As I type, I am feeling the let down as the newborn finally sleeps for more than an hour on his own. It's been a rough six weeks of around the clock nursing, bouncing, rocking and diaper changes. You know the routine, feed, burb, bounce bounce rock rock, diaper change, repeat. I thought certainly third time's a charm, but not in this case. It seems harder this time around. Baby H spits up A LOT. His burps are like his older brothers belches which surely has to hurt his tummy. He is in constant need of being soothed. As much as I love holding and cuddling the baby, I feel relief when I finally get a break from being a human pacifier. The sling is great, but he's not always happy in it. The soothie also sometimes appeases him. We are also working through lullabies and music to see what song will have that magical effect of calming him down. I've been desparate enough to try to train him to suck his thumb, but that hasn't worked either. O.k. mamas, what magical combination worked for you to soothe your little one? I know things will get better soon, but at what point did you feel things turned a corner?
All I can say is this might just be the 6 week fussies. I was just thinking today that Clara went through a phase at 6 weeks where we thought we were in for it. It lasted a week or two and then eased up. With Iris, I don't remember--it's all a blur. We did exactly what you're doing and then we just went onto the next phase.
Hang in there. I know you must be sooo tired.
Posted by: thiskat | April 22, 2009 at 10:27 PM
been there! Our 3rd was colickly and pretty much puked after every feeding. Along with crying for hours at bedtime, she would awake every 1.5 to 2 hours at night...ugh...it went on for 5 months..straight. It was so hard taking care of 2 other young children with NO sleep! I was exhausted and frustrated. Then it happened. 5 months and 1 day old... the puking almost ceased....she started sleeping about 4 hours at a time at night...and by 8 months sleeping through the night!!!!
I know that seems sooooo far away, but know there will be a light at the end of the tunnel!
Good luck with it all.
Posted by: collor | April 22, 2009 at 10:54 PM
forgot to mention. Nothing worked. Pacifiers, thumb, my finger, NOTHING! I did use a ton of gas drops, which I think may have helped a little bit. I tried Gripe water, it seemed to help once, but it tastes nasty! The only thing that would keep her quiet and somewhat content was breastfeeding. I should win a gold metal for that.
Posted by: collor | April 22, 2009 at 10:58 PM
Our little one started puking at about 3 months and we found out she had infant GERD or basically acid reflux. She arched her back, would take a few minutes of sucking to soothing her aching throat between feedings.
We went to the Dr. and gave her the medicene. I so didn't want to give her the meds. You give to them on an empty stomach. We did and then fed her. When the milk hit her belly we heard this crazy loud urp deep down. She slept..we all slept hours.
I know that many babies are born with it. Sometimes it is "silent" means no puking just the other symptoms.
That is my story and your might be different, but I just know I was happy to know I had taken away her pain.
Posted by: Native_Momma | April 22, 2009 at 11:19 PM
The combo of gripe water (Wellemedics brand with chamomile), swaddling, and a pacifier worked well with my twins. They are now 8 months and barely use their pacifiers and never had any issues with nipple confusion.
Posted by: pkt | April 23, 2009 at 02:04 AM
Oh this brings back memories! Our infant daughter spit up big splashes of milk and seemed to cry endlessly. A sling worked somewhat, as did tight swaddling and sleeping in close confines (bassinet, not crib or pack n play). Our best discovery was putting our pinkie in her mouth, fingernail side against her tongue-- she'd suck and suck and all was well! (until, of course, you needed your hand back). She never took a pacifier. Can you schedule someone (husband, MIL, sitter?) to come periodically and take your baby out so you can SLEEP? Good luck, hang in there, this will change eventually!
Posted by: MomtoOne | April 23, 2009 at 07:04 AM
The moby wrap worked well for our collicky son. He could get the super cuddle and I could get things done while silmultaneously get a leg workout. What fabulous multi-tasking mothers we are!
Posted by: Beth | April 23, 2009 at 07:14 AM
I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through this, you must be exhausted! I thought the 3rd babe was supposed to be the easiest?! I have no personal success stories for you--both my boys were rather fussy the first 10-12 weeks. Anders liked to be swaddled tightly and put in the swing on high (ala Happiest Baby on the Block Video) and Henrik preferred the sling. The only other thing I can think of is possibly paying a visit to a chiropractor? I have heard that cranio sacral therapy can help fussy babies. Amy Watson (Whole Mama, Whole Child on Killingsworth/30th-ish) is lovely and Mama to 3 kids. Call her and see if she thinks she might be able to help. In the meantime, take care of yourself and enlist friends and neighbors to help with whatever they can. Hang in there!
