Baby Is Extremely Fussy, Very Restless and Refuses to Sleep Without Bottle .

She could be allergic to her formula, try soy. She also could have gas, try gas drops and try the exercises to press her legs up into her belly to help her pass gas. She may be collicky too. IF that is the case, there is not much you can do except let her grow out of it which is usually a couple of months. Calling the doc will really help if it is an allergy.

You didn't mention what kind(s) of formula you have tried on the wee one, but I think Jennifer might have a good idea, along w/the lady that used the ready-to-use formula, not the powder mess. My dgd kinda tolerated that Good Start stuff, but her bowels were not normal baby poo - and could not get the parents to take that to the docs! They switched her to the soy of Good Start, but that was not the problem! I had her one weekend, and I bought some of the concentrated Similac (the same stuff the hospital had started her on before they got told she'd be on WIC)...by the end of the weekend, the baby was much happier! I still think the additives for DHA,etc is what was not working for her - the Similac did not have that. (btw - how are the bottles prepared?)

Hi M.
My baby was like this to. He had a dairy allergy...well actually a dairy, soy and egg intolerance but the formula is a problem because of the dairy or soy. Try the Similac Alimentum formula. It is hypoallagenic for all protein allergies. Then have the dctor put the aby on a refulx medicine. You will have a new baby in 5 days tops.

Good luck, I know how hard it is to live through this. With the right formula and refulx help things will be better soon.
T.

Hi M.. I'm so sorry you guys are having such a tough time, I went through a similar situation with my daughter who will be two this week. You mentioned reflux, has she been diagnosed and is she on medication? If she's not, then somthing like Axid or another antacid might work. If so, have you tried Gentlease formula? That was the only one that worked for my daughter who seems to have an intolerance to milk protein. She drinks soy milk now because she can't have cows milk. I tried every bottle, formula and pacifier imaginable and I was also at my wits end, but I finally found a combo that worked. Nuk nipples on plain old plastic bottles and a Nuk pacifier. The laying down might be agitating her reflux, so you can try propping up one end of her bed or buying one of those bed props that are specially made for infants with reflux. Also, Mylicon worked for us sometimes. I'm so sorry you are going through this! It will start to get better around 4 months, I promise! Good luck and stick with it.

Have you talked to the pediatrician about it? I wonder if the reflux meds are not working. My son is 12 weeks and also has reflux we tried him on Zantac which did not work and now he is on prevacid which does work. Also he sleeps on on incline in a reflux nest so the acid is less likely to come back up the esophagus. You do that by raising one end of the crib with pillows or something under the mattress. Then you take a large towel and roll it up in the shape of a U and then place it under the sheet to place babies bottom in so they don't slide down the bed.

Hi M.

God bless you both. I would be at the end of my rope also! Could it possibly be that maybe she is hungry? Have you tried giving her some real food yet? That is all I can think of. Try giving her some rice cerial or mashed potatoes maybe. That's all I can think of. My son was on formula at 2 oz each feeding in the hospital and that was the recommended amount from the nurse, but the very night we brought him home he kept crying and not knowing what else to do I gave him more formula - practically double what the nurse had recommended. He was contented then. I'm sorry that you are having these difficulties. I wish I could offer more but that is all I can think of other than asking what the doctor is telling you. Cindi

I would suggest a lot of snuggle time and skin-to-skin time. Many babies just need extra physical contact for soothing. Think of it this way -- she's been used to the constant movement and sounds and cuddly tightness of the womb for all of her life up until this thing called birth, then all of a sudden, everything changed. Now that she *can* be put down, she is being put down, and she may still need that extra snuggling and movement to be soothed.

You don't mention why your daughter is not breastfeeding; but she can still start up her milk supply if she is at all interested -- some babies just don't do well on formula. Most formulas are made with a base of cow's milk, so if your granddaughter has an allergy or sensitivity to dairy, that may be the problem. If your daughter is working and your granddaughter is in daycare, she may not be getting that one-on-one time she needs to thrive, so she may need constant snuggling after work hours.

