Colic?

Quit changing his formulae with out the pediatricians okay. This alone could upset his sytem.

His hand chewing, is because he has discovered his hands.

For the crying, Swaddle him snuggly and rock him this usually works espeacially if this paticular time of day is his fussy time.

If it is truly colic, try some gripe water.

Or, an old remedy my mother used for colic was a little white Karo syrup mixed in with the baby's formulae.

A.,

I had this exact same problem with my 1-year old and it ceased when I changed him to Nestle Good Start Formula.

My son did the same thing, finally at 3 months of age we switched him to lactose free formula and the colic stopped, the doctor didn't like me switching his formula and told me to try soy instead but that made him scream agian, so I went back to lactose free and NO PROBLEM.

Sounds just exactly like my daughter did at that age...she was diagnosed with acid reflux / GERD. Definately bring it up to your doctor. A couple of suggestions in the meantime: try setting him up after he eats, don't lie him down; make sure he's not getting any air in his bottle. I even got to the point that I let my daughter sleep in her carseat - place she was most comfortable because she was sitting up.
Does he spit up? Doc will tell you that all babies reflux, but with some it can be excessive and very painful. My daughter never spit up, ever. She is what they call a "silent refluxer" - food would go up and back down the esophogus without spitting up/vomiting. When she would vomit it would be projectile - very forceful and volumous.
Doc will probably start with changing formula and starting him on Zantac and go from there. There is a test they can run to confirm reflux - a pH study. We had a very long reflux road with my daughter so unfortunately I am a wealth of information on the subject.
It's very stressful when your infant cries and screams for what appears to be no reason - it's helpful to have a support group. Please, let me know if there's anything I can do to help you. I've been there!
Call you Dr. ASAP - I'm in Tulsa and have a wonderful Ped and also an awesome Ped GI in OKC.
Forgot to add - get on www.reflux.org - a wonderful site with lots of info!

My nephew was also a very fussy baby. They started putting 2 or 3 drops of gas relief medicine in every bottle and that seemed to help. The times when he was still fussy, they gave him Gripe Water. You can buy it at most pharmacies. It's an all natural liquid that a lot of moms swear by. I hope this helps your little man.

J.

Try Nutramigen. It's designed for babies who have milk and soy allergy...both of my girls did. The fussy feeding stopped within a day or two for both of them. It was a life saver! Something else to think about if the Nutramigen doesn't work, he may have acid reflux. It's really common in babies and can be fixed with a liquid antacid which your ped can prescribe.

Dear A.,

Colicky crying is normal usually starting around 6 weeks and has usually stopped by 3 months, sometimes sooner. T. Berry Brazleton did some research and discovered that moms who know to expect the crying, that virtually all babies do it, were less distressed and their baby's colic lasted a shorter period of time.

There are some medical problems that can cause the crying such as GERD, ear infection or intolerance to the forumla but those are usually exceptions rather than the rule. Have you checked with your baby's doctor?

Changing formulas does not seem to be the problem/solution for most babies. Usually it is tincture of time. Anything that is a little warm and vibrates helps them feel better. Vibration and pain run on the same nerve fibers up to the brain and vibration usually wins - that's why we rub an injury and why we moan. Try resting him on your chest and humming. Dad's lower humming may be even more comforting. If you have a dryer, put a pillow on top and let him rest on the pillow (with your hand on him and on his side or face up) while it is humming/drying. Sometimes, resting him on your lap face down so his tummy is over your thigh and patting/rubbing and jiggling your leg might help. Letting him suck also helps to decrease his sensation of pain and is comforting. Some babies do better if they are tightly swaddled. After all, it was a really tight fit before they were born.

I will never forget sitting and holding my first baby and crying right along with him. By the second one who was much, much more colicky, (screamed for 7 hours a night from 1 week old to 3 months old) I didn't cry. Just do your best to provide comfort and it will pass. What you do not want to do is just let him cry it out. He needs to know that you are there and offering comfort, that he is not uncomfortable and left alone. That adds distress for the baby.

