Collicky 2 week old...HELP!

[SummerTwilight]

I am losing my mind. Beckett seems to be collicky. The last few days are just crying crying crying all day long. I am losing my mind. Seriously. Not sleeping- like EVER cause at night he is up and during the day he is crying all day unless he is sucking. Only time he stops is in the car.
What can I do besides gripe water which I have tried?
Losing my mind!

[Lit Chick]

nak
rent the happiest baby on the block (netflix, libraries). Swaddling, swinging, shushing, using a pacifier etc really helps calm the crying.

[RedOakMomma]

Probiotics

I'm a big fan of probiotics for newborns--especially when they show signs of colic.

There was a good study published about this a few years ago...colicky babies were given probiotics or not given probiotics, and the ones who went on probiotics were some large percentage less likely to continue with colic.

It makes sense, if you think about it. Colic can be caused by an imbalance of the correct gut flora. Just like in adults, that causes gas and discomfort. Probiotics help restablish a healthy balance of gut flora, reducing gas and discomfort.

We have given probiotics with our little ones during their first fussy periods...usually around 6-8 weeks, but I wouldn't hesitate to give it sooner. We buy the loose powder (Babydophillus brand, I believe), and I wash my finger, dip it in, then put it on the inside of the baby's mouth and nurse. 3-5 times a day at first, then less often as needed. Works great.

[LovnMyBoys]

I've so been there and it is really exhausting. Elias is also a high needs baby (possibly related to food as well) but at least will settle after feeding as long as he is held.
I second the probiotics. Are you nursing? If yes, I would suggest a trial of no dairy. Don't turn to soy as an alternative at the beginning either because a lot of dairy intolerant babes are also soy intolerant and you don't want to deal with the confusion of clouding the picture. You should see an improvement pretty quickly if this is the case (although it takes a while for all dairy to get out of your system). I'm dairy and soy free right now so you could always pm me for help if you choose to go that way.

[Naomismom]

Originally Posted by LovnMyBoys

I've so been there and it is really exhausting. Elias is also a high needs baby (possibly related to food as well) but at least will settle after feeding as long as he is held.
I second the probiotics. Are you nursing? If yes, I would suggest a trial of no dairy. Don't turn to soy as an alternative at the beginning either because a lot of dairy intolerant babes are also soy intolerant and you don't want to deal with the confusion of clouding the picture. You should see an improvement pretty quickly if this is the case (although it takes a while for all dairy to get out of your system). I'm dairy and soy free right now so you could always pm me for help if you choose to go that way.

DDCC to agree with this. I had two kids with dairy allergies (one also couldn't have soy, treenuts, citrus) and there was a marked improvement within 24 hours of removing all dairy (even in the one with multiple other allergies that hadn't been removed yet). It certainly couldn't hurt to try.

[BlueIrises]

Probiotics, no dairy and swaddling...some gripe waters are better than others...Colic-ease has proven to be best at our house. Cocynthal worked wonders for my second child. Also babies are very gassy the first 6-8 weeks as their digestive tracts are still developing.

http://boironusa.com/products/cocyntal.php

[DoulaLMT]

Trial of no dairy. And you have to read labels. It's in EVERYthing.

[MeepyCat]

I would give Happiest Baby on the Block a try before (or while) cutting out foods or trying probiotics. The key points would probably fit on an index card, really, skimming is fine.

Swaddling was a godsend for us when our kids were that age. It really helped them calm down and relax. And it's a cheap experiment. If it doesn't work for your kid, you'll know right away and you can move on.

[forumyonly1]

i agree with trying no dairy- also i would avoid caffiene.. it really hurt my babies tummies!

[etsdtm99]

if all these other suggestions dont work, i recommend seeing a chiropractor, my 1st DD had "colic" that never went away, she was always fussy & woke up in the night .. we took her to the chiro just after she turned 4, she is a different kid now, they said she had a neck injury likely from birth ..

[MacKinnon]

Hang in there mama!! I was there with my first DD and it was a nightmare. Turned out to be a dairy allergy, and I replaced dairy with soy and that was a no-go too. Happiest Baby on the Block probably would have worked miracles with her too, but I didn't know about it!

[porcelina]

I also have been there! Definitely cut the dairy and soy -- it's hard because it's in everything! I also second Harvey Karp -- it's totally worth getting your hands on the video because seeing his techniques in action really helps!!!

[aloneinid]

All of the above suggestions are great, and I feel for you because our oldest had "colic" and was SOOOO hard to take care of. I tried EVERYTHING and nothing ever did help. Now we now that his behavior was due to his overall personality and that nothing we could have done would have fixed the colic. I just want to put that out there in case you find yourself in our situation. I literally spent an entire year trying out all of the PPs suggestions and asking every single mother I knew for help before eventually realizing that my son is just high strung. What worked best for me was just accepting the situation and adapting my life to a high needs baby.

One other thing that no one has mentioned is alcohol or chocolate consumption. Both of those things triggered even worse colic for us, especially if I ate chocolate.

If possible, have your husband hold the (crying!) baby while you take a break or a short nap. Dr. Sears has a good point of view on this- that while the baby might be crying, at least you know you have done what you can, that he is safe and loved.

[porcelina]

Originally Posted by aloneinid

All of the above suggestions are great, and I feel for you because our oldest had "colic" and was SOOOO hard to take care of. I tried EVERYTHING and nothing ever did help. Now we now that his behavior was due to his overall personality and that nothing we could have done would have fixed the colic. I just want to put that out there in case you find yourself in our situation. I literally spent an entire year trying out all of the PPs suggestions and asking every single mother I knew for help before eventually realizing that my son is just high strung. What worked best for me was just accepting the situation and adapting my life to a high needs baby.

One other thing that no one has mentioned is alcohol or chocolate consumption. Both of those things triggered even worse colic for us, especially if I ate chocolate.

If possible, have your husband hold the (crying!) baby while you take a break or a short nap. Dr. Sears has a good point of view on this- that while the baby might be crying, at least you know you have done what you can, that he is safe and loved.

Very good point! While Happiest baby & no dairy/soy helped us, DS1 has always been high needs! He is very sensitive to this day-- highly reactive, difficult to settle! Check out Raising your Highly Spirited Child by Kurcinka for some insights on personality types...

[SummerTwilight]

Thanks ladies! I have tried the 5 s's. I was thinking of a no dairy trial but that is hard for me to stick to- I feel it is a large source of my protein. But I will try it.
Also definitely going to try the probiotics and was thinking about a chiro as well. Thanks!
With my daughter she outgrew it by 6 weeks but now that I have 2 kids, I am finding just a few days of it has driven me batty- the idea of waiting another 4 weeks or longer is unbearable!!!
Of course, today so far he has slept all day so he is making up for the last few days of no sleep.

[aloneinid]

Raising your Highly Spirited Child by Kurcinka was a godsend for me, too!

[cjarvis]

swaddling, the right kind of white noise (mine likes the sound of a waterfall), and the probiotics.

[EzzysMom]

Do you have a good baby carrier? sorry if I missed that in the original problem, but my daughter's wouldn't be put down or stop nursing resolved once I got a Moby and could carry her everywhere. Wish you luck in finding a good solution

[SummerTwilight]

Does anyone know about the probiotics containing milk? The babydophilus on amazon has a customer review that says it contains milk...seems that might add to a belly problem instead of help...?

[Lit Chick]

I have a powdered probiotic and it does say it has a dairy component, I think the base that keeps the bacteria alive has lactose or something. I'd have to check the bottle.
Would trace dairy be that big an issue? I have not had experience with food sensitivity, so I don't know how bad it would be.