Someone below mentioned "kangaroo care" and I heartily second that suggestion. There are a variety of pouches, slings, and other carriers on the market that can give the baby a more womb-like feeling which is usually very soothing and comforting to fussy babies.

There is a program called The Period of PURPLE Crying that is put out by the Shaken Baby Prevention Program that some hospitals are giving out for free to new parents. This DVD is based on Dr. Barr's research about crying in babies. His years of research tell us that the peak of crying is at 2 months and will decrease and become normal by the age of six months. At 2 months the total amount of crying per day may be up to 5 hours. The R in PURPLE is that the crying resists soothing. This research tells that this is a normal crying pathway and not colic.

I hope this helps. I think you can google the period of purple crying and see the information on line.

I would not give the baby rice cereal. In fact, as immature as babies' tummies are at 10 weeks, I wouldn't try anything food-wise other than formula(or breastmilk). Did your daughter try breastfeeding? Babies tend to tolerate breastmilk better than formula. My first baby was very fussy. I nursed him every hour, and I held him a lot. I sang to him and did a lot of "Sh Sh Sh"ing and bouncing. I am also a firm believer in baby massage. It really helps fussy babies. There's a fabulous book called The Practical Art of Baby Massage by Peter Walker. I would invest in a sling or a front pack and hold the baby close as much as possible. What also worked for us, was holding the baby in a towel (because wet babies are slippery!) in the shower with us. I think the combo of water, sound, and the new experience were helpful. Lots of skin to skin contact (called kangaroo care in the hospital)often helps. Lay the baby in her diaper with her tummy across your bare tummy. You could also try the "tiger in the tree" carry. Lay her on her belly across your forearm, with her head towards your elbow. Her belly will be laying on your hand, her legs straddling your arm. (I hope that makes sense!) Good luck, and please let us know how it goes!
C.
gingerbreadmommy.blogspot.com

Hi M., I encourage you to visit: http://www.hugyourbaby.com/ and look into renting or buying Harvey Karp's "Happiest Baby in the Block" DVD/video. Both H.U.G. Your Baby and Happiest Baby on the Block methods will give you a deeper understanding into what your grandaughter is trying to communicate to you and how to stop the crying almost instantaneously. I had a baby who cried a LOT and these two methods made all the difference in the world!!!! Harvey Karp's 5 S's work everytime: Swaddling, Shushing, Swaying/Swinging, Side/Stomach positioning in the parents' arms, and Sucking. Look into it!! I promise you the crying will stop that very moment. Be well!

Take her to the doctor. Have him look at her ears throat and everything else. Also you said she has reflux is she on mess? If not talk to her doctor about it. Good luck!

Try reading Happiest Baby on the Block and see if his suggestions (swaddling, vigorous rocking, etc) help. I found both that book and Happiest Toddler on the Block to be very helpful.

Also, did your daughter ever try nursing? I have been told by some that you can try even at this stage and with suckling bring the milk down.

I would try swaddling her (you can find instructions for how to do it online). Be sure to do it really tight so she can't break free. She may resist it at first but don't think that's because she doesn't like it. I am convinced that ALL babies appreciate a swaddle.
I would also recommend the book or DVD "Happiest Baby on the Block". Swaddling is one of five techniques taught that work to calm fussy babies. I think you will be surprised how a few simple things can work like MAGIC.
I know how stressful it can be when your baby cries and cries and you can't seem to help. But be sure the baby isn't picking up on YOUR anxiety. If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's perfectly OK to leave the baby in a safe spot while you relax a little. Babies pick up on everything we are feeling - a calm Mama (or Grandma!) will help a baby feel calm too.
It is wonderful that your daughter has your help and support. Good luck!
M.
www.nomommybrain.com

