It will come as no surprise to anyone with children that our entire lives have shifted with Jamisen’s arrival. We are both tired and euphoric, all the time, and every day brings exciting new challenge and joy. I’ve been taking Jamisen to work with me a few afternoons and so far, it’s been highly inefficient but when your tummy is the size of a golf ball, ya’ gotta wake up to eat a lot. It probably doesn’t help the efficiency that my grasp of the English language seems to have diminished greatly along with my sleep.
Working from home has been a bit easier (missed the home set up post? Click here to see it) because all of the bag o’ tricks (swing, official changing table, lots of different clothes, all kinds of swaddling clothes, four kinds of pacifiers) is at home. I’m still getting to know Jamisen so I don’t always know what to do when he screams so having a multitude of options to try and soothe him has saved me on more than one occasion.
Sometimes, he does scream inconsolably and I don’t know what to do. It seems that our little guy might be a bit gassy. I’m going to eliminate dairy from my diet; we have two kinds of gripe water; lil man is on baby probiotics but if anyone has any suggestions on how to relieve his pain, I’d love to hear it. There’s not a lot worse in life than hearing your child cry in pain and not be able to fix it.
There is no doubt that this lil man, gas or not, is exceedingly loved by everyone in his life. Grandma and Grandpa are especially delighted with him. In fact, I’m pretty sure they don’t notice if me and Chris are in the room when Jamisen is there. We’re okay with him being the show stopper though; he’s the show stopper in our lives too.
Dear Anna Marie, I just wanted to send in my two cents worth…as mother of eight, I have gone through this many many times. Especially with my boys..six boys and two girls. I used cow colostrum with my last little one. It made a big difference as well as Hylands Colic Tablets…two big giant helps and worth the costs. I mixed the colostrum with filtered water and gave it by eye dropper. It is very healing to the gut and especially to an infant. I found it in capsule form at the health food store. Hylands is a very nice tablet that melts in little ones mouth as soon as it is in. I fed these by the tablet several times…I think it is every fifteen minutes for the first two hours. Very effective! Hope this helps and oh he is such a cutie pie!!!!!
I know you have so much advice here – but if it hasn’t been mentioned – when my guys were little I would nurse on one side, burp them and them put them back on that same side to finish.
It took about a day for my body to adjust to switching sides every other feeding. It helped them get to the fatty ‘hindmilk’ and not just the light, gas inducing foremilk. I think it is called ‘hyperlactation syndrome’, but may be wrong.
After a month or two of that the baby was bigger and could handle it all, so went back to the ‘normal’ way of nursing.
Best wishes!
Hello Anne-Marie,
Unfortunately I don’t have any baby advice, but I just wanted to say that your son is beautiful and congratulations!
Here’s where every parent tries to give you advice (and some even try to diagnose the problem). You are pretty much going to have to do some trial and error. Are you sure Jamisen is gassy? Some babies just cry a lot at certain times of the day, especially during the hustle and bustle of getting dinner ready.
My suggestion is don’t jump to conclusions. Do some research, ask your doctor questions, and try the easiest, least invasive things first. Sometimes that means slow down, rock the baby and sing. Sometimes, you can place baby on his tummy across your lap – that helps with gas. Sometimes, something is really wrong and the doctor can help you. Sometimes changes in diet are necessary. And sometimes, there is nothing you can do but hold him while he cries. It’s hard for mommies, but sometimes we will never know why a baby is crying or how to stop it.
As Jamisen gets a little older, it will get easier and easier to know what to do when and how. But right now you are in the tough newborn mom phase and it is very difficult because it’s almost painful to hear the baby crying. Just hang in there and try not to do too many drastic changes unless your doctor thinks it’s OK. I promise, it will get better and easier!!!!
I couldn’t read through 100 comments so I don’t know if I’m repeating or not, but if you’re breastfeeding, I’d stop eating these things first:
Broccoli, beans, milk, citrus, asparagus, tomatoes,mints, too much lettuce, apples,and raw veggies in general might be hard depending. I found that when I ate crudite, nina was gassy. But when I cooked the veggies, she was fine. Go figure.
Broccoli is definately a gas maker.
Physically, laying them on their back and pushing their legs to their chest helps and also laying them over on their bellies on your lap can be comforting. If I think of more, I’ll be back. Good luck, mama!
Hi Anne-Marie!
Wow, a LOT of comments on this one. Everything I could suggest has already been suggested…and then some! LOL!
My first child was an emergency C-Section and I had some trouble with nursing in the beginning. She cried A LOT and everyone had their opinions on it, but in the end, it had taken my milk a while to come in AND she wasn’t latching properly. It took a week for us to figure this out, poor thing. Trust me, she did a lot of crying that first week! So, I saw a lactation specialist and once we got it sorted out, we were fine.
The first six weeks after my first child was born, all I did was cry. Between the hormones, figuring out the needs of my totally dependent baby and adjusting to a new normal…I was a wreck! Give yourself a LOT of grace during these first couple of months. You’ll get a lot of advice and the best thing to do is to trust your instincts. Eventually, you’ll figure out what works best for you and your family, but it’s all so blurry in the beginning. Praying for you!
This has turned into a list of mummy experience – it seems like many years worth of great advise! 🙂 Let me just add this: my daughter seemed to relax from her stomach pains when I gently massaged her feet. Not actual reflexology, just a very gentle rubbing of her feet.
Good luck!
The swing was my son’s lifesaver! Swinging was the only thing that would help him during the colic time. It became a joke within our family that he was going to grow up in the swing and always sleep in his car seat! He’s now 11yr old and a normal healthy boy! It’s very hard but hang in there!
Oh I remember that!! When my babies cried like that, I would put them right up against my chest and hold them there with a cloth sling (pretty snug so they’re really secure and tight). That way I could bounce around or dance while still getting work done. Kind of like working to a beat. 🙂 The movement seemed to help, and they liked more peppy music when they were like that. Remember to breathe; this phase will pass quickly.
Sometimes just a warm baby bottle can help…
Congratulations, Jamison is a Beautiful baby boy!
