1st inconsolable meltdown. HELP!

[NewMom610]

My son is about 10 weeks old. Usually when he cries I can easily meet his needs. Up until today, he only cried when hungry, dirty, or tired. He's generally a very happy baby.

Today he started fussing like he was hungry, so I offered him my breast. He SCREAMED. So I went to change him. He wasn't wet or dirty. So I put him in his swing for a nap. More screaming. I rocked him, bounced him, read to him, offered my breast multiple times.

This went on for 30 minutes - he would calm down for a few minutes then scream again and then repeat. Finally, he took my breast & fell asleep just a few minutes later. I transferred him to his swing, and he is still asleep.

I'm sure this is totally normal, but I feel so badly that he cried even though I was holding him the entire time. This is the first time I haven't been able to calm him down after a minute or two.

What do you all do when this happens? I would have put him in the Moby, but it is in the washer.

Thanks for any advice you have. I am feeling so incredibly guilty that I couldn't do anything to help him for some time.

[Asiago]

Maybe gas pain? Perhaps he needed more burping (just a thought). It sounds like pain of some sort though. Did he seems the same when upright versus cradle position, I'm just thinking also about reflux.

My thoughts are with you, it can be so difficult when they are unable to tell you what is troubling them.

[NewMom610]

Originally Posted by Asiago

Maybe gas pain? Perhaps he needed more burping (just a thought). It sounds like pain of some sort though. Did he seems the same when upright versus cradle position, I'm just thinking also about reflux.

My thoughts are with you, it can be so difficult when they are unable to tell you what is troubling them.

You know...he has been gassy. In fact, he just "let one rip" very loudly while I was reading this.

I should also add that he got up at 3:30 AM this morning and wanted to play. Since DH had to go to work this AM, I brought the baby out of the bedroom and into the living room to cuddle with me on the couch. He finally fell back asleep at 5:00ish and slept until a little before 7:00 AM. So, I was thinking maybe he was extra tired...but the gassy thing makes sense.

He hates being held upright unless it is in the Moby. He definitely prefers cradle holds. We don't have any spit up issues, so I doubt it is reflux.

I just feel so guilty. Even though I know I shouldn't.

[P.J.]

Aw mama, I feel ya Rest assured, this is normal. At least I think it is. I think that every baby sometimes cries inconsolably for unknown reasons. I say *think* because my baby is/was colicky, which is not "normal" (meaning most babies are not colicky). It was a hobby of his to scream inconsolably every.single.day. The worst part is feeling helpless to soothe them and not knowing exactly what's ailing them.
All I can tell you is in our case it often had to do with overstimulation. Is this a particularly busy day for you, or was he introduced to something/someone new today? Had he been awake for a long period just before the screaming (for his age I think more than 2 hours could be considered too long)? Sometimes if they stay awake too long they cannot handle any more stimulation and just freak out.
And of course, there's the old thing everyone always thinks it is when a baby cries: bellyache. Our baby still has screaming fits about 3 times/week, and I still sometimes wonder if it's bellyache. I have been giving him gripe water out of desperation and sometimes it seems to work but one can never tell if the crying would've stopped anyway.
I also suspect sometimes it's frustration from all the development going on. For example DS is now trying desperately to crawl but can't do it yet. I see the frustration as he tries, and I pick him up when it gets too intense. But I think sometimes it builds up and he just has to explode. IDK.
I would say just relax and assume it was nothing serious and it is normal and don't worry. And just know that when a baby cries and nothing seems to soothe him, the very best you can do is just be there with your loving presence and hold him. Easier said than done but in the end sometimes it's all you can do.

[mummy marja]

Originally Posted by P.J.

Aw mama, I feel ya Rest assured, this is normal. At least I think it is. I think that every baby sometimes cries inconsolably for unknown reasons. ...And just know that when a baby cries and nothing seems to soothe him, the very best you can do is just be there with your loving presence and hold him. Easier said than done but in the end sometimes it's all you can do.

I agree! All my babies did/do this. It really sucks, it feels awful. Try to stay calm yourself, and just be there for him. I think in our case it is related to a more sensitive nervous system (highly sensitive child) and these meltdowns are a way to calm themselves. After screaming for half an hour or more, they are somehow more able to fall asleep.

[KellyandBean]

Don't feel guilty or bad! My baby had severe colic and would cry inconsolable for 5 hours every night! I held her the WHOLE time. You are doing very good to have gotten this far without him having a crying fit yet! Since he is obviously not a colic baby (it would have started weeks ago) he probably just had something going on like a tummy ache or gas as someone else suggested. Also a possibility is that about this age they start to become more aware of their surroundings and have a harder time drifting off for naps and start fighting sleep. So maybe he was just overtired but couldn't figure out how to get to sleep? Either way don't feel bad- he knows you were holding him and loving him