You poor thing. I went through the exact same thing with my daughter. She was screaming day and night. Everyone kept saying it was just colic. It turned out that while she did have colic, she also had "silent" acid reflux. She never spit up but she would kind of make a gagging sound. She got to where she refused to eat especially at night. I was at my wits end as well. Finally, we got her medicine regulated (she takes prilosec and zantac) and we changed her formula to Enfamil Nutramigen and started using Dr. Brown's bottles. She was like a different child within a week. We had tried different formulas as well so I was hesitant to try another but it is for babies that have difficulty breaking down milk enzymes. It is wonderful!!!! Don't add cereal to her milk unless your doctor advises it. If she does have a milk enzyme problem (like my daughter) then the cereal will only make things worse. I can remember people telling me that it would get better and I would think to myself, "if I make it that long"... I was convinced that I had a fussy high maintance baby but after finding out the problem and getting a handle on it, she is a happy baby and sleeps soooo much better. Good luck!!

Your baby has extreme colic, it sounds just like mine, we did the grip water, propped the crib with books, we too were as desperate as you both are. Hire help this will not last more than 3 or 4 months, time is the only solution, it will not cause mental problems later for the baby even though the crying and discomfort is awful, hire help, an experienced nurse for the night time a couple nights a week , volunteers from church, anyone, take baths to not hear the crying or use sound machine. My child is 3 1/2 and still does not sleep great but he is a healthy, happy, smart child, probally from absorbing so much while not sleeping. We now get 10 hours a night, no nap, its been a long time coming but worth it as you know, huband and wife might want to go talk to someone, stress releif, and there is always putting the child on his tummy to sleep we never did unless he was awake , lay his tummy across knees and bounce, pull his legs up like the bicyle to get gas out, they can't expell that painful gas this early very well and hang on, it will not last forever, get some sleep b/c other relationships can deterioate while just focusing on baby all the time, I am praying for you all, try lettin her sleep in the car seat in the house.

Have you tried Pregestimil? It's expensive, but it's good. You can usually find some on ebay for about $15/can opposed to the in-store price of about $30/can. My children's pediatric gastro specialist said it could take up to 1 week before noticing a difference in your baby's behavior with a new formula. And it takes 4-6 weeks for a baby's body to completely get rid of all the old formula/milk. It could be discontentment due to the reflux, or something else, but it could also be a long-chain protein issue. [So for example, if your granddaughter cannot digest long-chain proteins (egg, soy, hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithin, nut, milk, milk by-products), but is eating even the smallest amount of any of it, then her intestines are most likely bleeding causing a lot of pain & discomfort. And if you start giving her Pregestimil, it could take up to 1 week before you see a significant difference in her contentment. And it could take up to 4-6 weeks before her stool no longer tested positive for blood.] If the baby's mommy or daddy have/had allergies, asthma, egsima, or behaved the same when he/she was a baby eating milk/formula, then you may want to check out this possiblity.

We had to give all 3 of our children Pregestimil, but BOY was it worth it. Life significantly changed for the better after we used Pregestimil.

Good Luck

HI M. - I'm so sorry that all of you, baby included, are going through this. I would recommend seeing your ped. The other M.'s posted some good advice regarding reflux, etc... See your ped, see a specialist if they recommend it... It could be colic or it could be a combo of colic and problems associated with acid reflux, so take your experiences with the baby and the acid reflux and formula advice from the other M.'s here and discuss everything with your ped. Good luck!

My baby was who is now almost 6 months old was like this too. She now takes prescribed medicine for the reflux and can only drink Enfamil A.R. formula. I also started feeding her more fomula than everyone told me she could handle and it got all better. I know everything works different for each baby so good luck and I will be thinking about ya'll. I know it is hard, but just hang in there!

