Why does she cry every night?

[joannqn]

I'm not a member of the colic club. I don't believe babies just cry for no real reason.

 

My oldest had "colic" for three weeks. She cried for 3-4 hours (9pm-1am) every night. I tried everything and researched online constantly until I found a single sentence that said chiropractic sometimes helps colic. I took her to my chiropractor the next day. I held her out and said, "fix her." He did! She didn't cry that night or any night for the next three weeks. She started crying again one night so I took her back to the chiropractor and he fixed her again. After that, we figured out what we were doing that was causing her neck to go out and she never colic cried again.

 

Well, here I am with Madelynn. She starts screaming at 8:30pm and doesn't stop for about an hour and a half. Nothing we do really helps, though upright positions calm her for a minute. She'll calm slightly for a few minutes if we take her outside. I try taking outside anyway because she's very loud and sometimes we are listening to our family audio book when she starts, but the mosquitoes are really bad right now. After about an hour and a half, she just suddenly stops with a zoned out look on her face and promptly passes out. Then she's fine until the next evening.

 

Last night I noticed that she would start to calm down only to have a wet-sounding hiccup that would cause her to start screaming again. She had probably 6-8 of these hiccups over about an hour last night. It sounds the same as when she gulps when breastfeeding, but she isn't nursing. In fact, trying to nurse her during this time only makes her scream and fight harder. When she's crying, she's clenching her fists and fighting with her arms and legs. She looks like she's in pain.

 

The wet hiccups made me think reflux??? But would she only cry at night with that? Wouldn't that bother her all day? She does spit up some with pretty much every feeding, sometimes 2-3 times. But it wasn't so much that I thought it was abnormal.

 

ETA: All of her poo is green. Sometimes it is seedy, sometimes mucousy, sometimes watery. I've been holding off on elimination diet for me because I really don't want to have to give up dairy again, and because it could still be foremilk/hindmilk imbalance. I'm still having over supply issues.

 

We have a well-visit appointment on Monday. Any suggestions for what to ask the doctor there would be great too. He almost always gives me what I ask for.

Edited August 22, 2009 by joannqn

[Dirtroad]

I am not sure about reflux but I know it happens.

 

My first thought was my son. He had a very hard time going to sleep and would cry a great deal. Here is what we discovered.... at the end of the day, the routine gets more lively b/c his Dad was coming home & I was cooking dinner... the smells & lights & activity changed from the norm of the day. It was very stimulating.

 

I couldn't change things much b/c that is the routine... but I did try to start cooking a bit earlier and his Dad would come in a little softer & gentler (not really quiet, but different).

 

I got great advice from Baby Wise by Ezzo. I don't think you have to follow it perfectly but can still glean great advice.

 

MY DD would cry for hours at bedtime. I never settled that one. She would only stop if I held her. Tummy sleeping helped but I was so afraid of that due to the "dont' do from doctors". I did finally let her as she got stronger (maybe when I knew she could turn). She stopped the fretful crying & not sleeping through the night at about 6 months. It was tough.

 

I hope it has an obvious solution. The just waiting is so hard and you want them to be happy and healthy.:grouphug:

[hornblower]

I had one of those - she was my first & was the reason I became an LLL & then an IBCLC.

 

The poops are very suggestive of fore/hind issues. Knowing that you have oversupply issues, I'd suggest pump/express the first few mins before putting her on.

 

I'd quit dairy just to try it out. IME it's easier to stop eating dairy than to deal with an unhappy baby every evening. You'd know within a week whether it's helping.

 

Can you take her to the chiro too?

 

Otherwise carry her, & try taking warm baths together. One of my friends' babies settled only when held upright & walking up and down stairs. Walking on the flat didn't work as well as up and down the stairs. Those parents had awesome thighs LOL. Mine only needed to be held upright and walked. For hours each night. For a while I also slept upright with her stretched out upright on my belly. If we got past 45degrees, she'd start fussing.

 

This too shall pass :-)

 

 

 

 

ps. I don't like ezzo. at all.

[swellmomma]

hmmm, the poops sound like either too much fore milk and not enough hind or an allergic reaction to something you are eating. Timing would correspond with reacting to something you have at dinner time. Is there something you only have at dinner or shortly after that you do not have the rest of the time?

 

The wet hiccups could be caused by the screaming, not causing them kwim. DD will vomit if she cries too hard and has since a tiny infant. The zoning out could jsut be due to exhaustion.

 

Another option is sensory not reflux or allergies, and her poops have nothing to do with it. You said you are often starting the audio book when she starts up. Is it possible that by that time of night she is just done and the audio book sets her into a sensory overload? If/When she starts up tonight, take her into the bathroom and either simply run the water or take her into the bath/shower with you and see if that helps. The white noise of the running water, with the warm sensation of it may calm her right down. It cuts off all other input. I used to take Hunter into the bath at night, put a handtowel over him to keep him slightly warmer, dim the lights(actually turned off the bathroom light but left the door open to allow the hall light to shine in) and nurse him. It would calm him dwn right away and he would fall soundly asleep without the screaming. He turns 6 next week and the water still calms him right down if he is having a rough time with something. I would try that out for the weekend and then at your well baby vivist ask about allergies and milk composition if still concerned.

