https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 09:02:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819839 Wed, 02 May 2018 11:09:37 +0000 gingerbebe 2819839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our first child was a nightmare. He didn’t like the yoga ball - only deep knee bends while holding him upright would do. He didn’t like the RNP bc it was too confining. He would sleep on my chest while I sat in a recliner, but only in short bursts. Stroller rides while seated somewhat upright (we used those insert things) facing outward to look at stuff would calm him somewhat. </p> <p>Zantac can stop working. I went straight to Prilosec with our second because DS1 was so awful. We also used gas drops at every feeding and used gripe water pretty regularly. Holding the baby under their armpits and kinda standing them upright in your lap will get some good burps out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819778 Wed, 02 May 2018 09:08:03 +0000 periwinklebee 2819778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Congrats on her arrival! :grin: :grin: Maybe look into reflux medication if that seems to be the issue - I'm not a fan of having a tiny baby on medicine but it made a huge different for my LO. We tried to wean him off this weekend (he wasn't ready yet) and it reminds me of what a difference the reflux medicine can make. Also, as others have said, bouncing or stroller (my LO only liked the latter over bumpy sidewalks). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819752 Wed, 02 May 2018 08:11:26 +0000 Synchronicity 2819752@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just survived this with my now 6 month old. She's still not an easy, chill baby at all but it's much easier to manage at this stage. </p> <p>When she was really little the yoga ball saved our lives. We'd put her in the carrier or hold her and bounce and bounce and bounce forever. Movement was key, so walking and stroller rides and bouncing and bouncing and bouncing. Fresh air also seemed to help. She took to a pacifier really well and that was also a big help for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819750 Wed, 02 May 2018 07:58:42 +0000 Mama Bird 2819750@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does she do better when held? If yes, I'll third recommending a soft carrier! DD was a very grumpy baby, and she was a little better in the carrier. But only half the time, sometimes she was uncomfortable and would just wiggle and fuss until I took her out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819746 Wed, 02 May 2018 07:47:45 +0000 MrsADS 2819746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son had absolutely horrible reflux and MSPI and it was truly the darkest time in my life. He cried nonstop and never slept. I would nurse him in the middle of the night and then he would cry for 2-3 hours after every feeding. </p> <p>Treat the reflux aggressively if you can. He slept in a Rock &amp; Play - laying him flat was much worse. He hated being worn and always vomited (pressure on his esophagus, maybe?). We used super loud white nose (vacuum cleaner app on our phone), very tight velcro swaddle. And I walked and rocked and bounced him so much I thought my knees would give out, I was in so much physical pain. </p> <p>I don't think there is an easy answer. For my son, he was miserable and in pain and that was the underlying issue, so nothing was going to help that much except aggressive treatment. </p> <p>I'm 36 weeks pregnant with baby 2 and absolutely terrified of going through it again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819741 Wed, 02 May 2018 07:29:22 +0000 Foodnerd81 2819741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@autumn865: I also burst into tears when an older lady asked me if she was “a good baby?” I will never ask that! (I responded with “well.... we really love her”. </p> <p>And yes to the soft carrier. I did a moby with my first and we just walked and walked and walked. But that’s easier without two other kids to care for as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819739 Wed, 02 May 2018 07:22:23 +0000 autumn865 2819739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This sounds like my second who had colic :-:</p> <p>She was gassy and grumpy during the day. Things that helped were putting her in the carrier (solly wrap and later ergo) and moving . Bouncing on the exercise ball calmed her sometimes. She loved loud noise (vacuum, hair drier, swing sound turned up). She cried ALL. THE. TIME. to the point that I would just hold her and try to tell myself that at the very least I was trying to comfort her. I was plagued with an overactive letdown and none of the techniques really helped with that. Sleeping in the rock and play seemed to help her sleep better initially. Even when the colic passed she was still “grumpy”. I remember bursting into tears when a well meaning lady in the grocery store asked “is she a happy baby?” Life changed and she became my smiley girl when she started moving and crawling. Hang in there :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819734 Wed, 02 May 2018 06:51:02 +0000 mrswin 2819734@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Kemma: When my DD was at this stage we had the most luck with using a soft structured carrier (Ktan). She was only happy to be held in an upright position with pressure on her stomach because of the reflux. We also used a soother because sucking provided some comfort for her but I didn’t want to be a human pacifier.</p> <p>Lastly in the evening I would see if you can get her swaddled up and put her to bed because according to most sleep experts “witching hour” is actually just the baby being overtired and wanting to sleep </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819725 Wed, 02 May 2018 06:00:08 +0000 Foodnerd81 2819725@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My first was very much like that. Do you have a big yoga ball/ exercise ball? With both our girls but especially the crankier first, DH and I used to take turns bouncing in the ball while holding the baby to our chest and patting her back pretty hard. It was the only thing that worked for a while-like a long enough while that I dreaded seeing the ball at all! But it worked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/comforting-a-grumpy-newborn#post-2819721 Wed, 02 May 2018 03:24:27 +0000 Kemma 2819721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi All</p> <p>My wee girl arrived just over two weeks ago and it’s become clear to us that she’s not going to be an easygoing or chilled out wee babe like her older siblings! She’s not content to just “hang out” and isn’t even that happy when she’s being held, and then throw in some colicky behaviour and a touch of reflux and it makes for some challenging moments!