Posted by: Leah | April 23, 2009 at 07:50 AM
I used to make peppermint or chamomile tea. Steep it nice and strong and give the babe a teaspoon or so with a dropper and drink the rest yourself. Calming for both of us! My doctor actually okayed this, but you could always check with yours.
And my first was a big pinky sucker (mine, of course). Also, I remember begin told that newborn fussiness peaks at 6 weeks. Maybe you're there!?
Posted by: mom22 | April 23, 2009 at 07:52 AM
BTW, he's REALLY cute! That's gotta be a little redeeming factor? :)
Posted by: Leah | April 23, 2009 at 08:06 AM
I second @Leah's suggestion about craniosacral therapy. We used Dr. Elise Hewitt at Portland Chiropractic Group.
http://www.drelisehewitt.com/
Posted by: Scotti | April 23, 2009 at 08:09 AM
Our first and only was like this, without the vomit. We think it was GERD. We bounced her on the yoga ball, walked up and down stairs for hours, pinky in the mouth, and a very tight swaddle. One of the other things that helped a lot was changing my diet - which was brutal but helped a lot. I started out with rice, potatoes and squash and slowly added food from there to see what was upsetting her in the breastmilk. Good luck, I remember those days and can't imagine it with another two children wanting me.
Posted by: Lori | April 23, 2009 at 08:18 AM
I feel your pain! What worked for us was the Happiest Baby on the Block techniques. Not sure if you are familiar with these or have "been there done that." If you haven't tried, it can take a while to get it all coordinated, but it saved our sanity. My guy also loved the Moby. My son spit up all over the place and nothing really helped but time. Apparently if they don't have GERD or some other similar condition they just (sometimes) have an immature digestive system. We were told that there is some flap along the intestinal tract that is supposed to stay closed and keep things down and sometimes it takes a while for it to do its thing. Keeping him relatively still and upright after he ate helped a little too. Best of luck!
Posted by: averilpdx | April 23, 2009 at 08:32 AM
I'm about to have #2, so I really appreciate the reminders about what it's like and what works!
With our first, the Moby was the charm. I tried so many different slings, but none worked right because my boy apparently needed to be upright! The Moby kept him snug and tight in an upright position. The other think I like about the Moby is that it's cheap (I think Mother Natures on Clinton has them for around $30) as compared to some slings out there.
Hang in there!
Posted by: SJ | April 23, 2009 at 09:21 AM
2nd the fact that he's realllly cute! Ella was a little fuss face. I remember when Matt was bouncing her on the exercise ball (we didn't have a glider), bounced and bounced and bounced some more until he bounced himself to sleep and they both feel off the ball.
SO, the ball... was good, didn't end the crying (see above story), but helped to calm her. Next, pacifier... Happiest Baby on The Block shushhhhing...swinging for short periods of time...gripe water... tight swaddling in the velcro swaddler.
Maybe he's got some sensitivity to wheat which is making his tummy hurt? Maybe backing off certain foods for a couple to see if there's an improvement?
Basically, we tried almost everything to calm her and she didn't calm down very much for 3 months or so. She then became more manageable. It's our nature to want to find an answer and to figure it out... keeping doing that because I think the exercise is good for you and possibly him, BUT, it may just take a few more weeks.
Posted by: Monica in Cali | April 23, 2009 at 09:21 AM
My second babe (11 months now) was very fussy, so I certainly understand the sleep-deprivation and frustration that you're feeling. She was inconsolable much of the time and it was very challenging. It took me until she was 6 months to realize that she had a major soy sensitivity. Once I eliminated it from my diet (unexpectedly challenging since soy lecithin even bothered her), she was like a different baby. She was happy and actually slept. I really wish I had figured it out earlier for both of us!! Good luck!
