Fussiness/sleep Issues

J.,
my son who is now 1 did the exact same thing but i went out got him some rattles and other toys also a swing and one of those bouncer things and it stopped i guess he was bored or something lol maybe you can try that goodluck tear ps sorry about caps my keybored messed up this is the only way i can type im not yelling

J.-
My little boy was born on 12/28/08 and we are going through the exact same thing. One thing that I have found that does work is the advice from "The Happiest Baby on the Block". They suggest using the 5 S's (Swaddle, Swing, Suck, Shush, and putting them on the side or stomach). I rented the video from the library and it has helped so much. He still cries randomly at night and in the evening, but these tactics almost always calm him down.

Let me know if it works for you.

Hi J.,
Sounds a lot like colic to me. First of all, people are going to tell you that colic is caused by gas. The fact is that no one knows what causes colic. Could be gas, but some theories state that is can be caused by an immature nervous system. Colic is generally described by the rule of three's:
Intense, sometimes uncontrollable crying that starts at 3 weeks old, last for 3 or more hours a day, for 3 or more days a week, and disappears at 3 mos. Evening colic is much more common. In my case, my son cried off and on all day long until he finally fell asleep exhausted. I was so desperate to find something to help with the crying. I finally discovered the 5 S's, which worked very well in calming my son.
http://www.babyslumber.com/happiestbaby.html
I used all the techniques together at the same time, and that worked very well. It will take a few minutes to get the baby calm, but once you get the hang of it, you will find what combination works best for your baby.
I know how frustrating colic can be. My son is 2 1/2 and I still remember how heartbroken I would feel while he screamed in my arms. I would say that until the colic has subsided, I wouldn't worry about sticking to a strict routine. Just take it day by day, use the 5 S's, and I promise, it will get better in time.
If you need to vent or just ask advice, just email me. It used to frustrate me so badly to have no one understand what I was going through. And unless a mom has been through colic, they really have NO understanding.
Hang in there and good luck!

When she cries, does she arch her back or look like she's hurting? Does she spit up or power puke? The reason I ask is your comment about 'not a happy baby'. My sister's baby was 2 weeks early but he weighed over 9#'s. He was always fussy, crying, spitting up lots of formula/breastmilk. My sister told the doctor that he just didn't seem happy. Turned out he had a common defect where there's a hole near the stomach from the esophagus. It normally heals on its own around 1 year of age and unless the baby is failing to thrive, which he wasn't, they wont operate. He spent a lot of his infancy taking Mylanta (I believe it was-on the advise of doctors) and had to sleep at an angle.

Now don't want to scare you at all!! Just thought I would ask because of the term you used is exactly what my sister told her doctor and of course he didn't believe her till he saw Taylor power puke.

Another thing, and I just advised another Mom about this, is to have her examined by a chiropractor. Coming through the birthing process can be rough on babies & she may just need a small adjustment. My sister-in-law had her girls in to see her chiropractor at 1 week old & they still go routinely.

Best of luck to you, I know how frustrating it can be. One other thing. I had a child that slept much better if I wrapped him very snugly with a receiving blanket. His arms had to be inside at all times or he'd wake up & cry a lot. And I would probably let her sleep when she wants, their bodies know what they need.

Maybe she's not eating enough? My son just turned 3 years old but I remember when he was about 3 weeks old suddenly he went from happy and content to screaming and unhappy. I was breast feeding exclusively at the time and just wasn't producing enough milk to keep him satisfied. One night I decided to try giving him a bottle of formula that the hospital sent home with us and he sucked it right down - and went right back to sleep! After that I gave him 1-2 bottles of formula a day to supplement the breast milk and he was back to his happy self. Maybe your daughter has hit a growth spurt and needs more food?
Good luck!
M. Conran
www.nomommybrain.com

Sounds like acid reflux. Can u you think of anything that has changed in her diet? Sometimes it can be hard to see warning signs. Not all children get projectile vomiting.

It sounds like she might have colic. My first son started to cry unconsolably between 3 and 5 weeks. Not for long periods to start. Eventually it became 2 hours at night before he fell asleep. I couldn't do anything but hold him. It went away between 3 and 4 months. Since your doctor said she's healthy otherwise just thought it might be colic.