However, if the crying makes you feel really irritable, and it can as crying is one of the most annoying sounds on earth, and no one else is there, then walk away for a few minutes and give yourself a break. Take a time out, deep breath, smell the coffee or whatever else helps you to calm down, then go back and start the process over again. His crying does not mean that you aren't getting it right. They all cry. Night time fussing and colic is normal at this age.

My son who is now 10 months old did the same thing, First I tried peppermint water, which I just took a peppermint candy and broke into little pieces and put a small piece in a bottle of water and shake around it will dissolve on its own this works good for Colic, but it being a boy he sounds like he is hungry, I started my son on a small thin mixture of rice cereal and formula, this satisfied him and he was much more content and sleep better in the day.

Please try this before you go to any extremes of diet changing and worry that there could be something seriously wrong.

You need to SWADDLE your baby! I cannot promise that it will work but I will bet the farm on it. Babies are soooo used to being tucked away in your safe warm tummy that they need to have that emulated. Get the book "Happiest Baby on the Block" and it will tell you step by step how to do this. It is a lifesaver!!!!!! I am sure you are about to pull your hair out. There is a combination that you will do to soothe your baby. You swaddle your baby in a blanket tightly (those stretchy waffle like blankets work best), cradle the baby in your arms, rock the baby vigoursly back and forth (like you are twisting), all while you are making a "ssshhhhh, ssshhhhh, ssshhhh" noise. Your baby will eventually go to sleep. Keep doing that, it may take several minutes before he calms down. Soon your baby will be expecting the swaddle blanket. My son used to smile everytime I would wrap him up! He looked like a tight little burrito! Let me know how this works for you. I will be shocked if it doesn't. I don't even believe in the word "Colic". Either there is something physically wrong or they just need to be soothed. I would love to meet one doctor that could explain exactly what "colic" is. The diagnosis is just another way of saying "I don't know what is going to soothe your baby. They cry a lot". Did you know that third world countries do not have "colic". Probably because the mothers who hold their babies all day long (sometimes a cultural thing, I am not saying hold your baby all day!) have perfected the art of soothing their baby. Also, babies put their hands in their mouths because they are trying to self soothe.

Another bit of advice, buy a white noise machine for naps and night time to put by the crib! They are great!!!!

We went spent endless nights walking with both of our babies. If you have tried the gas drops it could be your baby has colic and it will normally subside around the third month or so or your baby could have acid reflux. Both of our kiddos had/have it. Even with medicine we still walked for hours at night. I hate to be negative but this could be how your evenings will be for a while.

I wish you all the luck. Just remember you are doing everything you can for your baby by holding and loving him as he is crying. And know it will end eventually.

Get him in to the doctor. He may just need to be burped better and may need some mylicon. Regardless of what you're feeding him, it could just be that his digestive tract is a little immature and is having an extra difficult time properly digesting his food.

Oh gosh girl I feel your pain! My daughter had colic BAD for the first 3 months of her life. She would start screaming from about 5pm til 1am every single day. I tried EVERYTHING I could think of and changed her formula too many times to count. Her doctor finally prescribed a medicine called Hyoscyamine Sulfate drops. This was the ONLY thing that helped her. If you don't wanna go that route just yet you can try a website with some home remedies on it. It's called "Barefoot Lass's Home Remedies". There's a bunch of different remedies to try on there. Hope this helps u!

I have an almost 3 month old, and he is the same way. I have discovered though that yes...he is teething. He is getting his front two bottom teeth. I just massage his gums from time to time, and the Pedi said it was ok to give him a little tylenol of he gets really fussy. About the colic....does he get real quiet when you go for a car ride? Mine did, and they said he had a touch of the colic. Not sure what to tell you about the formula thing, my first son we ended up putting on Gentlease and it worked, but this little guy I am strictly breastfeeding, and that seems to have taken care of the tummy problems, as long as I don't eat cabbage or broccoli...lol

Twenty-one years ago, my DD had colic. Sometimes she would scream for 14 hours at a time. My mom & grandmother tried to help me. We were all exhausted. DH was at work and at night he put in earplugs because he said he had to rest if he was going to work. Anyway, about the only thing that helped her was riding in the car. I'd get out at all hours of the night and ride around with her. If it got really bad, I'd wait until I knew one of my friends would be awake, and I'd go by her house and she'd watch DD for me to lay down on her couch and take a nap. Then, I'd drive back home. It eventually went away, but I think it was when she was about 5 months old. She was breastfed, but I didn't notice any difference based on what I ate. Most babies are over it by the time they are 3 months old.