Have the pedetrician check her stools for blood, white cells, and mucus. My almost 6 month old had a horrible start. Way too much to type here. Long story short, we ended up going thru a long ardeous process that finally ended with the pediatric GI specialist at Vanderbilt CHildren's hosp. He started healing b'c of all of our interventions at around 4 1/2 months. But those first months were hell'some torture for him and us. If GI and senestivites proves to be the route of your problem, please give me a shout so I can relay what we did so you don't have to experience the pain for too long and just can get to the interventions quicker (and not wait 6 weeks for your appt with the specialist, like we had too).
Good luck - it is so sad when these little ones are in pain.

It sounds like the baby is colicy as well. There is not alot you can do except continue to hold her and pat her back.My sister and I both went through it with our children. As they get a little older it will stop. The best thing is to get another person to help the two of you so everyone could take turns through the night and get some sleep. The pediatrician can prescribe something for the reflux and possibly for the colic.

I'm a gma too, and I really feel for your situation. Sounds as if she has a stomach problem, and she needs to suck to relieve her pain. What does the doc say? I would take her to a pediatric stomach specialist. I would give her a tiny amount of tylenol, and see if it help. How about a vibrator in a bassinet, or a little seat. How about a warm heating pad, make sure it is just warm. She has issues and is having pain, that is apparent. Good luck and god bless. K.

Ask pedi for medicine for reflux my daughter had the same problem she bought a Houdini woombie u can google it she cod with pedi and he said it was fine to use. It is a swaddler but it is a sack with no arm or leg holes sounds mean but the baby loves it when u put him in it he quiets right down worth a try!

Hi M.,

My son was a pretty restless sleeper and napper as well. You might consider swaddling her good and tight when she sleeps at night. Her startle reflex might just be waking her up at night and, not knowing how to fall back to sleep by herself, cries for a bottle. I used a kidoppotamus swaddle for MONTHS! But the difference it made with his sleeping was huge. From waking up every 45 minutes at night to sleeping for hours. But don't be surprised if she seems to fight it at first. My son did, but they get used to it and grow to like it. And if she acts like she's hungry, maybe she just needs to suck on something, so you could try a pacifier. We also used white noise in the background, a radio tuned to static.

Just some ideas. Good luck!

K.

If it is gas kangarooing can really help.

This is wear the parent and baby are both shirtless. You lay the baby on your chest stomach to stomach. The natural heat from your body is just the right temp to act like a heating pad and break up gas in the babies stomach.

I am sooo sorry you are going through this! My daughter was the same way. She was so miserable-cried 12-14 hours a day/night. Like you we tried everything. Long story short we finally started using Alumentum Formula(she had an immature digestive system and couldn't break down certain molecules on her own. 2 days on this formula and she was a completely different baby.
Our daughter had a really hard time with bowel movements, too. I am not sure if your grandaughter is experiencing this or not, but this new formula was a God Send. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.
With all the other formulas Itried i switched them slowly doing equal parts of each formula. By the time I tried this one I was at my wits end and just did 2 or 3 feedings like that and then just switched it all to the Alumentum and I could not believe the difference it made in just a couple days. I hope this helps
Good Luck and Many Prayers
Remember, This To Shall Pass

It seems to me that she is hungry. If a bottle is satisfying her temporarily, or a stomach ache and she thinks that the bottle is helping. I would eliminate stomach problems medically, then even tho the peds will advise against it, I would start adding maybe 1/2 T. of infant cereal to her bottles. Alot of people attribute starting cereal too early to obesity, BUT if she is eating 2 or 3 times too much formula, which in itself could cause a stomach ache, a little cereal in each regulary timed bottle will not hurt her. All children are different, they grow at different paces. It is worth a shot. Best of luck and God bless.

COLIC!!!! One of my 5 kids had it. She would wake up literally every 30 min. on the dot. Then take 45 min. to get her back to sleep. Then I finally put her to sleep in her car seat on the couch with the T.V. on. She slept through the night only getting up twice to eat. She slept like that for about 6 mos. and I had to like wein her back to her crib just starting out with naps in the crib and finally all night.
Good luck!!

