Fussy Babies! (a support thread)

[jaxinsmom]

So, some babies are great -- happy all the time, sleep fine and are generally perfect (I know this because that was my ds )
But, then there are babies who require a bit more attention, patience and focus -- that's who this thread is dedicated to.
Please don't tell me I'm the only mama who is trying to type each letter super quietly so as to not wake the sleeping babe slung on my chest? Or whose bundle of joy wakes every 2 hours at night and requires an hour long walk around the house in order to fall back asleep?
This is not ment to be a "my-baby-is-fussy-than-your" type of thread, but rather a place for us to vent about being tired, overworked (and underpaid ) and to offer advice or just to comiserate.

[LawrenceDoula]

Yeah, around here awake means crying.

I'm just holding out hope that things will change in the next few weeks. I know they will. Keep the faith!

[jaxinsmom]

Originally Posted by LawrenceDoula

Yeah, around here awake means crying.

when Nellah starts to cry ds (3) says "aww, it's ok baby." then he looks at me and says "she wants your milk."

[Justmee]

Yeah, he's been pretty fussy lately. He cried off and on for about 3 hours tonight, I finally put him in the bath and he got quiet (actually as soon as I brought him in the bathroom & undressed him he was quiet). He's lying on the couch now awake & happy, and I'm hoping he'll feel a bit better tonight. It's so hard when they scream and scream. And I don't have a magic boobie. When he is screaming like that he doesn't want anyting to do with nursing

[BabyBump]

Eli seems to only be happy if he's being held. I can lay him down sound asleep and within minutes he's howling. He won't stay happy for very long in his papasan or swing either. It's getting frustrating especially when all I want is 10 minutes to myself to take a shower. I don't mind holding him or letting lay sleeping on my chest (lots of knitting time) but it doesn't lend itself to getting much done. Thankfully he's happy in the sling.

He's much more particular about his world than my daughter was. Hopefully it'll get better, it has too right???

[flapjack]

Here!
Noise bad. Eating bad. Siblings bad. (see point 1) Sleep bad.
Puking into mummy's hair? Most excellent, dude. It's the only time he smiled all day.

[Jezzy]

Ashlee is a pretty fussy baby too. she cries a lot and just fusses. One thing that seems to work getting her to stop crying is bouncing with her on my birth ball that seems to calm her down every time. She only naps once a day (3-4 hours) then she is awake. She does take a cat nap here or there but never longer than 15 min. She is also a little bat staying up till 11pm or later. Sometimes I wish that she would take a pacifier, she always spits those out.

The crying is getting to me. I have had tinitus for 8 years now and sometimes she cries so long and so hard that I have trouble hearing things kinda sound like they are being said under water :

It is getting better though. She was an angel yesterday, hardly cried at all.

Wonder why they are so fussy? I have her with me all day long and try to tend to her needs.

[sunkist33]

I think I can join this thread. Mine is fussy all day long. I think I may try eliminating dairy from my diet to see if that helps. But I think she just may be a fussy baby...
Amazingly, she is great at night but as soon as the sun is up, she's fussy. Very strange.

[Writerbird]

Mine hates pretty much everything but being held. We've been through a million slings, swings, bouncers, wraps, anything so I can type faster than one letter a second (I had to get back to work 2w pp; fortunately I work at home), and so far he just screams at everything. He sort of likes an Infantino Cosy Carrier - sort of, in that he will allow me to put him in it and go for a walk, but he won't tolerate it when I'm at the computer. If I'm sitting here, I'm holding him... and he's still fussing, but at least not screaming. If he's not fussing, it's because he's got breast in his mouth.

We have good days but they're vastly outnumbered by the fussy days. Diet eliminations did not help, so I think I just lost the baby lottery and got a fussbudget.

[birthmommom]

I can join this thread too...i have a few mins while dh has ds scream at him. He is a usually crying and yelling from 6pm to 12am, then he will usually sleep for awhile then wake to eat and go back to sleep. USUALLY he is peaceful during the day, but not today!!! he took a 2 hour nap and for the rest of the day he has only cat napped, now I am thinking that he is probably sleep deprived since he is not sleeping during the day.

