colic, GER, growth spurt or high-needs?

[joyakshi]

Yesterday was so hard. baby was obviously in pain and screaming all day. ( i realize I did drink cow's milk the night before, and had cereal with milk yesterday morning). every night she has a bout of screaming and leg kicking. it's heartbreaking.
I got baby gas drops and do belly massage and positional releases on her for gas. what seems to help is nursing in bed, then putting her on my shoulder and lying down patting her back til she falls asleep.
she seems to eat all the time and I can't front carry her in a sling b/c she gets upset that she can't get the breast. sideways is fine. but she doesn't sleep unless I'm bouncing her on the yoga ball, which I can't do anymore.
I had a c-section 5 weeks ago and it just hurts my belly and back too much, and it makes me keep bleeding.

btw - I let her latch herself and she starts out on the nipple, and when the milk lets down she takes a wide mouth for drinking, then ends on the nipple for comfort. her diapers are yellow mustard and almost orange now, and there are lots of them so I think she's getting enough hindmilk, but maybe too much foremilk?

We have a chair that vibrates and a cradle swing that rocks her, but she won't sleep during the day unless she's bouncing on the ball in the baby carrier. and she screams when she's overtired.
does this sound like colic, possible GER, or just a high-needs baby?

[Kmama2]

Sounds like regular newborn behavior... Ds is the same way.. When he gets over tired he is a bear but its so hard to get him to sleep unless its on me. He doesn't want to be alone.. they really shouldn't stay up more than 2 hours or so at a time at this age so maybe your lo is just getting over tired??

[firewoman]

Your description of her of poops does not indicate too much foremilk. Too much foremilk would yield green, foamy poops. Sounds like you are doing good feeding her. One problem that I have had is overactive/forceful letdown. The baby *seemed* to be able to handle it, but she was gulping so fast that she swallowed a lot of air. She seemed to be in a lot of pain and was spitting up much of what she was eating and often. I thought perhaps she had reflux. I began block feeding her (nursing from one side for two to three feedings in a row) and it really helped. The fussy evenings have gone from every night to one or two a week and are much shorter in length. The spitting up has almost completely resolved. If you decide to block feed you can pump a little off the side you aren't feeding on to stay comfortable and also to reduce gulping the next time the baby feeds on that side. Just thought maybe this could help you.

[francesmama]

I don't have any insight but I couldn't read your post title without offering a .

[Pookietooth]

She might just be overtired. I know my dd definitely gets fussier if she isn't sleeping most of the time that she's not nursing. Sleep begets sleep, believe it or not. I think ds got way less sleep than he needed, I just didn't realize that was why he was so fussy. With dd, she sleeps better in total quiet in the sling or my arms or at night next to me.

[joyakshi]

we do try to keep her awake less than 2 hours. but we have to bounce her all the time, so it gets tiring.

Firewoman - this makes sense. I've wondered for a while if my let down is too fast - she fusses and pulls off about a minute in. I am trying to block feed and pump, but she is so frantic when she wakes up that she isn't eating I just try to stuff a boob in her mouth. maybe this is why she won't open wide enough either - too much milk?

[kjs]

I have been block feeding as well as feeding him with gravity...so that my boob is lower than his head, with me leaning back and him laying on top of boob....this has helped with overactive letdown, any xtra milk can just run out of his mouth and he gulps and cries less. my lo has a green poop though, so i think it is also too much foremilk-hence block feeding.