Need Help with Newborn

Updated on September 14, 2007
L.H. asks from Macomb, MI
7 answers

Hi! I have 2 issues that I need help with. First, my newborn daughter cries after eating. Sometimes during. I had her on Nestle Goodstart and 2 days ago I switched her to Enfamil Gentlease thinking it was gas. She is not a very good burper and doesn't spit up at all, but she seems to be in pain. Last night she cried off and on for 3 hours. She seems ok and content then starts crying again. This goes on from 1-3 hours at night mostly. Anyone have any ideas on this?? I am just about at my wits end. Secondly, I also have a little boy who is almost two. My hubby works afternoons and is slated to go back to work on 9/24/07 so he is home to help me right now. However, when he goes back to work this is my problem: my newborn won't let me put her down. She cries. How in the heck am I supposed to put my son down for a nap or get his meals together or even play with him if she won't let me put her down?? She is only content when she is sleeping. It is trying and I don't know how I am going to manage. I feel as though I am neglecting my son and losing my mind. HELP!!!!!

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L.O.

answers from Detroit on

It gets easier... I have a 21 month old and a 3month old. the first week with 2 kids was reallyhard... then it got easier,,, and easier.. It was wonderful when the baby started holding up his head... aslos newborns cry alot... (some more than others) but after a couple ofmonths they cry less...

I held the baby almost constantly when he was first born.. butnow at 3 months he likes to get down on the play mat and bat at his toys.. and at 4 months he can sit in the exersaucer.

I know it is hard now.. but hand in there... it gets better... will the baby go in a snuglli carrier?? that way you can hold the baby and still do things for your older child.

L. O

A.B.

answers from Detroit on

Another cause of all the crying could be colic?
My son was colicky for the first 3 months of his life. We switched him to Lactose Free formula and there were some great ideas that really worked. Here is an article with some of them:

Colic
10 Ideas to Quell the Cries
Ancient scholars first described infantile colic in the sixth century. Modern parents have no trouble describing it today. The baby cries, pulls his knees up to his abdomen, and appears to be in great pain. He may become gassy, then become quiet, then begin crying again.

Nothing much seems to have changed over the centuries, and nothing much seems to help. Colicky babies cannot generally be quieted with feeding or a change of diapers, and episodes may last for many hours. Colic tends to be most severe at 4 to 6 weeks of age and gradually subsides by 3 to 4 months.

Though none of the remedies offered below will cure colic, most have brought some relief to suffering parents somewhere, so you might want to give them a try. And remember, this too shall pass. Colic disappears as mysteriously as it begins.

Try the colic carry. "I'm a big believer in the colic carry," says Ann Price, educational coordinator for the National Academy of Nannies, Inc. (NANI), in Denver, Colorado.

Extend your forearm with your palm up, "then place the baby [on your arm] chest down, with his head in your hand and his legs on either side of your elbow." Support the baby with your other hand and walk around the house with him in this position, Price says. "It definitely helps."

Burp that babe. "My experience is that at least some colicky babies do have more abdominal gas than the norm and may be more difficult to burp," says Linda Jonides, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Her recommendation: Watch the position of the baby when feeding (upright is all right), and burp frequently. When bottle-feeding, burp after every ounce, and try a variety of nipple types (some parents swear by the Playtex disposable nurser).

Cut the cow juice. Many child-care specialists believe colic is caused when cow's milk is transmitted from mother to infant through breast milk. Though some recent research casts doubt on this connection, experts agree that a maternal diet free of cow's milk may be worth a trial, especially in families with a strong history of allergies.

"I firmly believe that milk in the mother's diet is a frequent cause of colic in breastfed babies," Price says. "I recommend mothers start by eliminating milk from their diets and see what happens. If that does it, you don't have to go any further, but if not, you may need to cut back other dairy products."

Check out the diet connection. "Occasionally there may be some foods that set a baby off," says Morris Green, M.D., chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. "The breastfeeding mother may try to notice if there's any correlation between what she eats and the onset of the colic." Some potential troublemakers are caffeine-containing drinks, chocolate, bananas, oranges, strawberries, and strongly spiced foods.

Try a wrap session. "I recommend holding and swaddling a colicky baby," Jonides says, "or using a backpack to hold the baby so you can have your arms free to do other things."

