advice needed please. my baby crys constantly!

[cunners1982]

I have a 5 1/2 week old baby and over the passed few days he has cried loads and settling him is a nightmare. He is clean, fed and winded but does suffer from alot of wind. he has infacol before been breast fed and gripe water in any bottles of expressed milk he gets.
When he is uncontrollably crying he punches the air with his hands and kicks out with his legs, he is extremely strong for his ages.
He is breast fed most of the time but the passed few days Ive had to keep putting him back on the nipple all the time as he has become unsettled when feeding. he has also been bringing up more milk than usual after feeding. could this be the start of reflux?or is this just normal baby behaviour? I feel awful that i cant help him when he looks so distressed.

Didn't want your post to go unanswered. I remember the awfulness. Here's what I tried with varying degrees of success...

White noise
Pacing around under the extractor fan in the dark
Swaddling
Rocking/swinging
Removal of anything over stimulating
Putting baby in a sling and hoovering
Walking in the pram
Car drive

Good luck. Tis shit but won't last forever!

It could simply be the 6 week growth spurt hitting early. If so, get your phone, the remote, some snacks and drinks and feed, feed ad feed some more.

Agree ^^ all of those could be helpful but also google youtube Richard and Judy Happiest Baby.

Is there a Bfing Suppirt Group you can go to?

Thanks, Ive tried most of them but will give them another go. i hope it is just the 6 week growth spurt as he has been eating more over the passed few days also.
I did have a breast feeding nurse that was great but Im going to contact my health visitors tomorrow.

I'd give one of the Bfing Helplines a call first, unfortunately your HV is unlikely to have received much bfing training. Have you got the numbers?

No advice but we're suffering exactly the same. Dd is 6 weeks and constantly breastfeeding or crying. Think she's v windy too and I'm useless at getting it up. She spits out infacol and colic drops and gripe water!

Ok here's my tuppence worth:

Sounds like it could be reflux/colic type thing. Does it get worse in the evenings?

Do you feel you have a fast letdown?

Baby gassy?

Read the kellymom site, it was my life saver especially the closed Facebook group! Search for it and ask to be added.

Buy a sling / wrap if you don't have one. My moby was literally a life saver

I didnt find the infacol thing worked at all for us.

Ill try and think of some other things but here are some useful links -

kellymom fussy whilst feeding

fast letdown kellymom

reflux kellymom

kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/m2m-fussiness/

If you think there may be more to this than the 6 week growth spurt, although nothing in your post suggests this is a long term problem that you can fix, please do also get Lo checked for tongue tie.

Hs was going to suggest TT, see a LC and ask fr posterior tie to be checked as they often are missed.

Sounds like a growth spurt. I used infacol and it helped but I found if I gave it too often they would bring more milk up so I only used it every few hours rather than every feed when they were feeding lots.
The other thing to check is your diet. Some spicy foods and too much caffeine used to really upset one of mine when he was little but not the other.

Ds2 was just like this, I was at my wits end, I thought I'd tried everything. Then hv suggested seeing a chiropractor. I was sceptical, but it was magical, practically changed him over night, expensive but well worth the money.

My DD2 was like that, really gassy and in a lot if pain. I wondered if it was reflux and was prescribed gaviscon but quickly realised it was just gas. She pretty much fed or comfort nursed on me continually for the first 3 months.

Gripe water made her vomit up feeds though, each time I used it... maybe 5 times total.

No i Dont have the breast feeding helpline numbers, do you?

Yeah i feel exactly the same learnermummy, its awful not knowing why. the only time he seems happy is when hes eating.

Yes it can be worse in the evening, he takes ages to settle for bed. ill check out the stuff you suggested, thanks.

Dont know if it makes a difference buthe is a nightmare sleeper, he is literally awake all day with only the odd 10 min naps here and there and is a nightmare to settle on a night then is awake throughout the night for feeding. Ive forgot what sleep is ha ha

What happened with the chiropractor pattie0furniture?

It's this tapping type of instrument, used on the neck and or back. It doesn't hurt my son never cried.
It strangely helps with digestion and helps them sleep.
It's about £50 a session, ds went to about 6.
I would highly recommend. Look for one that treats babies.
I've heard cranial osteopathy works well too.

The numbers are here 1982.. Think its worth giving one a call this morning. It might also be worth going along to a Bfing Support Group, are there any local to you? They should be able to observe a complete feed, check your latch and check for tongue tie.

One thing you don't say is how long its being going on for. If its a few days it could be a growth spurt. If its being going on for longer it could be tongue tie or maybe your latch needs adjusting. Either way a lactation consultant or your local Bfing Support Group should be able to help.

Being more fussy in the evenings and waking constantly for food could be just normal baby behaviour though. Newborns don't often go more than an hour or so in the night. Have a read of Bfing your newborn: what to expect in the early weeks. Hard going though isn't it.

If he's not napping in the day, have you tried wearing him in a sling? My dd would crash out in it for a while, I think she liked being close to me.

Get checked for tongue tie (not by HV or GP but by someone qualified, ie a lactation consultant), might be the cause of the wind and the unsettled feeding.

Also sounds like he is overtired. Will he sleep in the pram? if so I'd suggest spending a few days doing multiple long walks to get him to catch up sleep, should hopefully make him easier to settle.

Its only been going on for a few days, the crying and fussy breast feeding started around the same time so thinking its hospital growth spurt rather than anything else. i do have a carrier which Ive started to use so i can get things done during the day.
I was seen by a brewst care nurse at the beginning cos he wasnt latching on right and the pain was unbelievable from it. when Ive read information about fast let down, alot of it relates to what my baby does on the breast so Dont think thatis helping when he is feeding either

Minipie he Will dose in the pram if we are walking but awakes once you stop. he has to be over tired by now as he has spent the last few days awake with only a bit sleep on a night. is this all related to a growth spurt?

yep dd was exactly like that when overtired at about 6 weeks... stop moving and she'd wake up. unfortunately you just have to keep walking to keep them asleep, rope in DP too when you can. does the car work? you could use that sometimes for a break from the pram. Some people find a motorised baby swing helps, I didn't though.

I don't think it was due to a growth spurt exactly, it's more that at this age they become less sleepy and they stop falling asleep by themselves and start needing help to unwind and get to sleep instead. (usually feeding, motion, white noise or similar). I didn't realise this and just kept waiting for dd to fall asleep by herself like she had done at 2, 3, 4 weeks etc, she didn't though, hence she got overtired.

once you've done the multiple long walks and ds has had a decent amount of sleep catch up, it should become easier, ie you should be able to stop the pram at least without him waking. then gradually you can work on other ways of settling him that are less hard work. But the main thing is to make sure he gets the right amount of day sleep whatever that takes!

do you swaddle? we didn't and I think this was a mistake, so I'd suggest trying that too if it's not too hot.

please do get checked for tongue tie though. I thought I had fast let down, reflux etc but it all turned out to be tongue tie.

If you think you have a fast letdown read the Kellymom link I put up, it advises things like laying back to feed, it really does help

bf babies have a feeding frenzy at around 5/6 weeks. feels like you are feeding constantly and cries when off. It does pass and should only last 2-3 days