[Chris in VA]

Not a Dr, don't play one on TV. One offering--

Did she have any mecronium issues at birth? I know this is weird to ask, but does she ever taste salty when you kiss her? These are indications of a metabolism disorder. Just check it out with the ped if the answers are yes.

[melissel]

I agree about the foremilk issue. That's what green, liquidy poop always meant for us. About the screaming, is it possible that she needs to be put down for a nap sooner and you're missing the window? While I don't endorse the methods at all (it's a lot like Ferber), the best book about infant sleep I ever read was the Weissbluth book Healthy Sleep, Happy Child (or something like that). I learned so much about sleep patterns from that book, and I saw that both my girls, from infancy through now, go a bit insane if I miss their nap/sleep window. We always called it "wired tired," and it could result in crying like you describe.

 

However, I do believe that some babies do cry for reasons we can't help/see/understand. My friend had one of those, and while she did have some gas/tummy issues, she ultimately turned out to be a highly sensitive, spirited child. I've also heard some people talk about the "magic hour," in which, no matter what the parents did, the babies just cried and cried and couldn't be comforted or consoled, until they just hit the point where they conked.

 

I'm sorry :grouphug: It must be so hard for everyone for her to cry like that. It affected me physically if my babies cried for more than a minute or two. I hope you find a way to help her!

[KS_]

The poops are very suggestive of fore/hind issues. Knowing that you have oversupply issues, I'd suggest pump/express the first few mins before putting her on.

 

I'd quit dairy just to try it out. IME it's easier to stop eating dairy than to deal with an unhappy baby every evening. You'd know within a week whether it's helping.

 

 

 

I had similar issues with ds before I realized I had overactive letdown and oversupply. And even after I changed to feeding 4-6 hours per side before switching, he still wasn't a very good sleeper, and had bouts of colicky behavior. With dd, I started keeping a food diary and found out she reacted to tons of different foods. Dairy wasn't one of them, but nuts, whole wheat, beef, things like onions and broccoli. I was so surprised at how many different foods set her off, but if I stayed away from them, she would not be colicky and she slept well (which was a huge issue since ds was a toddler then and I needed that sleep to function during the day).

[joannqn]

The poops are very suggestive of fore/hind issues. Knowing that you have oversupply issues, I'd suggest pump/express the first few mins before putting her on.

 

I'd quit dairy just to try it out. IME it's easier to stop eating dairy than to deal with an unhappy baby every evening. You'd know within a week whether it's helping.

 

Can you take her to the chiro too?

 

I've always had over supply issues. This is the first time it seems to be affecting the baby more than me. I only nurse her on one side per feeding, and keep hoping it will resolve faster than it usually does. Unfortunately, I don't have a pump, nor can I afford to buy or rent one.

 

I need to mentally get myself psyched up to quit dairy. It's in nearly everything we eat. I had to give it up for a year and a half for my oldest and I never stopped craving it every day. It was really hard for me. I also couldn't stomach any of the alternatives so I had to give up a lot of other foods that are normally prepared with it.

 

She's already been to the chiro for this. He said she was fine.

 

hmmm, the poops sound like either too much fore milk and not enough hind or an allergic reaction to something you are eating. Timing would correspond with reacting to something you have at dinner time. Is there something you only have at dinner or shortly after that you do not have the rest of the time?

 

There isn't anything in dinner that I have every night or that isn't also in our other meals. Dairy for example is consumed all throughout the day.

 

The audio CD isn't a nightly thing, although we try to listen to it nightly. Most nights, she starts crying before we start the CD. I've also tried taking her to our bedroom, which is very dark at that time, and lay down to nurse. She doesn't calm in a quiet dark room.

 

I haven't tried taking her to the bathroom and running water. She normally dislikes baths but I haven't taken her into one with me.

[AuntieM]

Three of mine had that mucousy bm that indicated a dairy intolerance. This sounds icky, but I took a fresh diaper in a (very well sealed!) ziplock bag when I went for their check-up, so the doc could see just what I was talking about.

 

Hope it's something very easy to fix - mama needs her sleep!

[Lovedtodeath]

look at oversupply and over active letdown at kellymom.com. Also my lil guy had allergy induced vomiting/reflux/breathing issues and it was usually worse at night. I got an electrodermal scan for him and after following the suggestions from that (including avoiding his allergies) it disappeared almost overnight.

[tabrizia]

DD has these issues, except the oversupply problem (and only because I tandem so I used DS to nurse first and balance the foremilk/hindmilk). I had to give up dairy. That being said I only had to give it up for about 3 months, she is okay with it now, not thrilled, but much better.

 

I found that she was okay during the day and would scream all evening when not sleeping, the no dairy helped a ton, it made her so much happier and more content. It also fixed her reflux issues, she still spits up a bunch, but isn't in pain when doing so, we were fairly close to putting her on reflux medicine, until I gave up dairy.