She is soooo young! She needs her sleep. Most babies that age spend about 20 hours sleeping. Let her sleep. There is plenty of time for setting routine in the coming months. Also, pick her up and comfort her whenever she needs it!!!!! This is an important time for her. She is learning trust and it happens in the first 6 months. You cannot, I repeat, You cannot spoil a child in the 1st 6 months of there life. If she cries and you just let her eventually she will understand that you are not there for her. Food, Sleep and Comfort are the most important things in her life right now. You should readily provide ALL of these when she needs them. Routine and rules are easily implemented in the months to come and I speak from experience. Enjoy her now because it is all going to change so quickly! Good luck.

I work with babies who have special needs, and a lot of preemies have reflux. Does it happen sometimes while she is eating or does it start right after eating? Does she straighten one leg or arch her back? When we adults have a little reflux, it does not necessarily hurt, but little throats & tummies can hurt a lot. She could have a lactose intolerance instead or in addition to it. Or it could be horrible gas and it could be taking a while for the mylocon drops to help. You could massage her tummy gently, in a question mark-like motion (the colon is shaped that way), just under her belly button, for a few moments to help her to pass the gas or to ease the bubble along and/or gently press her legs against her tummy a few times to help. There are special formulas out there both for gas (Gentle Ease) and for babies who have reflux. If all else fails, you might get a second opinion. An occupational therapist or speech pathologist may be able to help or give great advice if it is one of these problems.

Congratulations, and good luck!

My daughter was four weeks early and we went through the same thing. Doctors and friends suggested it does have to do with her being a preemie, but she also might have colic, which can start around 3-6 weeks. You can tell it's colic because it starts at the same time every night and can last from 30min-3hours. My first daughter was not premature, but she did have colic so I know from experience. Regardless of what the cause is, don't worry about getting her into a routine just yet, and you should definitely let her sleep through the day. She's still getting adjusted to the world!! My preemie daughter is almost 11months and just now falling into a routine. I think sometimes it's less stressful for everyone if you just go with the flow. Anyway, I'm no expert, just speaking from experience. I thought my preemie was an unhappy baby too for a while, but now she is an absolute doll and very happy. Good luck and I hope this helps!

I would recommend getting or making a baby sling. There are several different types, I recommend ring slings and wraps for newborns. Put her in your sling, she'll love being close to your body and warm and will probably relax, maybe even fall asleep.

And you'll be amazed at what you can get accomplished with both hands free while still cuddling your child!

I carried my son in a wrap-type sling for the majority of his first 3 months, then we switched to a ring sling, then a mei tai.

I can't imagine having a newborn without one!

Hi J. - she could just be hitting that very normal 5 - 6 week age period where babies go through a tremendous growth spurt and 'fussiness' becomes regular for a few weeks - alot of moms I know have referred to this as the 'witching hour'. I haven't met a mother yet who's baby didn't go through this period. Please call your doctor's office back and discuss your concerns and ask your ped if this could be that development stage (you did say that you just went to the doctor for her checkup and that she was fine, physically). Some moms have suggested colic - so discuss this possibility with your ped as well. On the idea of keeping her awake during the day to make sure she sleeps at night - not a good idea. She is probably insanely overtired. Sleep begets sleep and no sleep makes an overtired child even more overtired and sleep therefore even more difficult. You should let her sleep when she sleeps and let her wake on her own time. Between 3 and 4 months a natural wake and sleep rhythm begins to develop with regards to naps and night sleep. Get the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth - I've seen it at Target and I know you can get it at bookstores. You will learn so much about sleep and how it develops. He sort of advocates a crying it out method for kids who are already experiencing sleep difficulties - this is not anything I agree with and I ignored this part of the book. What this book is invaluable for is the knowledge and understanding you will gain regarding sleep and how it develops. Knowledge is powerful and when you realize that your babies developmental stages concerning sleep are so normal, it is so much easier to foster healthy sleep habits. Good luck. And enjoy your sweet baby girl.