I breastfed too. I noticed how eggs & onions caused my daughter distress, so I eliminated them for about 6 months. There is a homeopathic remedy by Boiron called Cocyntal, for colic relief. It says to use on babies older than 1 month. This worked Wonders for us! It’s a liquid and comes in individual sterile dose tubes. Also, you might want to look into amby baby hammocks, or similar sleeping styles. Our daughter slept in a vibrating bouncy seat for 6 months, the only thing that worked. Also, for reference drsears.com is good website to look at. Having a child teaches you so much about yourself.
Hello – your little one is sooo gorgeous!! I have had a colicky baby as well. It was pretty awful, so I feel for you. There were many nights when I called the doctor because she screamed so much! Thankfully she grew out of it after a couple of weeks. One thing that did seem to help is a baby sling. She never had any problems when she was with me during the day – only at night when she was lying down (and she was a tummy sleeper and slept in our bed). I never eliminated any foods and she isn’t allergic to anything now, one day it just stopped, never to return. So hang in there, and try to take some time out when the crying is stressing you out. [hugs]
oooh! i almost forgot—make sure you are burping him well after each feeding, maybe he just needs more burping? it made all the difference with my twins i think…after each feeding i would keep patting ’til i got a burp or two! it always came, eventually:D
have you looked into homeopathic remedies? they are easy to use, completely safe (even if you choose the “wrong” one) and are very forgiving. i’m not sure which one is used for gassy-baby, should be easy to find online–or your chiropractor may have experience w/ homeopathics too! just remember when teething starts, Chamomilla will be a life saver!! ;P best to you!
I hate to overwhelm you, and you have been so gracious to reply to so many, and I will echo many here as well. I’m actually a little jealous, as I have to wait a couple more weeks before I meet my little one, I’m left to drool over yours! I’ve had a little experience here I guess you could say, as this is my 11th. There are a few things I’ve found that seem to help. First, your baby should not need anything more than breastmilk. Of course there are exceptions to that. I personally would stop the probiotics. Be sure to thoroughly burp your little man. Don’t be shy, make sure to massage his back and apply some pressure. Patting isn’t always enough, I would rub upwards on the baby’s back with my whole flat hand and that seemed to help. We found that if the baby hadn’t been burped well enough, we dealt with more gas issues. Changing my diet did make a difference, but I found that burping completely was more effective. From there, the bicycle leg trick helped. And laying the baby on his stomach across your lap, which helps apply pressure to his stomach to help him release gas was very useful. I use the hospital swaddle until they are about 2mos or older. It really helps to calm them. I have to stop all dairy for the first couple weeks, not because of gas, but because it contributes to congestion in my babies. I also have the cradle slightly propped, and have had to leave it that way for a couple of months. Please do not rely on the carseat, as the incline is a little too much, so the baby’s head falls forward or to the side, and there have been very sad incidents. A bouncer seat seems to have a better angle, and propping the base of the baby’s bed also helps. If these things don’t work, then move on to gripe water or mylicon… which can be wonderful. I used them with my 4th. She was difficult and very sensitive, still is. She needed skin to skin contact and to sleep almost upright for a time. I found that my children each had a time of day that they would be upset, like they were releasing stress, but that was generally in the afternoon. I’ve learned much of this through experience or from my wonderful pediatrician.
Good luck, and I hope you can get more sleep. Jaimsen is absolutely darling.
Ah, this brings back so many memories! Gassy or not, he is beautiful! I don’t know if anyone else mentioned it, but I also gave my younger son some cooled off chamomile tea for his gas problems when he was a baby. Thinking of you all! xo
My son went through a period of being gassy and uncomfortable to the point of screaming for four hours straight at around 4-6 weeks. With him, it seemed worse at night. With it, he would try to nurse but latch on for a few seconds and then scream some more. I thought it might be dairy, too, but it turned out to be a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.
In our case, I had to nurse him on one side for 3-4 feedings in a row before switching. After one day of that he was much happier, and in a couple of days I was able to switch every 1-2 feedings. I did occasionally have to go back to the 3-4 feedings cycle if there was a dramatic change in his feeding schedule, like going much longer than normal between feedings.
Here’s a couple of good sites with more info:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/incorrect-breastfeeding-advice-results-in-fussy-uncomfortable-babies.html
http://www.pollywogbaby.com/breastfeeding/finishthefirstbreast.html
I did not take the time to read through all the comments to see if anyone else suggested this, but I had 3 babies with colic. I can understand how hard it can be on both mom and baby. In fact, my third screamed hours everyday for almost 6 months. The only thing that helped was taking them to the chiropractor. I know it sounds really strange, but it worked. The stress of delivery can cause their little intestines to be a bit messed up for awhile. Our chiropractor would lay the baby on my chest as I lay on my back. She was VERY gentle. She told me most babies will either pee all over you or just fall asleep after an adjustent. I had both things happen. The chiropractor is also the only thing that helped my oldest with constipation. I hope this helps.
Hi Anne-Marie,
Your slipping grasp of English is commonly known as Maternal Dementia, but worry not, it only lasts for about twenty years….;)
Our eldest daughter had colic when she was a tiny baby and would wake up shrieking in pain. Gripe water didn’t help. Eventually we found some drops that were taken with formula milk in a bottle and that worked some of the time.
Homeopathic tissue salts Natrum Phos and Mag Phos might be worth a try since they’re safe to use.
http://www.thehomeopathiccoach.com/blog/does-your-baby-have-colic.html
Our doctor told us the colic would disappear at around three months, and hey presto, it did….:o)
That’s exactly what our Dr said – 3 months – but I do have to say that the baby Zantac really has cut down on the crying and screaming by at least 80%. I’m pretty sure he cries like a normal baby now – which is such a relief from a Mommy-worry standpoint!
We tried a few homeopathic remedies but I’ll check those out for sure =) Thanks!