Watch "The Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD. I think you can get it from the library. It's extremely important. It will spell out the magic soothing techniques every new parent should know. Also, you didn't say if the reflux was being treated medically? Make sure the baby is getting his reflux medicine regularly. My babies slept tightly swaddled and in a craddle swing with white noise turned up really loud and with a pacifier. We'd have never slept without these methods. Our babies were extremely fussy. Be sure you are consulting a good pediatrician as well.

.

M.,
My son had the all day colic, too. He cried all day, all the time. We tried everything, but had some success with the methods outline in the Happiest Baby on the Block- the 5 S's.
http://www.babyslumber.com/happiestbaby.html
We found out later that he had a severe egg allergy and, since I was breastfeeding, he was exposed to egg from my diet. This doesn't seem to be the case here, since she is formula fed. Could it be a milk allergy from her formula? Have you tried hypoallergic formula? I also noticed that my son did better with ready to use formula and had less spitting up.
Just know that this will pass eventually. I know that does not help right now. I used to remember how frustrated I would feel when people told me that. But hang in there... and take lots of small breaks. Let me know if I can be of any more support.

My cousin had a baby last July and went through a period like this. The pediatrician said it was text-book colic. When I visited in October the baby was happy, not fussy and a general joy. He was about 3 mos. old then. I would check with the dr. My cousin said they just had to get through it. Good Luck and God Bless!

I have been in your situation. My son cried all night and was happy and peaceful all day. Have you tried the Nutramigen formula and the Dr. Brown bottles? That is what we did. I also tried to not let him sleep a whole lot during the day, so that way he would sleep at night. I feel for you, I know what you both are going through and it is so difficult. Our pediatrician was such a great help and support to us at this time. He was always there to talk to and to suggest something new. Similac Alimentum was also a good formula, but I had trouble finding it at the store. I just remembered, I used ready made formula in the cans - not the powdered stuff - because this seemed to help his stomach too.

I really help you can use some of this advice,
A.

Well, at 10 weeks I think changing the formula 4 times probably isn't helping. That's a formula change every 2 1/2 weeks! It's almost like, you ate a vegetarian diet for a few weeks and then suddenly you started eating meat. Your tummy needs time to adjust, when you change formula, you should do so gradually- mix small amounts of both kids together at a ratio of 2 parts old formula to 1 part new formula and change the ratio gradually over a week or two- she's probably still only consuming a few ounces at a time, make sure that if she spits up you let her feed again, so she's not hungry and fussy. It sounds like with as restless as she is she's uncomfortable, it's just a matter of finding out what the source of the distress is. I think gripe water is meant for babies older than 4 months, maybe you should try simethicone- squirt it in the back or her mouth so her toungue reflex doesn't push it out.

She may also need a chiropractic adjustment, sometimes being pushed out can mess their little necks and backs up. Find someone who will adjust an infant- this should NOT involve "popping" anything! My has seen our chiropracter since he was 2 months old and it helped him rest better at night and helped with teething pain.

Good luck, I hope this helps!

I'm sorry your granddaughter baby is colicky. Thank goodness there are two of you helping each other! There are no simple solutions, so the two of you need to take turns getting some sleep. My son slept on me the first few months of his life. He was angled and not lying flat. It was the only way he and I could get any sleep. At month 5, we saw a pediatric gastroenterologist who gave him some "baby prevacid" and things finally got better.

Try elevating her to sleep. This helps with reflux. And perhaps when she starts to dose... exchange the bottle with a pacifier. She's probably getting sleep deprived (as are you all) and this may be helpful to her. Anyway, when you can get her back to sleep, let her sleep! The more she gets the better. It is so hard on us all during these trying times and what you need is more help. Maybe you could take turns with her so that you both won't be so tired. Or if you have another family member or friend who would be willing to come over and let you sleep for a few hours this would do you guys a great service. And, of course, the more rested you are the more patient and the energy your little one feels will be less stressful. I hope you find your solution. Good luck to you both. And congratulations on your new bundle of joy!