J.,

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! I have had three children with GERD, which often results in a lot of fussiness, but no experience with preemies. There are a couple of things that come to mind. The baby could be sensitive to something in your diet if you're breastfeeding, or to her formula. I had to alter my diet quite a bit for my son, but have had no issues with my daughters. Also, is she vaccinated? If so, did the fussiness begin around that time? Babies can have a number of short and long-term reactions.

J., I have 3 boys and 2 of them were always fussy. The thing that really worked for my last one was during these episodes I would turn on the vaccum and just let it run. It really calmed him. Another thing that worked was putting a bouncy seat on the drier and letting him sit in it with me right there. The vibrations calmed him and he was able to sleep with no problems. His crying was so bad that we had to buy a special device that we hooked to his bed to make it vibrate so that it would calm him down. All of these really worked for him.

You may want to think about acid reflux also. many babies are having that now and switching formula if they are bottle fed can really help. My son had acid reflux so bad that he would vomit 20 times a day easy but there wasn't anything we could do. The valve just had to get stronger. You daughter may not be spitting up but she may have some pains when eatting.

Hope this info helps.

J.

It sounds like she has colic. My oldest did the same thing. And it started happening just after she was about 6 weeks old. It's frustrating. Very frustrating. Just know that it doesn't last forever. Maybe another month. That probably seems like a long time right now.

Hi J.; I have a 2 year old daughter and a 10 week old daughter as well. Our 10 week old is following a routine; definitely not a schedule; a little too early for that. She still goes to sleep when she wants to and sleeps very well at night; 6-8 hours stretches. I learned w/my first daughter to not force the schedule b/c it can backfire. We still have sleep issues w/her. I am now letting by baby sleep when she wants and I never wake her up (opposite of what I did w/my first.) It's very hard when you are a first time mom b/c you read so many books and everyone has an opinion. I would recommend following your daughter's lead; the fussiness is probably her frustration. Good luck and just parent w/your gut instinct.

Does it happen within a hour or so of eating? how does she eat? Premies often have a "weaker" digestive system or not completely developped. My daughter had severe reflux... She just had these pains in her tummy but it wasn't obvious until she was admitted into the hospital at 8 wks old.. that's what was going on with us.. She did better when she was on us, sleeping on her tummy (on my tummy also)....

Just a thought :)

R.

Is it possible shes hungry? Mine was 2 weeks late and almost drove me crazy, until the doctor said maybe adding some rice cereal to her bottle. Not very much. But she did start sleeping more and was less fussy.

Your precious daughter would be hitting her due date right about now, right? In the last few weeks in utero, babies sleep alot. It would make sense from a neurobehavioral standpoint that she is now awake and fussy at times. That would be right where she should be from a developmental view. I was a Child Life Specialist in the NICU for years, my job was to track a preemie's development. She is right on track, from what you are describing. Also, at 6 weeks, babies go through a tremendous growth spurt, it causes irritability, sleeplessness, crying. Here is a suggestion: see if you can track when the crying occurs: is it right after a feeding? Is it high pitched and inconsolable? Try that for 3 days. If she is crying after feedings, she could have a touch of reflux, my suggestion would be to bring your tracking chart back to the Dr. The only other thing I can suggest is if you are breastfeeding, see if anything in your diet has changed. If you have chosen a parent directed form of scheduling with your daughter, then stick to it. If not, then let her sleep when she wants. There is no absolute correct method for parenting, take what you read, and do what works for you. You are doing a great job, from what it sounds. Hang in there, I was also the mom of 2 preemies, and one term baby. They all had terrible colic. They are now happy and well adjusted children. Good luck to you!

If it's colic, there's no way around it but THROUGH it. I have girl, boy, boy, girl, and both boys had it (although about 6 years apart). Pacifiers helped a lot. Just give love and comfort. That's about all you can do.

If it IS colic, everyone lives and comes out happy (happier, even!) in the end (it makes you appreciate the fact that it's OVER!!)

I agree that she's TOO young to be trying to regulate how MUCH she sleeps -- although you can sometimes help alter/readjust 'when' she sleeps. (Not always, tho).