Nothing dietary and nothing medicinal worked on my now-27-year-old and he was my 4th. You’d think I’d have gotten it by then… but changing position, letting him sleep more upright (baby carrier or sling/wrap) helped, bouncing across my knees, etc. Also, if it got too horrid for the poor little fellow the pediatrician suggested that I pick him up by the ankles and rock him up-side down. Why that worked, I have no idea, but we still call him bat-baby…. He would fart, massively, after a while and then go right to sleep. Go figure….
That is so strange about bat-baby. I never would have thought of trying that. As you say, “Go Figure.” LOL!
Also, file this away for future reference. My daughter had a reaction to antibiotic liquid(I believe Keflex)that gave her a diaper rash that was so horrible it looked like a burn.(in fact it was a burn)I called the on duty nurse and she told me to by Domeboro.(it’s an over the counter pack with powder you put into bath water) Works miracles,be sure to pick up some and have it on hand – just in case you ever need it. Great stuff!!!
Awesome – thank you for that hint. I have never heard of Domeboro but will definitely pick some up.
Well, you already have lots of very good suggestions so I hesitate to add mine and overwhelm you, but(I’ll throw mine in the ring since it is easy and doesn’t cost a thing and was very effective) when my babies were fussy(yes the Mylicon drops are fab) they liked to lay on daddy’s chest where it was warm and they could hear his heart beat. They slept best right there.
He LOVES laying on his Daddy’s chest. He did that SOOOOOO frequently when he was just a couple weeks old. Now that he’s older, he’s more content and able to self-soothe a bit but he loves being with Daddy still =)
Dear Ann Marie,
Since we are foster mom’s, we don’t always have an advantage of having a history of diet (or the lack thereof) in the little ones that come to our home. And we go thru the above more often than I care to mention….. to that end, I am attaching a link for you. This is a staple on our shelf and the site gives you a little insite also into what may be going on with baby boy. In addition to the above, you can also try putting babe across your knees (or Daddy, or g-parents) and GENTLY bounce your legs up and down with babe on your lap. I realize this may sound silly, but the bouncing is not unlike babe in your womb, the gentle patting on his back is soothing. Same principle as “the bicycle” but not scrunching his little tummy. Another thing that DOES work, is a nice bathtub at about 90 degrees, Mommy in tub and Babe is handed to you. Skin to skin, soft lighting, your sweet voice singing lullaby and a warm wet washcloth or hand towel (keep warming this in the bath water) across his back. Even better if you have added a little lavender essential oil into the bath water. How does this help HIS tummy? Easy hun, he relaxes and you relax and sleepy time isn’t far. Even better if you are nursing and you nurse him skin to skin whilst in tub. (think womb). Of course Daddy with a warmed towel at the ready when the water starts to cool and also you are able to get out of tub safely.
Kindest regards…. (fyi, in Oct of last year we finalized adoption of my great grandaughter. We have had her since birth when she was officially place with us as foster… she was later determined to be autistic as a consequence of being a drug baby and even tho she is now three, we still use the bathtub skin to skin method to calm down those 3-4 hour crying jags). It Works, I Swear!
Here is the link :
http://www.coliccalm.com/baby_infant_newborn_articles/baby_colic_treatment.htm
I can hardly wait for his little umbilical cord stump to fall off so we can do bathtime. Someone else mentioned warm baths and if Jamisen is anything like his Mama, he will love his bath times.
Congratulations on your adoption. That is fantastic! And if skin to skin works for you, hopefully it will work for us too. =)
Woops
on his check like collar bone area
should read chest area
Anne-Marie thank you so much for sharing these family portraits with us. I especially love the one with the three males in your life, the first.
Hahah my language skills diminish with lack of sleep and with euphoria as well.
Back in the day it was called colic and my little girl had it. As a first baby it was so worrisome.
The best trick I can offer is holding the baby with your hand on his check like collar bone area and his tummy lying on the underside of your forearm. Perhaps Mr. Wonderful can do this as it is reminiscent of carrying a football! I learned this in the hospital from nursery personnel!
Second trick is to sit down put one knee crossed over the other. Lay Jamisen tummy down with his chin up close to your top knee it is the reclining and pressure on the tummy trick. Crying puts gulpy air into tummies and that hurts too. My observations, YMMV!
This will pass and he will be no worse the wear. Take care nap when he does for a while.
The best to all and hugs too!
I love the suggestion about the crossing the legs burping – good one. I haven’t heard that one yet and it seems like it would definitely work.
My son was very gassy and no matter how I changed my diet it never worked. We tried EVERYTHING! He had a really bad case of breast milk colic.I eventually had to choose between breastfeeding and a screaming baby or formula and a happy baby. So with the fomula we went. I LOVE gripe water. Camomile tea will also sooth their little bellies.
Even though lots of mommy’s have good advise you should always ask your dr. That is what they get paid for. And they are used to new mommy’s calling them for everything.
Good Luck!
Wow, you had to get off breast milk entirely huh? We will definitely talk to our Dr about that because I would do anything to make our little guy escape those gas pains.
Absolutely try the gas drops BUT don’t bother with the expensive Mylicon. Get the store brand Simethicone drops. They are the exact same thing, you get more per ounce for less cost and they WORK!
And if you think something in your diet is causing it but ca’t seem to find the cause, you can take the Gas-Ex, again in the store brand, and it will relive the gas before it gets in your milk! It is the same ingredient as the infants gas drops. This is what I did when I wanted broccoli or cabbage or other gas causing foods.
Funny – that’s the same thing my Dr. Father said last night when I sent Chris out to get them at the store! =)
So, get myself some Gas-Ex quick! I have no idea what it could be – milk, nuts, soy, various veggies … the list is somewhat endless. =) Thanks for the hint.
PS I used to work in nursing…
MOst of these have been suggested already but our guy had colic as well. Culturelle, mylicon, and soy formula helped his belly. Happiest baby on the block and the baby whisperer helped get him on a good routine, which really helped. Sullivan was also diagnosed with silent reflux so none of these totally helped until he got on medicine. Good luck!
Silent reflux? Hm, I haven’t heard of that before. I’ll have to google that one. I’ve read the Baby Whisperer and I really liked it – and then Happiest Baby on the Block, we just got the DVD but haven’t watched it yet. Thanks for the tip about silent reflux.