DS, who is now 9, never had it like that. He only screamed in the car, or once in a while, he got gas and some drops would fix it.

~A.~

You have already done lots of thing, but I will suggest some organic herbal tea and I think baby magic tea will be the best. It's safe and healthy for newborns.

You might have his ears checked. Mine were both about that same age. I called the on-call pediatritian constantly with my first, saying "this isnt normal" and he gave me the colic speech. I finally was able to see my regular and she had a raging ear infection. When it happened with my 2nd, I took her straight in, and sure enough, that's what it was. That might also explain the fist thing, because the pain will radiate into his jaw. But he could be starting teething too. Akins has some tiny quick dissolving teething pills that really seem to work. Good luck, I know its frustrating.

A.,
Have you taken your son to the pediatrician and discussed these questions with him or her? What did they say? If not, you should. Maybe the baby has a reflux issue and there is something they can do, like elevate them. There is special formula and medicine for this. If in fact it is colic, there are some things that can help. Here are some websites with some info that might help:
http://www.babyreference.com/colic.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/colic/page2.htm#2whatcan

I would again stress to have him evaluated to be sure what is going on. He or she can probably offer some really good help. Also, give yourself a break. Go for a walk in the morning or at night or just put that baby in a stroller and get outside for a walk. Babies love fresh air (it can have a calming effect on them), and it really will help with your stress level. Best of luck. Hang in there, this won't last forever.

A.,
My 6 week old daughter has a problem with gas as well. We still use the gas drops. We changed bottles serveral times ( we use Dr. Brown's bottles and they seem to help some) and she is on her 5th formula, which is Emfamil gentlease. I did try her on the prosobee, but it seemed to make it worse. I put 2 teaspoons of dark karo and her gas drops in her morning bottle, somedays it works well and other days it doesn't. A lady I work with said that with her daughter she had to use half soy and half regular formula. I have not tried this. They tell me it only last for about 3 months, but it is sure painful for them and it sure isn't easy to listen to them cry when you know they are in pain. My daughter has just started sucking on her hands as well. I don't think it is too early for your son to be teething, because I think my daughter is starting to teeth, her gums are white and she is starting to slobber. I know everyone has opinions to give, but no one has the answers. Good luck! My heart is with you!!
R.

My son was eventually diagnosed with colic and acid reflux. He started getting symtoms at about 2 weeks of age and it started with 1-3 hours of crying and then it gradually creeped to 4 hours a day then 5, then 6, then to top it off 21 out of 24 hours. I finally found a doctor to help. He was sure that it was GERD. We tried 3 antiacids and the 3rd prescription finally worked. 15 mg of Prevacid. However, my doctor did say that if he cried no more than 3 hours in the evening... to chalk it up to colic. However, he was a totally different baby after the right meds.

Dr. Brown's bottles! I will swear by them. I even won my babysitter over to them and she has been keeping children for about 18 years. She swears by them too now. We changed formulas so many times. The Neutramagin made my son throw up every time. We finally ended up with Similac Advance. The dr. even gave us some drops that were specifically for colic. It was a horrible, exhausting period to go through, but you will make it through. When my second child came along, I immediately started with Similac and Dr. Brown's bottles. We never had any problems.

I agree with the response with Jennifer!! My daughter is 6 weeks old and she has reflux. We are right now on 15mg of prevacid solutabs and pepcid complete. She still is not comfortable, but before we up the medicine we are going to do a barium swallow test next week. Anyway, the only other thing for me to add to Jennifer's response is that you mentioned him putting his hands in his mouth...well that could be because the reflux is buring his throat.
After being diagnosed with reflux, I came across a really great forum. It's for moms with children with reflux. You can find out anything there...plus it has alot of information for you to learn about so that when you do talk to your doctor, you are educated about the subject. Learn everything that you can because sometimes doctors don't want to prescribe the amount of medication that your little one needs...and you need to be ready with information. I'm trying to be proactive with my daughter because I want her out of pain as soon as possible. http://www.infantreflux.org/forum/default.asp
Wish you and your little guy the best of luck!
Be sure to let us all know what you find out!

