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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
CFCND07
member
XP: So SO fussy...
CFCND07
member
My 11 wk old EBF LO is SO fussy. We were looking forward to the colic-like symptoms decreasing with age.. well it's getting worse! He pretty much cries or whimpers NON STOP all day except when nursing or sitting in his bouncy seat. And now not even the nursing is helping.. he'll take a bottle of expressed milk but will hardly nurse. He's 16+ lbs too.. so a big, hungry boy typically. I've tried everything, getting him to nap (only lasts 30 mins, if that), holding and rocking him, giving him alone time. The only thing that helps is playing Dr. Karp's CD of loud screechy noises. It seems to stun him enough to stop the crying. I wish I knew what he wanted/needed. It's 1 pm and I'm in pajama pants and my sleep nursing bra and nothing else. Haven't even brushed my teeth. I feel like he's 1 week old again and I cannot function. I love that I give him my milk, but if someone were to tell me giving him some gentle formula or Nutramigen or whatever that stuff is would make him happy, I would do it in a heartbeat. Ugh.
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Re: XP: So SO fussy...
Children Photography Photo Credit: Heather Barta Photography
He's been fussy on/off since 3 weeks, but it's been getting worse and worse in the last couple weeks or so (other than like weeks 4-7 which were horrendous, especially in the evenings.)
I've casually cut out milk form my diet. I'll still eat yogurts and chocolate. I'm not sure why he would be sensitive to my diet. Isn't it true that most of the time this is not the culprit at all? This is what kellymom says at least. I just can't cut out everything.. cheese and yogurt too, without knowing that it will help. The milk was biggest and it doesn't seem to help at all.
I'm not an expert by any means, but here are some suggestions:
It sounds like he is overtired. It'll be a battle to get a good nap out of him, but that's probably what he needs. Make sure you are giving him a nice quiet, dim place to nap. Does he like to be swaddled? What about swaddling just his legs or lower half?
You could try Gripe Water.
Maybe he needs to poop?
Lastly, I very highly recommend the book The Baby Whisperer. I know it sounds corny, but I read the book with my first LO and within just a couple of days, he was a new baby. The book explains why babies get fussy and what you can do to calm them. The core of the philosophy is to follow a specific routine (not a schedule) that is Eat, Activity, then sleep. In that order. Every day, all the time. It was awesome for my first child and we're just now getting our 2nd child onto the routine. This isn't a quick fix that will help you get through today, but it will definitely be a lifesaver for you in the weeks ahead. I just get it from the local library. I simplified this into the activity pattern, but the book goes way more into detail about how to read your baby and know what to do.
Hope you get some relief soon!
Do you eat a lot of tomatoes? I had no idea, but tomatoes are a huge culprit with making BM taste bad. My first child was very sensitive to tomatoes and I didn't know it. His pedi mentioned it to me one day. I quit eating tomatoes and he was never again fussy at the breast or afterwards. It sucked, but I couldn't eat spaghetti, pizza, or any fresh tomatoes in my salads or sandwiches. I nursed for a full year. I did learn that pumped milk that has been frozen does not usually cause problems for babies with sensitivities to taste (like the tomatoes). If I was dying to have something with tomatoes, I'd pump for a few sessions afterwards and freeze the milk. He never refused a single bottle of BM.
Do you eat a lot of tomatoes? I had no idea, but tomatoes are a huge culprit with making BM taste bad. My first child was very sensitive to tomatoes and I didn't know it. His pedi mentioned it to me one day. I quit eating tomatoes and he was never again fussy at the breast or afterwards. It sucked, but I couldn't eat spaghetti, pizza, or any fresh tomatoes in my salads or sandwiches. I nursed for a full year. I did learn that pumped milk that has been frozen does not usually cause problems for babies with sensitivities to taste (like the tomatoes). If I was dying to have something with tomatoes, I'd pump for a few sessions afterwards and freeze the milk. He never refused a single bottle of BM.
Thanks for your suggestions!
I do think he's overtired. He takes sporadic 30 minute naps throughout the day. For some reason, I can't get him to go any longer. He'll wake up moderately happy at times but before long he's fussing again I think today's the fussiest he's ever been, and I can't figure it out for the life of me! We did have spaghetti for dinner last night so I'll try to hold off the tomatoes.
We're still fighting. He breastfed and fell asleep doing it; when I got up to lay him down he began wailing. He ended up falling asleep to the screechy Dr. Karp sounds AGAIN. They were so loud it was scary, but it's the only thing I can do to quiet him.
Do you think there's anything medically wrong with him? DH asked if he has a fever but he doesn't. I'm just at my wits end and just want my little boy to be happy!
Honestly, if he's crying that much that often I would take him to the pedi. Could it be reflux? It doesn't necessarily have to be spit up but does he seem uncomfortable during or after a feeding?
I thought milk protein intolerances were uncommon but I think they are more common then I thought. DD cried all the time. Finally, when she was three months old we figured out she had a milk intolerance. We put her on Neocate and saw a huge difference. The GI dr. also said that if they have a milk intolerance they may also have a soy intolerance.
Even though you cut back on some dairy you may have to go completely dairy free to see a difference. And it may take awhile for the dairy to get out of your LO's system. If your LO did have an intolerance any sort of dairy or soy could upset them. At any rate there could be something wrong with your LO's tummy which could make it hard for him to sleep. But I'm no expert so I would seek the advice of your pedi.
Children Photography Photo Credit: Heather Barta Photography