</p> <p>Baby is currently EBF and gaining well (ten ounces in a week!) but is a very “windy” feeder which I’m guessing doesn’t help the grumpiness and she’ll often have a 2-3 hour crying jag in the evenings where she won’t want to feed and nothing will make her happy.</p> <p>So, on to my question! Does anybody have any tips or tricks for comforting my wee grumpy bum? I’d really love some more tools in my toolbox...</p> <p>Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325169 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 23:32:33 +0000 brownie 2325169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am personally a very picky eater (extreme) and I have survived two babies on a very limited diet. And as miserable as not eating is (and it came to that some times) it is so much better than seeing my babes in pain. My son was MSPI (and at 4 still soy intolerant) and my daughter is reacting to so much more. My son screamed 12-15 hours a day no matter what we did until we finally eliminated the food and the Zantac. My daughter is not very fussy unless we introduce a trigger food. She is pretty incredible. </p> <p>I can't believe I have been off dairy for the last 12 months and look at 18 more months off because my diet was a steady supply of ice cream, Mac and cheese. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325158 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 22:48:24 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2325158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: both girls had colic and DD2 had reflux. It was crying every night for 3-4 hours where nothing helped. The only things that did help were wearing, white noise and gripe water. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325145 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 21:57:06 +0000 Mama Bird 2325145@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know if it's really colic if it's not inconsolable, but for a long time the only things that would keep DD from screaming were nursing and being held (not in a carrier either, only in arms). I think it's mostly her temperament, she's really sensitive. She did have a lot of gas when she was really small, but I think many babies do and they don't scream like that. It hit a low point around six weeks, and now at three months she's finally getting to the point where she can be awake and happy without me holding her. I already dread teething though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325135 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 21:24:32 +0000 Eko 2325135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Colic itself is a temperament that cannot be fixed. Some of the screaming and crying was a result of reflux, but really things have just improved over time. We really saw an improvement since he turned 4 months, but there's still room to go. DS hated taking the medicine too. What we found worked the best was him lying flat on his back and squirting a little bit at a time into his cheek. Hang in there. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325131 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 21:07:10 +0000 cascademom 2325131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>E was a colicky baby. We did screaming car rides, Windi, everything. He slept okay in the day and awful at night. Happiest Baby helped us a lot. The Windi helped with gas until he could fart. Those were rough months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325028 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 19:06:58 +0000 dc yoga bee 2325028@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes. M is a colicky baby, and has bad reflux. I could write a novel echoicng what others have said. I had colic until I was 9 months old. M will be 5 months next week. All<br /> I can say is hang in there! I'm told it gets better :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2325015 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 18:56:23 +0000 erinpye 2325015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had 2 colicky babies, who are high-needs kids. It's temperament and high-sensitivity/ sensory stuff. DD1 was diagnosed with reflux, put on various meds, they didn't do anything. She got her tongue tie revised at 6 months and that made a big difference, but neither stopped long screaming fits until around a year old. Both still have very long and intense tantrum meltdowns, especially bad between 18 months and 2.5 years. DD1 has calmed since turning 3, yet still has some screaming meltdowns. It's just who and how they are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324966 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 17:52:04 +0000 charlotte 2324966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: for our mspi - green mucus diapers and fussiness were first sign and then blood in her diaper the first time she had formula. Her diapers were better after we fixed that but reflux became more obvious and we started the Zantac a week ago. She's 6 wks and doing much better but still has some issues, especially if we don't hold her up as much. </p> <p>That's definitely hard that your LO won't let you hold him that way. Would he let your husband? When I was still nursing my LO would seem to have a hard time settling - it was like she was always rooting on me, looking for comfort I'm assuming. </p> <p>We are definitely not having crying all the time now and she's even sleeping well but it has to be on us or in the R&amp;P. I'm scared to try transitioning. I don't know that Zantac is 100% doing the job and have had several friends say it didn't work for them and they needed something else. Planning to discuss at her 2m visit.... It seems worse when she spits some out too though- we try to give a little bit at a time now like @twodoghouse</p> <p>I hope things get better soon. I know it is so tiring and stressful, especially with a toddler running around. