My DD has started just this week crying all the time. She is 5 weeks old. The only time she isn't crying is when I am holding her or if she is eating but sometimes even while eating she'll wimper. My Mom thinks it's because this past weekend I was in Orlando at my best friends wedding and she was held a lot and we stayed in a hotel room so she wasn't in her bed. Now that we are back I don't hold her like I had to there. But I don't want her to scream all day and only me picking her up helps but I don't want her dependant on me holding her all the time. Is this colic? I've been reading up on colic and I don't think it is but I don't know. She seems to be kicking her legs a lot also. She cries to the point of sweating. I feel horrible letting it get to there but so many people tell me not to pick her up if I know she is fed, changed and burped. She has quite the temper I must say. My DS never cried like this. Only really cried when he was hungry or bored. What should I do?

I would invest in one of those vibrating activity chairs. It keeps them somewhat upright and "moving", which is similar to being held. This by far is the one "baby thing" I cannot do without! The swing was lovely but useless when they reach a certain weight - the activity chair "grows" with the child. There are many uses for this chair - I put my child in it when I'm having a shower, when I go outside, I take it while travelling and it is fantastic for feeding before they can sit properly in a high chair! My oldest son calls it "the cranky chair", because he knows I put the little one in it as soon as he starts fussing, and it works like a charm. :)

Also, pick up a bottle of Ovol for her. She may not have colic but that doesn't mean she doesn't have gas. When I had my first son 10 years ago he was a crybaby, and the Ovol changed his demeanor completely. With my second son I started giving him Ovol the day we came home from the hospital, without even waiting for problems to arise. I've never had any problems with him at all, and he almost NEVER cries! I stopped giving him the Ovol when he turned 7 months old (he's 9 months now) and his digestive system works beautifully.

Hope this helps!

You know what, my DS was exactly like that. I think it's personality alot of the time. He also started around 1 month. He hated the vibrating bouncy, the car, ANYTHING ANYONE recommended. He screamed in the swing, any time we put him down. He was perfectly happy being held. Other than that, he was screaming. To this day he is a huge attention hound. LOL. He was gassy too. I second the gas drops. If the OTC ones don't help (they didn't with my DS) the ped may be able to prescribe some.

My advice: they are too young at this age to spoil. Do what you have to do to keep both of you happy. I was they type that SWORE that my baby would never sleep with me, but after 2 weeks of no sleep and constant screaming, I gave it up. By 7 months he was sleeping on his own 12 hours in a crib. My point is this: Don't let anyone tell you what you are doing wrong or what you aren't doing right. These early days are pure survival. If he's happy being held, hold him. My DS was NEVER put down for the first 5 months of his life (we were living with my parents because my DH was gone with the military) so he always had someone. But he walked at 8 months and is now the most independent, active 2 year old you will ever meet in your life! So don't worry about what people say about spoiling and laziness and all that crap!.

Keep your chin up. My DS outgrew alot of his fussing around 3 months, and just got progressively better as he got older. Once he started crawling and exlporing, he NEVER cried. Your DD with get past it soon. And do what you have to do to keep the peace. Don't worry about your mom or anyone else. (I've been there too! LOL. Living with your mom and a newborn is lots of fun, let me tell you!)

Good luck!

Well my DD is REAL gassy so maybe I will try those drops. Where do I get them? I've tried Mylacon (SP) and it isn't really helping except constipating her. I swore too that she wouldn't sleep with me but wouldn't you know she does but as I type she is fast asleep in her OWN CRIP WOOHOO!! That's a big deal for us right now lol. Thanks for all your advice!

Why despite EVERYTHING I read, do people still believe that holding a baby spoils them? They NEED to be held. It shows them that they can trust. Trust at this age will make them more independant when they are older. They will go off on their own when they learn to crawl and you will want to hold them. You cannot spoil your baby by holding her too much. If it get tireing(sp?) use a sling or carrier. There are times that you have to put your baby down - that's ok. You do have to take a shower and do the laundry. :) Just when you can, hold you baby as much as possible. You will not spoil her. My DS who is 21 months is extremely independant and well adjusted. I held him as much as needed his whole life. His cousin who was raised with the CIO, don't hold them method, is whiney, clingy and dependant. I know you are trying to do the right thing, and it's hard when you have well meaning relatives try to tell you how to do it. There has been a lot of research since your elder relatives and friends had children. The new way is to hold them as much as you can :angel: . They grow up so fast you will cherish these times together. :)

hey my motto is if it stops them from crying it works for me
you cant spoil a babie
just loose a lil sanity , if you get crasy put them down walk away
crying wont hurt
cme back aqnd try again
plus gas drops help

Oh I hold her when I'm not busy BUT my thing is, is it OK to let her scream while I'm cleaning knowing that she is fed, changed and burped. I miss holding my DS now. So I know I need to cherish her but HOW do I get anything done?

I really liked using a carrier like the Snuggli or baby Bjorn. You can put them in it and still have both hands to do cleaning around the house. Showering is a different story. I used the Baby Einstein movies for that or put him in the bouncey seat in the bathroom. Cooking was hard when he got grabby. I had to use the movies or sing songs to him while he was in his bouncy. It's all pretty hard those early months. I have traded that for chasing around a toddler. Now it's more physically exhausting rather than emotionally exhausing. Eventually, you will figure out some things that will soothe. Just keep doing those things. The book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" gives a lot of suggestions on how to soothe a crying baby. Good luck. You will figure it out and it will pass. :angel:

Grrr, it drives me nuts when people say don't pick up your baby! Yes, you don't need to hold them all the time if they're content. But when they're that young and that miserable you need to comfort them. They are way too young to get spoiled.

I would also suggest maybe getting a baby sling. It too will let you be able to have your hands free. Plus it holds them in a nice snug bundle like in the womb. Some babies find it strange to have their arms and legs hanging like in the front carriers.

I also recommend a product called Gripe Water for that gassy little belly. It's an old European remedy that's now being sold in the states.

Good luck, I know the crying can drive you up a wall!

if i didnt let the baby cry a lil , i would live in a certified pig pen .
all this talk about baby slings
i want one (can you breast feed and walk?)

I also have a Snugli, which is a baby carrier and not a sling. It is wonderful! That is what I used to wear whenever I took my baby shopping or when I would go for a walk (instead of the stroller). My DS loves the Snugli - I used to do dishes, make supper, and a few household chores while he was "kangarooed" next to me. He would always fall asleep!

Neither of my children could stand gripe water. The gripe water of years ago used to have alcohol in it and tasted like ouzo, but due to the flack they now make it with herbs instead. I did buy some to help with teething fussing but it did nothing but make my DS's face turn red and he screamed. I tasted it and it was DISGUSTING so I do not recommend it.

Ovol can be bought in WalMart.

Kitkat, the gripe water I used with my DD tasted like black licorise (sp?). I don't know if you like that but I do, and so does my DD. The brand I believe is Kolick. We've tried others, but like you said, they tasted disgusting! I really found it helped lots on days when she was uneasy, it would always settle her tummy. But on really gassy days Oval was all that helped.