My son is 11 months old now, but went through the same thing starting when he was 6 weeks old. My son was put on Zantac for acid reflux and I had to eliminate all dairy from my diet because he was lactose intolerant. Doing both of these made a big difference, but he still cried for long periods at night (4 or 5 hours)...we finally decided he had colic. When my son was 5 months old it just disappeared. My advice would be eliminate dairy, try zantac for acid reflux, and whatever else your doctor might suggest and if nothing works chalk it up to colic. I understand and remember that this time can be horrible, you feel like you should be able to comfort your baby and you can't, but this will pass.

J., there's two really helpful books I highly recommend that you get in understanding your daughter's fussiness. But first, just to help you understand that your daughter is trying to adjust being outside the womb when ultimately her nervous system was not prepared for it. Even when babies are born at 40 plus weeks, they are not as ready for the outside world as they should be. Because human babies' heads are so large we are forced to have our babies a trimester earlier than they are ready. Have you ever heard of the 4th trimester? Lucky in some ways we don't have to carry our babies for another 3 months! However, biologically they would be a lot happier if we could.

So, your daughter is just releasing stress from having to deal with the stimulation - the cold, the fluctuating warmth, digesting milk, taking in images, hearing noises so clearly, etc. and her only way to release stress is by crying.

You are doing the right thing by comforting in-arms as much as you can. She doesn't need you to stop her from crying, she needs your consistent comfort. Make sure to swaddle her and keep stimulation at a minimum. She is missing the womb! =)

Two books I think are brilliant on the subject of crying and soothing babies -
Tears and Tantrums by Aletha Solter
The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp

A really excellent website with invaluable information about infant sleep is at www.hugyourbaby.com

If you need further support through this challenging time, don't hesitate to contact me at ###-###-#### or ____@____.com

All the Best,
R. Peirce
Certified Parent Educator, Coach, and Facilitator
www.noblemother.com

It is very possible that she has become colic and the age sounds about right. Although very frustrating for you, this will subside at about month 3. As long as you have taken all of the right steps (and it sounds like you have), then just do the best you can by comforting her the best way you know how. There is a great book and video (I like the video) called the "Happiest Baby on the Block" and it works wonders for colic babies! My saving grace was my mei tai (a front pack of sorts). A sling is great too! You could also try gripe water (available at baby stores and health food stores). Best of luck. Just remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The only other thing is if you are breastfeeding, did you eat something that maybe didn't agree with her? My 1st baby cried almost constantly ultil she was 3 months old. Then one night slept all the way through! It will happen!

My baby is having the same problems. She is also 5 1/2 weeks old. It seems like most feedings go ok, but then there is the one where she will drink about half the bottle, then when I try to finish, she will arch her back and cry as if in pain. The only things that work are to walk her around and bounce her or put her in her bouncy seat and pray she falls asleep. But because she did not finish her last bottle, she is up again shortly starving. There seems to be no particular time that this happens, just like with your baby. One of my neighbors came by yesterday who used to work in as a neonatal intensive nurse. She suggested putting a finger underneath my baby's chin while feeding. When she normally feeds, she makes this loud sucking sound. I thought this meant she was feeding well, but my neighbor said this was "galloping," or eating too fast. She told me to take the bottle out of her mouth and then reinsert it with my finger under her chin and push up. If done correctly, you should not hear any loud sucking noises. She said the loud sucking meant she was sucking in lots of air and that was causing severe gas and crying. We just started this yesterday, and I found something at Target called "Little Tummies Gripe Water." I am also trying this for colic and gas. At this point, I am willing to try anything. Also, one other suggestion was to add gelatin to her formula to make the formula easier to digest. I wish you luck, and hopefully, both of our babies will get straightened out soon. I am also suffering from postpartum depression/ anxiety, which does not help anything at this point. If anyone reads this and they are suffering from the same thing, I highly recommend Dr. David Miller in Wake Forest and the support group held on Thursday nights at Mid-Carolina OB/GYN. I went for the first time this past Thursday and it was very helpful. Good luck to everyone.

