to want to return by 6wo baby to the stork for a full refund?

[derah]

Disclaimer: Can I just start by saying that I'd really appreciate not getting any "be happy you have a healthy baby and stop being so ungrateful" posts in response to this, cos I don't think it would be very helpful and I already know I'm being ungrateful and selfish?

I'm at the end of my tether, really. My 6wo baby just won't stop crying unless she's in a sling or being held and jiggled. She won't even go down in her moses basket during the day (though thankfully does at night), so she's in my arms or strapped to my front all day, which is killing my back. It's also very unfair on my 2.6yo DD1, who gets very little time with me since I'm jiggling the darned baby all day.

I've tried putting her in a swing chair, a vibrating chair, under a baby gym, in her moses basket with b/w pictures to look at etc etc. But she just starts howing within 5 minutes max. If she's awake, she's crying. I'm bf-ing her but she comes off the breast crying. I thought she might be hungry so I've tried topping her up with a bottle, but she's not really interested. Some of the time it's colic, but most of the time she's just crying for no obvious reason.

On Friday we've got an appointment with a cranial osteopath, which I'm praying will help. But in the mean time, I thought I'd a) have a rant and b) see if you wise MNers had any advice. Because instead of bonding with my new baby and thinking she's lovely, she's driving me nuts and driving a huge wedge between me and DD1, so no-one is happy.

More than once I've found myself wishing I'd never had her.

Why doesn't MN have a New Baby Advice section, btw? I couldn't really find an appropriate place to post this except within my post-natal group and they all have enough worries of their own!

derah...., hope the Osteocranio path thing helps.
My ys was a very unsettled Baby and well...for the first 2 years I would have happily returned him for a full refund, lol...Honest, had he been my first I would have only had 1 child full stop!

Hope things improve!

My DS cried for the first six weeks if put down during the day - and for a couple of hours each evening. He was my first so I could carry him around/hold him all day without it affecting anyone else. I got used to getting food one handed! The plus side was that suddenly one day when I put him in the bouncy chair so I could go to the loo when he was just over six weeks he didn't cry. I still remember the sense of relief as I sat there in total silence. He then turned into the happiest, most contented baby I could have wished for so maybe your LO will suddenly change as well. However, he would only be put down during the day where he could see what was going on.

I now think that my diet had a lot to do with it given the allergies he developed later. Sagitta noticed a pattern with her DD so if you have some days which are worse than others it would be worth thinking if you've eaten anything different. Good luck - I remember this phase well!

I know everyone hates it when people say 'I havn't had time to read all the posts' but I have to be honest, I haven't. However, just wanted to say, a lady I know was having this same problem with her baby girl and it turned out the baby was lactose intollerant.

Another one here with a friend who has this problem - she has tried cranial osteopathy, with a good amount of success - also a baby hammock, which keeps her DS a bit more upright and comfortable for reflux than flat on a mattress. It also jiggles him when he moves so she doesn't need to be there constantly and can have a break. See www.amby.co.uk or google baby hammocks. She says it's worth every penny, and they have really good resale value on Ebay too.

Mine didn't cry too much at all (unless I've forgotten about it, as they say you do), but I still had times when I'd have happily swapped her for a marsbar...

I really feel for you and hope that multi jiggling, cranial osteopathy or baby hammocks will help.

Good luck with everything and take care of yourself and the little one. And don't forget to consider yourself lucky....kidding!!!!