Consistently Fussy 4Week Old!

is he constipated? My son did that and he's had a lot of issues with that.. try doing leg motions.. bicycling his legs, rubbing on his belly in circular motions, when he's grunty, push both knees to his chest in a fluid motion.. see if that helps.

It sounds to me that maybe he could be constipated, now dont get me wrong I B?F mine and of course they dont have BM's as often as formula fed babies. At four weeks though wow its pretty hard to tell, I could only think of checking his abdomin... who knows. A mothers instinct it great so go with it, you know...?

Hi C.,
I breast fed my daughter too - I noticed when I ate soy products she was extremely fussy. I cut out soy cheese and that helped, and then I forgot and ate a soy pudding - and she had a terrible episode! Some babies are sensitive to things we eat - most common baby sensitivities are dairy, soy, gluten (wheat and all types of bread products - crackers, cookies, pasta, etc).

Try elilminating dairy and soy first, and see how your little guy does. Often, their little systems just need some time to mature. I also found I couldn't eat anything "gassy" like broccoli at first. I can't remember when I was able to add it back in, but my daughter is now 2 1/2 and she has almost no food sensitivities, and has been healthy as a horse! I like to think it's the breastfeeding...

Good luck to you - I see you have had lots of input on this issue - keep us all posted. If you would like to cut out some foods and need some tips on what else to eat, feel free to e-mail.

Warmly,
E.

I had to cut out milk and mozzerella cheese. I could notice a big difference in my son. Very irritable and cried at night. Check your diet.

I'm sure other's have mentioned this, but it's probably a sensitivity to something you are eating. It took about 5 weeks for me to figure out my son is allergic to cow's milk products and has discomfort w/ dairy in general. That's pretty much what colic is. We used "gripe water" and it did help, but me eliminating things from my diet is what finally worked. He's 8 months now and I can't eat dairy, but I can eat other foods now that I had to avoid for awhile. With my first - I could eat ANYTHING! but #2 - I couldn't eat garlic, or any of those "gassy" foods - Brocc, peppers, etc...
It's wonderful that you're breastfeeding, so try an elimination diet.
You can get more info from Kellymom.com and my personal favorite resource is Dr. Sear's. He has a website too if you search it. I have his books, so I haven't been on his site, but I hear it is incredibly resourceful and he goes into great depth on this topic.
Good luck!

Is he gaining weight? You should talk to your doctor. It could be reflux or the food you are eating. Maybe he is having trouble digesting you breast milk and you may need to adjust you diet or even stop breastfeeding. I had to stop breastfeeding my daughter at around 1 month of age because she was losing weight, extremely irritable and projectile vomitting. We used alamentum, once on that formula, she became a happy and content child. I would have much preferred to breastfeed but at that point, she needed food, breastfeeding was not working and was making her sick. She is 3 now with no food allergies and is happy and healthy. As a matter of fact, I breast feed my son to approx. a year, and he had reoccuring ear infections from 8-months on until over a year when he got tubes and my daughter has had only one ear infection her entire life.

Hi C. - Hang in there... once your baby gets to 12-13 weeks, I would bet it'll all change. Some babies are just colicky... Truly colicky. By that I mean it is NOT a sensitivity to something, they're just not terribly content. I tried a ton of things with both of my kids and the bottom line was nothing worked all that well. 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' helped (the book... didn't read all the replies by I suspect someone mentioned it already). With my son, it lasted from wk 3 to wk 7, with my daughter from wk 3 to wk 12. Breastfeeding is still the very best thing you can do for your baby, so hang in there!!

Cant say for sure because I am not observing your son but I should think you may have a colicy baby .
I mix an herbal tea and it worked wonders for my grandson who was extremely cranky with colic. When my dau in law's mum saw how well it worked for the infant she took the recipe for several of the women at her church who also had babies with colic.
Being an older lady, mother of seven, grammie of 15, and greatgram of 1 and 1/3 (hehe) And was somewhat of an herbalist in that I made medicinal teas for folks.
I have a theory about colic, I believe it is an immature digestive/nerve condition. The tea I make I usually have to adjust for nerves and digestives and it really works when I hit the combination of amounts of ingredients correctly. Takes a week or so to see what each baby needs most.
I do not feel I can give the recipe to you but you can go to a health food store and pick up stuff for colic that is just as good.
Several more hints for colic, he will take his breast feedings in sessions. Not nurse enough and twenty minutes later , nurse for five or ten minutes.
If you swaddle him it will comfort him.
Where you are breast feeding it could be something you are eating that is affecting him and causing the colic to kick in.
If you take an herb pillow , heat it, actually two are better, put one on his back and one on his tummy.
Gently roll his tummy over the pillow on your knee.
Every baby is a rocker or a bouncer. Holding baby close to you , rock back and forth with baby. Or sit on edge of bed, again holding baby close, and bounce. One of these will comfort him , at least for awhile.
If he has severe colic, he will probably fuss anyway, even if you give him a colic tonic....BUT without the tonic and having severe colic he would usually be screaming instead of fussing.
They all seem to outgrow it in several months . The very longest time with colic I have seen is six months.
NOW this all being said, you really should discuss this with baby's doc see what he/she thinks.
It is hard to deal with a colicy baby, takes Dad and Mum and any stray friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents to help.
Even long enough for you to have a lay down nap when you can.
Best wishes dear and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

