Fussy Baby - Melrose,MA

Wear him!
And don't give up on the binky...DH had to teach DD how to like it.
Also he might like a different one. My DD liked the NAM. DS prefered the green hospital one (Playtex). Soothie! Lol, couldn't remember what it was called.
GL!

Wear your baby in a front carrier as much as possible. I had a very fussy baby who cried for hours a day till age 4 months. A book that helped me get through this very difficult period was "The Fussy Baby Book" by Dr. Sears. Reading about others who experience the same thing really helped me have hope.

Poor lil thing! Do you have a sling? I'm a bay wearer and swear it calms them so much. Good luck, hon.

Has he actually been, diagnosed with Reflux?

Babies, even in the womb.... suckle their fingers.
It is instinctual.

He needs to be comforted.
They are used to being in a womb... all cozy.
Now, outside, they still need that closeness with Mommy and comforting.

Or wear a sling?

He's real young.
Their organs are not even fully developed yet.
And babies also do what is called "Cluster Feeding" which means they need to feed very often... even every hour.
They are growing so fast... at 3 months it was a growth-spurt time, as well.

When the bottle is in his mouth... is he actually feeding? Or just not drinking?
If he is drinking, he needs to and is hungry.
Do not feed by a 'schedule.' Babies need to be fed, on-demand.
Otherwise they will not be getting the intake that they need.

Hold him upright.
Burp him often.
Use 'Mylicon Infant Gas drops." Infants get gassy and gas pains.
My daughter did.

Infants/babies... feed often.

Get the book "What To Expect The First Year."

Going through same thing with my almost 4 week old. Took him to Dr and he recommended cutting dairy before medicating for reflux. I eliminated dairy and soy yesterday and it's like he's a different kid. My daughter was milk soy protein intolerant too. Research milk soy protein intolerance. Are you using formula solely or nursing also? We have had some improvement using mother's bliss gripe water. Good luck. Pm me if you have any questions.

Few babies are able to self-soothe at such an early age. Many babies do best when in constant contact with Mama, and wearing her is one great way to do that while still having your hands free. And Dr. Harvey Karp, author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, explains in these short videos why he calls the first 3 months the Fourth Trimester, and explains why babies run pretty much according to their own needs for the first 3-4 months, and how to soothe them effectively:

How-to's: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6KnVPUdEgQ&feature=re...

Enhanced sleep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk5MUOMecHI&NR=1

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu0TtxO-ocY&feature=re...

I would reccomend baby wearing. Look into Ergo (ergobaby.com) or getting a woven wrap. That way you will be able to hold your baby and get things done at the same time. Plus being held upright will be great for reflux.
A moby is great for newborns and tiny ones, but it really will only hold a baby less that 15 lbs comfortably. Wovens will work much much much longer!

For sleeping I love the Fisher Price Rock and Play. It is inclined so it helps with sleeping and reflux.

A moby wrap can help with that! Also, I wonder if he has dairy allergies, have you tried soy formula? Also, direct his finger to his mouth. My children didn't like pacifiers either.

My son (first child) was a very fussy baby. He loved motion so my husband and I work him in slings/carriers a LOT. He was uncomfortable lying down (probably due to reflux) and liked to sleep at an incline in his vibrator chair or in his car seat. Or he loved just to be held while he slept - his favorite. He loved to be swaddled extremely tight and he loved a loud shushing noise. I think look for some kind of baby chair or swing that puts the baby in an upright position. Then swaddle him nice and tight and put on some "white noise". Then stick him in his vibrator chair or swing and maybe that will do the trick.

swing (mine slept in hers for months)
reflux stopped at 9 mos. Meds did not seem to make a difference. Lots of bibs, wear him when youcan/want to. Keep trying the pacifier (maybe try a couple varieties) It is wonderful when they finally settle on one and you can buy a couple dozen :)

His Prescription of Zantax and a product called a Tucker sling! Saved us all from insanity. We used the Tucker sling for the crib and not the wedge. Found my used on Craigs list. Helped SO much. http://tuckersling.com/
C.

Most babies with reflux find NO comfort with eating from a bottle. They find it painful. Has he been diagnosed with infant reflux?

mine was the same way at 4 weeks. Mom came to my rescue...she showed me what she did for all 5 of us kids. She took the babys temp in the butt and gentley wiggled the thermometer around. ...my baby let out the biggest amt of gas I had ever seen (even would have been alot of gas for an adult)..baby also poo'd everywhere. Baby litterally slept for 8 hours straight that day...so wonderful. Its hard to keep your chin up. I had to do the thermometer trick for for about another couple weeks until the baby was strong enough to push on her own.

Loved the side to side cradle swing. Couldn't have survived without it. We let our son sleep in his car seat for several months and being upright really helped. Swaddling helped my niece. She also likes being swayed back and forth and having the ssshh sound in her ear while I tapped her lightly. You could get a carrier like an ergo so you can wear him instead of carrying him. I am excited to try the Rock and Play with this one.

Swaddling. Get yourself a copy of The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Karp -- it was the most important thing I learned the second time around. Really. Learn how to swaddle well and the other things he talks about in that book or DVD. Unless there was something really wrong, it would calm my babies in minutes.

my baby liked being swaddled and shushed, 2 of the 5 s's from the Happiest Baby on the Block. It's amazing how well his method worked. She also liked her paci, so swaddling, shushing and sucking were good for her. Here's a link with an overview of his method. Good luck, mama.

http://www.babyslumber.com/happiestbaby.html