Any suggestions on a Colicy baby?

[EtOH]

Anyone have suggestions?

Out little boy Lyle is now 3 weeks old and so far it has been complete hell.

Week 1 (Hospital Issues)
- Low blood sugar. Had to go into the Intermediate nursery and get hooked up to IVs etc. Not a pleasant thing
- Jaundice. Poor guy got my blood type, A+. Unfortunately with everything else there was fairly heavy jaundice
- Crooms (sp) Baby. Mom is 0+, I am A+, Lyle got my blood type of A+. That means when his blood activated on his first breath it fought Lucy's O+ blood

Those 3 things together lead to an unpleasant hospital stay

Week 2
- Head Cold. Someone brought us a cold for little Lyle. Unfortunately head colds are VERY bad for 2 week olds as they still can't breathe through their mouths. So getting stopped up is very nerve racking as the poor little guy can't breathe very well.

Week 3
- Colic. The head cold has finally moved out and now Lyle spends most of his waking hours after 3 in the afternoon crying LOUDLY. He won't burp for us, rocking doesn't help, music doesn't help, baths don't help, NOTHING stops it.

I am praying (which is saying alot because I am 100% atheist) that this won't continue, so far this has been absolutely miserable for him and us. We just started on the Gripe Water tonight courtesy of The Mighty Platypus.

My question is does anyone have experiences with a colicy baby? If so give me any suggestions you have, we will try damn near anything. I don't think either of us will survive 2 more months of this endless high volume crying.

I love my son as much as is possible, but if I end up as a basket case I am not sure it will matter in the end.

All suggestions appreciated!

EtOH

 

[Pacfanweb]

Get some simethicone for babies. Gas medicine in liquid form. Works like a champ. Takes about 15-20 minutes.

Has worked on our 2 like a charm.

 

[rgwalt]

Ether?

j/k of course.

I have no suggestions, but best of luck to you, your wife, and baby Lyle!!!

Ryan

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

tussin!

;o)

 

[EtOH]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Get some simethicone for babies. Gas medicine in liquid form. Works like a champ. Takes about 15-20 minutes.

Has worked on our 2 like a charm.

Unfortunately that isn't working. We have gone through a LOT of mylicon to no avail 🙁

EtOH

 

[badmouse]

Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: badmouse
Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

Definitely recommend this. My wife's mother helped out a ton when our son was first born. It really made all the difference in the world. He wasn't colicky, thankfully. All the best, though, and good luck.

Does holding him and walking him around help? A buddy of mine at work said that helped with his colicky daughter.

 

[EtOH]

Does holding him and walking him around help? A buddy of mine at work said that helped with his colicky daughter.

It helps for about 5 minutes.

It seems there are a few things we can do to distract him. When distracted he seems to forget how miserable he is, but only for about 5 minutes. So we end up struggling for 30 minutes to get 5 minutes to relax. That might be what is making it so difficult is we are frantically trying to do something (anything) that will help, we put in so much work for only a few minutes of quiet before he sets off again.

EtOH

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Do NOT use sedatives (phenobarbital, chloral hydrate, and alcohol [gripe water]). Are you sure it's colic? There are a few differentials that require a doctor to diagnose. Has there been any significant weight gain?

 

[EtOH]

I should also note that a few times I have just put him in the crib, shut the door, and walked away for 15 minutes.

He doesn't stop crying but it sure helps me out (as does the beer I guzzle in that 15 minutes).

I know there is nothing wrong with this occasionally, just feel so f*cking helpless/worthless.

EtOH

 

[AnitaPeterson]

For colics, anise (or aniseed) tea is a godsend.
For constipations, glycerine suppositories are a miracle.

Check your PM, too...

 

[EtOH]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do NOT use sedatives (phenobarbital, chloral hydrate, and alcohol [gripe water]). Are you sure it's colic? There are a few differentials that require a doctor to diagnose. Has there been any significant weight gain?

Gripe Water has no alcohol in it, so no biggie there.

My uncle is a pediatrician and he said that he is pretty positive this is Colic from the description.

EtOH

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: badmouse
Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

That is total unadulterated bullshyt. You made a baby and it's yours until the day you die. It doesn't ever get any better. If you are lucky you will get a break once in awhile while the kid is ramping up for another fit, but it's alway going to be the same.

People who want to get away, especially after only a few weeks, should put their kid up for adoption to a family who really wants kids.

Quit whining and take care of your child. Your attention will pay off some day.

