my baby is so fussy I don't know what to do!

[1mommy]

HELP!!!! Starting today my 6 week old baby is SO FUSSY and crying so much. Up until now he has been pretty good, happy most of the time. He has had some gas from the beginning and I notice tonight he does have some gas. I don't know if his tummy is bothering him or if it's something else????

He has also been eating WAY MORE than usual. The only other thing I was thinking of was because I have been on the birth control patch for 6 days now. Could it be possible that is bothering him or why he is eating so much now???

ANY advice, suggestions PLEASE RESPOND ASAP! I hope this night wont be a continuation of this and I don't know what to do with him anymore!

[Knitting Mama]

Sounds like he's hitting a growth spurt. Nurse him as much as he wants to; it's what he needs to grow!

As for the fussies, I highly suggest "The Happiest Baby on the Block." Read it or get the DVD, but to give you a place to start, it's time for you to try the 5 S's: swaddle, swing back and forth, shush, side (meaning hold him so he's on his side in your arms, not his back), and if he takes a paci or you can nurse standing up, suck. You want your swaddle nice and tight, and you want to swing and shush a little more vigorously at first, and as he calms down, both can slow down some. You can also try bouncing on a balance ball if you have one, or rocking fairly vigorously in a glider or rocker.

[marinak1977]

Our little one went through a fussy period around that time - bouncing on a gym ball worked, nursing all the time helped (he was going through a growth spurt), and wearing him in a ring sling or an ergo was helpful. Having DH step in and give me a break was great for saving my sanity. I hope he gets less fussy soon, and this period will be over soon. At that age things change so fast.

[carmen358]

Sounds like a growth spurt to me! My DD was super laid back for the first 6 weeks, sleeping well, rarely crying and then suddenly she cried SO much and only stopped when she was nursing (which she wanted to do all the time..seriously, ALL the time). It lasted about 3-4 days and was very intense.

If any sort of physical discomfort is ruled out I'd guess growth spurt and know that it will pass!

[1mommy]

I can't see any discomfort so I guess it's a growth spurt! Thank you for the suggestions, they have helped!

[RaeDyCo]

I agree that it very easily can be the 6 week growth spurt, the on-set of the 6-week fussies but it could also be the birth control.

Have you read this information about birth control impacting some mother's milk supplies?

http://www.kellymom.com/health/meds/birthcontrol.html