Long story short our 1st son (3 yr now) had reflux and I learned a ton. Babies value to the stomach has not developed quite yet and so milk come back up sometimes in all babies. Some have it so back that they have reflux. While he had to be put on medicine until he starting walking (no problems now), there were a few things we did that helped:
1. Sleeping an incline. A small pillow under the mattress or pack/play mat works great.
2. Holding your baby upright ~15 min after he eats. Didn’t do at night, so we let him sleep in the swing (incline)
Our new son (8 months now) dealt more with gas (no reflux). I radically changed my diet and it felt daunting. Milk and pasta were the big factors. I went without all of it for 2 weeks and then SLOWLY reintroduced some dairy here and there (cheese on a salad). Now I’m able to have some dairy and pasta. I just wanted to encourage you, since I know that I was upset & discouraged about having such a restrictive diet and no sleep. During the 2 weeks of the new diet I gave him a couple of drops of Mallox (dr. directed) to help since the drops and tea didn’t work. It made a HUGE difference and helped out until my diet took full effect. Tummy time (as he got older that a couple of weeks) helped work out that gas – pressure on the belly and they work there legs.
The only other thing I would add is that to be careful not to change too much at once. If you change everything at one time, you might not know which thing made the difference. You have received a ton of great ideas and suggestions, so just be careful. Trust your instincts, even though you are a first time mom, You are Jamisen’s mom and know him best. Take courage and know that this season will pass…..
Happy Mother’s Day!
My son was very gassy due to his cleft. I had to burp him a little more often. I also loved mylicon it worked WONDERS! Also try massage his legs, where you put them out and than back to his tummy.
Hope this helps.
Charna
We call that the bicycle =) And it definitely helps at times.
Hey lady, take him off the probiotics, your baby does not need those, I promise you it is the problem. The only reason he needs them is if his intestinal track is out of whack. Probiotics will just add extra bacteria and make him more upset as his normal flora will be overloaded and possibly make his intestines have an inbalance. Your breast milk has everything he needs. Probiotics are meant for animals/people with inbalances to refloursih their system(For example my vet gave them to my dog when her bowls were infected). You do not need them all the time. It is like adding a ton of bacteria to an already perfect balance.
I was worried when you mentioned that in the beginning but I should have said something. Get rid of them. They have probably caused an bacterial overgrowth which can easily cause stomach upset. If Your mother’s milk cannot get things under control see your doctor “right away” for some antibiotics!
Kimberly
I agree, babies should not need ANYTHING extra other then breast milk at this age. God made our milk to have everything babies need.
Our lil man ended up being born by c-section so our Ped suggested it because infants born by C-section, or treated with antibiotics (both since I was treated with antibiotics during the c-section) might benefit from at least a few weeks of a probiotic as they may not have acquired these “healthy bugs” from mother. So, I’ve had him on them for two weeks but maybe he’s got those ‘healthy bugs’ now. I’ll give a call tomorrow and check. Thanks for the heads up.
Hi Anne-Marie,
What an adorrable baby boy you have! How wonderfull! Can’t stop looking at the pictures you posted.
Enjoy your Jamisen and give himn a big kiss from the Netherlands 😉
Kind Regards,
Esther van der Wal
Thank you =) He’s definitely the King of the house now =)
Happy Mother’s Day!
Oh those fussy moments that all mother’s wish they had that magic to make it go away. My youngest, now 9 was the worst when it came to that. Nothing I did worked.
After 8 weeks of him waking up every 2-3 hours, I finally decided to to see if a trick that I used on my oldest, now 31, would work. Guess what? It did.
In the evening I would put an old hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket against his stomach. It took a couple of days but the gas subsided and so did the horrible crankiness.
It’s worth a try.
Anything is worth a try right now and that matches with what a few others have mentioned – hot on the belly helps – so we’ll definitely try that. =)
Gassy Baby
The number one best thing we found for stopping gas in a baby is Chamomile tea. If you are not ready to give it to him in a bottle you just drink a cup morning noon and night and you will see a difference in him even if he is not gassy. It makes their bellies feel soooooo good.
It worked wonders on my children and on my grandchildren. We have a new grandson who was born April 22 and I received a ton of gold stars from my daughter for reminding her about Chamomile tea. It one of those things that is not going to hurt anything if he is not gassy and Chamomile tea really taste good. It Spanish it is called Mazanilla which means little apple because of the flavor.
I definitely will go get some Chamomile tea ASAP. I’ll drink it myself, in addition to the Mother’s Milk Tea, and as soon as my pediatrician gives the go ahead, start giving it to the lil man too. Thanks for the hint.
PS – Congrats on your new grandson. Jamisen was born on April 22 too. =)
Anne-Marie, check out http://www.happiestbaby.com or google Dr. Karp.
Just got the DVD =)
Hi Anne-Marie,
Congrats on your really cute little sunshine baby boy!
We seemed to have the same problem of a gassy stomach with our little son. This was until we read a book called: “the happiest baby in the world”.
The author jsupports the theory that in fact babies are born too early and if it wasn’t for their relatively big head ( with a big human brain), they would choose to stay in the womb threeonths longer. These are exactly the three first months during which young babies tend to have the biggest problems with “gas” in their stomach. Now the author says it is actually not gas but a general feeling of disorientation because they are no longer in the tight womb. So the suggestion is to wrap them up in a blanket or special swaddle cloth (don’t know what they are called in English, as I all read it in German) really tight. The next step is to imitate the situation in the womb by moving the baby in a similar way and making loud ssssshhhhhh sounds resembling the sounds of the baby’s environment in the womb. What can I say? For us the theory was true. When watching our son closely and trying the suggested techniques, we found out that in 98 percent of the cases it was not a gassy stomach that disturbed him so much and made him cry unconsolably but simply the forlornness of being outside the womb in a wide and cold world. After three months the symptoms disappeared altogether.
Best wishes and hope you find a cure!