It sounds like it could be colic. If nothing else works and he just keeps crying. Have you tried all of the different positions to hold him in? You could try switching the way you're holding him and see if any sort of position he likes best while he's crying. I've got a 3 and a half month old baby boy who sometimes cries like that screaming inconsolable cry, but he usually only does that when he gets really overly tired, and it doesn't happen all that often. I know it can be so overwhelming when they do that though. The only other advice I can offer you is to try these things called "colic drops." You can buy them at Kmart. I've got a friend who swore by them, everytime her baby would get fussy, she'd give her the drops and they'd work. I haven't used them myself, as I haven't needed them, but my friend really swears by them, so you might give them a try. I hope things get better for you! Good luck!

this may sound odd but when he is going in to one of his crying fits put him in his car seat and put it on top of the dryer and turn it on. of course stay by him. for some reason the motion of the dryer helps them.

my daughter was puting her hands in her mounth all the time.so by six weeks she was eating 4 to 5oz during her feeding.i also use good start formula and that seem to help her with beening so fussie.

Hello, how are you? Besides tired and a little frustrated! Well, i have a solution for your problem. My brothers little girl was the same way and they baught Gripe Water, and it helped evertything!!! It is a purple like bottle and you can find it at Wild Oats in little rock- all natural grocery store or at Toy-r-us.. Its costs about $10.00. They would give her that and some gas drops at the same time and it helped! I hope this works for you, i know what you are going through. One more thing, put him back on gentlease and leave him on it. it takes a while for them to get adjusted, so thats probably why it didn't seem to work. But it does, really well! When babies have colic, all they want to do is eat to try and make their upset stomach go away, that is probably why he chews on his hands. he is trying to tell you to feed him instead of giving him the pacifier, but don't because it makes the colic worse. Once you buy this other stuff he will probably stop biting his hands. and yes he is too young to be teething.

Hi A.-

Both of my kids had reflux and allergies as babies. My son was allergic to milk protein and recently is able to tolerate milk (he's 2 1/2). When he was a baby, we tried several different formulas until we finally got a referral to a Pediatric Gastroenterologist who put him on a formula called Neocate, which is for babies with multiple food allergies or gastro problems. It's expensive, but our insurance covers it, thankfully. Doctors (even your GP or pediatrician) know what to look for to try to figure out what's going on. Each kid is different. My daughter would arch her back and twist when she ate, which the doc said was reflux. My son would eat just fine but wake up 1/2-1 hour later with a blood curdling scream and be inconsolable for an hour or so.

I disagree with some of the advice you have received so far. If it is reflux, most doctors will tell you to try to feed your baby small amounts more frequently, since an over-full tummy is more likely to reflux.

Also, there are things you can do, like keep him upright for at least 1/2 hour after each feeding. Try elevating one end of his crib by putting a brick under each wheel. This never worked for us- both of my kids were/are crazy sleepers! My 5 year old was upside down in her bed last night when I checked on them.

Please know that changing your son's formula is not something to do quickly. You should take several days to transition him to a new formula and stay on that formula for at least 2 weeks, although some drs would say a month or more to determine if your baby is benefiting from the formula change. It truly can take that long to get it out of their systems. If you want to talk more about this, send me a message; I won't bore you with the details. Also, different formulas generate different poops! Just be prepared!

And, finally, don't be afraid of medications. They can make a world of difference in the quality of life for babies with reflux, not to mention diminishing scar tissue being developed in their little throats that could potentially lead to problems in the future. The side effects of these medications are minimal compared to the benefits, in my opinion. Some meds simply coat the throat, others stop acid production- your doctor will know beest. Also, some pediatricians just try a month of a medication without referring to a Gastro. Just be sure that if your son is prescribed a med, to administer it exactly as directed. Some of them need to be given a few minutes before feeding, some with food, some without.