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324909 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 15:44:37 +0000 MrsADS 2324909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS is 7 wks old and I just feel like I need to chime in to the colic/reflux discussion. I'd say we definitely have at least 3 hours of crying over the course of a day. He is in general just not a happy camper.</p> <p>BUT he has very bad reflux and protein intolerance, for sure - he was actually hospitalized and also had 2 ER visits for constant choking and vomiting/spit up after feeds. He also had nasty mucus diapers. After feeds (well really all the time) you can hear him refluxing and bringing stuff up even if he doesn't spit up (you can actually feel it if you put your hand on his chest).</p> <p>The first GI we were on put him on Zantac which did nothing. We switched GI doctors - love the new ped GI. He put him on Prevacid, Zantac, and Carafate. Carafate coats the esophagus. The acid actually erodes the esophagus so the GI said his esophagus probably had sores on it from his reflux being so bad - DS would literally be hysterical for 2 hours after every feeding, it was a NIGHTMARE. And not uncommon for him to spit up 10 to 20 times, each time screaming. And the reflux smelled awful, it was like the smell was coming out of his pores.</p> <p>Anyway, after 2 weeks on that, he was not a lot better. So the GI put me on a strict elimination diet - he suspected with the diapers and other issues (DS also was very congested/sniffly and got little rashes around his chest and back) that he had some kind of food intolerance (MSPI or otherwise). We also switched from Prevacid to Nexium. </p> <p>Well, now on Nexium plus elimination diet he is finally improving. Although I think he's still sensitive to things - we will have a few good days, and then for example the last 24 hours have been horrible. I think it's tomatoes that I ate. Anyway, it's a work in progress and he still struggles with the reflux and a lot of crying but it's not nearly as bad as it was.</p> <p>FYI for those of you struggling to get your LO to take Zantac, get it at a compounding pharmacy. Our new pediatric GI said that the liquid Zantac that you get filled at Walgreens or CVS for your baby is like 8% alcohol!! I tasted some of it and it was so bitter, like rusty pipes. We get everything filled at a compounding pharmacy and the meds now are a little sweet tasting, LO takes them without issue. </p> <p>He's also a super difficult sleeper, we have to use white noise, rocking, swaddle, etc. and it takes FOREVER to get him to sleep. He is not a good napper on the go. I think it's because he was in so much pain after he eats (and probably still is a little) that it's really hard to get him to relax and calm down.</p> <p>I can't WAIT until he outgrows all this. Right now I am not eating gluten, corn, dairy, soy, nuts, eggs, fish, and as of now also tomatoes and berries. (We tried Alimentum and he had an awful reaction to it - so BF is better - if he needed formula he'd probably have to go on an elemental formula like Elecare or Neocate.) It's likely he's not sensitive to ALL the things I eliminated. We'll probably try to re-introduce them one at a time, at least for things like eggs and wheat, maybe not dairy. I pretty much just eat chicken and potatoes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324856 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 14:16:16 +0000 daniellemybelle 2324856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO was not an extreme case of colic but I do consider her to have been colicky. My personal experience of my own colicky baby is that she was just unhappy for 4 months. She was the baby that was screaming in the hospital, in the doctor's office, at church, in the grocery store... Like most, I wondered if her tummy didn't feel good, but she had no real symptoms of reflux or MSPI, and any avenue I chased for gas relief or things of that nature were fruitless. After a while, I just accepted that she was fussy and we learned to live with it.</p> <p>Now, she definitely went through phases where she slept well and she didn't cry all day! In fact, I think about about 10 weeks she got into a good nap schedule. So she was not meeting the definition of crying 3 hours per day for at least 3 days per week. But at that point, we were putting in hard work to make sure she got the sleep she needed. She wasn't one of those easy babies that just drifts off in the stroller or in the carrier. If she was overtired, she was a mess.</p> <p>I'm sorry you are struggling. &lt;3 For me, it did get a little easier when I stopped trying to "diagnose" her and just learned to cope. I had a lot of help from my mom thankfully and I also learned that her fussiness was usually from fighting sleep and getting overtired so I transferred my obsession from digestive issues to her sleep. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324855 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 14:14:28 +0000 QBbride 2324855@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: oops sorry now I see it!! Can you try mixing it in a bottle with 5mL of breastmilk? That's what we do in the NICU. The other thing you can try is squirting the Zantac into a nipple and letting him suck on the nipple. Good luck!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324821 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:18:58 +0000 shopaholic 2324821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: Thank you for that response! I will check in again with the ped at his 6 week appointment about dosing and maybe the solutabs. </p> <p>@Rainbow Sprinkles: Oh my that diet sounds so sad. :( Though I'm sure I'd loose some weight that way too! lol - she likes to be naked? DS is not really a fab of being naked. He loves to be warm though. Bath time got infinitely better once his umbilical cord fell off and I can soak him in very very warm water. </p> <p>@Mrs. J: Thank you. We've had it for 2 weeks, but I was hesitant to give it in the beginning because the first ped didn't really want to give it. I started giving him 1 dose a day to see if it helps. I will try giving the proper 2 doses now. Yes, I try tiny squirts, all at once, in between nursing. I don't blame him though - I tasted a drop and it's awful. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324815 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:06:54 +0000 Mrs. J 2324815@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: how long has he had the Zantac? It can take a little to work, but they definitely don't like to take it. I would try squirting down the inside of his cheek. It was a battle to get DS to eat for a while. There was so much screaming and I had to nurse him in a lot of different positions, sing to him and rub his foot or hand. Drops were a constant. Cutting dairy did not help here. When he had a bottle, preemie nipples (dr brown) worked best. I'm sorry mama. It does get better! It just takes time, time, time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324813 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:05:14 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2324813@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: and regarding temperment, M was sensitive to cold and to hot, and she still is now at almost 2. She's picky about clothes, shoes, textures, messes, fabrics, etc. Maybe as a baby, she hated her pajamas! ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324812 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:04:09 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2324812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: no, I stayed off of all of them. So I was off of dairy, soy, and gluten for a year.<br /> The probiotics we used were Gerber Soothe. I'd try them--can't hurt!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324779 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:28:52 +0000 twodoghouse 2324779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: We had a very hard time getting DD to take the Zantac when she was younger. Eventually she started to like it, actually, but it was basically torture in the beginning. We called it her peppermint schnapps because of the smell. We had the best luck with squirting just a tiny bit in at a time over the course of a few minutes. We also held the syringe in the corner of her mouth, like up against the cheek? It was harder to spit out that way. DS started on the Zantac but after two weeks it didn't seem to be making a difference and he had started spitting up so much (like his whole 2 oz supplement after nursing). He was born at 4 lb 15 oz and was still barely at his birth weight so my dr was pretty aggressive about getting him to keep calories in his belly. FWIW, we did solutabs of Prevacid that dissolved in water and had almost no taste. He drank it willingly out of a medicine dropper pacifier. So if your DS is having a hard time with the Zantac and you think he needs reflux meds, see if you can move to Prevacid. One thing to keep in mind, too, is that Zantac dosing Is weight specific. So even if he's swallowing it well, it can seem to be ineffective if he grows out of the weight range for his dosage. My dr had us bring DD for weight checks every once in a while to bump up her dose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324770 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:11:19 +0000 shopaholic 2324770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@QBbride: Thanks. You can see my last response ^^. We got Zantac, but DS does not seem to swallow much if any of it. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324769 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:10:15 +0000 shopaholic 2324769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twodoghouse: That's interesting you mentioned the screaming began before the spitting up. I think that's what happened here too. Screaming/fussing started about a week or two before constant spitting up. The extremely mad part I get. Let's hope there's the extremely happy part as well! ;) What was the difference and reason for Prevacid vs. Zantac? DS spits out I think all the Zantac.</p> <p>@jape14: Sounds like a good ped you have! I will look up silent reflux more to see if that's what we have. This ped office was very vocal about not wanting to give medication for reflux - only as a last resort. But decided to prescribe it right before we left as DS was screaming and screaming. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324766 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:04:30 +0000 shopaholic 2324766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: Oh wow! Does your DS have food allergies or intolerances now? How old is he/on solids? Yeah, when I told DH about all the foods the ped told me to eliminate, he told me he'd rather have me give formula then. Interesting, I will keep your timeline in mind if things get worse. </p> <p>@Bubbles: Thanks mama! Yup, see above ^^ on the food deprivation. Oh and your poor baby with the tongue tie. I don't think we have any issue like that. I went to see a LC at the hospital, and she thought he fed fine (and gains like 0.5 to 1 lb each week!)</p> <p>@Eko: There are so many factors that come into play with a fussy baby and I hate the term colicky. It's just like a blanket statement it seems - with no real root of a reason that they can pinpoint. :(</p> <p>@charlotte: I'm glad you found the cause! I have to look up MSPI as well to see what that entails. Yes, I'm sure we have reflux at play here too. DS has slept in the swing for a whole week at least. I've tried moving him back to the bassinet a couple times, only to have him end up screaming and finding him covered in spit up and soaked. We have Zantac too, but he basically spits it all back out. I remember with DD, I spent a whole month sleeping with her held upright on my chest propped up against the headboard. At the time I thought that was awful, but I wish DS would let me do that now too. He resists everything and won't stay still in any position. He only seems to like me walking around holding/bouncing him. How old is your LO now and is she doing better? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-have-a-colicky-baby#post-2324762 Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:54:34 +0000 QBbride 2324762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shopaholic: I would push the ped to prescribe Zantac then. Of course all medications have side effects and shouldn't be prescribed without reason, but the side effects of Zantac are pretty minimal. Then hopefully it will help, and if not then you can cross it off your list. </p>