us to put a little bit of rice cereal in her bottles. We didn't put much, but just enough to thicken it a tiny bit. That did the trick! She had no more discomfort, ate more than she ever had before, and was a MUCH happier baby. I know people say bad things about cereal in the bottle, but it was the answer to our problems with her. If you are against trying this (I would suggest asking your pediatrician first), you can also try Enfamil A/R, which you make and then let sit for about 5 minutes and it thickens up in the bottle. I hope one of these options works for you and good luck!

Probiotics help tremendously. Get a powdered form of a baby/child specific formula like Bifidus or Primadophilus (you can get Primadophilus at Fred Meyer in the natural foods chill case). My son was started on Bifidus at 2 weeks old because of acid reflux - his was a major case. Within just a few days of starting the probiotic, he was eating better and settling better for sleep. I did do a lot of baby wearing, especially the first 2 weeks, because he wouldn't stay asleep if lying down, even on an inclined bed. I finger fed the Bifidus and he seemed to like it. He just licked it off of my finger until it was all gone. I started with 1/4 tsp per naturopath suggestion.

Try it, my son never had to take the acid meds. and I found they didn't work that well with my daughter a couple of years earlier.

Good luck to you,
D.

You might be interested in looking into your little one wearing a hazelwood necklace. They work by absorbing excess acid in the body (the wood has that natural property).

My friend's son had BAD reflux and was on meds for it (as a newborn). Her mom told her about these necklaces so she gave it a try. She says it basically took away his painful reflux. She was able to take him off meds after 2 weeks of him wearing it.
Anyway, she told me about them because my daughter has had eczema since she was 3 months and nothing was really helping (these necklaces help with a variety of issues from teething pain, to eczema, to reflux). Since she has been wearing it (over a year and a half now-though I have changed it several times when it is saturated) she basically has no eczema left at all. When her necklace becomes saturated with all the acidity it’s absorbed (the wood turns dark when that happens) her eczema slowly starts coming back. When I put on a new one, it goes a away again within a day. It’s really quite amazing to watch! You can find them at www.hazelaid.com
They're really cute too!
Good luck with everything!