Susie from Germany
Just went out and bought the video. We popped it in, only to have the lil man start squealing, so we haven’t seen it yet but we’ll check it out. Thanks for the hint! =)
Anne Marie,
I used the mylacon for infants!!! It was wonderful.
Also I would cut out the gassy foods like broccoli etc…
That goes right to the breast milk, I nursed all 5of mine.
Also I like to rub their tummies , like massage it gently
To force the gas down and out!! But mylacon is a blessing!!!
Best wishes to you all!
Hugs,
Rebecca
We went right out and bought a tube of it last night and have been using it all day with mixed results. He still is pretty gassy – poor kid.
A.M.
I found that when my son was a newborn and really fussy , it helped to make a cup of tea and believe it not I would turn on the clothes dryer and place my son ontop of it with nice blankets and stuff and then turn it on. The warmth and vibrating of the dryer put my super fussy boy to sleep in no time. Warning though you must always sit right beside the dryer on a chair and enjoy your tea or read a book and never leave the baby alone (wouldn’t want the little gut to fall off). My son would fall asleep very quickly and in no time I was transferring him into his crib for the night. This trick worked great and really helped me with some really fussy times when he was a newborn. Try it what have you got to loose. Good Luck and happy Zzzzzz.
It can’t possibly hurt. I will definitely give that a try. I’ve read TWO complete books during the evening feedings and burpings now. =)
One of my twins had colic. The doctor said to raise her mattress up so she could sleep on an incline. That did not work but she slept in the carseat and the doctor said that was okay. Maybe try sleeping him on an incline. Helps if there is reflux.
He loves to sleep in the carseat. He’s a champion sleeper in the carseat. Figures … =)
My son, now 21, would also have gas pains. I nursed 6 months or so. Stay away from broccoli! That was the worst. My meal that agreed with him the best was potato, carrots, and plain chicken breast. He also had soy formula which sat better than dairy. Other than that, burp him often while feeding. The burp method that worked best was learned in child birth class. Rub your hand up and down his back waist to shoulders instead of patting. He’d squirm and then burp. They also learn quickly Mom can nurse but not Dad. He’s a handsome boy. It may seem like the screaming nights will never end but they grow up so fast. Jamison will be 21 before you know it.
Potato, carrots and plain chicken breast. Delicious! (ha!) but oh so slimming…
I had broccoli TWICE in the last two days before I read this so I feel really bad but I know now not to eat the huge dish of cauliflower macaroni and cheese I made for today’s lunch. Whoops. =)
I tried eliminating dairy and it didn’t work for my little guy (who was also born with bright red hair:) Mylicon worked ok, but I usually ended up doing many things together. I’d give him a small amount of warm water and burp him. Then, I’d give him a tummy massage; up his right side, across from right to left, then down his left side, it can also be helpful to roll him slightly to the left. I used a small amount of warm massage oil and just did a baby massage as we did our bicycle kicks and such.
It is heart-breaking, but hang in there! You’ll learn exactly what works for your baby before you know it!
We are just playing it by ear, trying all the different things people have mentioned. So far for this afternoon, so good. I gave him the drops before feeding him, burped him after and during feeding a million times, and now he’s down for a nap but fighting it all the way.
Congrats, Anne Marie! It’s so wonderful to see and read all the Jamisen updates!
If I can give one little tip in the sleeping department…. The Miracle Blanket.
http://www.miracleblanket.com/index.htm
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet. But a neighbor who had a colicky baby suggested this to me when my daughter was just a month old and was not good in the sleeping department. There isn’t a better swaddling blanket and it did indeed work miracles for my little girl! She was so happy all tightly bundled up that at night I would honestly at times have to wake her up for feedings. Unfortunately, you can’t swaddle forever but this little trick did help me to get some crucial sleep during my daughter’s first 4 months.
Have not heard of the Miracle Blanket. Thanks for the hint! I’ll go buy one ASAP.
My son was a colicky baby. Would cry constantly and only would sleep if I was holding him. I spent many a night sleeping propped up with pillows with him on my chest.
One night, after about three weeks of this, I put him in his crib on his tummy. He immediately fell asleep and slept though the night and the colic was gone. I, however, did not get any sleep that night as I was checking every five minutes to make sure he was still breathing!
I never told his pediatrician this – I was too scared. The doc didn’t even believe in side sleeping. But by about 5 or 6 weeks he could lay on his tummy and pick up his head and turn it side to side, so after that first night I wasn’t worried. He was a tummy sleeper after that and from then on, almost slept through the night every night.
Now, I am in no way saying you should let your baby tummy sleep – I know it is very controversial (at least it was 10 years ago)! I am just saying what worked for me. Good luck!
Our baby is a side sleeper – they actually taught us that in the hospital interestingly enough – but one of my girlfriends got a ‘thing’ that alerted her to any problems if her tummy sleeper was having any trouble. I should find out from her what that was…
Mylicon (or a generic) is great. I used it for a while.
If Jamisen is fussy, use a few drops of Chamomile infusion in a medicine dispenser. It will calm him down. It is very safe and this is what I was told when my daughter was born. Chamomile also helps so many things for babies! teething, pain and especially calm them down. We like that 🙂
Like chamomile tea for the infusion?
When my youngest was born, they let her stay in the hospital room with me until we were released. I remember thinking, how can I get any sleep with this baby crying (screaming) every time I put her down? My oldest was 6 1/2 weeks early, so she was a NICU baby for 10 days (perfect as punch now). My girls are 14 months apart (2 & 4 now) and our youngest was a Mommy’s girl from the moment she was born. Both girls had belly issues (they still do) even with 100% breastfeeding.
I used the Moby Wrap or a ring sling for hours every day. The swaddling closeness, being more upright along with being by Mommy worked wonders. And, once you get the hang of it, you can function very well wearing your baby (public restrooms and everything!).
Due to my exhaustion and lack of other ideas, both newborns ended up sleeping on my chest when I would lay down. Then, we would both get some sleep and I didn’t feel like a super crazy person. Eventually, that transistioned to co-sleeping, sleeping in the crib beside me and both girls began sleeping wonderfully in their own beds before age 1.