my son was like this when he was a newborn for a few weeks. It could be a few things I think. I unfortunately could not take it anymore and stoped breatfeeding but with that we figured out the problem. Your child cannot be allergic to your breastmilk but could be allergic to something you are eating which could be upsetting his stomache. My son was allergic to milk and I drink and eat tons of dairy. I would fiddle around with your own diet and see if you are eating something that could be causing him gas. Also, you might not be producing enough milk and he may be getting frustrated while your nursing because he isnt getting it as fast as he would like. You could pump in between feedings and make sure you are eating and drinking enough to produce more milk. Or you might just have a little guy who can't get enough and may just smell you (they can do that) and want to eat and eat and eat. I suggest a pacifier for that. Ok I hope one of these might be your problem and will fix it!
Good Luck
C.

My first thought is always the food that you're eating because my daughter had food allergies. Of course, it may not be the case, but I have a lot of friends that are breast-feeding and restricting their own diets while they're infants benefit greatly! Infants usually can't be tested for food allergies, and pediatricians sometimes are not up to date on this issue. Mom's know best. To begin with, I would keep track of what you're eating (in your agenda book or on your PC, perhaps a spreadsheet) and your baby's behavior. Then try an elimination diet. If you eliminate the right foods, you may find you have a very easy baby!!! But first you need to do some tedious detective work. If I were you, I would start with dairy for two weeks (no less because it can stay in your system). To be successful on this, you need to prepare - stock up on non-dairy snacks and plan your meals (as if you're not busy enough already!!). Don't buy your favorite icecream and chocolate cookies (Whole Foods sells the best coconut based icecream and Trader Joe's has some semi-sweet chocolate, very good and inexpensive). Avoid all foods with casein and whey. The experiment is completely non-invasive and can do no harm, BUT in order to be valid, you can't cheat. You can do it! I'd be happy to send you some recipes and brands. Next, if that doesn't work, look at something you eat (or over eat), are you someone who overloads on breads and pastas? Could be gluten intolerance. Or egg (my daughter is allergic to dairy and egg- even baked goods with eggs). Or Soy or corn. These would be the next foods to avoid for two weeks. One food at a time. Pay close attention to when you reintroduce the suspected food item for changes in your baby's behavior.

I wish you all the best!

Alex

that is how my son was and it turned out he has acid reflux, caused by a milk protien. Im not sure if thats what he has but its worth asking.

Hi C...Unfortunately it sounds like Colic to me. I have 3 children..ALL 3 were Colicky! Super fussy...Around the clock...Nothing would sooth them except me holding them..I spent many night with the baby in sleeping in the Baby Bjorn while I tried to rest too. Has your DR. said the word colic yet? I suggest asking lots of people to visit, so you can take a break! best of luck!! It is NOT easy! hang in there!

Our 4.5 month old was so fussy ALL the time too. The solutions from "Happiest Baby on the Block" saved our lives. There's a DVD if you don't have time to read the book (I would read it while nursing). We also used Colic Calm gripe water with great success - I didn't want to give any drugs and this is all natural and it really helped (I don't have a connection with the company, really - it just helped us. www.coliccalm.com or can get on ebay for slightly less sometimes). I would also see a lactation consultant at your hospital - they helped us with some nursing issues and will be able to tell if he is getting too much with your letdown, etc.

I didn't read the other advice given, so I apologize if this is repetitive.
Have you considered yeast overgrowth/thrush? It is very common and very commonly misdiagnosed/underdiagnosed. I would recommend talking to your pedi, if they are stumped, consider consulting a La Leche League leader, herbalist or naturopath who can help you figure out what to do. It's really worthwhile.
Good Luck!

Hi C., you've already gotten so many thoughtful responses but I just thought I'd add that my son also was sensitive to dairy. It doesn't last forever, I went back on dairy when he was about 9 months and he was fine and he eats dairy with no problem at all as a toddler. It's just that some babies systems are really sensitive to the proteins in dairy early on. There are other things, like soy, etc but dairy seems to be the most common culprit. Try eliminating it from your diet (you can find dairy in the name of whey or cassein even in bread or hot dogs so be careful) and you might notice a difference in your baby within 2-3 days. You could have an oversupply issue but this probably wouldn't show up after only 4 weeks. If you notice that his stools are greenish and/or foamy you can try switching to one-sided feedings and that will help too. Kellymom.com is really a great resource. Good luck!

