3 Month Old Crying at Mealtime

It could be reflux. Their little esophagous gets to irritated that they cry and cry. My little one was diagnosed at 4 weeks and has been on medication ever since. It's worth at least asking the pediatrician about.

He MAY need to nurse sooner, and I would try that, but 3 hours between feedings is NOT too long. My son was feeding every 3 hours from birth. It depends on your supply. And keep in mind that babies have a growth spurt at 3 months, and when that happens they need to nurse more often for a couple of days to increase the milk supply. By 4 or 5 months you should be able to space the feedings out to about 4 hours apart, if your supply is good. If it's not, you'll probably need to feed closer together or even supplement. It all depends on your body. I'm feeding my son an average of 4 hours apart at almost 7 months, and if I wanted to I could probably pump an extra once or two a day, or even more if I worked hard at it (which I don't have the energy to do!). But my mom had to supplement me at 3 months because she simply didn't make enough.

Slower than normal... does that mean slower than he should be or slower than he used to be? My son gained 4 pounds his first 6 weeks, but at 6 months he had only gained a total of 10 pounds. It's very normal for babies to gain weight quickly the first couple of months and slow down. If he's gaining on his curve, and not varying from that too much, then it's probably not hunger that's causing the crying spells. I wouldn't know anything about gurd, but you should probably check with his pedi for ideas.

It seems early, but I wonder if he is teething. My now 9 month old started teething at 5 months and would have similar behavior - she would cry hysterically when I tried to feed her. I had to walk around with her for about 30-45 minutes and then, like your son, would eat after that. This lasted about 4-5 days and then poof - out popped her first tooth! How long has it been going on? Can you see if his gums look swollen? Three months old does seem early for teething though so it might not be the case. Maybe an ear infection? I heard ear infections make it painful for them to eat. Does he cry when you lay him down? (another possible sign of an ear infection). Sorry I don't have any advice other than comforting him and maybe teething rings or some Tylenol if ok with the pediatrician.. might be worth a call to the doc to rule out ear infection..

I had similar issues with one of my 3 -- and it was ( as it may be for your baby) in the heat of the summer -- I ended of running a bath- sitting IN it with the baby in my arms - so she was surrounded by the water - and she calmed down and nursed just fine--- it was awful- ( but I was so relieved to find SOMETHING that helped her -) -- if that works for you--- fantastic

Blessings,
J.
aka-- Old Mom

Hi J.,
I would try feeding him sooner to see if that helps the crying episodes or pump and bottle feed him. If you are feeding him every three hours try to feed him every two hours to see if it helps or give him more. Maybe he isn't getting enough to hold him over for 3 hours.
S.

His body could growing and he is more than hungry by the time you think he is. Try feeding him sooner and see what happens.

It sounds like you maybe have set mealtimes? If so (and even if not), perhaps try bumping the time up an hour (2 hour gaps instead of 3), see if you can head off the problem ... when a baby hits a growth spurt they can need to eat *insanely* more often than "normal," and if they get really hungry, that actually can distress them enough by itself that they wind up into their "something's wrong!!!!" and cannot settle to eating (until they exhaust their bodies past crying--or maybe use up the neurochemicals that tell them they are distressed, just like an adult "runner's high"?).

Dunno if that is the answer in this case, of course :), but growth spurts would often take me by surprise (and here I would think we were getting into a rhythm ... not so much ;)!! ).

It is probably because at 3 months he is telling you that he is going into a growth spurt and needing more exercise and food. My children always became a bit more "crabby" when they entered a growth spurt.

I think this was said in another post, but my 3 month old went through a growth spurt also at that time and was eating every 1 1/2 to 2 hours and then napping after that - only to wake up and do it again. (Don't worry - it only lasted a week or so.) It sounds to me like he may be getting overly tired too. If we could catch my son before he actually showed signs of being tired - then feeding him and nap time almost always went smoothly without crying. If you haven't, I'd recommend reading a book on sleeping - like the No Cry Sleep Solution, or Happy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. Both very informative. Hope this helps!

My guess would be to try to offer him the breast before the normal time in order to head it off. He's probably one of those kids like my daughter who was an angel until she decided something was wrong (wet, tired, hungry) and went from smiling to screaming in 2 seconds. Once they get started they are hard to reason with!!!

Try offering to nurse before he starts in, and see what happens.

I concur with the other moms that say you should try feeding him sooner. 3 hrs between meals is a long time for a 3 month old. Try 1.5 to 2 hrs at most. That way around the clock you will get in another feeding as well. Perhaps he doesn't complain much when he first gets hungry and he may just be getting too hungry later and lapsing into those crying fits.

Possibly GERD. Both of my kids had it and took liquid Zantac. Talk to your peditrician.

I agree with the other moms that it could be one of 3 things: needing to feed sooner, reflux, or teething. The first is easily determined. If he still cries even when you feed him sooner, it might signal some pain caused by either reflux or teething. For both of these, I would recommend looking into him wearing a hazelwood necklace. The wood absorbs acidity in the body and helps to relieve pain caused by both issues. To understand how it works, go to this page which explains it: http://www.hazelaid.com/About_Hazelwood.html

My friend's son had terrible acid reflux and he was on meds for it. Within 2 weeks of him wearing the necklace, she was able to take him off his meds and he has never needed them since (it's been over a year now). We use the necklace for my youngest daughter who has terrible eczema and it keeps her eczema at bay also (eczema is often rooted in acidity also).
Hope you can find out what's bothering your little guy!
Take care.

It sounds like you need to try to nurse him sooner. Before he gets to that point. You may need to try maybe every 2+ hours or so. Maybe he just needs more right now. Good luck. :)