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Offline longball

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When infants can’t be soothed.
« on: November 13, 2017, 09:14:33 PM »
Our 8 week old baby has developed a case of the can’t help it’s. Unfortunately it started just after I left for work. She’s fed, has a clean/dry diaper and has had a couple different outfits on to rule out itchy clothes and tags. Wife has tried nursing instead of bottle and that didn’t work either. These looks and sounds like mad/painful crying. Wife took her for a ride in the car and as long as my she was driving the baby slept. As soon as they walked in the door she started crying again. The baby has been holding her No. 2s in for days and get fussy after 48 hours or so. Poor thing holds it in until she can’t anymore then has major blowouts. I don’t think that’s the case this time as the blowout was last night.

What are the next steps? Anything you’ve tried that worked when they just can’t seem stop crying?


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Offline stlaser

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2017, 09:29:41 PM »
just to clarify are you only using breast milk or formula as well?
Living in the remote north hoping Ken doesn’t bring H up here any time soon…..

Offline Superwhdm

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2017, 09:34:16 PM »
We had to try a few different powdered formulas (with both kiddos) before we settled on Similac Total comfort. Wife was not able to nurse.  Could be gas caused by not being able to digest that kind of formula.  It’s going to be a combination only learned over time. Her/his little body is getting used to the real world, digesting food and growing so very fast.

Is this your first?  My advice would be just go through the motions. Calm mommas freaking out the best you can. You guys will all learn these changes together.  A lot of these formulas have high iron content and will make baby constipated.  We sometimes had to initiate “evacuation” with a q-tip and Vaseline very gently. 

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Offline Bear9350

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2017, 09:54:21 PM »
My wife nursed but was not able to keep up with demand.  It took us a few weeks but we finally figured out the reason my daughter was constantly fussing/ crying/ not sleeping well was because she was always hungry.  She switched from nursing to straight bottle feeding, mixing milk with formula.  We also used Similac but whichever formula was specific for mixing.  It is also pretty typical for them to get gas.  We found it worked best to lay her/ have her sleep in rock-n-play I think??.  She was able to sit up a little more vs laying flat on her back in the crib which helps digestion I guess?
« Last Edit: November 13, 2017, 10:12:11 PM by Bear9350 »

Offline Superwhdm

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2017, 10:09:10 PM »
Agreed on the rock n play. We had them in that thing next to us  for a few weeks while our girls got adjusted.
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Offline TexasRedNeck

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2017, 12:45:52 AM »
Place her in a carrier and place that on top of the clothes dryer and run the dryer. Mimicks the car and soothes the baby.


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Offline wyorunner

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When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2017, 02:02:50 AM »
Sounds like a gas thing to me. Our son was only nursed but we did have gas issues. Look for products that are supposed to relieve colic....gripe water!!! Wife just gave me the name. Also try different bottles if your daughter is on a bottle frequently. Certain bottles can cause more gas than others and it's child dependent it seems.  If you still have my number and have questions call or text. You and your wife are welcome to call or text and I'll get my wife on if needed or get you guys her number. For what it's worth our son just turned 4 a little over two weeks ago.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2017, 02:03:35 AM by wyorunner »

Offline Wilbur

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2017, 02:54:58 AM »
That's such a helpless feeling. With our three after my wife finished breast feeding we ended going through each of the progressively more bland (I guess bland?) Versions. The oldest had not problem with any formula, the second had more gas and we had to get a more gas "resistent" type and the third we had to go with nutramagen. Unfortunately that stiff's expensive, especially as our youngest was the biggeata (as if often the case) and ate more than her siblings had.

I would try different formulas until you find one that can be tolerated. And the other ideas (slight slant to the crib mattress, etc) others have mentioned can help too for sure.

Good luck! Know that this will pass. Such a helpless feeling of a baby screaming you can't console.

Offline stlaser

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2017, 08:43:04 AM »
Infamil is known to cause gas issues, if you dig online you will soon see it is pretty common. We switched to something I think that was made by carnation if I recall correctly. Been a few years now but I do recall it was a struggle until we figured it out.
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Offline EL TATE

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2017, 10:28:33 AM »
We had to switch to Earth's best organic non dairy. she'd take a whole bottle spit up two thirds, be gassy as all get out and hungry at the same time. if they're fed, burped and empty on the back end, wrap them up tight in a swaddling blanket like a burrito. If that calms them could just be colic. x2 on the dryer idea, only be sure to put something non slip like a cupboard liner underneath. Sophie almost vibrated off the top.
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Offline cruizng

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2017, 10:44:48 AM »
Our first had Colic and Gerd. She was fine the first three weeks then all broke loose. She would cry constantly. Wife breast fed. We tried noise and vibration machine attached to crib to swings to you name it.  For 4 months we would basically walk circles around the living room with her on our forearm face down to get her to stop crying. Then we had a recliner where we had a Sears canisters vacuum running right next to it while she slept. It ran so long in the same place it stained a spot where the engine exhaust the engine dust.

That was the only way she would sleep. I would work during the day and then when I got home the wife would go to bed until midnight and I would switch.

We vowed not to have another kid. Lol. Didn't happen.

After the colic she was still very sensitive so we had to put up some bifold doors in front of her crib so we could commando crawl in to check on her without her seeing us. If she saw us it would be another 3 hour ordeal to get her back to sleep.

Try walking with them on your forearm face down. That worked. Got rid of the baby fat too. Lol

We also tried many other vacuums not wanting to burn out the big one but it had to be the Sears canister or she would sleep in the recliner.

Good luck


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Offline Bob Smith

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2017, 12:19:45 PM »
Been more years than I care to think about but when ours were 2 months or so we started mixing a small amount of cereal with the formula. Thanks Grandma, yes they were hungry as the formula alone did not fill them up. If problems continue too long, a trip to the Doc may be in order.

Offline longball

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2017, 03:45:08 AM »
Thank you for all of the suggestions. For some reason I didn’t get notifications so I hadn’t checked for replies until now.

Tuesday we had our 8 month checkup. We explained what we had been experiencing and her Dr recommended giving her a mixture of Prune Apple juice and water (1 oz/1oz, once per day). Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty uneventful but yesterday afternoon my wife said she started acting really upset again. I haven’t talked to her since 9pm so I’ll be interested to hear how their night went. Luckily she was spending the day with her parents so she had some help while I was a work.


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Offline longball

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2017, 03:45:34 AM »
just to clarify are you only using breast milk or formula as well?
Breast milk only.


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Offline longball

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2017, 03:51:48 AM »
Place her in a carrier and place that on top of the clothes dryer and run the dryer. Mimicks the car and soothes the baby.


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A couple times now I’ve used her carrier when she wouldn’t sleep anywhere else. Never thought of putting it on the dryer though.

Is this your first?  My advice would be just go through the motions. Calm mommas freaking out the best you can. You guys will all learn these changes together.  A lot of these formulas have high iron content and will make baby constipated.  We sometimes had to initiate “evacuation” with a q-tip and Vaseline very gently.
Yessir this is our first.


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Offline TexasRedNeck

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #15 on: November 17, 2017, 06:28:43 AM »
Thanks for  the update.  Hope you and your wife are able to manage through it.  The good part is that your daughter will never remember any of it.
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Offline longball

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #16 on: November 17, 2017, 07:26:46 AM »
Thanks Tex. It’s an awful feeling but I’m sure it’s the same thing every other parent on the planet has already been through. We’ll figure it out and come out the back side with a stronger bond because of it.


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Offline cudakidd53

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Re: When infants can’t be soothed.
« Reply #17 on: November 17, 2017, 09:50:46 AM »
God bless you both, I remember those days and am I ever thankful that they passed.  My son still owes me 6+ weeks of being awake every night from the hours of 1am-3am; it was brutal for all of us, except my oldest daughter who slept through it all as a 2 yr. old!  They're 27 and 25 now-
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