 

[EtOH]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do NOT use sedatives (phenobarbital, chloral hydrate, and alcohol [gripe water]). Are you sure it's colic? There are a few differentials that require a doctor to diagnose. Has there been any significant weight gain?

Also I would never use a sedative on my child this early in his life, he has to develop that taste for himself!

 

[RKS]

Running water
Running vaccum cleaner
Car rides

I have a book that dealt a lot with collic, I'll try to find it. I have read something about wrapping them kinda tightly in a receiving blanket with the arms tucked to their sides (just the head sticking out) but I can't remember if this worked.


When our boy had collic I thought I was gonna lose it more than a few times also. I just put him in his crib and asked my wife to watch him for a few minutes so I could de-stress. He is just over a year now and it seems soooo long ago. As you have already know it does subside at about 3 months, sorry i know that seems a long way away but it'll get here quicker than you think. And as others have suggested, ask for help from friends and family when you can.

BTW our boy had Jaundice also. Since the special lighting it reserved for our 'plants' j/k natural sunlight is a great option if it's not too cold outside.

 

[EtOH]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: badmouse
Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

That is total unadulterated bullshyt. You made a baby and it's yours until the day you die. It doesn't ever get any better. If you are lucky you will get a break once in awhile while the kid is ramping up for another fit, but it's alway going to be the same.

People who want to get away, especially after only a few weeks, should put their kid up for adoption to a family who really wants kids.

Quit whining and take care of your child. Your attention will pay off some day.

Dude where the f*ck do you get off spouting this crap?

Go somewhere else with it because it isn't appreciated right now. I am taking care of my child as best as I can. I am asking for advice from people who have gone through this before, not some @$$hole who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

EtOH

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Originally posted by: EtOH

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do NOT use sedatives (phenobarbital, chloral hydrate, and alcohol [gripe water]). Are you sure it's colic? There are a few differentials that require a doctor to diagnose. Has there been any significant weight gain?

Also I would never use a sedative on my child this early in his life, he has to develop that taste for himself!

There is gripe water that isn't alcohol free, and many parents try sedatives, so I was just making the point. I would still take the child in to see if it could be something else besides colic (i.e. gastrointestinal causes), but that's me.

 

[EtOH]

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend

Originally posted by: EtOH

Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Do NOT use sedatives (phenobarbital, chloral hydrate, and alcohol [gripe water]). Are you sure it's colic? There are a few differentials that require a doctor to diagnose. Has there been any significant weight gain?

Also I would never use a sedative on my child this early in his life, he has to develop that taste for himself!

There is gripe water that isn't alcohol free, and many parents try sedatives, so I was just making the point. I would still take the child in to see if it could be something else besides colic (i.e. gastrointestinal causes), but that's me.

I have made sure the Gripe Water I am using is alcohol/preservative free. And he is due to visit the doctor next week, holiday's kinda nailed us and I don't think it warrants an Emergency Room visit.

Thanks for the concern!

 

[WW]

might be an allergy....are you using formula? or the natural stuff? with the formula, some babies having problems with the milk, and you'd need to switch to soy, etc (wait until you check with the doctor). If breast milk, then the mother's diet is important...cut out onions, gassy foods etc.

have you tried a baby swing? might help a bit...

check out a more appropriate forum, like iparenting.com, etc. for suggestions...

also, your pediatrician should be pageable, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year...if not, get another one, quick! that's what they are there for....helping worried parents....it comes with the job, don't feel bad about pestering them.

good luck, and hang in there...just remember, he will outgrow it....he really will...just not today :-(

WW

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: EtOH

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: badmouse
Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

That is total unadulterated bullshyt. You made a baby and it's yours until the day you die. It doesn't ever get any better. If you are lucky you will get a break once in awhile while the kid is ramping up for another fit, but it's alway going to be the same.

People who want to get away, especially after only a few weeks, should put their kid up for adoption to a family who really wants kids.

Quit whining and take care of your child. Your attention will pay off some day.

Dude where the f*ck do you get off spouting this crap?

Go somewhere else with it because it isn't appreciated right now. I am taking care of my child as best as I can. I am asking for advice from people who have gone through this before, not some @$$hole who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

EtOH

Screw you and the donkey you rode in on. I have raised 2 and fostered 40+ others of all ages from newborn to teen. I gave you some good advice.

Your attitude is unwelcome here. You never seem to learn. Bye-bye.

AnandTech Moderator

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: EtOH

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: badmouse
Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

That is total unadulterated bullshyt. You made a baby and it's yours until the day you die. It doesn't ever get any better. If you are lucky you will get a break once in awhile while the kid is ramping up for another fit, but it's alway going to be the same.

People who want to get away, especially after only a few weeks, should put their kid up for adoption to a family who really wants kids.

Quit whining and take care of your child. Your attention will pay off some day.

Dude where the f*ck do you get off spouting this crap?

Go somewhere else with it because it isn't appreciated right now. I am taking care of my child as best as I can. I am asking for advice from people who have gone through this before, not some @$$hole who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

EtOH

Screw you and the donkey you rode in on. I have raised 2 and fostered 40+ others of all ages from newborn to teen. I gave you some good advice.

Pup, this is pretty much why I've always thought you were a fvcking idiot. There is absolutely nothing wrong with new parents accepting some help from family. They've been there, they can help and reassure you that you're doing the right thing. The first few weeks are absolutely the hardest part and there's no reason whatsoever to "tough it out" because some constipated asshole on the internet told you to. Now shut the fvck up and please re-vacation your dumb ass. Thanks.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: EtOH

Does holding him and walking him around help? A buddy of mine at work said that helped with his colicky daughter.

It helps for about 5 minutes.

It seems there are a few things we can do to distract him. When distracted he seems to forget how miserable he is, but only for about 5 minutes. So we end up struggling for 30 minutes to get 5 minutes to relax. That might be what is making it so difficult is we are frantically trying to do something (anything) that will help, we put in so much work for only a few minutes of quiet before he sets off again.

EtOH

Nail on the head.

I was a first time parent at 22. We got advice from friends family and perfect strangers on how to raise and care for our baby. Nobody seemed interested in our opinion at all. Which goes toward saying something for your situation, you're so distressed you'll take advice from any quarter.. I feel for you....

Let me say this. After three children I no longer hear the "fussy" cry, it's not nerve wracking, or distressing. It's just background noise. When the crying starts, I rock, cuddle, make noise and check the diaper... that takes me aboutten minutes total, after that, I just walk around rocking her and zone out... eventually she wears herself out and goes to sleep.

The important thing is not to feel that you can stop her from crying, in reality there's not a whole lot you can do and eventually she'll grow out of it..

One thing nobody's mentioned is white noise.. have you tried that? Turn on the shower and see if it quiets him, if that doesn't work try a vaccuum.. If THAT doesn't work, let me know. I have a ten minute fan noise mp3 that we use that works for our little one.

Cheers.

Dont' worry you're a GREAT DAD... he'll settle down around 6-8 weeks most likely.

~~edit
somebody did mention noise before me... as well as swaddling, which I forgot.

Let me explain it a little bit... You're trying to recreate the womb environment... lots of background noise and being really squished. It's comforting to a new baby, after all they've been in there nine times longer than they've been out here.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: EtOH

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy

Originally posted by: badmouse
Get help - beg your friends, family, anybody to put in some time, so you can get a break. That's what kept me sane. It DOES go away eventually. Good luck.

That is total unadulterated bullshyt. You made a baby and it's yours until the day you die. It doesn't ever get any better. If you are lucky you will get a break once in awhile while the kid is ramping up for another fit, but it's alway going to be the same.

People who want to get away, especially after only a few weeks, should put their kid up for adoption to a family who really wants kids.

Quit whining and take care of your child. Your attention will pay off some day.

Dude where the f*ck do you get off spouting this crap?

Go somewhere else with it because it isn't appreciated right now. I am taking care of my child as best as I can. I am asking for advice from people who have gone through this before, not some @$$hole who doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

EtOH

Screw you and the donkey you rode in on. I have raised 2 and fostered 40+ others of all ages from newborn to teen. I gave you some good advice.

And while I agree with your advice, I think you could have phrased it more gently... Remember old one, there was a time when fatherhood seemed like a big huge mistagke to you too. 🙂

 

[Jmman]

We used Chamomille tea for our son when he was having this problem. I thought my wife was smoking something wacky, but heck it did the trick..... Google this tea and babies and you will see that other people have had luck also.....🙂

 

[randalee]

Seriously, my wife and I both concur that you should check out some Babycenter.com if you haven't already. There will be dozens of moms and dads going through this same thing right now. One thing that helped us IMMENSELY, was THIS ITEM:

http://www.miracleblanket.com/index.htm

We got one of these awesome blankets, and they are WONDERFUL. Helped so much when nothing else would. We would also put a heating pad on VERY LOW heat and lay it on your arm. Lay the baby on its tummy on your (now heating-pad-covered) arm. Bounce away. You will figure this out..

My wife and I both sympathize with you. Best of luck! You can come here for support anytime or to blow some steam.

Randy