Initially, I felt guilty for sleeping with my girls, but it is what worked for us. You’ll find your groove and Jamisen (he sure is beautiful) will help you find it. For being so little, our amazing bundles of joy are sure good at letting us know something is amiss. Unfortunately, we need to learn a new language to figure it out! I’m sure you will get some resolve soon- best wishes!
In the morning is when he starts to scream the worst – generally around like 3 in the morning – so usually around 5 or 6, Daddy manages to convince me that Jamisen belongs in bed with us. =)
As far as crying, gassy babies, my baby #6 was the worst. He just cried and was miserable all the time. I wanted to die. The only time he was happy was when he was outside. I remember putting him in the stroller and going on walks at midnight. Good thing he was a summer baby! Just don’t take his unhappiness personally. He’ll grow out of it eventually. It may take months but it will stop.
On an unrelated note, after having six kids I have to say that my all-time favorite baby advice book was “The Baby Whisperer” by Tracy Hogg. It’s the best about learning to take cues from your baby, figuring out how your baby ticks and understanding his personality. I’ve read a jillion books about babies and it’s the best. I wasn’t a big fan of her advice about breastfeeding (I got super bad mastitis, but it must have worked for some women), but otherwise I LOVED it.
I agree – her advice on breastfeeding so doesn’t work for me either! But, the rest of the book seems great! I have that book that I’ve read and then the Baby Whisperer ‘problem’ book that I just started and that’s really interesting as well.
You might try eliminating all cruciferous vegies – I know that did it for both of mine. Mylicon was also a God send – it worked for both, and the good news was that for my son, he associated medicine with the relief it brings, so he has never had issues taking medicine – at at almost 5 that’s hugh!
I’m trying the veggie thing (which is a shame because I made a huge thing of cauliflower mac ‘n’ cheese for this weekend – sigh) and I also read chocolate was a bad idea too so I’m going to eliminate that as well. So far, the Mylicon hasn’t worked wonders but we’re giving it time. =)
Congratulations! He’s adorable. Eliminating dairy probably won’t make a difference, but if you’re going to do it you won’t be able to eat many (if any) prepackaged foods. Casein is milk protein, and it’s in everything! You have to read all ingredient labels very carefully.
Have you tried putting him face down on your lap with his belly on your leg and bouncing him? That can help with gas. The baby gas drops are supposed to be harmless and useful, though I never tried them. Both my kids loved being bounced on an exercise ball when they were babies – either in a sling/Ergo or just in our arms.
Good luck and I hope you’re getting some rest!
We get rest when he’s not miserable. =) So, the face down on the lap with his head towards my feet or his head hanging over the edge of my thigh?
Mylicon!!! Those gas drops are amazing! And I know since they worked so well for my twin boys who are now 5. Have a fun trip and happy mothers day.
We ran out and bought some last night and we started giving them to him last night after feedings but his Dr said to try before feedings so we’re going to do that for his feedings today – try the drops beforehand.
I breast fed all three of my babies, and two of them were screamers with tummy aches. Personally, I don’t think that anything I ever eliminated from my diet did anything to improve the situation. The swing was a lifesaver for me, and strangely enough, my little one without colic hated the swing. With my first baby, I found draping him over my arm with his tummy on my hand and his face toward my elbow was a great position. We would swing back and forth like that until he nodded off.
It really doesn’t last forever:-) Being a new mommy is an overwhelming job for sure, but it really does get better.
Thankfully Jamisen loves his swing and it’s saved me a few times! But it’s a crutch and I know it. Right now, I’m willing to try anything though =))
For what it’s worth, his pediatrician doesn’t think eliminating anything from my diet will help at all but I have to try all the options just to be on the safe side.
Sounds like you guys are doing an amazing job with baby Jamisen!! He is so adorable!!
Just wanted to give a shout out for the chiropractic option. Many of my friends have gone this route with amazing results.
It’s so normal to get a little overwhelmed with the crying at times, we as mothers just want to do ANYTHING to make our little ones happy. I always found that patting their bums in rythem with ‘shhh, shhh, shhhing’ in the their ear always helped too, something about the repetitiveness I think.
Sometimes when my boys were crying I would remind myself that the moment will ‘pass’, the next hour will be better and tomorrow will come. Sometimes it would be easy to get caught up with the feeling that the crying will and has lasted forever, reminding myself about this would help me stay calmer in that moment. When your calm baby is calmer.
I hope you find encouragement in all of our messages. Just know that you are not alone and were all thinking of you!! 🙂
I have heard of that from someone else. I’ll definitely check that out. I did chiro with the pregnancy for my back and it was a lifesaver for me.
I agree – patting the bums and the sh sh sh seems to make Jamisen cry less too.
Oh, almost forgot have a wonderful 1st Mothers Day!
Thank you. We’re spending it with Grandma and Grandpa and really enjoying ourselves… =)
Our first had incredible gas…she would scream for hours on end. We were also at our wits end. Poor girl was obviously very uncomfortable. I finally stopped breast feeding…it was so incredibly exhausting for me after 3 months of trying everything. When I switched to formula she was much better. Cured…she was.
Along came second, at about my 6 week post pardum check like clockwork my second started with inconsolable cries and colic. AT this point we really should have owned part of the Mycilin drops company for the amount we were pumping into her.
Then it dawned on me…my OB had prescribed a ‘safe’ for breastfeeding oral birth control pill that I started at my 6 week visit with both my children. I stopped taking it and the colic went completely away.
My second and third child were breast fed for a full year successfully. It was the birth control pill for sure and I was so relieved to have figured it out! Sometimes it may not be your diet…it can be prenatal vitamin/birth control etc. Also…you should drink 1 gallon of water a day. This really helps with milk production…and also helps melt away the pregnancy weight.
Congratulations…he is the most adorable baby!!
