I Need Some Good Advice

Oh I know how that is. I have an 8 month old that did nothing but scream for the first two months of her life. She was diagnosed with acid reflux. THe switched her to similac allimentum and put her on zantzac. She is much happier now. HTH

I had the same problem with my daughter when she was little. You said she was on medication for colic but I wonder if it might be Acid Reflux. This can make them very uncomfortable and cry a lot. My daughter and son both did this and once they were on the correct dose of zantac they were fine. Just a thought. Good luck.

L.,

It sounds like your baby might have acid reflux instead of colic. A baby who has colic screams mostly at night and for a couple of hours stretch. NOT all the time as you describe. Both of my daughters had acid refux. When your daughter is screaming try giving her 1/4 teaspoon of mylanta supreme WITHOUT aluminium(sp?)if she calms down after a bit then she definately has acid refulx and I would talk to her pediatrician about putting her on zantac. Maybe if your baby doesn't cry as much with the medication you would be less stressed. :)

When my son was first born from day 1 he cried all the time, I tried Mylencon Drops in a bottle with him and it really helped, they're over the counter drops. Try those first because they wont hurt your daughter and it's only like $10 for a box of the drops. Also, my son has acid reflux and that's something you really do want to get checked out. Long story short my son wasn't diagnosed with acid reflux until he was almost 1 1/2 and he had a lot of complications from not being diagnosed. The acid build-up had caused his esophagus to actually shrink. To get an idea of what I mean, a part of his esophagus looked like an hour glass and it was impossible for food to pass down his throat. He ended up having sugeries to correct this. Out of everything my son has experienced, I've learned that if your doctor doesn't seem to be listening then get loud. Do what you have to do to get your doctor to pay attention. If the first fix doesn't work then get your doctor to go to something else, question everything. I ended up switching doctor's because I was tired of being treated like a stupid single mom. I'm now 22 and my son is almost 4. Prejudice's are everywhere and unfortuately doctor's do have them too. Granted I had a bad experience, I'm not saying that your doctor isn't listening to you. But if your daughter is still having problems, definitley look for ways to fix it. Colic is such a general term for "the baby cries all the time" and a doctor is quick to diagnose with that because it's an easy fix. Just like when you first had the baby and didn't know what the cries meant, the baby cries for a reason. Sometimes it can be seperation anxiety but check out all possible medical reasons too. You'd be surprised how many kids actually have acid reflux now a days.

Hi Liz,
I had a daughter too that had colic and I can sympathize with you, it is not fun! Over time it will pass and she just needs to get to know someone else other than her Mommy. If she gets close with the babysitter she will grow to get close to her. I would just make sure that the babysitter is mature and experienced with tons of patience. I kwould still find a job it is just something that you will have to break her of. I am a mother of 4 with 1 step son so I know that there are going to be tough times. It would help you to if you had help. My mother was there with me and took her when patience were wearing thin. I used to take her for car rides just so she would be quite, but eventually she will grow out of it and you will not feel quite as stressed.

Hi L..

Thought I'd add my two cents. We also thought my son was colicky but it was Acid Reflux as others have mentioned. Once he was diagnosed he was a different baby! He is now on Pepcid but will be coming off in about two weeks as babies usually grow out of it by 9 months.

Some people mention the Mylencon drops. My experience is that those are for gas, not reflux. But, we also used those on my son as he was very gassy. Our doctor said there is no fear of overdose so we gave then to him every two hours. We bought the Target, Walmart or CVS brand as they are much cheaper.

My son was watched by my sister for the first 6 months and I was concerned with putting him in daycare. We took him to visit and his eyes got huge when he saw the other children. He had never been around kids his age/size before and he was so entranced on his first day that he never even knew when my husband left.

Good luck!

Hello L.-
Hang in there girl!!
My daughter went through a time like that. I had a doctor suggest I try something called ColicEase (Some Health Food stores sell it or you can find it on the internet). It was a MIRACLE cure!!!!! Does your daughter get any relief from you "pedaling" her legs? Or the sound of a vacuum running? We had a few weeks where she would settle with a dose of the all natural ColicEase then a swing ride with the vacuum or hairdryer going. I nursed my daughter so I don't really know much about the formaulas out there. I realize its probably not much of a comfort when your on hour 157+ of the screaming and crying but do know some of us have been through it. Your not alone. And as for the dad...he thinks he can do better?...Please. ha ha.

I personally have never had this problem, but a friend of mine had just gotten over the problem. She is a breast feeding mother and her son who was a bout 4 months at the time she decided to go back to work would not let anyone but her, the father and me hold him without him screaming uncontrollably ALL DAY. She even had her sister as a babysitter but the baby would cry and not eat until his mother came home. So about 4 weeks later she brought him to daycare becasue she figured that they care trained to handle crying babies. She brought him and the first day he was great, they said he ate and played and everything was good. A few days later he cried a bit more but was still ok. Now he goes to daycare 4 days a week and is great. It is just seperation anxiety. Expecially if this is your first baby. You probably held her very often and were around ALL THE TIME. She is just scared that when you leave her you won't come back. PLUS I am one who doesn't believe in colic.

