what do you do when you have a baby who won't stop crying?

[memoo]

DD is 6 weeks old and my 3rd baby although the first 2 are much older at 8 and 10.

I know its normal for them to cry but I forgot how hard it is.

She is quite settled at night but every day she is really unsettled until about tea time. Unless I walk her, rock her or pat her back she just won't settle, and spends a lot of time crying.

She is fed, changed, winded etc but I just can't put her down for a second.

yesterday i got in the car with her and drove round for an hour just to get her to sleep for a while but can't do this all the time as it just isn't practical. every time the car stopped at lights etc she started crying again.

any advice would be great

Well, I'd first get her checked out by the GP but if there's nothing physically wrong with her I'm afraid I'm of the old school of putting them down in their cot or wherever and shutting the door for a while. Not talking about hours on end, but 20 mins or so otherwise you'll never get anything done.

A fabric sling works wonders. They settle cos they are next to you. You can get on with what you need to do.

Repeat to self, it will pass.

And as mumblechum says, with 2 older children, if you have to put her down for a wee while to get on with something, it won't hurt her. {I drew the line at having dd in the sling whilst i cooked on a gas hob. I am clumsy at the best of times.)

Sorry for bitty post; one (and wrong one at that) handed typing.....

I'm one handed typing too!

There has been the odd time where I have put her down and had to let her cry for a bit because still have to do stuff for other DC like cooking tea etc. I just find it really stressful when she is crying like that!

A sling is a good idea!

Definitely try a sling. DS lived in the hugabub, I can't actually remember him ever crying whilst in it.

Memoo, I've got a Hotsling (pouch sling) here that hasn't been used because my dd3 didn't like it - it's yours if you want it.

Just let me know

Memoo, could you let me know either way please, no pressure if you don't want it ...if you could just let me know.

I have heard a few mothers swear by the book happiest baby on the block, follow the steps and baby is calm in minutes.

I have used some of the techniques myself on my 3rd baby.

They are all different and I thought that by the 3rd it would be a breeze but no this one has a mind of his own as well!

Our DD was similar, don't want to teach you to suck eggs but DD was overtired. DD is better in the evenings if I can get her to sleep during the day.

Good luck.

Sorry not been on for a few days we all went down with a tummy bug, it has been carnage!!!
thankfully baby seems to have escaped it

Plonker, thanks for your offer, its really kind of you, but was speaking to SIL on Thursday afternoon and she has let me have one.

Crazyhorse, I think you might be on to something with her being overtired. She has slept really well today and has then been really settled this evening, she has barely woke up once apart from to feed.

Think I'll take a look at that book mumof3, sounds good.

Thought I'd know it all be number 3 but their all so different!

Thanks everyone for the replies

No problem, glad you're sorted

Hope you're all on the mend now x

Yay... hope you're having a better time of it (and feeling better too).

Someone said on MN to get the first sleep 2hrs after they wake up and it seems to start the day off well here. Not always possible but I do try to get her down!!