Baby cries so much

[motherclucker44]

I know it's normal. She's only 2 weeks old. But she just cries endlessly. Even when she is fed, changed, winded and cuddled. Her cries are ear piercing and angry so I'm guessing it's colic or gas - something causing her pain. But it's so stressful I just don't know what to do. None of my other dc were like this, they cried of course but not constantly and not in such a crazy, angry way. She sleeps ok but when she wakes for a feed it takes ages to get her back down again because of the crying. I am so anxious about taking her anywhere because the chances are if she's awake she will be screaming.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Take her to an osteopath.

Posted too soon. Birth is traumatic for babies and even a straightforward delivery can leave them with tight muscles and uncomfortable bodies. An osteopath can do an examination and adjustment that could make a huge difference.

Also, how is baby fed?

Look up PURPLE crying.

Mine was like this due to reflux (silent so not constantly sick). Try adjusting position of feeding and keep upright afterwards. Meds are also available if this is what it turns out to be

She is bottle fed. We tried bf but I presumed her crying was hunger related and we gave up pretty quickly. There were other factors too.

I just feel drained. I can't get anything done unless she's sleeping and even then I'm on edge waiting for her to wake up and bawl.

I tried everything with my DS2, inc cranial osteopathic treatment, nothing worked, he did eventually grow out of it, at around 7mths, he was the reason their would never be a third, I couldn’t go through all that again. DS1 was such a contented baby, what a shock I had when DS2 arrived!

Hand hold OP, it’s awful I know, you will get through it, my advice would be to accept any help offered. My late MIL was awesome and really helped me. Good luck, it will get easier

Some babies are just like this, but for most there is a reason. Make an appointment with an osteopath, call your HV to talk about reflux, and as she's not BF, hand her over to her dad and get him to take her out of the house for a good 6 hours so you can get some sleep.

I'm another saying to consider reflux. Yes babies do cry, but it shouldn't be endlessly as you describe.
My youngest son had reflux. He was regularly sick after feeds, but reflux can also be silent too.
He used to cry all the time and there was never a break from the relentless crying.
He was prescribed infant gaviscon by our GP and the difference was like night and day!

I do feel for you OP, this was exactly me when my son was born - he had colic. Things that helped us were infacol, easy digest milk as we were bottle feeding, winding every quarter of a bottle and using a sling to keep him closer to me (as much as he still screamed, he screamed harder if he wasn't with me). Winding technique was also key - we did the usual patting on back / over shoulder etc but also getting him to do a sit up motions, and also laying him down and raising his arms above his head and back down again. From this last one I could always tell if he had wind as he had resistance raising his arms but if he didn't he was like a rag doll.
Someone told me that the magic weight is 12lb. I have no idea what this was based on but is rang true for us and others I have known to go through the same. At this weight there was a massive improvement, just to give you a hope of an end point.

Speak to your GP regarding reflux.

They can prescribe drops or powder to put in the bottles. This was a life saver for my first. Just remember it's only temporary ❤️

I second silent reflux or wind. Mine had both! I recommend gripe water.

Mine had colic and if she wasn’t eating or sleeping, she was screaming. The mamaroo swing saved me, HV said it was amazing how much it settled her 😂 other than that it was just something she grew out of, I think it was 3 months when it stopped, we tried dentinox, infacol, everything. Only thing that helped was gripe water but couldn’t give her that till she was a month old. I’d defo speak to your GP.

Have you got a sling and does she settle in it? My DD cried unless snugly in a sling and on the move, for the first three months.

It’s so draining but remember it won’t last forever. DP used to wear headphones and blast loud music to himself while holding her – so long as the baby is held and loved you don’t actually have to listen to the crying!

My second was like that - he almost seemed angry at the world. He did have silent reflux and medication helped. A bit, then he was grumpy until he walked. Then he chilled out and then it started again until he could talk.
i honestly think he just was frustrated being a baby! Good luck OP

I tried everything with ds2 aswell, oesteopath, GP and Consultant privately, drops and medicines. Nothing worked. I think he just grew out of it, it got better when I started him on solids early, as advised by Consultant.

I remember once I gently fell to my knees and sobbed. People underestimate how bad it can be.

Sounds a bit like colic which formula do you feed ? I know a few people myself included that changed from aptimal to cow and gate which seemed to help ,

Angry at the world is a very good analogy! She does have moments of calmness and looking around taking things in when she's awake but it never lasts long and then the screaming starts.

I can only get things done when she's sleeping. We do have a sling and she settles quite well in that but I'm post c section and can't wear it for long right now due to the weight. I will speak to the midwife and health visitor this week and see if they can offer any suggestions. I should be grateful that she sleeps fairly well but dreading your newborn waking up because you know the crying will start doesn't feel great.

We do use Aptamil actually

She may have a milk allergy and/or relflux can be silent by daughter had both I to this day don't know how I even kept her alive i was running on 2 hours sleep a day 😅 in the end I had to take her to the hospital for the reflux as the doctors done nothing told me to deal with it got some liquid stuff from them which cured it thankfully she grow out of the milk allergy by 1 aswell, is her crying starting after her bottle ?

Forgot to add they put her on different milk which was a life saver , you could try her on Kendamil I have my son on the goat formula but I've heard the cows milk one is good too if the doctors don't change her the goats milk is easier to digest for their tummies .

Sounds like my cmpa baby. He cried (screamed) for 90% of the day for 6 weeks. Finally stopped when we put him on a dairy free formula

My younger DS cried so much as a baby, he was later diagnosed with a cows milk protein allergy. Some crying is normal, but this sounds excessive. Can you ring your health visitor for advice? Sending you a virtual hug, it’s not easy

She feeds so often at this age that it's hard to say if it's after a bottle or not. She will cry for a feed hysterically and once she's had it and been winded is calm for a while. Then the crying starts from seemingly nowhere.

She does grizzle and grunt a lot after a feed so not sure if that's a sign of colic/reflux/allergy?

My 2nd was like this. He had lactose intolerance but I was fobbed off for ages as they said it was very unlikely.

However mine also brought up a lot of milk with wind, was very smelly and gassy and very unsettled but slept well when he did sleep.

I would suggest getting some lactase additive - all it does is breakdown the lactose so the baby can process it better.

I think Colief is one you can use in formula.

he’s 4 now and we still use Lactose free dairy as otherwise it’s unpleasant for everyone.

Huge sympathy op, our first was like this. I remember thinking will there ever be a day when we have an awake baby that’s not crying? I just couldn’t picture it. We never got a formal diagnosis (right at beginning of 2020 lockdown) but I suspected milk allergy. As well as the tears he also threw up constantly, we had muslins everywhere. I was breastfeeding so gave it a go and cut out milk. The throwing up stopped within a day and he became much happier and the crying settled down to much more ‘normal’ baby levels. This was at about 3 months I think. I tried reintroducing it at 6 months and the throwing up started again, but by 8 months he could have it again. He’s now a cheese fiend 😂 But it’s worth exploring.