No birth control pills but definitely yes on the prenatal vitamins still. I’m going to toss the dairy first and then if that doesn’t work, start working my way down the list. He sure is an angel and we adore him but I wish he wasn’t in such pain. I just know that he’ll be done with it around month 3 so there is an end in sight =)
my Chloe had horrible digestive problems. She would scream all day, and right before bed I had a nursing assister (but you could use a bottle)that I would fill with weak chammomile tea. She would give me a huge diaper (right up her backside sometimes!) and pass right out. Something about the calming nature of the chammomile and the added warmth will help them release gas or backed up fecal matter. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/chamomile-tea-for-babies.html Hope that is helpful!
I’ll totally check that out – thank you!
Errr Jamisen 🙂 Sorry, LOL.. And I have been following you every step of the way!! Grrr
Hi Ann-Marie,
Welcome to the Mommy club! I went through something similar with my third baby, Ben. He finally became so gassy he would drink a bit then just SCREAM.. I felt like a horrible mom, I could not figure out what was going on!!! I took him into the pediatrician at 2 months,*he had even lost weight* /cry She watched him nurse, and said.. “Ohhh I think he has GERD”.. Which is reflux!! She cut out all dairy,eggs and nuts from my diet. Plus we gave him zantac.. Now that’s not to say Jamison has GERD.. Just sharing 🙂 His 3 month check up he had gained weight and was back to being the smiley baby I brought home! Avoiding those foods was well worth it, but only after the Pedatrician told me too. By the time he was 11 months he didn’t have to take the zantac anymore and was completely healthy!!! Hopefully a few Mylicon drops will do the trick for you /wink.
We went out last night and bought the Mylicon and he slept decently (waking every 2 1/2 hours to feed) until 4 a.m. and then it was screaming until about 10 a.m. this morning (on an off, in between feedings) =)
I’ve been looking into reflux too but he doesn’t seem to have the signs of it with the constant spit up – he doesn’t seem to be spitting up more than a normal infant? But when we go see the Dr at our check up next week, I’ll definitely cover all this with them because the poor guy is miserable part of the day for sure.
Have you tried fennel seed tea? I made it for all 4 of my boys. For me, it works a lot better than anything else and very easy to make. My little guys also liked having a baby massage, especially around the stomach.
For the first few months(breastfeeding), I only ate pretty bland comfort foods. I couldn’t eat anything too spicy, too salt or anything with tomatoes in it. It didn’t last long, but while you are there it seems like an eternity. I slept on the recliner with a baby on my chest the last 2 boys for those months, but in the end, they turned out alright.
Anyhow, back to the Fennel seed tea. Take 1 tbsp whole fennel seeds, coarsely grind. Pour a cup of boiling water over them, steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain (coffee filters work great for this). Give about 1 tsp to baby, drink the rest yourself.
The Mother’s Milk tea that I’m drinking all the time is a lot of fennel but I’ll try to get some that is just 100% fennel seed and drink it like there is no tomorrow and get the okay from our pediatrician to give some to Jamisen too. =)
Has his umbilical stump fallen yet? If so….nice warm baths with lavender. I remember Thorne crying and crying with colic and I’d cry too. His godmother had me soak him in warm water…it would come shooting out like a little jet engine. bubbles and bubbles but I got a smiley baby afterwards….
Not yet but now I can’t wait for it to fall off. I LOVE baths so maybe he’ll take after me and love them too! =)
Oh, my first born was a screamer too! Especially at night.
A few things I wish I had known BEFORE having a baby: there is a “normal newborn fussy period” which peaks around 6-8 weeks. I had no idea! Usually they are more predictable and cry less after 12 weeks (even if baby is not considered colicky)
Another thing: I tried the elimination diets too, but they did little to change my little man’s attitude. I found out that most of the time he was crying was due to overstimulation and/or tiredness. It seems I was so eager to play/cuddle/nurse my sweet baby I was just ignoring the fact that he needed SLEEP. And babies don’t always go to sleep or stay asleep easily. (Requiring bouncing, rocking, swaying, etc to get the job done.) Try looking for the earliest sleepy baby cues… avoiding eye contact, yawning, etc. Then, if he wakes up in 45 minutes, it’s likely not enough sleep, but he’s roused for whatever reason. See if you can lull him back to his happy place 🙂
It’s hard to feel confident when you have a crying baby and can’t console them 🙁 But you are both learning about each other and it takes time. You are doing a GREAT job!
How did you lull your little one back to sleep without waking him fully? I’ve tried just placing my hand on his belly sort of like a “Hey sweetie, I’m here but it’s not time to play” message but that doesn’t always work? There is so much to learn. On one hand, it’s incredibly energizing to have such a fun topic to learn about but on the other hand, I wish I could fast forward to when he can do baby sign language and tell me how I can help him! =))) Thanks for the hints…
My first liked sleeping in his bouncy seat, and I would just sit next to it and bounce it up and down gently. My youngest (who will be 4 months this week!) is a big fan of his pacifier. He usually stirs at 20 minutes into his nap. I keep an eye on the clock and then when he starts fidgeting I just pop the paci back in. I also let him sleep in our bed for naps (no covers or pillows!) which allows me to nurse him side-lying and then just roll away and out of bed when he goes to sleep.
Speaking of which, learning how to breastfeed while laying down totally saved my life with my first, who didn’t sleep through the night for a very.long.time.
Mylicon drops can’t hurt either! Just to confuse matters though, I remember my pedi saying that gas is often a symptom of crying (they swallow air) and opposed to the CAUSE of crying. Uggh.
Oh boy, my lil man was gassy as well. I did similar things to the other ladies. Rubbing his legs and pushing his thighs to his belly worked wonders. Ask your pediatrician about fennel tea, which we used at the beginning and that did help. But my miracle cure was Mother’s Milk tea by Traditional Medicinals. After about a week of my drinking it I noticed he seemed to sleep easier and his belly wasn’t so hard.
Nothing is worse than hearing your baby screaming and not knowing what to do to help him. I’m sure lil Jamisen is very happy to have such a good mommy who will fix it 😀 Happy Mothers Day!
