Bfing and Colic?

[mommyofmonkeys]

please have patience..I'm exhausted and frustrated and stressed out today.

My 3 week old just started this, so I am unsure if it is the beginning of colic, or something else. At first I thought it was because it's been very hot here. Yesterday was 108 degrees and today is 100 already and it's only noon. Last night around bedtime, she screamed and cried for 3 1/2 hours straight. Absolutely nothing I did would calm her. I tried nursing her, but she only wanted to suck so every time I'd have a letdown, she'd pull off and start crying again. I tried rocking her, swaddling her, etc - anything I could think of and it just didn't help. She finally passed out and I swaddled her and she slept through the night like normal, waking every 3-4 hours to eat and then going back to sleep no problem. Today we're back to the same thing where she is crying non stop and not napping well. She wants to be held and soothed, which I love doing, but I have 3 older children so this makes it difficult sometimes. She's eating well, but still wanting to comfort suck constantly and after she's eaten and full, when I have a let down she pulls off and starts crying again. I am just upset and I don't know what to do. I don't know how to tell if this is colic or if it's just that she's hot and uncomfortable or something else. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Jessie81]

It could be overactive letdown- too much milk for her to handle. Or I read that colic is often misdiagnosed acid reflux- GERD. Are you keeping her cool enough?

[RedheadbyChoice]

What about using a paci when she just wants to suck?

[mommyofmonkeys]

We have ac, and I've been keeping her in just a diaper and wetting her hair down if she feels too warm. If I had an overactive letdown, would that make her act the way she's acting?
As for a paci - I tried that yesterday as well, and she doesn't want to take it.

[bfmomworries]

If I had an overactive letdown, would that make her act the way she's acting?



it could make her act that way, that's how mine was acting when it appeared I had an overactive let down.

as for the heat, I hear ya. We had a hot spell here (with raging humidity) and I ended up having to nurse her in the basement. I honestly couldn't tell you who was more uncomfortable nursing the heat, my daughter or myself? She would be so irritable upstairs where it was warmer, so could be the heat as well. Sorry am not more help.

Good luck to you!

[lissa52483]

it could be that she is having a growth spurt and having some growing pains. ds2 did this around this age and then just magically stopped one day. it only lasted a couple days. when i took him for his check up he had gained a lb in 4 days and almost a 1/2in.

[vickikreiner]

Being over heated can certainly make a baby fussy, especially during a time they are more likely to be fussy anyway. I am more inclined to think it's an overactive letdown or maybe a combination.
These links may help:

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_tips_supply9.html

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

[Stephanie]

It can get so frustrating when babies cry and cry and you can't seem to put your finger on what is the matter. Is daddy around to take turns trying to calm her down? Check in to the Over active let down, and see if it sounds familiar.

I would try a cool bath, a car ride, or a walk in the stroller (if it has cooled down enough at night). Running the vacuum cleaner or hair dryer might work, or some other sort of white noise. Ds would always calm down with this one Children's Miracle Network commercial, we recorded it and would play it over and over.

[PeacefulMom]

Do you have a sling so you can carry her around and still get up and be with the older kids?

And I second OALD. I had it and about that age my DS started crying like that especially at night at the breast. I tried a paci too and no go. Block nursing eventually worked for us.

But I also think it was partially growing and just adjusting to life on the outside. It can't be easy for the little ones. This won't last long. I doubt it is colic though, I think with colic they cry all day. Evening fussiness is pretty normal.

[Amy_G_]

3 week growth spurt. baby will be fussy and unsatisfied and unhappy. They'll want to nurse more to up your supply, but if you already have a good supply, they'll get annoyed with you over that. They get overfull and cranky, but still have the drive to suck suck suck.
Put baby to the breast on only one side per feeding today. switch at the next feeding.

If baby gets inconsoleable, burp, change diaper, try a pacifier or your finger, walk, rock, try something new every 5-10 minutes, including putting baby down in the crib alone but well swaddled to cry and let yourself go to the bathroom, get some fresh air and think of something you haven't tried. I could tell you the answer is X, but for most baby's the answer may be somewhere between a-z.

Be sure you are burping baby really well, sometimes that is the issue. Mine wouldn't burp up over my shoulder, only sitting up with pats going up the back from bump to shoulders over and over and over again. he'd burp after about 10-15minutes and it would sound like an old man drinking beer.

hang in there. about the time you get this figured out, baby will change.

[The_Market]

What about using a paci when she just wants to suck?
I'm admittedly anti-paci, but I'm even more anti-hours-of-crying. If you feel like she's got nursing down well, this might be worth trying.

[madelsmama]

I would definitely rule out overactive let-down. It started at about 3 weeks old for us and there was lots and lots of crying at our home. :(

We started swaddling and putting her in the swing on fast speed, which kept her happy and asleep longer than anything else. We also used a large inflatable exercise ball to sit on and bounce when nothing else helped.

We also played a CD that was the vacuum or used the humidifier for white noise, which seemed to calm her.

Ugh, hang in there. It totally sucks now but will be better soon. Keep reminding yourself that this is not going to be how things are permanently.