It sounds like you have a normal baby girl. Most babies go through something like that at that age. I loved the book the happiest baby on the block. It really explains the psychology and ways to help. The book reccommends five things swaddling, sucking (breast or pacifier), holding baby on their side, shussing (loud sssssss In utero is as loud as a vaccuum), and swinging side to side all at the same time. Once you get a rythm going it is really easy and works like a charm good luck.

Is she breast feeding or formula feeding. My son breast fed and cried for 10 straight days. I finally figured out he was hungry and I called my mom crying and she brought over a bottle and formula. Then he cried because his tummy hurt and we soon found out he was lactose intollerent. He had to go on Prosobee formula, soybean, and he did great. No problems from then on. If you are breast feeding, watch what you eat, no gas producing items such as beans, etc. I would wake her during the day and encourage her to sleep at night. It is very common for them to get their days and nights mixed up.

K.

I had the same issues with my daughter. My husband and I would basically be out of the door on our way to the emergency room and she would stop crying and fall asleep like nothing was ever wrong. Although my daughter was not born premature, I came to realize that even though they are new to the world they have little personalities just like we do. If the doctor has examined her and says everything is okay, let your daughter sleep when she wants to until she sets her own sleep pattern which will eventually happen. You just had your daughter at the end of December so you are suppose to sleep when she sleeps. I would keep an eye out on how she developing mentally and socially. Your pediatrician should give you guidelines on what your daughter should be doing at different stages in her first year. Take care and try to get as much sleep as possible.

if on formula talk to her doctor about switching it. this causes more problems than you can ever think of. my daughter was like this for a while too and i found one day that she loved the sound of the shower so i would take her in our bathroom and turn on the shower and just rock her on the toilet. it would put her right to sleep then i would take her and put her in her crib (in our room) and leave the shower on a bit longer. what kind of formula is she on if any?

I agree with Deb B that she may need to be "cocooned" in a swaddling type wrap. If she was 6 weeks premature, she may still long for those days of the womb! Also Deb has a good idea on the Chiropractic. I know Chiro nurse has had several children and she always brings them for adjustments. It is true that the shock of birthing can be traumatic to a baby's spinal health. I would call and discuss your situation with the Chiro office before choosing a doctor so you feel comfortable with the one you pick. Hope this helps.

It sounds like she has cholic. Go to CVS pharmacy they have something called "GRIPE WATER" it is made by Little Remedies for Little Tummys. It is made of Fennel and Ginger. Completely natural. This helped us out with our new born. It also works great for hiccups. He is now 5 months and I still love it! By the way it works great if you get the hiccups or an upset stomach too. You can use this for babies as young as 2wks old. This really saved our sanity. I can't stress to you how well this works! Go get it ASAP!!! You also need to understand that she dosen't need to be crying to have colic. When the baby's senses are overloaded they will be fussy. And all they know to do is cry or fuss. Try swaddling her really tight in a blanket and maybe truning on your hair dryer to drownd out the noise around her. Hold her close to your chest so she feels you. The noise from the hair dryer will help calm you as well.

Hi J.,

I just responded to Jo about a similar thing so take a look at that as I told her about detoxing the house and chiropractic. I want to add a tidbit to that information specifically for your issue. Colic is not really helped with Mylicon drops. Tummies are meant to be acidic to digest food and, babies in their development sometimes take a while to get there. Mylicon kills the acid so that it will initially soothe. However,the acid comes back with a vengence because the tummy is trying to make the acid to digest the food the way it's intended to. Thus you have a rebound effect.

If you have any questions about anything I said, I'd be glad to elaborate.

God bless,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

J.,

I had this same thing happen with my, Full term plus 8 days, baby girl. She was about 3 or 4 weeks old when her uncontrollable, unconsolable crying began. I let her sleep whenever she wanted and she still cried at night for about 2 hours at a time almost every night. I also used Mylocan drops for relief at time. For the first week of life she was breast feed, then changed to Similac formula because my milk never came in. When her spells continued I decided to change her formula to Enfamil Lipil. She was like a new baby and has been this way ever since. I am not sure what formula you are using but you may try changing to one that is easier on her digestive system, since little girls have a more sensitive system. Hope this helps.
Good luck

S.