I hope I didn't overwhelm you- I'm just very vocal about trying to help others when their babies are hurting.

Blessings to your family,
J.

PS-The Mylicon drops didn't do ANYTHING for either of my kids. I never tried gripe water because I'm not a big fan of homeopathic remedies.

Take him to the Doctor and tell the Doctor he needs some COLIC MEDICINE..... My daughter had extreme colic and he told me to give her the medicine everyday about 15 minutes before the crying would start......
Eventually (about 2 months later) she no longer needed the medicine......
Can you emagine the PAIN they go through?????
Best Wishes....
C.
Louisiana

Hi A.,
I am a mother of three children. My youngest had an allergy to milk. The pediatrician changed his formula six times before we found the right one, which was Similac Isomil Advance Soy Formula.(In Wal-Mart the container has a dark pink cover. This is the only formula that worked. Also he was fussy all the time, but he was just so uncomfortable because of the formula. My pediatrician let me know to use Mylocon (ask your pediatrician) and also we ended up having to put him on a medicine that settled him stomach (zantac), once he got a little older. Also I found at Wal-Mart a vibrating bouncer. This seemed to help a little.

Hope this is helpful. I wish you luck. Until we found the right formula, it was quite difficult. Just a little advice. We also tried Nutramigen and it was too thin for his little belly and caused him to have diarrhea which made his bottom raw causing another problem. Be careful!

Sincerely,
A.

The first and best thing is to pray for all your little ones and ask God to give you wisdom , and to heal your baby , and keep them safe. I still pray for mine and he is 30 yrs old. Do try the swaddling first, make sure your baby is burped well during and after feeding. Goat milk is the closest thing to mothers milk. My brother would have died without it he threw up everything but that . Catnip tea is a life saver. You can find a recipe for it on the internet. He will sleep all night. It will all pass with a little time, then you will wish they were little again.

A., I had the same problem with my son and it started exactly at 3 weeks, he would be up screaming on and off sometimes for 12 hours. I was breast feeding at the time, and I ended up having to stop breast feeding and switched to a lactose free formula. He got a little better but would still have periods of time with inconsoleable screaming fits. After doing some research on the internet I came across something called Gripe water, it is an all natural dietary supplement made of ginger,fennel, and chamomile. I lived in the Chicago area at the time and we had a store called the Fruitfull Yield. It was the only store I could find it in. Some people told me that alot of ethnic stores sold it as well. You can also order it online. The comapny that makes Little tummys and little noses makes it as well. You can aslo find recipes online for it too. You give it to your baby by itself or you can mix it with a little water, It has a sweet taste to it. I asked his doctor about it and she said it was perfectly safe. This stuff works great!! I only wished that I would have found out about it before I had stopped breast feeding. I never did take him off the lactose free formula untill about 2 months ago, and he made the transition to regular milk fine. Actually I have him on regular milk now because he eats solids now and he never had a problem with it once I switched. Colic starts at three weeks and could last untill a baby is 4 months or more it has something to do with the development of their intestines. I hope that helps. Let me know.
K.

It sounds exactly like colic. My son began having colic symptoms at only a few days old. I didn't make it to his two week check-up-I had him in the pediatrician's office at nine days old. Mylicon drops did absolutely NOTHING for him. I would take your son to your pediatrician because they will tell you what changes to make and how to make them. What works for one may not work for another, and the pediatrician will know best. My son came home from the hospital with Enfamil Low Iron and the pedi said his stomach was full of gas and immediately switched him to ProSobee. At his two week check up (five days later) he said that it wasn't helping and put him on the Nutramigen. He also said that he had reflux. SO, my son was on Reglan, Zantac, Mylanta and Benedryl for the first six months of his life. If you have ever used Nutramigen, that stuff is awful to work with. With most formulas you can just add it to water and shake it up. With the Nutrimagen, I had to put it in a blender because the formula just became this big glob at the bottom of the bottle if I didn't. I made bottles every other night while my husband held the screaming baby. (He started screaming every night at 6:00 p.m. without fail!) BUT, he never had baby spit-up stains on his clothes...
One of the main things is to stay calm yourself. It was so very hard to keep my sanity with my son crying for hours on end but babies are so in tune to your emotions. Other things that helped were walking with him bouncing slightly while patting his back firmly. Another was holding him in what I call the "football" pose. Also, while it did nothing to ease his pain, it seemed like turning the lights down and playing some soft music would calm him down some so he could expel the gas easier. Warm baths worked well. Often, I would run us both a warm bath and climb in (calmed me down, too). He is not teething, he just knows that his stomach is hurting and in his very new world, the only thing in his mind that will fix it is to be fed. The best advice should come from your pediatrician, though. The baby should have a two month check-up coming up, but I wouldn't wait that long to see the doctor. Good luck! I know it's tough, especially with a toddler, too, but hang in there!! Hopefully it won't take long at all to get your son on track and feeling better. ((HUGS!!!))

