Frazzled mom...help!

I think sometimes I am going to pull my hair out. My little girl can scream her head off until she is red, holding her breath and so upset she makes these awful clucking breathing noises when she's done. How can I wash bottles, feed my toddler, do a load of laundry, or brush my teeth if this is all she'll do when I put her down? I can only be on this board while she lies in my lap so I can type. How do you mom's do it? Is she just a needy baby? Is something wrong? How long will this last? They have 4 options of sleeping #1 crip (only slept in twice) #2 bassinet (only slept in 20 minutes at a time now and then) #3 bouncy seat #4 swing. Swing works the best but sometimes that even doesn't make her happy (plus I'm not happy since I haven't slept in my bed in 5 weeks). Maybe it's me...what am I doing wrong?

Help!

 

Oh my, you are having a tough day today, aren't you?? Hang in there. My Henry was a screamer, we used to call him Mt. St. Henry, and now he's the most laid back smiley guy!

Here are my three tips: #1 - Get a sling. My fussy baby would calm in an instant once he was put there and I started moving around. It gave me the freedome to do the things I needed to get done, and I had free hands to pick up another baby if I had to. We called it the womb room. #2 - Swaddling. If she's super fussy - try swaddling her VERY tight and then putting her in the swing or vibrating bouncy. #3 - White noise. At that age mine were not calmed by the swing alone, but if I put them in the swing and turned on the vacuum on in the same room then would quiet instantly. Our vacuum is SUPER loud, and sometimes I would leave it on for 15/20 minutes - just so I could get a break!

If those things don't work and you've already checked all the usual suspects that may make a baby cry: hunger, diaper, sleep, temperature etc; take a deep breath, know you have done everything you can do; put the baby somewhere safe and brush your teeth, feed your toddler or do the laundry!

Good Luck - you are really in the thick of things, and it WILL get better (and fun too).
Suzi

 

Oh, I had two screamers. It was horrible. I was not on ts at the beginning because I was so tired. The swings worked but not all the time. You are not doing anything wrong. The first months are so hard you just have to ride it out (easy for me to say now). I think you got good advice from Susie. :hug99:

 

i am right with you i do not know if she is needy or not i do think i am gonna try the sling though. just know you are not alone she is in my lap right now too.

 

I don't have any other advice that the PPs, but just want to say that the second month for me was the WORST!! Now that we are creeping up to 3mths, things seem to be slowly getting better though I would still like to get them to bed at 8. Claire has colic and the only thing that calms her is to put her in her carseat and we have to physically swing her in that. If we put her in the swing during the fussy time, she freaks. She goes in it during the day and is currently sleeping in it, but not when she is fussy like that. Talk about a workout!! It works though and we seem to have to do it less and less.

I truely didn't think I would make through it, but I have and still am. It will pass and get better. Trust me, I didn't think it would, but it does.

April

 

Try watching The Happiest Baby On The Block DVD. It helped us a lot. Dr. Harvey Karp has these "5 S's" of soothing. Let's see if I can remember them all:

1) swaddling
2) swinging
3) side lying
4) sucking
5) shushing (basically, white noise)

Baby carriers/slings are great too! Rowan had a fussy stage and he loved the baby bjorn. If they are not big enough for the bjorn, many cloth carriers out there can handle smaller ones.

 

QUOTE(JenniferTwinMomMinneapolis @ Oct 26 2007, 06:07 PM) [snapback]468824[/snapback]
Try watching The Happiest Baby On The Block DVD. It helped us a lot. Dr. Harvey Karp has these "5 S's" of soothing. Let's see if I can remember them all:

1) swaddling
2) swinging
3) side lying
4) sucking
5) shushing (basically, white noise)

Baby carriers/slings are great too! Rowan had a fussy stage and he loved the baby bjorn. If they are not big enough for the bjorn, many cloth carriers out there can handle smaller ones.


I loosely ditto this post. I say loosely because I had two crybabies and this only worked some times. But the times it worked....aaahahhhh!! Lauren was our screamer and nicknamed "LoLo Lungs". Good luck, I think everyone has given you some wonderful suggestions.

 

I had a really fussy one too. Reflux was the main culprit. Does she have any symptoms, besides fussiness? Refusing bottles, arching, screaming during and after feedings, spitting up, throwing up? :hug99: