Help with a Crying Baby That Won't Nurse:(

Hang in there, I know it can be tough. It seems like all three of my kids went through this. I just kept my babies on me all the time! I could cook, do laundry & shop. I would keep them in a Sling or Baby Bjorn, or a Mei Tye. This helped with the fussy crying and they seemed to get comfort being close to me.

I would recommend LA LECH League for all your nursing questions. They relly are the pros. I attended their meetings with all three of my babies. It helped me so much! Good Luck, A.

Dear D., my daughter was extremely colic-y when she was an infant; we used to set in the bathroom and run the hot water for as long as it would stay hot! She had trouble burping, but I found that if I massaged her back, right behind her ribcage that would bring some relief; we also did smithecon drops for gas; I was not able to breastfeed because my nipples were inverted (they'd pop in as soon as she would try to latch on) so after a few days of crying (both of us!) we tried formula and she took to that right away. Maybe it's something topical that's offending her: scented lotion, laundry detergent, fabric softener? Just something to think of...good luck.

Evenings can be awful - many babies are fussy during the "witching hours", typically 4-7pm. This has been true for both of mine. The easiest thing for me to do was wear them - sling, Ergo, whatever. This enabled me to finish getting our evening meal ready (or whatever else needed doing).
Yes, I heard about the Gripe Water thing...that was months ago now. Anything you buy now should be fine - I purchased some just a couple of weeks ago (grape flavored) for my ds who seems to be struggling more these days.
Learning to nurse while your dd is in a sling, to me, is a skill worth learning. It will free up your movements so much! If you don't have a sling, or have one but don't know how to use it, then your local LLL chapter would be able to help. It can take practice, but it is well worth the effort!

As others have said, look at what you've been eating lately. Have you been having more spicy foods? Is your let-down reflex really strong?
And one random thing: have you started again? My dd didn't like to nurse when I was on my cycle. I commented on this at a Nursing Support group that I attended and was told that it was/is common for the flavor of the milk to change - and not at all uncommon for a baby to not like the changed taste. Although she didn't care for the taste those few days, she still nursed a little, then made up for the lack at the end of the week (after I was done). Just a thought.

As for bottles: unless you will be returning to work, there is no reason to try to intro a bottle this early. It could very well interfere with (and adversely affect) your milk supply.

There is a growth spurt that happens around this time. It seems like there are lots of growth spurts in the early weeks. By 12wks, they become less frequent.

I will chime in on the suggestions to contact your local LLL leader(s). They are there to help. Leaders do phone consults - free! Below is the link for your area
http://www.lllhouston.org/

I hope that you find some of this helpful
Happy Nursing!

K. H, mama to
Catherine, 4yrs - nursed for 2.5yrs
Samuel, 13mos - and still going strong!

I know not everyone agrees with what you eat affects what your baby likes. But coincidently whenever i eat lots of nuts i always seem to get the same reaction , very irritable. and sometimes when i drink milk i see it.
I am so sorry your having trouble! i would talk to a pedi that is for breastfeeding so she can help you keep breastfeeding. Have you considered pumping? oh right she doesnt take bottles?? i would keep working with that. i was just in that place of frustration..for not the same reason but still a similair frustration! I think its safe to say that there will be light at the end of the tunnel! JUST ENDURE.

I feel for you and your baby girl! To get the gas out of my baby I would push his knees to his belly. I also could not eat cheese it would give him bad gas.

I'm so sorry! I promise you, you WILL sleep again! I don't have experience with OTC gas medicines. What worked for my colicky babies was to put them literally on my shoulder, so high up that their tummy was at the very top and their heads hung down in the back. It's sort of like the over-the-knee trick except you can walk around (putting even more pressure on the tummy with each step) and pat her back firmly as you go.
It is very possible that you are eating something that doesn't agree with her and she has figured out the flavor to associate with the pain. I only remember a very brief list of likely offenders, such as onions and broccoli and maybe dairy, but I'll bet LLL has a complete list of foods for you to consider.
Mama, remember that you need rest, too, in order to take good care of her! Do what you can to make her comfortable, and of course you'll feel sad for her, but don't feel guilty about letting someone else take care of her while you shut the bedroom door and listen to your ipod for a while. And especially don't feel guilty if you need to put her down while you do something else, like take a shower or mix up a salad so you can have a healthy dinner. She is uncomfortable, yes, but she knows and is learning more every day that mama loves her and would do anything for her. Blessings, J.

Check with your dr. about reflux!!! My first baby did a lot of what you are describing and we toughed it out pacing floors and with Mylicon and many tears from mom and sleepless nights. But my 3rd daughter was diagnosed with reflux early and the symptoms are what you describe. The medicines help greatly and relieve what is real pain for the baby as the milk is coming back up their esophageal track. Most of what was called colic in the old days is diagnosed as reflux now.

Try giving her some infant gas drops. They sell them at the pharmacy. That worked of my kids. I don't think it's anything you ate, but just to be on the safe side, don't eat anything spicy. Eat chicken and rice soup with chick peas in it. My mom always gave me that and it worked. My doctor told me to stay away from the Chamomile and Anise teas because the fields these herbs are grown on are not regulated. They could have pesticides, fertilizers and other things your baby does not need. I also found putting the baby in her carrier and putting it on the floor and rocking it with my foot while I sat and folded laundry worked. Then you can try the carrier on the washing machine while it's doing laundry. Try taking her outside for a breath of fresh air. Also massaging her with warm baby oil on her tummy is relaxing. Good luck.

