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Original poster

Inconsolable 4 month old

34 replies

laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:16

My 4 month old has episodes of inconsolable crying. I just don't know what to do anymore. He's just woke from a nap couldn't stop him crying so I've fed him early. I've tried everything. The doctor gave me a dairy free formula to try and he won't drink it he looks at me disgusted. He loves his usual milk.
Any advice?

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KEG05 · 13/04/2023 16:17

Is he teething op? It starts around now usually.

Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:22

KEG05 · 13/04/2023 16:17

Is he teething op? It starts around now usually.

I think so a bit of dribbling and hand in mouth. He's just such an unhappy baby. Yesterday was a good day today not so good

OP posts:
mdh2020 · 13/04/2023 16:23

When my DD woke up and wouldn’t stop crying I used to put her back in her cot. It wasn’t do either of us any good with me getting upset too.

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:26

@laralou28 did feeding him work?

Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:27

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:26

@laralou28 did feeding him work?

Yes he's calm again now. It was only half hour early feeding he has milk every 3 hours

OP posts:
Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:28

mdh2020 · 13/04/2023 16:23

When my DD woke up and wouldn’t stop crying I used to put her back in her cot. It wasn’t do either of us any good with me getting upset too.

I know what you mean i do that sometimes but sometimes I can't leave him crying like that

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:30

@laralou28- does feeding him usually work?

Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:30

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:30

@laralou28- does feeding him usually work?

Yes that's the only thing that seems to calm him or a dummy or car ride

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:33

@laralou28 is there a reason I don't understand why you don't just feed him then? It sounds as if he's hungry.

Hazelnuttella · 13/04/2023 16:35

Yes I think you just need to feed him when he cries, don’t wait 3 hours.

Remember it’s not just food, it’s liquid too. I don’t go 3 hours without having a drink very often.

Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:36

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:33

@laralou28 is there a reason I don't understand why you don't just feed him then? It sounds as if he's hungry.

So sorry to confuse you 🙄
He has 180ml every 3 hours that's plenty Thankyou. He's also very sicky and I spend all day changing him as it is. So feeding makes him more sick

OP posts:
Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:37

Hazelnuttella · 13/04/2023 16:35

Yes I think you just need to feed him when he cries, don’t wait 3 hours.

Remember it’s not just food, it’s liquid too. I don’t go 3 hours without having a drink very often.

Ok he's also very sicky tho so the more milk he's having he's also more sicky

OP posts:
MrsMullerBecameABaby · 13/04/2023 16:37

laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:30

Yes that's the only thing that seems to calm him or a dummy or car ride

Show quote history

He's hungry then!

He's probably going through a growth spurt.

Feeding by the clock isn't usually the right thing for babies - obviously you can't give formula every ten minutes, but you most certainly can and should adapt to feed when they're hungry, whether its every 2 hours during a growth spurt or a bit longer when they're less hungry!

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:39

Fair enough. It's just that if he calms down when he's fed it does sound as if he's hungry.

Fandabedodgy · 13/04/2023 16:40

Sounds like teething.

Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 16:41

Fandabedodgy · 13/04/2023 16:40

Sounds like teething.

Maybe! Thankyou for not saying I'm basically starving my baby.

OP posts:
Fandabedodgy · 13/04/2023 16:51

Mine always went off milk/food when a tooth was coming.

Try cal pol, teething salts, put dummy in the freezer so it's nice and cold - can soothe sore gums

X

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 16:58

"Maybe! Thankyou for not saying I'm basically starving my baby"

Which of course everyone else was. Fair enough.

converseandjeans · 13/04/2023 17:03

My first was always unwell when a tooth came through. Cold, runny nose etc Back then we used to give her Medised (sparingly) but I think it was banned about 10 years ago as people were using it to get babies to sleep longer. Could Calpol alternated with ibuprofen be worth a try?

I did also start mine on baby porridge at that age as they were hungry. I know it's against current guidelines but it was the norm when I was a baby. I don't know when it changed to 6 months.

yikesanotherbooboo · 13/04/2023 17:22

@converseandjeans my youngest DC is nearly 22 and the 6 months recommendation was well established then.

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 17:23

@converseandjeans "I don't know when it changed to 6 months."

Well, my eldest is 26, and it was recommended that you wean at 6 months when she was a baby!

CurlewKate · 13/04/2023 17:25

If an unhappy baby is consoled by milk why would you give them calpol and/or ibuprofen?

Original poster
laralou28 · 13/04/2023 17:29

Fandabedodgy · 13/04/2023 16:51

Mine always went off milk/food when a tooth was coming.

Try cal pol, teething salts, put dummy in the freezer so it's nice and cold - can soothe sore gums

X

I'll give all of those a go Thankyou!

OP posts:
CastleTower · 13/04/2023 17:32

If feeding works, that sounds like the easiest thing to do by far. Why not?

Varying the feeding interval is totally fine - if he's hungry after two hours, or two and a half, that sounds totally fine. Another time he might not want it till three and a half hours, or even four. I think with formula you'd be thinking about number of feeds per day rather than exact intervals?

Some babies are very sicky, my first was - they seem to grow out of it when they start sitting up etc, it's annoying but not forever.

Hazelnuttella · 13/04/2023 17:37

If he’s sicky it might be better to give smaller feeds more often. Same amount of milk, less rigid intervals.

No-one’s saying you’re starving your baby. I remember vividly how frustrating it was that my DS wanted feeding every 2 hours and trying to get him to last a bit longer. But like everything, it’s just a stage.