Crying Outbursts

shoegalct · December 2013

My Baby Boy is 4 weeks old. He has random outbursts of crying while he is up. Generally he is eating and will stop,like he is in pain, and will scream-he goes back to eating like he is starving,but then starts crying again while the bottle is in his mouth.. Sometimes he stops if I sooth him, other times I have to swaddle him after a long time of crying. At first this was around 8-10pm, now it's every time he is up for the most part. I thought it was gas, but sometimes he has burped and farted-so I don't think that is always the case. I EP and feel like when I am alone I cannot do it as much as I should because I have to tend to him. He sleeps for about 1.5-2 hrs....so I am getting no sleep-I put him to sleep,pump, and get barely any sleep before he is up again. Also in the middle of the night he doesn't want to be put down, so he sleeps on my or DHs chest because we are too tired to fight it. They say you can't spoil a newborn,but I wonder if we are creating bad habits.... I feel like I am alone. Anyone else out there dealt/dealing with this?

Chichigo · December 2013

Is putting him to the breast a possibility? Pumping and feeding is doing double work, maybe you'd have a little more rest if you could breastfeed a few times instead if pumping.

MWagner10 · December 2013

We EP and my LO is 6 weeks. At 4 weeks I was still trying to bring him to the breast, but it just wasn't happening for us. He went through his growth spurt at 4 weeks and there was a lot of sleepless nights and/or sleeping on our chest. It's tough but it does get better. EP'ing is very hard and I feel for you, just remember you guys are still in survival mode and you absolutely cannot spoil your baby at this age or create a bad habit. Your baby spent 9 months inside of you and craves the closeness. Hang in there you are doing a great job by meeting your babies needs!

Littlemama01 · December 2013

I find pumping very difficult when home alone with baby. I don't know how you EP mom's do it, but I think it could still be gas even if he is burping/farting. Have you tried giving gas drops like ovol before a a feed I the evening? Or even just when the crying starts?
Also I have heard that thrush can cause sore mouth in babies which causes them to cry while feeding... And last maybe the bottle flow is too slow for baby causing him to be frustrated as he feeds? ??

Also it's pretty normal for babies to be fussy in the evenings, some call it the witching hour

shoegalct · December 2013

Thank you for your responses!

VegasGal1978 · December 2013

I agree that it could still be gas. Try doing some bicycle exercises with his legs. That often helps our LO. I am an exclusive pumper here too. Yes, it's challenging. It will get easier. I try to pump whem LO is sleeping. Those short stretches will get longer allowing you time to sleep. If baby is awake I normally jeep her close, propped up in the boppy next to me. Recently I have even tried feeding her while pumping. This is made possible with the help of a hands free pumping bra. This is a must have for any EP. It won't solve all your problems, but it helps. Hang in there!

CaitS07 · December 2013

Quick Q: is LO peeing during these outbursts? My LO will have outbursts as he pees. No uti or other infection, the doc said some babies, esp boys, take a long time to adjust to the sensation.

Kelleplusone · December 2013

My son does the same thing sometimes, once a day at least. He arches his back and just cries at the bottle and before I can sit him up to burp him he's tossing his head back and forth looking for the nipple like he's starving. We thought it was gas but we've been really good about burping. Also my pediatrician said gas is normal and shouldn't really hurt. They cry because they don't like it and it's frustrating but they shouldn't cry like they're seriously in pain. When he cries at the bottle it's like a heart breaking scream in a short out burst, not a fussy whine. I have no idea what to make of it.

daniann333 · December 2013

shoegalct said:

My Baby Boy is 4 weeks old. He has random outbursts of crying while he is up. Generally he is eating and will stop,like he is in pain, and will scream-he goes back to eating like he is starving,but then starts crying again while the bottle is in his mouth.. Sometimes he stops if I sooth him, other times I have to swaddle him after a long time of crying. At first this was around 8-10pm, now it's every time he is up for the most part. I thought it was gas, but sometimes he has burped and farted-so I don't think that is always the case. I EP and feel like when I am alone I cannot do it as much as I should because I have to tend to him. He sleeps for about 1.5-2 hrs....so I am getting no sleep-I put him to sleep,pump, and get barely any sleep before he is up again. Also in the middle of the night he doesn't want to be put down, so he sleeps on my or DHs chest because we are too tired to fight it. They say you can't spoil a newborn,but I wonder if we are creating bad habits.... I feel like I am alone. Anyone else out there dealt/dealing with this?

I also EP until last week when I went back to work and DS decided he wanted to nurse too..lol. But as far as pumping when you are alone, there are 2 things I do because it is hard. Feed him first if you can and have a supply built up. That way he is content. Put him next to you while you pump. I have DS lay on his boppie while I pump and he usually cries but for the most part it is just whining. Also get a hands free pumping bra. This will allow you to pump and hold him at the same time. i found if I swaddle DS he stays calm long enough for me to pump

cagoldi · December 2013

Kelleplusone said:
My son does the same thing sometimes, once a day at least. He arches his back and just cries at the bottle and before I can sit him up to burp him he's tossing his head back and forth looking for the nipple like he's starving. We thought it was gas but we've been really good about burping. Also my pediatrician said gas is normal and shouldn't really hurt. They cry because they don't like it and it's frustrating but they shouldn't cry like they're seriously in pain. When he cries at the bottle it's like a heart breaking scream in a short out burst, not a fussy whine. I have no idea what to make of it.

Have you talked to your pedi about reflux? If he's crying during feeds and arching his back that's likely the culprit.

Our DS was having this issue as well but is doing much, much better since he started Zantac.

Make sure you're burping him really well and try to keep him upright for at least 20 minutes after he eats.

Jerzeygrl732 · January 2014

I was experiencing similar problems... My son was having a lot of problems with gas and spitting up/vomiting. We went through a series of formulas until we found the one that worked for him however he was still having outburst of crying/screaming pains every night. When we took him to the Dr the last time she said he is most likely colic and unfortunately there wasn't much we could do for that. With the last formula we tried it stopped the vomiting for the most part and helped with the gas but unfortunately he still gets gas pains every night, they just aren't as sever or as long lasting as they were at first. We also use mylicon drops in his bottles which helps with the gas build up. Fortunately the Dr said he will out grow the colic but just depends when. Some babies out grow it in weeks and others it takes a couple months. To help with the screaming fits we usually just sooth him by walking with him or rocking him, give him a warm bath and put him in his chair that vibrates. I also downloaded a white noise app that really helps calm him down.

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