Help me with my newborn

amother

Acacia

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:04 pm

My baby was like this. Didnt sleep no matter what I did, just cried and cried a lot!
I came in here for advice as well
There was nothing I was doing wrong, and nothing to do different. Simply a hard baby. At 6 months things got way easier Baruch Hashem, and its amazing that its the same baby!
I wish someone would have told me that there is nothing I am doing wrong, some babies are hard!

scintilla

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:05 pm

amother OP wrote:

I appreciate you taking the time to type this

Is he in pain while eating? Could it be gas or reflux? I don't think so
Sensitivity to the formula or something you ate? How would I know,?
Does he like motion and find it soothing? Usually not
Is he gaining properly? Yes bh
Is he having enough wet and dirty diapers? I think so
Is a different position more comfortable for him (against your shoulder, football hold, cradling, holding with pressure on the stomach, etc)? only[b] with paci also in mouth and hysterics every time it falls out which is often

The last point makes me think possibly tongue tie which could cause fussiness but it's not for sure just because of that. Have you suspected/looked into it?

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:09 pm

amother Lightgray wrote:

One of mine had this - I started eliminating foods one by one that were known to cause issues with milk. Think skipping onions for a couple of days, if that didn't work, skip something else for a couple of days. With that particular child, it was caffeine of all things! I realized it late one night when I was going to grab something else to help me stay awake and realized that she was drinking what I was drinking, and was probably being kept up by the same stuff keeping me up. Banging head

Which foods are known to cause issues?

Chana Miriam S

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

I'm breastfeeding only, how did you figure it out?

Try feeding your baby proactively. A baby who already starts crying is way harder to settle. Best advice I ever got was just to stick the baby on my breast every time he opened his mouth. Feed on demand, not a schedule and hopefully you’ll get ahead of the crying. How’s the baby’s weight gain?

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:12 pm

scintilla wrote:

Try wearing them in a carrier to get them to sleep, if that works go for a walk to keep them in a good sleep. Then once they've had a good sleep, you've broken the overtired cycle hopefully and you can try the other tips to get them back on track. My favorite tip is catch them before they're tired.

If they're still fussy I would recommend craniosacral therapy, going off dairy *completely* and checking for any feeding issues or tongue tie. A probiotic can also help if it's stomach related.

And so much of this can just be, newborn-ness! It will pass iyh! In the meantime hold them close as much as you can and know you're doing a good job.

I keep breaking the cycle and then it starts all over again when it takes hours for him to fall asleep even when I try right away
I barely eat dairy, there's for sure been days I didn't eat any
Probiotic for baby?

amother

Azure

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:12 pm

amother OP wrote:

Which foods are known to cause issues?

The main allergens: dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts, soy. You can go on a elimination diet where you stop eating all of these, then add in one each week and see if baby reacts.

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:13 pm

amother Magenta wrote:

How are you putting him to sleep? We do a lot of contact naps at that age. Use a sling or wrap carrier if needed.

That's what's been working some of the time although I do keep it as a last resort kind of thing because I'm afraid of bad habits

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:14 pm

amother Acacia wrote:

Something must have been bothering the baby though

scintilla

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:14 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes, they sell probiotics for infants.

If there's a true dairy sensitivity, you can't have even a drop of dairy and it can take up to two weeks to clear from your system. They usually outgrow it but it's not uncommon, my daughter was like that (confirmed by GI when she was a little older).

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:15 pm

scintilla wrote:

The last point makes me think possibly tongue tie which could cause fussiness but it's not for sure just because of that. Have you suspected/looked into it?

Because the paci falls out?
I haven't looked into it because feeding seems good

amother

Aconite

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:15 pm

amother OP wrote:

Are you sure baby is full? I've had babies who are just starving all the time and made them super kvetchy.

BrisketBoss

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:16 pm

amother OP wrote:

That's what's been working some of the time although I do keep it as a last resort kind of thing because I'm afraid of bad habits

Meh, you have a newborn. Why are you worried about 'bad habits?' Some months later I start teaching babies to go to sleep on their own. It works pretty well. In fact it's downright inconvenient when they can't contact nap on the airplane.

amother

Aconite

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:17 pm

amother OP wrote:

That's what's been working some of the time although I do keep it as a last resort kind of thing because I'm afraid of bad habits

I wouldnt worry about bad habits yet. Its important to just soothe baby at this age. My now 4 month old lived in the baby carrier until 3 months and is now sleeping completelt independantly.

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:17 pm

[quote="Chana Miriam S"]Try feeding your baby proactively. A baby who already starts crying is way harder to settle. Best advice I ever got was just to stick the baby on my breast every time he opened his mouth. Feed on demand, not a schedule and hopefully you’ll get ahead of the crying. How’s the baby’s weight gain?[/quote
But then baby is just snacking and never getting full meals
That's a also a last resort for me
To clarify my last resorts are after my patience runs out after a total of approximately 120 seconds

scintilla

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:18 pm

amother OP wrote:

Because the paci falls out?
I haven't looked into it because feeding seems good

Yeah it's not a strong reason to think so, but it can cause fussiness for a few reasons so maybe.

Btw I saw you wrote above that you are leaving carrier naps as a last resort because you don't want to form bad habits, if I understood correctly. You don't have to worry - babies this age are too young to form habits. Plus they have a strong biological need to be close to you. You won't do anything wrong by doing contact/carrier naps, if it helps that's amazing & I would encourage it.

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:19 pm

amother Aconite wrote:

Are you sure baby is full? I've had babies who are just starving all the time and made them super kvetchy.

How could I ever know for sure? Occasionally he does act content for a very short while after eating and his weight gain is good bh

amother

Aconite

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:20 pm

amother OP wrote:

How could I ever know for sure? Occasionally he does act content for a very short while after eating and his weight gain is good bh

Just keep feeding if baby wants to. Burp then try to latch back on or Offer other side.

honey36

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:21 pm

Have you tried swaddling? Usually helps them sleep longer so they don't get overtired. There is a saying about newborns which I believe wholeheartedly. "The more they sleep, the more they sleep".

amother

Mon, May 22 2023, 11:22 pm

Ok I hear what you're all saying about bad habits
But also
It kind of hurts my back and it doesn't even always help
So still open to more ideas
Baby also seems very stiff and nervous all the time if that's a clue