Very unsettled newborn getting me down.............................................. help

[katierocket]

DS2 is nearly 4 weeks old and is a very unsettled baby. DS1 had horrendous colic and we had an awful first 3 months with him. I'm terrified that same is happening with DS2.

he is irritable, always seems uncomfortable, is very 'frantic' when awake - flailing arms and legs, cries most of the time he's awake and has frequent periods in day and evening of full on screaming. He also often wakes up in the pram crying.

I just feel as though it's something I've done/am doing. He's breastfed, is putting on weight well but just seems to be an unhappy little man.

Could it be colic again? reflux? (he's quite sicky, always hiccuping, burping etc)He's desperate to suck but won't take a dummy (will suck my finger for a while).

It's just really really getting me down, I feel like I can't go anywhere with him and my whole day and night is just feeding and trying to get him to sleep/stop crying.

Am going to cranial osteopath next week but any other thoughts about how I can make him less unsettled?

thanks

hiya what a nightmare you are having.been through the same last year and totally understand what you are feeling. a few things helped my dd, we did have 6 sessions with a cranial ostopath and not sure if it helped really but was so desperate i kept going! more helpful was a nuk dummy (more ipple shaped ) and using the shh..ing technique described in the baby whispering book.couldn't have coped without a sling either, carried dd around in it for months.also recognising that colic and overtiredness present in a very similar way and therefore reducing stimulation was really important too. really hope your baby comes through this soon.

katie, I missed all this - it sounds dreadful. Ds1 had colic so I do know what it's like to have a baby who cries for hours and hours and hours without stopping. It's just awful - you poor thing

i agree with mousie and cansleepwontstarve. bright green poo was one of my dd's signs of milk intolerance. until it happened to me i didn't really believe in it . you can have rice milk and loads of stuff if you try cutting out dairy for a week or two and if that is the problem you should see a difference in a few days

Hi kr - sorry, hadn't checked this thread in a while. How long have you been off dairy for now? Any sign of any improvement? I know that after I'd been off it for about a week we had a really bad day, when I thought that she must have another problem too, but it was just as the dairy was still clearing from her system.

The CO should have warned you that some babies can be really bad for a day or so after treatment. Did he/she say he could feel any problems?

thanks all - it really helps to have people to talk to about it.

CanSleepWeirdShifts - I did try cutting out dairy and managed 4 days but then went to Cranial Osteopath and she said he had a compressed head and we should see a big improvement after her treatment and that day he was ok ? so foolishly I though hurrah I can eat dairy again. But he's not been any better since the CO (it was 6 days ago now) nd now I?m thinking it?s either reflux or dairy intolerance. (I didn't see any difference in the 4 days of no dairy - guess it wasn't long enough?)

hoping to see a paed tomorrow or next week but maybe I should try cutting out the dairy again.

He is also constantly congested, sneezing and snorting like a pig!

I think it's supposed to take 7-10 days for dairy to clear, so no, prob not long enough.

Funnily enough my dd also had a compressed head and seemed better for a day after treatment (at 6 weeks)! We could at least lie her down occasionally after that, so it was worth it, but for us it wasn't a magic solution to everything.

Great that you can see paed soon - do let us know what he says.

i noticed a big difference within days. my dd was finally cleared as ok with dairy in all day hospital tests after she was 1. but all children are different and perhaps you do need to give it longer to see any difference.good luck

Have you tried Colief? It worked for us. A couple of drops on the tongue before a breastfeed.