It will get better, hang in there. I know the crying and fussing sets you on edge, but let her do it. She will either wear herself out or eat. Are you busy in the evenings or just plain exhausted? Maybe you aren't producing enough milk. I nursed four boys and I had my share of "trauma"..lol This is going to sound corny, but it worked...put her up to your breast like your going to nurse her, but instead slip a bottle in there. Put some of your breast milk and try every nipple out there until you find one she likes.

I promise it will get easier. Also, I don't know if they make it anymore as my children are older, but Humphrey's always worked great for gassy fussy boys.

If she is colicky, one thing that worked well with my sons was..I would microwave one of their blankets (I know I'm weird..lol) roll it up tight like a tiny sleeping bag and lay them on their tummy on that blanky..they loved it..who knows..

Has your pedi mentioned anything about reflux? My son struggled and fussed while nursing and wouldn't stay on the breast, and he was diagnosed with reflux. The doctor put him on Zantac, and it worked wonders for him. The other symptoms he had were that he would scream if I would lay him flat on his back, and he spit up a lot. I don't think all babies have the same symptoms, though. My son's reflux showed up around 5 weeks, and he took the medication until around 6 months.

Have you tried Mylicon Gas Relief Drops? I use the Walmart brand. you can find them at the pharmacey or in the baby section. The Walmart (Equate) brand is less than 1/2 the price of Mylicon brand and works fine. Also, have you tried swaddling her really tightly? We do foster care for drug exposed / addicted babies and they always have horrible colic. they scream for days. Rubbing her tummy may also help. When my biological kids had colic and I was breastfeeding, I made sure what I ate was very bland. No red meat, mostly broiled chicken, no onions, no spices. I also did not drink any sodas or caffine. I hope some of this helps you in some small way. It will pass but it is no fun waiting for the 4 months colic usually takes to pass. If you are concerned, call your pedi for help. Good luck.

I had to learn to nurse her in a much more semi-upright position because she had GERD (reflux).

Also, there is a tummy massage that the Dr. Sears drs. recommend. It starts on her right side, go across the tummy, then down Her left. It follows the digestive tract or something and pushes trapped air down the pipe - so to speak!

Does she spit up?

Stay away from gassy foods like broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage. That may help!

Does she have thrush? Whiteish pinkish sore looking "bubbles" around her mouth? Or do you have it on your breast? This can be taken care of with a simple topical - I recommend grapefruit seed extract - its a natural anti-fungal.

Another thing that seemed to work with my gal was holding her upright against my body, protecting her head and back snuggly and sort of bouncing (think stationary lunges) while I pat her. The swifter motion helped to calm the beast that was brewing in her tummy and helped her to fall asleep - not to mention helped my hiney get back in shape! lol!

I know the helpless feeling you get when your baby is hurting and you can't figure out how to fix it - but hang in there and know you're doing the best you can do!

Check your diet. It took me six weeks to figure out I could not drink carbonated drinks while I was nursing. You may also steer clear of garlic and other strong spices; broccoli, and some of my friends could not eat red spaghetti sauce.

It could be colic...if it is, hang in there! It is hard to deal with the crying, so try to switch off with your husband. She will feed off of your frustration and helplessness, so try to stay calm. We tried car rides, sitting on a washing machine in the carseat, bouncy seat that vibrates, and the vaccuum.

We also used Mylacon drops before nursing. It did not help us but did for a friend.

You may see if an ear infection is causing pain when she is sucking.

As far as refusing to nurse, sometimes my son would get so mad at being mad that he wouldn't nurse either. Keep offering it to her. Check diaper, clothes (temp. can aggravate a baby)and anything else you could think might aggravate her. When I was in the middle of the "crying moment" sometimes I forgot to do the most simple things to sooth. Good luck!

Is your milk coming out easily for her? Also, try the over the counter gas medicine for infants. Lay her over yours thighs & kness on her belly and sway side to side. Sometimes the firmness of your legs will comfort her hard belly. If you still have problems with the feeding, I would call the doctor soon.

I have a six week old baby who I am breastfeeding. I know how frustrating it can be. I am always saying how can something so natural seem so unnatural.

My first baby had colic. I would take her out of the house and walk with her. It helped not to be in the house out in the open air. I would hold her on my shoulder with her belly firmly pressed to my shoulder. She also liked to be draped over my arm with her face in the nook of my elbow and my hand under her diaper. So that her belly was against my arm.

My youngest daughter has a lot of gas. I haven't changed my diet any because there is no proof that gassy food create gas in babies...but it doesn't hurt to try to remove certain foods. I did notice that normal so I removed all caffine even in small amounts from my diet.

One of the things I did start doing in the evenings when our house is so busy (I have 4 kids) is to give my daughter a bottle of expressed milk. At first she didn't seem to know what to do with the bottle. But now she takes both the bottle and the breast. And I am more relaxed and I can see she is getting enough in the evening. I really believe baby can feel our stress and tension. Introducing a bottle at this age 4-6 weeks gives you a chance to give baby to dad or someone else to de-stress.

I wouldn't recommend giving any "natural" remedies to a baby so young. Breast milk should be the only thing she is drinking. I have used the gas meds for my daughter before nursing and it seems to help her burp a little better.

Good luck

you might be getting stressed and she can sense it...or maybe she needs to see a baby chiropractor for an adjustment...sometimes a chiro can do wonders for a poor baby who has been all scrunched up for 9 months!