Hi, Maybe your darling little one is allergic to something in your breast milk. The same type of situation happend to me with our daughter. I stopped all milk products when I was breast feeding (11 months) and she did great. Of course, consult your medical professional before switching diets. Good luck and hang in there. It will get better. Laurie

Hi C.. My son had the same problem, starting at about 4 weeks. It turns out that he has a milk protein allergy and that the dairy I ate was causing him pain. Have you noticed any blood in his stool? We didn't but our pediatrician saw it under a microscope. The doctor told me to stop eating any dairy and I could continue to nurse. I would call the doctor and talk to them. Also don't be afraid to say I've had enough and take a break. The constant crying can really wear on you and you get so frazzled that everything seems worse. Good luck!

WELCOME TO COLIC!!! There's not much you can really do... My son pretty much lived in his car seat for 3 months because that was the only place he was happy (he must be rocking in it of course...), or in his swing... it will pass by 3 months, and yes, it is very tough to get through. Trust me, after you will miss it.. Hot water bottles help too :-)

Hi C.,
I think it sounds like your lil' man, might have a touch of Reflux. I work in a wonderful Maternal wellness center that runs Mom and Baby support gruops throughtout the week and weekend. This sounds like one of my Mommies and her baby, he was exclusively breastfeed, but she found he was never comfortable or satisfied, he did not like to be on his back or his side, he seemed to almost writh in pain after nursing, not always immediately afterwards, but within an hour after nursing. After much difficulty with sleeping and his wakeful hours were spent in tears, she asked her pediatrician what the possiblity of it being Reflux. After a few trips to a G.I. specialist they determined it was infact Acid Reflux. Mommy had to make some serious adjustments to her diet, he has a dairy allergy, and a wheat allergy, which were both exesacerbating the reflux. She breastfeed him until 5 months then found he had to transistion to Alumentin-perscription formula. Best of luck , this is one of a few different experiences, if you would like any further help or support, please check out, www.NiNiBambini.com Good luck and warm regards to your family!

Have you ever read the book "Happiest Baby on the Block"? (Harvey Karp) I can't promise that it will help, but it is all about how to deal with fussy babies. We followed his advice with our little girl and she was a very happy baby. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Hi C.,

It looks like you have gotten a bunch of different opinions on your situation. I had what appears to be a similar situation as you with my second son (now 3 months) from birth to about a month or so. He would often pull away while breatfeeding and be very irritable and uncomfortable between feedings. Turns out I was producing too much milk which resulted in a heavy let-down that was difficult for him to manage. He would end up with air in his tummy and have a difficult time burping it up. Over the weeks my milk supply stabilized to a level that now better meets his needs and he is a now a happy breastfeeding baby. Below is a link I found helpful while dealing with my nursing issues. Hope you find it helpful as well. Good luck!
http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

My son was like that, too! When he was about 4 months old we finally broke down and went to the doctors. Well, come to find out, he has reflux. So now three months later he is still a very verbal baby but no where near the decibel that his cry used to be at. And we now give him a script twice a day along with the following:

Try to keep him upright after feeding (for half hour or so) and always get a burp out of him, if you can! We have a johnny jump up to help us out along with a walker. I have two receiving blankets under his mattress to help with reflux.

With Mylacon or a script, you have to stick with it. Once or twice a day doesn't cut it. I think Mylacon can be given as much as ten times a day.

Good luck and give him lots love! It's just as tough on the little guy as it on the parents.

how often is he having a bowel movement and how hard it is. you can try making fennel tea - if it's gas this will help. in the spice isle buy fennel seeds. in a small pot boil some water and put about a tsp of seeds and a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. boil the seeds until the water is a greenish yellow color. srain the seeds out and let tea cool. and give 1/2 - 1 oz to baby. taste the tea if it's a little bitter you can add a bit more sugar. i used to make a bottle of it in the am and just leave it on the counter all day and use as needed. if he is uncomfortable b/c of gas this will make him poop and feel better.

you can also do this with chamomille tea - this will help his fussiness but not necessarily make him poop.

A friend of mine had a similar issue with her daughter as a newborn. It turned out that her daughter had a lactose intolerance to any milk products that my friend was eating. She had to cut out all cheese, milk, yogurt, etc. and ended up supplementing with a very expensive soy based formula...her daughter was also very fussy on the breast and throughout the day.

I'm sorry to hear about your trouble. I have a 21 mo. old and a baby on the way any day so I'm sure to top things off you must be exhausted. Ask your pedi about the dairy thing and see if cutting some of that stuff out for a day or two helps.good luck.

Have you tried the vacuum cleaner? the dryer? or hair dryer? the white noise is very soothing! If these soothe, there is a cd you can purchase w/ these sounds and more! worked like a charm for my son and nephew! My last 3 children all slept in their carseats until 3mo old, cozy and upright helps reflux if indeed an issue! I lived with the sling and snugglie too for close contact. Swaddling also helps for some
Good luck!