Help! Anyone out there? I need some advice NOW.

[newmomma]

My DD is 3 weeks old and has cried for three days solid.

And I'm not exaggerating. Everyone muscle and bone in my body hurts and I'm desperate for sleep.

I got three hours 2 nights ago and one hour last night, with no napping in the day as DS (17mo) is keeping me busy.

I am getting desperate. I literally can't quieten her and at th emoment can't even sit in the same room. I've put her in her moses basket in the dining room so that she doesn't wake my son up and I'm hoping she'll tire herself out - but I'm hating myself for it.

But I literally can't even hold her anymore.

I'm sure its 'just' colic but I don't know what to do. Its only been a few days and I can't bear the thought of this happening until she is 4 months old potentially.

PLEASE is anyone out there who can give me some advice as to WHY she won't sleep and if she does why she'll only sleep for 15/20 mins before screaming.

She's exclusively bf and had her tongue tie snipped last Thursday.

My ds was really windy at birth and we tried osteopathy. He was a big baby and must have been scrunched up.
It really helped us but it wasn't cheap.

I would advise bringing her to the GP in case it's something else.

Good luck and I hope you get some sleep soon.

A friend used their bouncy chair for their newborn to sleep in for a while, she woke up and screamed if flat. It was a phase but they did sleep in shifts of a little while

Definitely get to the GP tomorrow just in case it's something else. And if you use infacol it has to be given consistently as it works long-term (apparently). Got that nugget of info off MN!

Going to the docs today at 3pm...

Zzzzzz.....

That 'Happiest baby on the block' clip is amazing - I couldn't do it - but fascinating to watch!!

newmomma... DS was a terrible sleeper due to colic. He loved the sling too (in fact still does now and he's almost two!) The only way I got anything resembling a rest was to have him in bed with me, I was topless so he'd just help himself as and when he wanted. To give you hope, it does get better... eventually!

Also, I know this is your number two and I'm not trying to teach you how to suck eggs but the mw showed me a way to wind DS and it was amazing. He hadn't fed for ages but she took one look at him, put him over her knee and out came an enormous burp!

keep posting.. there's alot of great advice on here to help keep you sane!

ooh, just remembered something else from when he was younger... if I put DS down for a nap exactly two hours (to the minute!) after he woke up, he slept for alot longer than his usual 20mins stint.

On the 5S thing, newmomma, if you tried it and it didn't work I would say it's worth trying different ways of holding/swinging your DD because generally you need to modify the technique a little to find what suits your baby. I had to experiment a bit before I found the right position and movement to get my DD calm if she was fussing or crying.

On the other hand, if it's not working any which way, then the likelihood is the baby is either hungry or in genuine pain/discomfort. (a lot of what gets labelled "colic" isn't actually pain as such...)

Good luck at the GP - you and your DD really need some respite...

If it is wind pain, another thing you can try in addition to/instead of Infacol is Colocynthis granules. Ask your pharmacist for them. Infacol didn't always agree with my DD - it seemed to cure her wind but make her sick up more.

The colocynthis granules come with a small measuring spoon but I didn't bother with that - I just dabbed my finger over the top of the bottle and then let DD suck the grains off my finger. They definitely helped make her less windy too and I think you can give them any time, not just before a feed like with the Infacol.

Havnt read all this post, but as she cries does her poor little tongue hurt after the minor operation last thursday??
Seek medical advice IMHO . . .feed her as much as possible to help her feel content. Cuddle and love is all and the best you can do... I Know how it wears you down though; and without any sleep you are feeling just awful i am sure.
I do hope things settle down and baby is alright and that you soon get some much needed sleep. .
At this stage sleep is all you can think about , (plus childrens welfare of course ) !!

What did the doc say yesterday and how are things today ??

DD (9 weeks) also has colic but not as bad as your little one. When it gets really uncomfortable for her I put a hot water bottle or a warm wheat cushion on her tummy and walk around with her. I think the movement and the warmth help. Hope things improve for you soon!

Infacol and gripe water... seem to be helping.

Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.
I don't want to do this any more.

SHE JUST CRIES.

There must be something I can do to stop her crying???

What happens if you just lay down with her and let her latch on? If you don't smoke/didn't drink, remove pillows etc etc take all the precautions, wouldn't co-sleeping help?

She won't do it - maybe the weather isn't helping...?

I co-slept with my son until he was 6 months and was intending to do the same with her but it isn't happening.

It doesn't seem to matter when/where she sleeps, it never lasts longer than 20 minutes and then something (pain?) wakes her up screaming.

That's if I can get her to sleep AT ALL.

She just fights it and fight it. She was awake for 11 hours straight yesterday in the day. She won't even sleep in the car. But I could cope with the lack of sleep - if she would just stop crying for longer than 2 minutes.

what did gp say?
do you have any family to help?>

i assune dummy is coming straight out?

I think I would go back to GP. While baby cruing for a few hours in the evening (normal colic) and not waking up few times in the night is normal at this age, crying non-stop is not imo. Maybe she's got a very bad reflux and needs proper meds?

