Paranoia raises it's ugly head once more...

[Oakmaiden]

I am quite worried about my baby. She is 3 months old now, and she does this really weird, stiff back arching thing. Often, but not exclusively, when she is upset. She is stiff enough that if I lie her down on her back I can slip my hand under the small of her back without it touching her, and generally she ends up lying slightly on her side because I can't physicallly put her down on her back. I first noticewd this when she was a few days old, but haven't mentioned it to anyone... but I do worry about WHY she is doing it?

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Hi Oakmaiden. Mine does this too when she's upset. I think it's wind myself but maybe we'll never know

DD2 does this too.

My friend's baby used to do it when she had colic, but just to be sure... I believe it's a good idea to mention it to your hv.

My ds did this and I used to hold him facing out with his legs bent up at the hips and my arms over his bum. This would sometime lead to a burp of such baritone proportions that I think very deep trapped wind was the problem.

I was similarly "paranoid" over ds, who tended to arch his back to avoid being held in certain ways, and did other things which worried me. He's 4 now & perfectly fine. That said, I really think the only cure for worry is to see your HV or GP. What they say will carry even more weight than what we say, because they'll be able to look at your ds.

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Mine did it too, Oakmaiden. Esp. When they were angry about something, or fed up. they can't do much with their bodies at this age, don't have many outlets of expression.

I've got two who did this too, sometimes due to wind (dd liked being held on her tummy over my arm, like a cat lying on the tree branch IYSWIM, which helped get the wind up) but sometimes just due to being p*ed off. She now uses it to great effect when I am trying to put her in the hated carseat.

can't help oakmaiden as I have had no experience.

The 'cat hold' that wilbur mentioned is a well-known baby massage position to help with wind....

And wilbur, for the car seat back arching, DS used to do this until I discovered that tickling his tummy makes him unable to do it!!!

My ds1 was a chronic back-archer, esp when feeding - used to drive me mad. Also know other smaillish babes who do the same - try not to worry too much, easier said than done.

Thank you - I am somewhat reassured now. I think it is just that retrospectively there were signs from when my son was a tiny baby that he was "different" to other children. Of course ~I totally missed them at the time - or at least I noticed the things, but didn't put them together until later. So this time I seem to be scrutinising my daughter's behaviour. Paranoia, as I say.

My ds3 also did the back arching thing. He did it when he was upset and as soon as he'd finished feeding and i tried to wind him. He is 1 now and has only just stopped doing it, now prefering to head butt the floor instead.