Fussy Fussy Baby.....need HELP

[alicia9178]

My poor little one is so fussy.  He goes days at a time with no pooping and is so gassy.  Someone please help me with an elimination diet.  Thanks.

[PatioGardener]

He's about 2.5 months old now?

The days without pooping could be very normal for him. What are his poops like when he does go? (texture? colour?)

What is your supply like? how is he when he feeds? Any fussing then? clicking, coughing?

How is he when he lies down? any arching? screaming?

My baby was very obviously sensitive to dairy in my diet. As there is a high degree of cross-sensitivity to soy, I eliminated that too, and saw a great improvement. But he also had severe reflux, and I had over supply and overactive let down, so I had to work on those as well.

We also did probiotics (dairy free infant) and chiro.

[motherhendoula]

The gassy-ness could be a sign of oversupply.  Is the poop green?  I agree with PP that at 2.5 months he could be one of those lovely breastfed babies who only poop once a week or so.  Can you tell if your letdown is particularly forceful? 

More details!

[alicia9178]

My letdown seems normal...not overly forceful.  His poops when he has them are yellow/browinsh and soft.  When he feeds he is great....not overly gulpy and minus not having the best latch, he is a good eater.  He was born at 34 1/2 weeks and was 6 pounds 7 oz at birth and is not almost 11 pounds.  He is just fussy in general....we seem to be extra fussy in the evening and overnight.  When he gets real fussy I still swaddle him which helps sometimes.  Oh...and since he just did it now on my pants....he also spits up a fair amount.  I have no problem changing my diet....just need to know the best things to change:)

[Marissamom]

dairy is a good place to start. gluten and soy also. stuff that's acidic (including tomatoes) caffeine. if nuts or peanuts are constant in your diet, those are also possible problems, as are eggs. 

[PatioGardener]

I would start with dairy and soy and see what happens after a week.

nak

[Llyra]

Not all fussiness is dietary. I would probably not rush into an elimination diet, for a baby who's having normal stools (and yeah, infrequent stools are normal for breastfed babies, as long as the stool when it comes is soft, ample, and yellowish) and is growing so well. I would be looking at causes like overstimulation or overtiredness, especially if the fussiness is concentrated in the afternoons and evenings. Does he sleep well during the day? A baby this age will want to sleep again after about 90 minutes of being awake. My DS was horribly fussy in his first four months, and looking back it's clear that he was awake WAY too much during the day. By mid-afternoon, he was so overtired that he got wound up and miserable and then couldn't fall asleep without major help. So improving daytime sleep, possibly by wearing baby during the day, might help with the fussiness. I would also look at the possibility of acid reflux causing his discomfort. In my experience, babies mostly are gassy. It seems to be something they grow out of. If you do decide to try eliminating foods, cow's milk is the most common culprit, followed by soy. Watch out for hidden dairy and soy in packaged foods-- it can hide under a variety of names. Some babies are very affected by caffeine, too-- my DD2 was one of those. I couldn't drink anything caffeinated after about noon, or she would be an overstimulated mess.

And seriously-- to you, mama. A fussy newborn can turn a whole household upside down. It's heartbreaking when they're miserable and you can't think of how to help them. Hang in there!

[Anna Phor]

Mine was a complete BEAR of a child at that age. He would NOT sleep; I used to have to put him in the wrap and walk around the apartment building for 45 minutes to get him to sleep. (He now toddles off to his room and gets in his own bed (ha. sometimes) when it is nap time.) Have you tried the techniques in The Happiest Baby on the Block? Those really worked for our fussy little guy.

Hang in there--you'll find something that works!

[sunnygir1]

My babies were early too, 34w6d (cried as you described until 7mo), 35w (cried as you described until 4mo).  I tried everything.  I wound up doing a lot with diet, and while it didn't make the crying stop completely, it would get significantly worse if I went off my diet -- so I knew the diet was helping.

With dd, I went off a lot of foods (dairy, eggs, tomatoes, brassicas, soy, gluten, chocolate, etc.)  I can't remember if I did beans, etc. but a good friend of mine couldn't eat lentils or peas with her babies, or they were miserable all night.

With ds, I did an elimination diet and only ate:  rice (rice noodles, rice cakes, mochi), turkey, lamb, carrots, celery, blueberries, pears, green beans?, I'd have to look it up to be sure I've got everything.  After a week I think I added in chicken too, apples, and maybe peaches?

Both were tough, but definitely worth it.  Unfortunately it is fairly likely that the only complete remedy is time.  He will grow out of it.  Hang in there and get some good breaks and naps for yourself.