Is it colic?

I have four week old twins. Landon is the calmest baby I know. He sleeps well and only cries when he is hungry or needs to be changed. Gabe is a different story.

Gabe cries at least half the day three to five days a week. Yesterday was a breaking point for me and I actually had to leave the room to let him cry... I was in tears and frustrated beyond belief. Does this sound like colic, and if so what can we do to combat this? I'm at my wits end here. Here are some of the things I've noticed about Gabe.

He likes to be held and cuddled beyond belief. If I could hold him all day long, I'm sure I wouldn't hear a peep.
He hiccups like crazy.
He arches his back and flings his head back, almost like he is in pain.

Does anyone have any ideas here? I know that colic can last for months and to be honest, I don't know that I make it that long with a single hair left on my head. I'm open to any and all suggestions here. Thanks guys!!!!

 

VACUUM CLEANER NOISE. Buy the CD off of Amazon and keep it playing loudly when he cries. From one colic mom to another-- it will be your savior.

Bathroom fan, dust buster, real vacuum--- WHATEVER makes noise. Turn it on.

Nothing else worked for me. I would put him in the vibrating bouncy on the kitchen table and turn the exhaust fan and vacuum on and that was all I could do. He would sit there for hours. Good luck and it's unfortunate but it's going to get worse from 6 weeks until about 14 (adjusted) so.. get the CD

It's tough but you will get through it. He is now my calm sweet baby

 

It sounds as if he could be having gas which is something that their systems need to mature to stop it. You can help by using gas drops or gently massaging their tummies around their navel clockwise. IF a baby cries for more than 3 hours, then I would call in to your pediatrician.
Believe it or not, most twins take turns in being challenging! I know I used to feel guilty about all the time that I had to spend with DS, but then they swapped roles.
:hug99: I had twins who didn't (still don't) like to sleep. Very fussy. I had to put them in their cribs more than once and leave the house (just outside of the door). It gets better!! They say the first three months is the worst. Hang in there!!!

 

I would call your pedi. My little guy cried all the time and I chalked it up to Colic. I didn't want to be a first time Mom running to the doctor because he was crying all the time but I was at my wits end. I called, we went, she felt his stomach, it was full of gas. We switched formulas, went on pepcid and things got better. It took some time but it got a lot better. Like you, he started to cry and so did I. I was so beat tired. Call your doctor and see what they say.

 

:hug99: :hug99: :hug99: :hug99:

My daughters had colic. It sucks!! The vacuum worked best for us. With my oldest daughter it couldn't be the noise when the vacuum was being pushed, had to be sitting still...I went through three vacuums b/c I burnt up the motors LOL If on formula sometimes a change in that can help some too.

Dianna

 

Honestly, it sounds like reflux. I think colic is more frequent during the later hours of the day, not all day. It could be gas, of course, but throwing his head back and arching his back is a true indicator of reflux. Hiccups are too, because the acid coming back up his throat is actually damaging his throat and causing the hiccup reaction.

Many people see reflux starting right about a month old, so you're at the "perfect" time. Give your pediatrician a call and see if you can have your son tested for reflux. FYI - some pediatricians will prescribe medicine based on symptoms (usually Zantac at first) without sending you to an upper GI for tests. If you do find out that it's reflux, there are lots of moms here who have dealt with it who can provide advice. Feel free to PM me if want... one of my daughters still has reflux at 15 months. As soon as we got her on medicine, the arching and crying stopped and she became an incredibly happy baby. It was night and day.

 

Yes check out reflux for sure. talk to your dr.

Also, some of the tried and true stuff might work - swaddling, swings, shushing, and sucking. Use swaddle blankets to keep them tightly wrapped up (most babies love this), use a swing to help them get to sleep and to keep them asleep (or bouncy chair), give them a soother or something to suck on (mine liked my finger). I also used a vacuum and white noise machine while they slept, that helped to get longer naps out of them.
You are in a TOUGH spot right now for sure. It does get easier I promise, it will just take some time. 6wks is peak fussiness time, just remember it will get better. I use to take my day hour by hour - how do I get through the next hour. Try and go for a walk around your house, try and get outside everyday even if it's just for a few minutes. If you are able to, sleep when they do, even if just for 20min. And, if you need to put, them in a safe place (crib) and shut the door and walk away for a little bit - they are safe and you get a short break. There is no shame in that!

GL - hope things get better soon.

 

Another poster who says investigate reflux and call the Ped. If he is arching and screaming and pushing the bottle or breast away that is a sure fire sign of reflux. Maybe a formula change too (if you are FF) might help. Once we got on meds for their reflux and did a formula change for a diagnosed milk protein allergy their life got much better and so did mine. GL! :hug99:

 

Thanks to you all for your input. My first born had reflux, and definitely did the arching of the back routine. We put him on soy formula and Prevacid and he seemed to do much better.

A big thank you for the support. I felt like such a horrible mom the other day having to leave Gabe in his bassinet while I went in the other room. I never had to do that with my first. But trying to feed Landon (Gabe's twin) with Gabe screaming was a bit more than I could handle at that moment in time. It's nice to know that there are other mom's out there who have been in my same boat and that it's okay to leave the babies in a safe place while we get a quick breather.

I will definitely call my pedi to see if they want me to come in ASAP or wait for their appointment next week. Many thanks for all the words of encouragement!!!!!