I have an infant who was born 2 1/2 months premature due to a car accident I had. She will be 4 months old this Saturday coming. My question is....why does she CONSISTENTLY cry if she's not being held or bounced? It seems I can't take a shower let alone go to a friends house or a Diner for lunch without bouncing her on my lap. The swing lasts about 10 minutes and the vibrating chair even less. At night she sleeps for 4 hours at a time...but during the day my nerves are SHOT!!! Please advise. Thanks.

Has she been like this since birth? Babies get use to being in the womb where it is snug and warm and once their out the snugness goes away. Have you tried wrapping her up real tight in a blanket with all body parts except for her head tucked away, I know that works sometimes. They also have a bear out that plays sounds to resemble inside the womb. To help sooth your baby. If she just started doing this there might be something wrong with her that isn't visible to the eye.

When you put her in her swing do you use the headrest? Our dd was also two months premature and once we started using the headrest in the swing and carseat she did much better. Fisher Price also makes a swing which cradles the baby's entire body. A lot of infants I know even sleep all night in it. It might be worth a try for you.

Nancy

Personal question...Do you breast feed? If so try taking the pad from your breast and lying it under her cheek it will comfort her like you are there. Do this with some supervision of course. I agree with putting blankets around her to keep her safe. Was your child in NICU? I found my one daughter who was in NICU is a mommy's girl. I don't know if it was the time away from me or if she remembers being alone and pricked with needles. I held her a ton and kissed her bunches. She is still a mommy's girl and very kind hearted. I used to put her in her swing in front of the tv. About two feet away and that seemed to keep her occupied and she felt like someone was with her. She had a twin but her twin was occupied all by herself. She will learn to play with toys and things in time. I know it drives you crazy but breath and hold her all you can because she is only little once and in a year you'll wonder where those days went.

Ivy was in the NICU for about 6 weeks. She IS a mommas girl and I talk to her and sing to her and hold her and kiss her as often as I can. I just don't want it to be an EXTREME 24/7 thing. She DOES sleep decent enough for me to get some sleep....but when I go out for a meal...I don't want to disturb the entire place, or have to eat while bouncing her on my lap.

Keep in mind that technically your baby is 2 1/2 months behind. So in essence she is only 1.5 months old mentally and physically. That's how my doctor explained it to me. Your baby probably has a very sensitive digestive track. She may be experiencing heartburn and gas. Don't lay her down until 20 min after feeding. That will reduce the heartburn. Also, Gerber has a gas reduction liquid that works very well.

I had a preemie too. He also cried alot and wanted to be held alllllllllllllllllllll the time. He was up every two hours at night until he was 6 mos old. My husband and I were zombies. He has slowly reduced his number of wakings each month.

I had changed formulas 3 times until I found one that didn't make him sick, gasey or fussy. I ended up using regular formula with LOW IRON. It was a miracle how different he was after the change. I wouldn't recommend soy formula. It made my son very hyper. Could have be an allergic reaction.

Hang in there. I know your struggle LOL. Your baby will eventually chill out. Until then, you may want to order out.

it may help to know that you are Not alone! my baby is almost 6 months old and screams and crys all the time when she is not being held. i can not figure out what is wrong with her either. we are hoping she is just teething! but don't worry because i know the feeling!! my baby was not premature so i don't understand it. well i just think that some babys are colicky and we just have to deal with it, time will pass and soon we will be free of the screams and crys!! well just take care of yourself and your baby and things will go back to normal in time. Good luck :)

The first year is so hard. For the first six months they need to be held constantly and It's hard to just take a shower let alone make dinner. It will pass though. Just try and get some mommy time in somewhere. Maybe a bath alone when daddy is home or a friend is over. Something so that you can relax a bit. You have to give all of yourself all day, every day, and you need to replenish the energy. Do you have a sling or carrier? They are great so that you can carry your baby and use your hands also. Doesen't work in the shower though lol. I put a bouncy seat in the bathroom so that I could talk and sing to DS while I was in the shower.