Posted by: scc | April 23, 2009 at 09:22 AM
Two thoughts: 1) Try swaddling and bouncing gently on an exercise/birthing ball. This trick worked well for our son for the first few months. 2) Try eliminating a few things from your diet. My daughter didn't have any food sensitivities but my son started throwing up when I had too much soy and broccoli in my diet. Now that I've eliminated these two things, no more throwing up. :-)
Posted by: Erin | April 23, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Sorry to hear about the exhausting circumstances. I also was not happy being the pacifier. My friend swore by *acupuncture* for her extraordinarily fussy baby. I later found out it's probably not really acupuncture with needles, it's pediatric tui-na, more like accupressure and other Chinese Bodywork techniques. I know one clinic in Portland that does it, An-Sen. But, there is a really fantastic tui-na practitioner, Dr.Yang, and I'm sure he does babies. 503-771-2628.
Another friend went on a crazy diet where she ate JUST lamb and rice for like a week, and somehow that worked. I don't think I could do it, I haven't eaten meat in 20 years.
Hope you and baby get some relief soon.
Posted by: keenbeen | April 23, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Have you also tried fennel tea, for yourself. My friend Tatjana knows all kinds of natural rems, and I remember her drinking this. Also your not eating chocolate perhaps? Just a thought, I guess even a tiny bit of chocolate, is way bad news. Do you have a naturopath? Or midwife? They are a wealth of natural gifts.
Posted by: Jennifer Murdock | April 23, 2009 at 01:21 PM
Both of my little ones had reflux. Getting them on the right meds made a huge difference. And, it is good to know that this is something that they grow out of.
The doctor asked if my kiddos spit up a lot. If they cried after laying down. If they didn't sleep well. If they cried a lot.
It became so painful that my oldest started refusing to eat.
Thank goodness for the meds to stop the acid from creeping up his throat and burning him.
Posted by: Siobhan | April 23, 2009 at 04:59 PM
Craniosacral worked for our second who was puking for the first month or so. Carol Gray will come to your house or you can go to her home office. She is amazing and the spitting up stopped that week. I feel every baby can use the work after the birth process. She also has free clinics you could check out.
Posted by: plain jane | April 23, 2009 at 09:55 PM
my kid was a little gassy at that age - helped to have her sleep on an incline - not flat on her back. We had a cheap hammocky vibrating baby chair that put her at about a 20% angle. She slept in that for six months, beside our bed.
Posted by: Misty | April 24, 2009 at 09:28 AM
No additional advice here, but I just have to say that baby is SO CUTE!
Posted by: kathy | April 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Little Tummy's gas drops are a freaking life saver. Those and a ton of walking around are what got us through that 6 week old fusspants period.
Posted by: summertime | April 24, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Both my babes were fussy newbors, but I discovered with the second that eliminating dairy from my diet really helped. So much so, I wonder how my life would have been different if I had done that with our first. :-) Every once in a while I will test the theory and have some dairy, and the next day he is ultra fussy and crying baby (and he's 6 months now). I was amazed.
Good luck and hang in there! As with everything, this too shall pass.
Posted by: Ana | April 24, 2009 at 09:07 PM
Great advice and ideas to try to pinpoint the problem, starting with the diet. It's encouraging to see that I am not alone :-) My son has sleeping more in the past couple of days, though I don't suspect we are out of the woods yet.
Posted by: hau | April 24, 2009 at 10:55 PM
So many good suggestions here, and so nice to see that this happens with a lot of babies around 6-8 weeks. The typical things have helped for us: swaddling, Moby, gas drops. I would add LOUD white noise (hood fan, traffic, vacuum). Unfortunately, my giving up dairy also seems to have helped - no fun for me, but worth the peace. Best of luck!
Posted by: Lauren | April 26, 2009 at 09:03 AM
Cranio sacral therapy with Dr. Arah McLoughlin at CoreElements Chiropractic, wear your baby a lot, bounce on a birthing/fitness ball, do a Dr. Sears' "Fuss Foods Chart"--Baby H might be super sensitive to something you are consuming (beans, pork, dairy, tomatoes, onion, broccoli, spicy foods, too much of any one food. Some may disagree with this theory, but it works for many many mamas- including me when my little one was a new babe. Hang in there mama, you'll be okay and so will Baby H. Lots of walks in the moby wrap in the sunshine will help too (L:
Posted by: Mary | April 26, 2009 at 07:38 PM