I am not qualified to give a diagnosis but I can give you a hint as to what it might be, as I have experienced this with both my daughters and they were allergic to milk and it was also not satisfying their hunger, we had to use goats milk............hope you find a solution because it sure isn't any fun.......

Our baby girl was so great for the 1st month .. quiet, slept lots, sooo sweet. Then she started screaming every night and would scream for about 1 1/2 hours non-stop. At first I would exhaust myself trying to walk, bounce ... everything. Even cried myself some times. My husband would take her and try to soothe her - nothing worked. We changed to every formula possible. It lasted for about 1-2 months and then just stopped. We kept her on a high price/for colic baby formula that I can't even remember the name at this moment. I gave up trying to sooth her and would just sit with her on the sofa and check for the obvious (dirty diaper, etc.). I also did the gas drops but nothing helped. Everyone said it was classic colic. At least she would stop screaming about 10:00 each night, but it did make for a very stressful event before bed time, especially for our older child who just couldn't understand what was happening. It was HORRIBLE but we all survived it! Blessings and good luck!

Take him to the pediatrician.

I know little ones have so much trouble with gas and the drops don't always help. Try bicycling his legs for 15 minutes or so. Put him on his back and watch TV or something that helps you pass the time a little more easily, but at first do the bicycling for as long as your arms can hold up. Then if it seems to be helping, do it on a preventive basis for 5-15 minutes a couple times a day. My second child had inconsolable crying and I got this advice from a mom friend of four. It took a bit of time, but worked well for us. Thinking about it, the poor little ones can't exercise like we can to move things along, this movement will help do that for them. Are there any other symptoms? I have three children and the problems I saw that led me to change formulas were when they were spitting/throwing up after a feed or had blood in their stool, both of which indicates an allergy to milk and resulted in a switch to a soy formula that cleared all that up. Also, have you had a talk with your pediatrician or his/her nurse? My advice about the formula is to stick with one while you look at other factors unless your child is spitting/throwing up or not gaining weight properly. If you are in the Northport/Tuscaloosa area, you can rent a scale to weigh your child accurately from Babytalk on HWY 82 (933 Mcfarland Blvd Northport ###-###-####, www.mybreastpump.com/ ) for very little cost, see the web site for rental fee information. Also, the woman who runs the shop-she is British, ask to speak to the owner, is very helpful with new baby issues, she is a gold mine of information. She has been a nurse for 40+ years and I have consulted her about my baby's issues with great success. Good Luck, I hope you find an answer soon for you and your baby's comfort.

I have never known a baby to teeth that early but who knows? Definitely sounds like colic. Do you have a nice blanket to swaddle him in? Or a baby carrier that ties him to you? When my last couple babies were very fussy and inconsolable, I would put them in the mai tei and walk around with the same gait (I waddled on purpose) I had when I was pregnant so that the swinging feeling they got felt the same as when they were in my belly. The closeness and warmth of mommy put with that settled him down. I hope you find something that works for you. ((Hugs))

Call your pediatrician and talk to him/her about reflux. The things you describe fit it to a "T". I've had 4 kids with the same symtoms. Another possiblity is thrush (eating fists). Timeline is right for either or both.