I think its reflux. Both mine cried all the time. DS2 slept for two hours a day at 1 week old. At 9 weeks he his reflux was horrific. Medication helped DS1 90% improvement, DS2 about 40%.

Go back to GP and ask for ranitidine or omeprazole and a paed referral. That amount of crying is not normal and severely mentally debilitating. Put the ipod in and turn it up loud, put the telly and subtitles on, put your earplugs in in the daytime. They won't remember it but you'll be scarred for life.

Colief
Bobble shaped dummy not a flat one

Colief is expensive but god it worked with my son as did "pinging" him in his bouncy chair...he liked to be more upright and liked the motion, I got him a baby swing in the end.

She won't take a dummy - I've tried and tried. It just makes her crosser and then gags until she's nearly sick. So I stopped.

I think her tongue tie might have something to do with that though.

Have tried feeding her to get her to be quiet but unless she's hungry she won't even suck on me.

GP checked her out and said she was fine. No temp, no ear/throat problems, tummy felt fine. That it was 'just' colic and she'd grow out of it.

But in the meantime I'm starting to worry that DH won't come home after work, as its SO HORRID here at the moment that who could blame him. I'd pack a bag if I were a less stubborn woman. And we're at each other throats (shouting above the noise!) all the time because of the stress of it all.

Tried pinging her in the chair... Even the CAR doesn't help. Am about to phone the HV to see what they recommend as my marriage pretty much depends on it.

How has today been?

You poor thing. Big sympathy for you. I know you're BF so this is probably completely irrelevant but we found warm C&G comfort milk in Dr Browns bottles were the only answer for us.

I have no idea what was wrong with out son but at 6mo old he turned from a screaming needy unlikable nightmare into the happient baby ever. I do think it was some kind of digestive problem but it was awful for all of us. (I also have a toddler). If you can get some help from family then take whatever is offered (even if it's just to do a load of washing).

It honestly sounds like there could be some kind of lactose intolerance or something (my niece had this).

Just found this thread while looking for something else and really really feel for you newmomma. Have you heard of the amby hammock? It is quite flat but allows babys head to be slightly raised and hangs from a spring so gives that rocking motion a baby likes with much less effort. I discovered it for dc3 after rocking dc1 and dc2 in my arms crying for months on end and totally recommend. It obviously won't help with any medical issues but may make life a bit easier. (sorry don't know how to do links but website is amby.co.uk) BTW stating the obvious but it is not your fault that she is crying and you are clearly trying to help her in any way you can. It is a very very difficult thing you are doing having a young toddler and a newborn. You deserve a lot of kindness and understanding.

Hi all,

More of the same I'm afraid.
I went to the bf clinic at the hospital yesterday who said

a) she is an atrocious feeder - co-ordination is almost non existent and she's either drowning from my copious milk supply or breathing in masses of milk. This may or may not be something to do with her tongue tie. They've shown me a new position which seems to minimise the huge noise she makes when normally feeding and so hopefully the amount of air she's swallowing too. But she hates it and I have to talk to her the whole time just to get her to feed instead of cry.

b) she probably has thrush on her tongue. I've seen the doctor and two midwives saying I think its thrush in the past and they've all said its not. SO I went to the doctors yesterday afternoon to get the thrush medicine from the same doctor I saw originally and ho told me it wasn't thrush. A bit embarrassing but she said the anti-fungal stuff wouldn't hurt her and it might be worth a try to see if it helps.

c) That by 6-8 weeks some of the 'problem crying' would have been grown out of. SO just wait...

d) That if nothing changes within a few weeks to consider a cranial osteopath but only as a last option as my birth was natural, normal and problem free. (I seem to be great at giving birth, quick easy and almost enjoyable and AWFUL at the after bit)

My dad has said he's going to get me a sling so I'll have a look at the amby one you recommended kisamama.

Thanks for all your kind words everyone - I really was sure people would tell me I should just have more patience and that it wouldn't last forever.

Have the HV coming out this morning to discuss what was said at the bf clinic yesterday and see if she can offer any more suggestions.

Has he given you thrush cream for you as well? No use treating one of you and not the other!

This sounds like my wee man for the first 8 weeks, I thought I was going to go insane and I tried every colic treatment from the UK and even had different gripe waters and remedies from the US as I live in Portugal. I was convinced my son had reflux as well as colic and finally managed to get my paed. to listen to me and he gave us Moltilium which worked well, as well as probiotics. I also do all the usual keeping him raised after a feed, in bed, etc.

I was so run down that I was also sure my milk was not keeping him satisfied and a friend suggested I try one bottle a day. The one bottle made such a difference that I tried another....and I had him fully on formula, Aptamil Comfort, within 2 weeks. It was seriously as though someone had swapped my baby!

I had a follow up appointment with my paed and when I told him of the improvement he said my DS was probably not satisfied with my milk and very likely that the formula was making the biggest impact.

I know it is not PC to suggest formula feeding but could you give it a go, whilst still expressing incase you want to go back or atleast try supplimenting. The other benefit was I was able to hand over to my husband more easily too and get a rest.