My daughter had colic as well around the same time frame (age) your daughter is. She is on soy formula and taking her pepcid (or whatever the doctor prescribed)? I use to put her in a vibrating bouncy chair or swing and turn on running water from the kitchen sink. For some reason, that noise would calm her down and she would actually sleep too. I suppose a sound machine of white noise may work too. But this to shall pass. It seems like forever before they get over it, but it will happen. My daughter is now 2 years old and doing great. Good luck.

i had the same problem with my daughter and i still do but i have been taking her to alot of places to just visit people and now she does stay with some of my family but babies can sence the fear and anger in some people so that makes them scared

Dear L.,

You sound like you are in the middle of an incredibly stressful time. My babies never had colic, but I have known several family members who have had babies with colic. One thing they mentioned was that getting away was really good for them. They said they really needed it. Then they could come back and be refreshed, a bit, having shared some of the screaming time with care givers. I am really sorry you are going through theis and hold you and your baby in my thoughts.

One more thing, I am very over-protective and do not live near my family so leaving my babies has alwasy been hard on me. However, every one has told me that their crying has stopped almost as soon as I have left and that they were fine...

Best wishes!

Hi L.,

My daughter also had colic and acid reflux. She screamed non-stop during the night and it was so stressful for me because I had to work full time and so did my husband. After she was diagnosed with acid reflux and put on medicine for it then the screaming seemed to get a little better but didn't totally go away. I tried everything possible but nothing else really helped. She finally out grew the screaming at about 5 months so hang in there! Your daughter will out grow the colic and it will get better!

My daughter also screams when other people come around. She started doing this very early and even now that she is 1 year old, she still doesn't want anyone but me to hold her. Her great grandparents watch her during the day and she is fine with them so I think once your daughter gets used to day care then she will be fine. Good Luck!

L., Have you tried infant massage? There are some really nice techniques that can help with "colic". I am in Ann Arbor and I am a certified Infant Massage Instructor. Thats far for you I know but I can see if there is someone in your area. IM also promotes bonding which may help with stranger anxiety. I would love to help you with this because it is so stressful. If there is anything I can do let me know. I also know a wonderful woman who runs a day care out of her home in Grand Rapids (if I lived there I would let Hunter go there). With him only knowing you and your mom it will be hard for her to adjust to strangers for the first several times. Hang in there.

L. F.
My prayers to you about your situation. Let me tell you that I would try to work from home first before you go out and find a job that someone else has to watch the baby. I do Mary Kay, but there are others out there. If your interested in learning go to www.marykay.com/cbalante or call me at ###-###-####. "I can show you how to do this with ZERO out of pocket!!! I do this for my recruits! Check out other Home businesses as well and see the difference for yourself!
As for the baby and the crying, you said the formula has been changed and medications are being used. Try to be calm when you are holding the baby, do NOT let the other things in your life stress you out because the baby can feel YOUR TENSION! Hence, they cry because you are upset and not at rest.
Everything will work out, the baby is still young and you did not say if she is sleeping through the night. Try to wrap a blanket around her waist and use a diaper or burp cloth for your shoulder, hold her and get her belly warm by cuddling her next to you. When she falls asleep then lay her down with the blanket still wrapped around her waist and I always put the diaper cloth down on the mattress too. Lie it flat as NOT to obstruct her breathing but to let her SMELL YOU. This is a great Calming factor. Try to put her down fast but not too fast as the cold rush of air WILL wake her and cries will happen. If she does wake a bit. Rub her back and soothe her to sleep then cover her up and sneak out of the room. WHEW! Done alseep and happy.
My little brother had colic and at 15 yrs. old I remember how CRAZED my step mom was from lack of REST and help. I did this for her and it worked! Problem solved. She got some sleep.

Good luck let me know if it helps.
C.

Hi L., my 7 month ol had cholic for the first 4 mos, the Dr said he'd grow out of it, which wasn't much comfort at the time. (he has since grown out of it) in the meantime, we found these very helpful
-Dr Brown's bottles to help prevent cholic
-tried a bunch of different formulas, for us Nestle Good Start worked best
-gas drops
-inclined wedge for sleeping

these helped reduce discomfort and length of crying spells etc. also, considering crying that long may be hard for others to handle, consider aa centr that has multiple care givers, that way they can take turns. as she's exposed to more people she will become more secure with strangers as they become more familiar.

our son attends tutor time and he really enjoyes himself, i think he has more fun playing with the other kids and having the variety of caregivers and games than he does at home.

it was really hard going back to work, i cried a lot and felt like a terrible mom even signing him up for daycare, but he didn't have a problem with it and that helped a lot.

good luck

J.

Have they ruled out reflux? my son(s) had/have it and would scream...my one still has reflux he is 3 and it is controlled through meds prevacid 15 mg once daily

Hi L., sounds like you have your hands full. Are you sure she is just a colicy baby? Have the doctor check her ears.

Is she getting enough formula? Think of everthing. Nothing is to stupid to check out when it is your child.

