Can anyone stop Katierocket from being driven insane by very difficult newborn......please!

[katierocket]

OK so DS1 was a really unsettled baby, had horrendous colic, terrible sleeper blah blah. We tried everything to help but it only really improved as he got older (he's 5 now). Anyway, DS2 (9 weeks) is just as bad (if not worse) and it really is driving me to utter despair (and I don't say that lightly).
He's very unsettled, and is really susceptible to being really easily over stimulated and having screaming fits. I could cope with that but the worse thing is his sleep - he is an absolute nightmare to get to sleep, you have to rock him and rock him, or walk round him in in a sling for ages or put him in the pram and walk for ages (although lately even this isn't working). But the worse thing is that once you've got him asleep he will wake up after a really short time (anywhere between 10 and 30 mins) and so then it all starts again.

Currently he is getting up at 5am in the morning (we're used to this - DS1 did it for 4 and half years) so by 6am he is knackered and screaming house down. I just can't figure out what to do to improve the situation. THings are getting worse not better.

He was diagnosed as having mild reflux and is on medicine for that, he's also been to a cranial osteopath.

if anyone has any suggestions I'd really really appreciate it.

[katierocket]

I might not be able to check this until later tonight so if some helpful soul could bump it for me.

I'm really scared that much more of this will drive me to PND

[2Happy]

KR, I don't have any practical suggestions, hopefully someone will soon, but just wanted to give you sympathy, sounds awful x

[katierocket]

thanks 2happy, it really is bloody grim and I can't believe I've had two babies like this (although DS2 is fantastic now so that's the pay off).
should also add that I am in process of giving up dairy to see if that helps.

[zippitippitoes]

I can sympathise but can't help I'm afraid ds was like this

he cried all the time when he was awake and prayed for him to sleep

I think you may be right about the stimulation..he sounds like a very sensitive baby

[Megglevache]

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[Laura032004]

Is he BF or FF?

Not much advice, but DS2 is similar. Gets up early, then tired shortly afterwards.

Where does he sleep - daytime and nighttime?

DS2 has reflux, and about the only place he sleeps well (apart from in bed with me) is his carseat. He has a next stage carseat in the car, and we only use it for max 30mins at a time, so I don't feel guilty putting him in his baby rock a tot car seat for daytime sleeps.

What are you giving him for the reflux?

[Laura032004]

Did you have PND with DS1? If you feel it's coming on again, speak to someone ASAP. I suffered terribly with DS1, and lost about 9 months of my life. Faced it head-on this time, and it has been so much better.

[MellowMa]

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[CantSlimWontSlim]

Just popping on to see if you'd got anywhere with the dairy thing, but I see you're just giving it up now. Really hope this works for you. There was another thread recently where some people said that giving up caffeine had helped their colicky babies, so if the dairy doesn't work (it does take a couple of weeks to clear completely from your system) then you could perhaps try this.

[katierocket]

Thanks all, he's BF and on ranitidine for reflux. CO said he had some "head compression" but she's pretty much finished treatment now. My gut reation is that it's all to do with being very over sensitive - he's like a carbon copy of DS1. I wad just so hoping for a slightly ,more laid back baby this time. It's hard not to blame\myself for the way he is.

[CODalmighty]

id liek to say poor you
it sucks
farkign babies

[katierocket]

can't slim - yes am cutting dairy out for 2 weeks. I don't have caffine anyway. MIL tinks formula is the answer!

[katierocket]

thanks cod n - i am wishing his life awat a bit

also worried as can hardly spend any time with DS1

[CODalmighty]

oh go di rememeb wakign up wiht ds3 htingking

" oh god another day"

BYt the sun will come out soon and itll be so much vetter
are youeating and drinking enough
are oyu gettign OUT

go and buy some lovely shoes

[CODalmighty]

( and ds1 will not remmebr it) buy him a nintendo ds
thatll keep him quiet and content

[zippitippitoes]

formula is not the answer ds was formula fed

[CODalmighty]

god eys i changed to fromula wiht ds2a nd getting hism to sleep was harder

are oyu using telettext DURing the fits

[Laura032004]

Did you see a paed for the ranitidine? My GP was really reluctant to prescribe that, so we got motillium first. Now have the ranitidine as well, but not making much difference.

Have you tried just lying in bed feeding him whenever he wants for a while?

DS2 also likes the hoover. When things get bad early evening, I hoover everywhere to quieten him down!

[beansprout]

I was amazed at how well swaddling and white noise worked for ds.

I really feel for you, I hope you find something that works and soon

[katierocket]

god I already feel better reading these

funnily enough cod DS1 desperately wants a gameboy and my guilty side wants to get him one.

yes ranitidine prescribed by paed. to be honest I don't think thats the problem. At least occasionally with BF i vcan feed him to sleep.

would love new shoes to cheer myself up but we're also skint. Oh i know\ in scheme of things its not major and Will pass but its really relentless.

[CODalmighty]

god yes
i felt bad but its farkign hard work.
use teletext to watch tv durign rants
do a 20 minute on and off routine wiht dh so one preson get a minute a lone

get yourself dome headphones maybe?

GET DS1 a nintendo

[taylormama]

katie - my DS had reflux and was on ranitidine and domperidone (mottillium). I found when he was very tiny the following worked for his reflux:
Swaddling - instant calmer
Raising the head of his moses basket/cot so acid couldn't come back up (using a sling will help too)
Putting him to bed at the first sign of tiredness or he would get horrendoulsy over tired and even harder to settle
Also, ranitidine dosage needs to be changed every time baby gains around 1lb in weight so keep an eye on it and it takes a good week to work
good luck ...

[katierocket]

"Also, ranitidine dosage needs to be changed every time baby gains around 1lb in weight so keep an eye on it and it takes a good week to work"

god i didn't know that

thing is that you can't put him to bed before he gets overtired or at any other time. If you put him down awake he screams and screams and screams. he doesn't quieten down, he gets louder and louder until he goes red and does the 'colic scream'. The best I can do is put him in a sling when I know he's getting tired and that way he will at least go to sleep - sometimes if lucky with 10 mins of crying put often more like half hour to hour. He just doesn't seem to have an 'off' switch and finds it incredibly difficult to let go.

On top of it all i can't believe we're back to the position of having a baby that wakes at 5am - I've done my fair share of 5am starts for the last 4 and half years FGS! have tried feeding him lying down, all quiet dark etc but to no avail.

[blueshoes]

katierocket, my sympathies. As a mother with 2 difficult babies in almost all aspects, I can tell you that lightning does strike twice , as you are finding out.

It is knackering hard work 24/7 especially in baby days.

Do you think it is reflux/colic or just their sensitive temperament? Out of curiosity, do you see aspects of ds1's character now that he is older which could have contributed to his demanding babyhood?

[Traycee]

link{http://www.amby.co.uk/\get an amby} found it marevllousfor my tricky number 3, wish I'd had it for the first 2 as well. When he stirred the hamock bounced him back to sleep.

If it doesn't work for you they sell on ebay for almost full price (which was why I decided to give it a go when half crazed by lack of sleep when ds3 was 5 weeks old.).