Crying crying CRYING... - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

InDueTime05 · 07-14-2005, 01:16 PM

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?

kitkat77 · 07-14-2005, 01:52 PM

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!

siren1024 · 07-14-2005, 02:39 PM

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!

InDueTime05 · 07-14-2005, 03:01 PM

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!

rouge · 07-14-2005, 05:11 PM

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

. They grow up so fast you will cherish these times together.