I’ve been drinking Mother’s Milk tea like it’s going out of style since he was born so if that does help, I’m so glad I’ve been drinking it because I can’t imagine what he would have been without it! Eeek! =)
The mylicon was and still is our best friend. I breast fed for a few months (untill i dried up for some unknown reson)and was told too keep a food journal. Basicaly it takes roughly 25h for whatever you ate to be excreted into your milk, so if he gets really bad after a feeding you can go back and look at what you ate. It would at least be better than just shooting in the dark.
Food journal. Good one! 25 hours huh? I had no idea it would take that long since in the hospital, the painkillers I was on seem to hit him immediately. The second I got home, I weaned myself off them ASAP. I’d rather have a screaming baby than a drugged out little one =)
food takes longer to go through digestion and get into the blood. Meds disolve in the stomach and go into the blood….At least that is what i was told.
I third the call for Mylicon, though Gripe Water is supposed to be very good. Our firstborn had a bit of colic. Yes, we too went through the hours of crying. My poor husband… My daughter would be crying, I’d be still hormonal from the pregnancy, Mom and my aunt would be over and be crying, too, then my husband would walk in the door from work, only to be greeted by FOUR crying females. He survived, though his hair started magically disappearing about this time.
We also used some homeopathic tricks. The leg thing Dana mentioned works great. Also, if you hold him and rub his belly in counter clock-wise circles, that helps break up the gas. Another thing my mom taught me is, rest him on your legs on his belly and alternate patting his hiney and rubbing his back (clockwise). I did that to my older one, and she belched from her toes! She was only about a month or so old, too. I was impressed, as was the NICU nurse friend who’d come to visit.
The word of grace is, it shouldn’t last long. This is just his digestive system catching up with the rest of him. You shouldn’t have to cut out dairy; he was getting much higher concentrated amounts of dairy products in utero.
On my legs – so with his head facing my toes or his head facing the outside of my thighs with this head sort of dangling off? I want to make sure I’ll get this right. =)
Good point re: dairy in utero. Then again, I couldn’t really hear him cry in utero.
The only time I’ve had a rough time with post pregnancy is when he’s crying. It’s definitely hard to take. But yes, there is an end in sight (thank goodness!) =)
Hi Anne-Marie: Yes sit and put him belly down, across your legs so his head will be on the left and his legs on the right. Pat and/or rub his back and it should help some. Boy do I wish I had had some anti gas med when mine were babies. I had one that literally screamed for hours every evening. It’s just so hard when you feel helpless. Happy Mother’s Day!
I was a colic baby and my poor mom tried everything. Now that I am an adult I have found out that I am lactose sensitive and I have Celiac’s. I think it’s great that you are trying some things in your diet to help him. My chiropractor says that Colic can come from their little joints getting misaligned since they have so much space between each bone. I don’t know if you have a chiropractor you go to but I would look up one that works with infants. I met a mom who said this was a lifesaver for her little girl.
A chiropractor is a great idea! I went to one when I was pregnant and they were a life saver for me so I’ll definitely check out that suggestion. Thank you. =)
When I had my boys Mylicon was by Rx only, now it’s over the counter. Yeah! I do remember it helped my oldest.
I am SOOOOO buying some of that ASAP. We’re in a pretty remote location this weekend but the second we hit civilization tomorrow morning, I am finding the nearest Target and buying them out =)
Mylicon! Mylicon! Mylicon!
Why wait til next week? Start now! It can take up to 8 days for dairy to get out of his body…do whatever you can to help his little helpless self!
Both my kids did the same thing. I know first hand how bad it can be.
I’d start today except we’re not home (Mother’s Day trip) so we’re at the mercy of our hosts for food =) I’m doing my best to avoid it but so many of the dishes have cheese or sour cream in them so …
Have not heard of Mylicon. I am so going to buy some of that the second I am able. Thanks for that hint.
AM,
Congrats again! Your little man is just so precious.
In regards to his gas I feel for ya!
My first one had such gas pains that he would cry for hours (yes, hours) non-stop. Broke my heart and made me feel so very helpless and tired 😉
He was a formula baby and I had to switch to soy. That helped some. But also what helped was the swing (soothing to him) and me stretching out his legs. Take your little mans legs and simply massage them and bend, lift them slowly, gently towards his belly. One leg at a time. I did this sometimes for about 15-20 minutes and you know what happened? Yup. Little guy was letting all that gas go. I would hear little “pops” coming out of him lol and he would get the biggest smile on his face! No more gas pains!! Happy baby and mama.
Also, there was a product for baby gas pains called Mylicon.
Since you are breast feeding try to avoid these foods as well: beans, bran, broccoli, cabbage, caffeine and onions.
Hope you and baby find relief soon!
xoxo
Massage the legs – I like that idea. Plus that might be soothing for him. We’ve tried the ‘bicycle’ which is basically bicycling his legs and then pushing them up towards his belly but not the massage/single leg thing.
Broccoli. Whoops. Had that last night.
Been off caffeine for almost 2 years now in prep for our lil man and soon, off dairy for a few weeks to see if that helps.
Thanks for the hints.
Wonderful advice about the Mylicon drops, I had to give them to my son after every feeding and did the tummy massage too/bike move too. Both my children were highly sensitive to dairy, milk protein (even liquid non dairy creamer has caesin (sp?) in it which I had to eliminate). To this day my son is still allergic to dairy but my daughter outgrew it. If acid reflux is involved (which my daughter had) I put some blankets under the under side of the crib mattress (by the springs) to make it slightly elevated by the head and that helped with her acid reflux a lot. Hang in there, new mommy hood is an adventure of trying different things out and finding what works best for you:)
Anne-Marie,
You also may want to discontinue citrus juices. While nursing my children, I discovered, eliminating my morning glass of orange juice, reduced gas in the little ones. This is a joyful yet trying time in motherhood, I know the feeling well of sheer helplessness while listening to a crying infant. You feel blissfully happy one minute and terrified the next. My children are school aged now, but I have been caring for infants in my home for 5 years. Let me say, Mr. Jamisen is one of the most beautiful babies I have every seen!! His little tummy issue will improve quickly over the next couple months. Remember to be kind to yourself. Enjoy this time, it will go by soooo quickly! Much joy to come!! Tricia F.