sorry, this is long...
My DD is 6 weeks old and she has crying fits where the only thing that (usuallly) calms her is pacing while either bouncing or swinging her while "shhh"-ing. she will cry on & on then tire herself out, fall asleep, then suddenly wake up crying again! She seems fine in the morning- she plays on her tummy mat and when she gets cranky I move her, usually I hold her for a while & sing/talk to her or put her in her swing so I can get some housework done. she naps, wakes up & I feed and change her. then she either falls asleep again or the crankiness starts (usually mid afternoon). It usually lasts until 7/8pm when she gets exhausted & finally goes to sleep.
Could this be colic? I know- ask her Dr- but it doesn't seem serious enough to make an appointment for and her next appt isnt until mid july. And I know, babies cry all the time. that is what anyone tells me when I ask for advice or just try to vent my frustration. That answer seems to frustrate me even more. it just seems like my baby is so upset about something! sometimes she will actually be screaming until she is beat red & sweating. She's not sick and I can't find anything that would be making her uncomfortable.

For those of you who have had babies with colic- how did you deal with it? did you have any tricks that might help calm the baby? any other advice?

Thanks!

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Both of my kids had colic/fussy time. They usually started getting fussy around 5 pm and would cry/fuss until about 8:30 pm, when they finally fell asleep. Our son was way worse than our daughter. She did this from the time she was a month old until she was 2 1/2 months. Our son did this from 6 weeks until about 4 months. They both would 'crawl' with their little legs up our stomachs as we held them and walked with them and were very gassy. We tried all different kinds of formula, and ended up using one that was specific for fussiness/colic until their symptoms subsided. Our son did calm down when we played music softly as we walked, and the only song that seemed to work was John Denver 'Leaving on a Jet Plane.' I have no reason why this song calmed him, but none the less, we played it every night over and over again for 3 hrs. to quiet him down.

If you have the option, maybe someone could come for a while every now and then to walk with the baby to give you a break. Our in laws would pop over once every couple weeks, just to give me and the hubby a break from the crying. Usually, it was just long enough for us to go outside, breath in some fresh air, get our bearings back, and to help us 'calm down.'

Good luck! It will get better!

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First YES if you are posting about it don't doubt your instincts it is serious enough for a visit to the dr. She is trying to tell you something.

Consider it might be something other than colic. My DD had very similar symptoms at the same age. She had acid reflux. Her dr. put her on Zantac (prescrition) and she was a new baby!! There is no real test for it it is more trial and error. Does your baby fuss during feedings? Want to eat but then doesn't? Freak out after a burp? I guess a lot of babies have this. Monitor your baby and if you think it could be take her into the ped. office.

I'd take her in and have her checked regardless. Good luck I remember the constant screaming and there is nothing that makes it better. Hang in there your little one needs you to stay strong!

Could it be the breastmilk or formula? If it is most of the day- I am thinking it could be what she is taking in??

What about lying her on her back and doing moving her legs like she is riding a bike- this helps move the gas. I also had to give one of my sons that gas medicine everytime he eat. That seemed to help a bit. Make sure she is upright after she eats to help the milk go down.

Also wondering if she falls asleep in your arms and it is when you put her down that she wakes up? This could be becasue of the gas or that she is warm in your arms and does not like being put down?? Again, I had another son who would only sleep if he was held and screamed the rest of the time when he was put down. If you elevate her head like in a bouncy chair once she is asleep- it might help. I know I could do this with my screamer!

Good luck- I hope you find something that works.

Oh yes, my ds had colic from the time he was 5-6 weeks until 4 months. It's funny because it always occurred in the evening from about 5-8pm, which is what everyone is seeming to say too. I never took him to the doctor. I just thought the colic was normal, so i dealt with it. I remember calling my DH at work crying my eyes out almost every day begging him to come home to help me. It was pretty bad, and then all of sudden one day I was like he's not crying anymore, and then he never really did it anymore. You could call your doctor to ask suggestions. I've heard that gripe water works, but not from personal experience. But stay positive..it does stop eventually.

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Wife to Keenon 6/15/06
SAHM to Kasen 2/24/07

I LOVED my mylicon drops! Would also hold baby with their back against my stomach, so i could cross my arm over their tummy and 'sqeeze',, not squish, but hold constant pressure,, seemed to help

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Think big! Change the world! One A.R.K at a time.

I would call your ped...that's what they're there for! I wouldn't go down that road of 'babies cry all the time'...since it just depends on the baby! My older son was a crier, my younger son...not at all. It really just is so relative. If you go into the ped, at least you know that everything is okay and might get some ideas on how to deal with the crying. I just know for me, talking to the doc about it helped, maybe not the baby so much, but me. LOL

My older son is 13 but I remember, clear as day, how he cried...ALL. THE. TIME. LOL! We actually got referred out to a few different specialists and nobody ever found anything wrong with the little guy. He just eventually stopped.