fussy baby

[Peony]

I'm starting to think that I'm never going to birth a calm baby. DD1 was very high needs, colicky, never slept, nursed very 30 minutes until she was 1 (then it was every 1 hour until she was 3), allergic to everything, and hated her carseat to the point where I rarely went anywhere by myself until she was 1.5 years old.

DD2 is only 2 weeks old, she sleeps more then dd1 did but when she isn't sleeping, she is crying or nursing, mainly crying. Poor thing has a very sensitive tummy, I can hear it rumbling all the time. I'm taking her in next week for allergy testing (NAET) to see if that could be some of the problem. She also HATES her carseat, a real issue when the nearest real town is 20+ miles away. We have nothing to eat in our house because I can't go shopping. DD1 has been parked in front of the TV way too much because dd2 is either screaming and I'm walking her around or when she finally passes out I'm afraid to move so I sit here on my laptop with her on my chest.

I kept thinking during my pg that I couldn't have another baby as fussy as dd1 was, I can tell that dd2 will more more mellow then dd1 is eventually, even as a newborn you could see dd1's intensity. I'm starting to feel the despair that I felt most of dd1's first year of life. I know it will only, hopefully, be for several months but I don't know how we are all going to get through it.

[mom2owen1]

[[hugs]]

i sympathize with you. ds1 is high needs, nursed every 40-60 minutes day and night until he was over 1. ds2 sleeps a bit better, but not much. he isn't even calmed by the breast as well as ds1. i am constanly walking, bouncing, etc.

i have so much guilt that ds1 is eating worse, drinking too much juice, watching way too much tv, not getting out of pj's all day, only getting his teeth brushed most days, etc.

this is a hard adjustment!

[BCmamaof6]

Oh mama! My newest babe is exactly like that. Although...she has gotten better.

She cried all the time & at 6 weeks I was lucky if I'd been able to eat, brush my teeth & comb my hair by the time DH got home from work.
She has settled down in the last couple of weeks, though...she's more interested in looking around...watching everyone...I even got out yesterday for an hour & 20 minutes to get my hair cut (DH gave her an expressed BM bottle).
It WILL get easier.

Try: gripe water WITH alcohol; white noise; a swing (HIGHLY recommend Fisher Price cradle swings)...I know a swing seems anti-AP...but honestly, we couldn't live without ours...DD loves it!; a baby carrier...babe's fave is the wrap...it really seems to help w/the colic & reflux; drinking a glass or 2 of red wine every evening (on our pediatrician's advice).

And don't feel bad about your older child "being neglected" or you being a "bad mum"...I was SO feeling that a few weeks ago...and our 3yo DD had been watching a lot of 'Dora' but we're getting to the point where I can read her a story now without the babe freaking...

the car is still an issue though...& we're 15 min drive from town.

[leurMaman]

We certainly have more TV around here than I normally allow! I hope things get easier - but I wanted to chime in and sympathize.

[katiesmom]

I'm in the same boat. Dd1 was SO high needs, she didn't sleep through the night consistently until she was 3.5. She bf'd or was screaming or sleeping on me, never in the crib or cosleeper. I thought there is no way I would have 2 babies like that, and out comes ds, who is either screaming or bfing or sleeping on me. My dd is watching way too much tv as well, I feel really bad for her, but I don't have a choice. Hopefully this time will go by faster than the first time!

[Peony]

It's nice to know I'm not alone. I'm surrounded by people who have calm babies and don't quite understand what I'm going through. DD2 is giving me a break today, well so far, must be tired after keeping me up all night long.

I have two different kinds of gripe water, one seems to help if I can keep it in her, she always spits it all back up again. I usually can't get her in my Moby, how she can wake up from a really deep sleep right when I'm getting ready to put her in it is beyond me. Last night she had been crying for hours straight and I had to go to my co-op pickup across the street, I was already 30 minutes late, so I just stuffed in her screaming away, and to my surprise she actually calmed down and fell asleep before I had even walked out the door.

[OMama]

Our new little boy is definitely fussier than DD ever was. The last 24 hours have been pretty rough. It was a long night last night and most of today was challenging too. He's been so uncomfortable -- I'm trying to figure out if he has reflux or is truly colicky. I'm also eliminating dairy from my diet to see if that helps.

DD was watching too much tv as well. But we greatly cut down the last two days (there's been NO tv) -- and she is behaving better. Except for when she punched her little brother right in the face this morning. No wonder he cries, right?! I am worried about both of them. Just ran out to the store to get some gripe water . . . I'm hoping that will help. I've never used it before but I'm feeling pretty desperate. I hate seeing my little babe suffer. I wish there was some magic cure for my DD's behavior. While she LOVES Dora and Diego, I really think she is more wild when she watches too much tv.

I'd love to hear what other mamas are doing to keep the older ones happy while attending to the new young ones.