He doesn't like anything, not a swing, not a bouncy seat, He likes the sling for short amounts of time, and swaddling for awhile, but will wake up when you put him down.

gotta go try to calm him...oh he is also one of those that wont be comforted by the breast, if he is like this he will not nurse and will go for a long time without eating

[jaxinsmom]

I've had a busy few days, but I think I've figured out what she needs at night to help her sleep -- ME . Now, I'm sure this is something that most of you are already familiar with, but co-sleeping has never been something I thought I would do. I tried with ds for the first few days, but it freaked me out...I always thought I was going to crush him and I'd wake with ever sound he made. Fortunately for me, he slept fine without us. Now, little miss dd is a different story, she requires our company at night and I've discovered that I can do it (pure exhaustion helps!) and that I really love having her next to me

(((hugs))) to all of you mamas struggling, and I hope our little ones get happy soon and we can go on loving them without the sound of wailing in our ears!

[birthmommom]

I started reading "The Happiest Baby on the Block" he makes a lot of sense and the technique seems to work. It takes a lot of work but I guess it's better than listening to the crying.

[CalebsMama05]

she fusses even when she's asleep now. good lord...

did I do that to her when I was pregnant with her? thinking too many bad thoughts? poor thing is screwed up already and she's not even a month old.

[Jezzy]

ugggg my Mw gave me a scare last night. I called her while Ashlee was having a screamathon saying I was desperate to help Ashlee and if she new any way to help. She said that last time she saw her she looked pretty small and she thought about saying something to me but thought that she would wait another week. (we have pp gymnastics with her) She asked if I knew what Ashlee weighed and I didn't so I went and got a scale

Ashlee isn't the heaviest baby but she also wasn't when she was born, she is my smallest. Sooo I went out and rented a scale.She HAS been gaining more than 200g a week which is a good weight gain according to KellyMom she weighs 5 Kilo now and at birth she weighed 3,120 gram and when we left the hospital it was down to 2,800 gram.

She told me to bath her in dead sea salts and a oil for used for the breasts. Well it worked Ashlee went to sleep at 8pm normally it is midnight! And slept very peacefully. Yeaaaaa

I am so happy that she is gaining good. My mw was too when I called her and told her what she weighed.

I am going to cross post this in a thread for outies!

[jaxinsmom]

Originally Posted by CalebsMama05

she fusses even when she's asleep now. good lord...

did I do that to her when I was pregnant with her? thinking too many bad thoughts? poor thing is screwed up already and she's not even a month old.

awwww

I'm sure she's just finding her own way. Although I'm sure that doesn't help when you're listening to a fussy baby all day. Do you support at home?
Nellah was feeling really fussy last week and I asked dh to walk around with her (up high on the shoulder and patting her bum while walking) he did it for a few minutes then sat down and decided to let her cry When I told him that I just needed a break, that this is what I do all day he kindly told me that "This...(meaning our lovely daughter) was my job, it's what I'm supposed to do all day!" Needless to say that conversation ended quickly with some choice words...he as since apologized, but it's reminded me how important it is to have support!

[flapjack]

Oooh, jaxinsmom : I admire your selfcontrol

Jezzy, yay on the boobs.

I slipped on the eliminations yesterday and drank half a bottle of pepsi max and ate an obscene quantity of chocolate, and guess what? He went to bed at 8 and stayed there So I'm relaxing the diet, but not the caffeine avoiding thingummy

[APMomOfKimmyN-Maya]

My son is a chronic complainer so far. I think it might have to do with the fact he can't get a decent nap without my toddler screaming and waking him up. He may also have tummy upset. I can't figure out whats wrong with him. He is not the type to be screaming loudly but when he is awake he just has a low level type of complaining and griping pretty much all day.

White noise helps him sleep and he loves contact, but I can only give him so much contact since I have to split my attention between him and my toddler. It's rough but I just try to enjoy all the good moments. He does sleep well through the night in bed with me, so theres that!

[justmama]

another grouchy baby who will NOT stay asleep unless she's being held and wakes as soon as she's put down and nurses every 20 minutes. I'm starting to get really really frustrated.

[Jujubie]

Originally Posted by justmama

another grouchy baby who will NOT stay asleep unless she's being held and wakes as soon as she's put down and nurses every 20 minutes. I'm starting to get really really frustrated.

Mine does the same too. She only sleeps on people (mainly me!) and in the bed next to me. My new moby is going to get a lot of use.

[phillybama]

Same here. Unless she is nursing (or just using my nipple as a pacifier) or in the Moby, she is crying. I did not plan on co-sleeping either, but that is the only way she will sleep more than 15 minutes. Luckily, DH has adjusted his work schedule, so he can take her for about an hour in the morning, so I can shower, eat, and brush my teeth. Or sometimes I just use the hour to sleep. I don't sleep as well with her in the bed, but it is something.

Without my DH's support right now (he doesn't mind wearing the Moby), I would have already gone crazy. We don't live near any family, so thank goodness he has been supportive.