grannyk,
I feel for you!
The first thing to do is look for signs of illness. I would rule out
any medical problem by having your daughter's pediatrician check the
baby. Be sure s/he checks for undiagnosed gastroesophageal reflux
disease (GERD). Is the baby having regular and soft (not runny) bowel
movements? Constipation is one of the most common causes of pediatric
abdominal pain.
Infant GERD
http://www.nexiumresearch.com/gerd_infant.html
..."Studies show that GERD is common and may be overlooked in infants
and children..."
After that, there's a lot of traditional and alternative remedies to
try. Be forwarned, these may or may not work for you. I think it's
very likely that one of these suggestions will work for you. I will
provide you with a few ideas and give you several good links where you
can get more detailed information.
I will assume here that the baby is not hungry, has a clean diaper,
and has been burped to the best of your ability.
From your description of the baby's symptoms, it sounds like stomach
cramps or gas pain. Another name for idiopathic crying is Colic.
Burp the baby more often than every 2-3 ounces, try burping several
times during one feeding. This page makes an attempt to explain
Colic, although noone really knows what the cause is, here are the
theories:
What causes colic
http://flfl.essortment.com/whatcausescoli_rzku.htm
..."It's estimated that 15 to 20 percent of all babies will exhibit
signs of colic. In some ways, colic is a medical mystery. It appears
to be digestion-related and tends to worsen in the evening hours.
Though babies suffering from this malady will cry, scream, kick, and
appear totally miserable, they are generally healthy from every other
standpoint. There is usually no fever, diarrhea, weight loss or other
measurable symptoms. During crying spells, the baby is usually
inconsolable. Colic usually peaks at the age of six weeks and has
usually resolved itself by three months..."
Be sure to read the whole page.
The absolute first thing I would try would be swaddling the baby. If
swaddling alone doesn't work, try adding a pacifier.
How to swaddle your baby, a step-by-step picture guide.
http://www.pediatrics.wisc.edu/childrenshosp/parents_of_preemies/swaddling.html
This holds the baby's arms and legs close to it's body, mimicing the
womb experience. This might help with the gas pain. Here's a simple
page that describes why recreating the womb experience is a good idea:
Swaddling
http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/S/swaddling.html
..."In utero, the baby lies in such a position that the arms and legs
are folded up against the body. In this attitude, the muscle and joint
position sensors are at rest, and are quiet. That is to say, messages
about position change are not sent to the brain. When the baby is born
and this confinement removed, the limbs can be waved around and a
tremendous amount of new nervous input flows to the infant brain. All
this "noise" or static is overwhelming, and upsets the baby..."
Be sure to click on the link at the above page to this video:
The Sleep Tight Video© - Help for sleepless parents
http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/S/swaddling.html
No idea what this is but it looks promising.
The swaddling method worked for me with my children countless times.
I found the page below which has a 5 step method the doctor calls "The
Cuddle Method" ...which recommends a five-step system of swaddling,
swinging and other things to calm a fussy baby.
Swaddling, and The Cuddle Method info:
Shhh.... UCLA pediatrician [ Dr. Karp ] develops the 'Cuddle Cure' to
calm colicky infants
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/80970_cry.shtml
..."Karp's premise is that infants need a "fourth trimester" to finish
developing -- a luxury denied because of the biological imperative for
babies to hurry up and be born before their heads grow too large for
safe passage.
Some laid-back newborns sail through these early weeks without much
trouble. But Karp says fussy infants get overwhelmed after about two
weeks of age, the period when colic's window of opportunity opens. At
that point, they're alert enough to notice environmental stimulation
but they can't calm themselves.
Parents' job is to trigger the baby's "calming reflex" -- a term Karp
coined -- by doing the above-mentioned "5 S's." The tight swaddling,
swinging and other prescribed interventions simulate a "fourth
trimester" in the womb to keep the infant comfortable while his brain
matures a bit..."
Here's the book Dr. Karp wrote:
The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help
Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer --by M.D. Harvey Karp
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553381466/qid=1073391642/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-9049981-1873439?v=glance&s=books
...read the reviews
This book also got rave reviews at Amazon:
The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through
the Night --by Elizabeth Pantley.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071381392/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/103-9049981-1873439?v=glance&s=books&st=*
...read the reviews
As did this one:
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate
with Your Baby --by Melinda Blau
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345440900/ref=pd_sim_books_4/103-9049981-1873439?v=glance&s=books
...read the reviews
The next set of links focus on Colic. What it is and what can be done about it.
Colic in Babies, Every Parents Nightmare
http://www.thelaboroflove.com/forum/homeo/colic.html
This page gives a good overview of what you are dealing with and lists
many "home remedies" to try.
What is Colic?
http://www.colichelp.com/
..."In general, babies start exhibiting colic symptoms around three
weeks of age, with it being at it's worst stage at around six weeks of
age and then usually stopping around three or four months of age..."
This website has many other pages and suggestions to explore. Here's a few:
Colic Articles
http://www.colichelp.com/articles.html
This page looks very helpful. Has an article that specifically
addresses "Colic and Formula Feeding" ..."If you have a colicky baby
and formula feed, this guide will help you choose the best formula for
your baby..."
Shop for Colic Remedies
http://www.colichelp.com/shop/index.html
What is Gripe Water?
http://www.colichelp.com/shop/gripewater.html
No idea about this, but it sounds interesting.
White noise can be effective. Be sure to check that link at the same
website. A television or radio on static, a vacuum cleaner, can work
wonders. In an extreme case, I know people that swear by car rides.
I never tried it myself because swaddling or swinging always worked
for me.
Next, I would try this "Fussy Baby Poster," placed in strategic
locations; near the changing area, on the wall by the basinett,
anywhere near the baby. I have an internet friend that told me about
this, it worked for her.
The Lampkin Fussy Baby Website
http://www.fussybaby.net/index.cfm
This website features the poster. I'm dying to know if it really
works, so why not give it a try? All you need is a printer and black
ink or toner.
Here's some other interesting links I ran across that you might like to peruse:
Establishing healthy sleep habits: An age-by-age guide.
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babysleep/7651.html
..."From the time your baby is born, you can begin to help him
establish healthy sleep habits that will last a lifetime..."
I hope at least one of these affords your daughter some relief. My
bet is on swaddling and swinging, ...that is after all, what worked
for me!
If you have any questions, please ask for a clarification of my
answer. This allows us to continue in a discussion. It also allows
me to add to my answer to ensure you are satisfied with the
information I am providing.
Please, report the success or failures you are having, let me know
what works, what doesn't, etc.
When you are happy with my answer, please don't forget to go back once
more and rate this answer, ok?
~~Cynthia
Search terms used at Google
Colic
infant "gas pain"
"fussy baby" poster
"fussy baby" "steps to take"
infant GERD |
