Hello everyone. Sorry to come and ask for advice, but this is my last resort.
I am a nursing student, I have a 4 y o and 3 months old, who is absolutely awful. My son was the same way, but he had reflux. Never slept, cried all day until he was 9 months old.
My daughter is doing great physically - spits up only occasionally,chunky, cute, eats all the time, but she cries ALL day. She is not in pain ( i know those cries by now), she JUST cries. She sleeps 30 min-1 hour at a time. Gets extremely frustrated sometimes and throws fits. I end up holding her all day.
Swings, baby carriers, etc only works temporarily. Pedi says she is totally healthy and that it's "just colic".
This is not good enough, because I feel like I am going to have a breakdown. You all know how much studying nursing school involves and I can not get it done, because my child screams all day.
If you have any ideas about what can possibly cause such awful behavior, please do let me know.
According to my mother, I was also a horrible infant. If it is hereditary, I still would like to find the reason.
I tried everything for my son, who cried all night. After searching on the internet I found this gadget that I would highly recommend.
You hook it to the bottom of the baby's crib and turn it on, it vibrates the crib and simulates a moving car going 60 mph. It also comes with a cassette that you turn on, and it sounds just like you're riding in the car. He loved it!
THAT, my dear glascow, sounds like a godsend! Wish they had it 15 yrs. ago!!!!
I'm also answering as a mother. I must say i have used Gripe Water and it works SOOo well. THe gripe water i used didn't have alcohol tho. Maybe they make it without it now? You can buy it online, at specialty baby shops and health food stores. Also, you can make it homemade as well. Its got herbs and water in it.
Do you think its reflux? Does she do better sitting up? Does she get fussy and cry when she's laying down? Are you eating too much dairy? Spicy food? Who watches her while you work or at school. What are they feeding her? Have you tried soy based formulas? Maybe you need to change her formula again. Try Prosobee or even Alimentum. And as for being HN, she may JUST be a high needs baby. Have you look at http://www.askdrsears.com and looked at his Fussy Baby's link? There's 12 criteria that make a High Needs baby, see if she fits any of them.
Maybe she's just a baby that needs to be held alot. Have you gotten a sling? I must say for my first son, the first 6 months he LIVED in his. I have the Maya wrap. http://www.mayawrap.com but a lot of my friends like the New Native Baby Carrier. See which one you may like. My first baby didn't like the baby carriers til he was a toddler. Same goes for my second.
Another thing, is she eating solids? Is she taking cereal? If she's got reflux sometimes a littel bit of cereal every day helps sooth it. Or nurse her when she's crying. Sometimes that's all they need is some boobie. I wish i could help more, please feel free to post and if i have any more suggestions i'll try to post them! By the way, my ds is 3, my other ds is 1, and i'm expecting my 3rd AND still bf. I FEEL YOUR PAIN. lol
I'm wondering if it is switching between breast milk and formula? Could you pump for the times you are away? I started pumping before I returned to work part-time and got a good amount in the freezer.
My eldest had diary allergies . . .that was 21 years ago and I breasfed and formula fed and then quit breastfeeding when he was six months old. I didn't know any better . .sigh. We worked for months trying to find a formula that worked . .soy, predigested protein. It was awful. I determined never to formula feed any of my kids again. None had the same symptoms. Of course this is anecdotal information . . . .
Maybe taking some time off from school would help too.
I remember taking a vacation in Maui with my 6 month old son . . .he cried the entire 7 days. . . well, almost. I'm sure he slept sometimes but it is all such a blur. What a vacation
answering as a mom not a nurse (just a student) first off i totally agree about the shower thing it helps relax and destress you even for just a little bit which is important! driving around with the baby helps a LOT! if you can get a babysitter for a few hours every other night or something to help you study the do that and leave the house and study at the library or starbucks or something. Also i tried natural quick dissolving teething tablets and colic tablets and that helped my baby. Does she have an attention span yet? the baby einstein videos are really colorful and musical and a lot of babies are really fascinated by them (this MAY buy you a hour of quiet time) good luck and hang in there!
this may seem weird but my friend used to pack up her books and baby and ride the public bus half the day because it was constantly moving and she could study while the baby slept (just nursed under a blanket in the back) seems strange but it worked for her!
Working with babies in the hospital I've found a few that needed to be swaddled tight enough so they couldn't get their hands free and smack themselves in the face. They'd cry until someone wrapped them up. It was kind of funny- after we figured out what was bugging the little squirts.
Specializes in Paed Ortho, PICU, CTICU, Paeds Retrieval.
This sounds a little like something I encountered whilst training. There is a conditin called "crying baby syndrome" which fits the s&s that you are describing I am unsure of the treatment but know that it usually passes. Hope you get some rest soon, you must be exhausted!
We worked for months trying to find a formula that worked . .soy, predigested protein. It was awful. I determined never to formula feed any of my kids again. None had the same symptoms. Of course this is anecdotal information . . . .
LisaRN2B
366 Posts
THAT, my dear glascow, sounds like a godsend! Wish they had it 15 yrs. ago!!!!