When my nephew was an infant, he was very fussy as well. He cried a lot & had power puke episodes. My sister kept telling the pediatrician that something was wrong but he wouldn't believe her because Taylor was a big baby UNTIL he saw him throw up once and she showed him that she used a bath towel as spit up rag. Turned out that there was a hole between his stomach & esophagus causing the problem. He told her that he would outgrow it by 1 year of age and unless he was exerting 'failure to thrive' they would not operate. He had to sleep at an angle (she make a wedge from foam rubber & strapped him on it) and it helped a lot. She also gave him Dylanta or something like that to help with the pain. (He's 22 now & healthy).

My 11yods loved being wrapped up tight in his blanket. He was fussy if we didn't do that with him, just let him lay there with a blanket on top really upset him more. Some babies just need that closeness.

He was born 2 weeks early but weight 9lb4oz. So no time in NICU or extended stay in the hospital.

I'd also be curious to what her stool looks/smells like. If it's light in color, mucousy and foul smelling she may have celiac disease & her formula is making her sick. If her formula contains wheat, rye(which I doubt), oats or barley those contain gluten. Most likely only wheat would be listed, as this is required by law but the other 3 are not. Is she gaining weight satisfactorily? Typical symptoms are stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting but constipation is not uncommon either.

And one last thing. I have a sister-in-law that took her newborn babies to a chiropractor. The birthing process can be stressful on babies too and with some adjustments they often feel much better. She swears by them and I've heard other Mom's tell of improved health because of the treatment by a chiropractor. You want to find one that's comfortable working on infants.

I hope you find some answers soon because this sounds exhausting for all concerned.

I can tell you that my daughter did the same thing at 3 months. I had her at 7 hrs a night and then all of the sudden I went down to 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. If none of the other formulas work or the gas drops or even the breastfeeding, may I suggest putting a little rice cereal in with the formula. It's very possible that she is not getting enough to fill her tummy on plain formula. My daughter was started on her cereal and formula mix at 3 months. Also, try some of the stage one fruits by gerber. My daughter loved them. Good luck and I will say a small prayer that you find a solution quickly.

Have you thought about reflux? Mt neice wanted to nurse or have a bottle constantly. She was always fussy and you could tell she was uncomfortable. Her ped let her try zantac and she became a brand new happy baby. Google GERD or reflux.

It might be beneficial to speak with your pediatrician regarding allergies. And possibly testing for other conditions such as celiac disorders, malabsorption syndrome, etc. Those are some pretty worse-case scenarios, but sometimes they need to be considered if nothing else provides the answer to the problem. There are many conditions that are simply genetic and no amount of prenatal care can fix that; but it may be possible to fix the symptoms. Schedule an appt. w/ the pediatrician and have a discussion about ALL of the baby's symptoms and don't stop until you get the answers you need; even if it means referrals to ped.specialists. Good luck to all of you!

It sounds as if she may be OVER-stimulated. Too much of any good thing is bad, and maybe just leaving her alone for a few hours (no matter how restless she is) might be good for her.

Also, since you and mama are both stressed, this translates to the baby (especially if she's a sensitive natured infant as it sounds like she is).

And if you HAVEN'T had her for check-ups for the formula changes, etc, she needs one. If she has been for lots of check-ups and nothing seems truly wrong, either try a different doctor or try my first suggestion -- leave her alone in a separate room from everyone else.

A baby should never be left with a propped-up bottle, either -- for lots of reasons (even if there aren't problems with reflux).

Just my thoughts (I'm also a grandma).

The video "The Happiest Baby on the Block" has great soothing techniques for newborns, I would recommend getting this. Also, she could consider wearing the baby/ holding the baby more. My son had reflux and he slept in his swing, with the swing going, while swaddled. Another thought- is there air freshner/ perfume/ etc. that could be bothering her? My son cried much much worse ON the reflux meds than OFF. I second the lady who suggested your daughter consider trying to restart her breastfeeding- I think it could make all the difference!