The reason I am telling you check everything. My sister in law' child a little boy screamed for 5 months straight, night and day before they truly new the reason. He was hurting but it was not colic which he was being treated for. He had severe ear problems and until my sister in law changed doctors she did not know. He lost all hearing in the right ear and 45% in the left. The doctor put tubes in his ears. The baby changed from night and day. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If it is colic Lord help you take breaks as often as you can so you can stay calm with the baby and don't lose your mind. good luck, hang in there it will get better. B.

I too had a high maintenance child. I am assuming that you have already went the route of seeking a pediatric allergist and or GI specialist? My daughter legitimately had food allergies and acid reflux amoung other things. I can recommend a wonderful book to read if you want to have some more insight and potential suggesstion. The fussy baby book by Dr. Sears. Since it is your first this might help.

L.,

My second baby was colicky. I breastfed and the pediatrician recommended that I take milk out of my diet. That helped, but not entirely, so she also recommended eliminating soy. Which meant cooking everything from scratch! It took about two weeks for my baby's system to clear, but then it was like an overnight miracle. She stopped crying, stopped passing blood in her stools, and was happy. I know they also have formula that doesn't have milk or soy in it, so ask your pediatrician about it. Her "colic" may actually be a byproduct of allergies right now. And my baby (she's almost two!) can eat anything now, most babies grow to tolerate soy & dairy by a year, if that's what's bothering her.

As for a sitter or daycare, I would go with a daycare right now. She'll get used to it, but let them know up front that she might need some settling in. I'd go with the daycare because they will have a form for you to fill out saying who can take your daughter, besides you. They legally can not give her to the father unless you approve.

And talk to a good lawyer about his threats. Unless there's something seriously wrong he can't do that and is just trying to scare you. But document what he says and when so you can use it if you need to!

Good luck, you're in our prayers. The "colic" is something that will pass, though it would be wonderful if you could find a formula that won't hurt her tummy right now. And I'll bet in a week or two of daycare she'll be fine. It's easier to transition her now than later, when she's older.

Best wishes! Oh, I have a regular full-time job, and am quitting my part time thing as a Longaberger consultant. It's nice of the Mary Kay lady to offer to help, but I can say from experience that you'd have to do a lot of shows to make a living at any of these business (that goes from girlfriends who were Pampered Chef and Stampin Up hostesses too).

Hi, my 4 month old son was also colic, it went away and teething began. Is she teething? There is also some acid reflex that babies can get sometimes, my moms friends son had that on top of colic.... With the colic have you tried the Little Tummies? That helped us ALOT. I'm sorry to hear about your situation with the father.

hi im C. and my son has gerd wich is reflux disease, we had to take him to get a special test done where he drinks from a bottle dearing an x raye, and you can see it going down to his belly, and then shooting back up. he is on zantac 15 mil 2ce a day, and also on regulin .4 ml 3 times a day. and he still getss fussy. but when he was 2 months old we had to start putting cereal in his feeding to help keep his formula down, and he was so conjested that he was having a hard time breathing and extremly conjested and started to get ear infections from being conjested so bad, the nose dropps and the asperator wasnt helpping very much had to do it every 2 hours. and warm baths, and he also got namonia. we switched to healthy good start easy to diagest. (the purple can) and with his meds, and the new formula he is doing very well now. he still gets cranky but we just massage his belly and make sure he has his meds and he is ok. I was told this kind of GERD REFLUX is simular to when, We as adults get constipated and have really bad stomache cramps along with gas build up. is how they feels. If thats what your little one has then just be pationt and just cuddle your little one tightly when this happens. and as far as you wanting to work. im a first time mom and id love to go to work also, but dont really feel comfortable leaving my son gage with someone else. but his dad.

C.

L., my niece used to scream non stop, we found out later on that she had asthma, also if she is gassy alot or is prone to am upset stomach you can put a starlight mint or a piece of a cand cane into a bottle of water and let her sip on it. just a thought good luck make sure you talk to your doctor about this also. T.

Ditto to other posters. Most likely reflux.
What worked for us
smaller, more frequent feedings
keeping him upright in a bouncy seat after eating
Good Start Fomula
Dr Browns bottles
elevating his crib mattress with a rolled towel under it

We just couldn't lay him flat at any time & he really didn't like to be held by anyone.

Good luck!

I have been there! I had my son at 22. From the day he came out he cried from sun up to sun down. First, I just want to say for those who don't believe that colic doesn't exist, well that is because they have not experienced it first hand. I would sit on my front porch and just cry because I didn't know what else to do. He was also VERY clingy. I put him on a formula called nutramigen which helped a little, used DR. Browns bottles, do NOT shake the bottles to mix the formula, stir it so it does not create bubbles, I personally let him sleep on his stomach, which I know they do not recommed, but I needed sleep as I worked full time. I also took him to daycare monday through friday and he would cry the whole way there, but as soon as we walked in the door, he would stop. I was glad that he liked it, but it would frustrate me because they could make him stop! whatever! The last thing I will say is what I could not stand anyone telling me, she will just grow out of it one day. Really, it was like one day he just stopped crying, but it wasn't until about 6 months I hate to tell you. Good Luck, it does get better I promise!