For some reason, wrapping a baby snugly in a blanket has a calming effect. It's very popular in some cultures, and it does sometimes stop colic attacks. And it does not spoil an infant who wants physical contact.

Use a vacuum instead of a lullaby. Though it's true that nature detests a vacuum, colicky babies seem to love the sounds a vacuum creates. Science has failed to explain this mystery.

"The noise of a vacuum cleaner running does seem to calm a colicky baby," says Dr. Green. Parents have been know to tape-record the sound of a vacuum cleaner and play it back when baby gets fussy. Others simply start vacuuming the carpet and hope the child outgrows colic while there's still some rug left. Price suggests a more aggressive approach. "If you put the baby in a front pack and vacuum at the same time, it's a double whammy," says she. "That colicky baby goes out like a light."

Do the dryer dribble. "Put the baby in an infant seat and rest it against the side of a running clothes dryer so the baby gets that buzzing sound and vibration through the seat," suggests Helen Neville, a pediatric advice nurse at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Oakland, California.

Sound too far-fetched? Wait until baby fusses for another 3 hours or so. "There's something about the vibration that really soothes a colicky baby," Neville says.

Warm that tummy. "A hot-water bottle or heating pad set on low and placed on the baby's tummy sometimes helps," Jonides says. (Place a towel between the baby and the hot-water bottle to make sure he doesn't get burned.)

Log it in. "Keeping a log would be a very good idea," Neville says. "Often, when it seems like the baby was fussing for 2 hours straight, it was really only 45 minutes. A log will help you determine just how long the baby's crying, and—more important—what might be bringing it on."

Swing into action. "Motion-type things are good for colic," says Jonides. "Many babies will at least be quiet long enough to let you get through dinner when they're swinging." Automatic swings can provide motion, and relief, for up to 20 minutes.

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J.

answers from Detroit on

Since the baby is having trouble with formula, is there anyway you can get her to breastfeed? She's only a few weeks old; it's not too late.

http://www.llli.org/NB/NBrelactation.html

I second the suggestion of a baby carrier:

http://thebabywearer.com

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D.B.

answers from Detroit on

"Wear" your baby! There are all sorts of really cool carriers for babies now. The one I wish was around when my kiddos were babies looks like a really really long piece of fabric and it wraps around your body and the baby's held tight, right in front of you. I think there are ways to "wear" the baby on your back, like some cultures do all the time.

Baby stays attached to you, and learns to trust in Mommy, not crying alone.

You CANNOT spoil an infant! Not by holding too much, not anything! FOOD spoils, not babies!

K.K.

answers from Detroit on

I agree with Diane B - wear you baby! Get a baby sling or wrap, she'll be snuggled close to you and you'll have your hands free to chase your son around! I love my Ergo, but it's definitely more expensive than most carriers. Still, you can go to their website for more info on babywearing. www.ergobabycarrier.com

Or search the internet for "infant carrier" or "baby wearing" - you'll get lots and lots of options. Some brief info - babies who are worn cry less, have less colic, and grow up with higher self-esteem than their non-carried counterparts.

Also, when you have to put her down, swaddle her. It will make her feel secure and less vulnerable.

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M.C.

answers from Detroit on

Definitely check into baby carriers, there are so many choices out there from slings to wraps. In regards to the formula, call your doctor to see if you need to switch to a soy based formula or if you need acid reducers. My baby boy wasn't a very good burper at first but he got the hang of it. One good way to get the baby to burp is to sit her on your knee and slowly bend her over. It worked sometimes with my lil guy when he was having a hard time burping.

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T.B.

answers from Detroit on

L.~it sounds to me like your new born may have acid reflux. My daughter had that really bad. I would stick with the Goodstart first of all because it is gentler by ask your doctor about a soy formula because of the lactose. Second if it acid reflux your baby may need to be put on liquid zantac which also burns going down but helps the baby.
As for your toddler~it will be okay to put the infant down for a little bit and let her cry. She will scream like she is being hurt but she will fall asleep. If she doesn't after five minutes then pick her up for a few and try it again. I work in a day care so I go through a lot of these issues there and at home with my own two.
Good luck I hope it helps!

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