[Caitilin]

I have a suggestion as far as a pump: around here anyway, you can go either to the WIC office or to the lactation consultant at the hospital and they will give you a free manual pump. It's not great, but it might allow you to resolve your fore/hind milk issues. If I hadn't already got rid of it, I would send you mine! :) Hope things get better for you and little one.:grouphug:

[Harriet Vane]

My baby's colic was due to lactose intolerance. As soon as I eliminated dairy from my diet he was a totally different baby.

 

If this has been an issue for you before you should seriously consider giving up dairy.

[joannqn]

*fingers in ears* lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalal I can't hear you! lalalalalalalalal

 

I was REALLY hoping for an answer other than dairy.

 

My 9 year old was allergic to whey. She's fine now but has some seriously rough skin. She doesn't care enough about her skin to give up dairy to see if that's the problem with her skin.

 

My 7 year old had undiagnosed lactose intolerance. It was so bad, it caused severe learning delays before we figured it out. I put him on a whopping 3 day long elimination diet to discover it. Then I started him on Digestive Advantage. He caught up and no longer has learning delays or lactose intolerance.

 

I'm occasionally lactose intolerance. It only bothers me once in a while, and when it does, I just tolerate the symptoms. I'd rather have stomach pain and diarrhea than give up dairy.

 

So, yeah, we've had dairy issues in our family.

 

Giving it up means a complete overhaul of every meal. I'm allergic to soy and don't tolerate the taste of any of the dairy substitutes so that means I can't eat anything that is normally served with or prepared with dairy. On a positive note, I lost 45 pounds in about 5 months without trying when I had to eliminate dairy for my daughter...there just wasn't anything I wanted to eat left to choose from. When you don't like your food, you don't overeat.

[Carol in Cal.]

and continuing until about 3 months of age.

 

She would start fussing around 5 or so and do so off and on until around 9 every night. She was such a quiet baby otherwise, it was like a split personality. We tried everything, and the two things that really helped were nursing pretty much whenever she opened her mouth and carrying her around while walking--leaning on a high counter and jiggling did not work at all.

 

I happened to attend a mommy and me class weekly during that period, and of the breastfed babies, fully half had the same issue.

 

I don't believe that it was dairy--DD has basically lived on dairy ever since, and she is 13 now! I think that she just got to a point in the day where she was tired but not sleepy, and stimulated, but not engrossed, and it aggravated every little thing.

[PeterPan]

JoAnn, your craving dairy when you go off it is a sure sign you're reacting to it too. We always crave the things that hurt us. :( And if you've been eating it that much while carrying the baby, well I think that causes them to become sensitized too. I drank a LOT of milk when carrying dd, and she came out allergic to it. We did some serious work to rebuild her digestion, and she's not allergic to it now. We still don't drink milk, though we could. I guess I don't understand why it means starving. I manage to gain weight just fine without, haha. Besides, dairy is expensive. (You said your budget is tight.) For lunch we eat things like beets, kale, brown rice, nuts, no dairy, no soy. For supper we eat plain meat with a salad and some wild rice or quinoia, avocado, no dairy or soy. For breakfast we have fruit or oatmeal or eggs. Sometimes I have soy milk if it's with my oatmeal, but they make almond milk too. Nope, no starving around here. Just plenty of good eating...

 

Craving something is a sure sign something is off balance. When you're craving it, you're probably allergic to it.

[ChrisB]

DD3 is about 6 months old. We went through the same thing with her. A few thoughts and what worked for us...

 

Around 4 weeks she started pulling off while I was BFing due to oversupply and food intolerances. Re: oversupply, I would let my milk let down and when she pulled off I would catch the milk with a nursing blanket (about 30 seconds). When it became a more manageable flow I would put her back on. Re: food intolerance, there are obvious foods that I eat which make her unable to sleep and then lead to a cranky baby. She would take 20-45 min naps. I would try eliminating a few other foods before dairy unless you are more certain that it is dairy. I am avoiding MSG (mostly processed foods, soups and cream of whatever soups), nitrates/nitrites (processed meats), chocolate/caffeine, onions and vinegar. She does ok if I don't overdue it on the dairy. She's ok with butter and cheeses, but doesn't like straight milk or ice cream (milk and sugar). She spits up after she eats (she happy though). I've noticed that it is worse when I'm eating a lot of dairy or I don't burp her thoroughly. As soon as I took these things out of my diet, she started sleeping great! Re: burping, I make sure I burp her until the last burp is a wet one.

 

DD2 was intolerant to dairy and it was obvious. Her nose was stuffy. After a week of being dairy free her nose cleared significantly. And after a few weeks her nose was clear. That was obvious evidence to me;).

 

All my kids go "crazy" on nitrates/nitrites to varying degrees when I was BFing them and even now. One friend had a daughter who went "crazy" on red dyes.

 

One last thing, I take digestive enzymes to help with food digestion.

 

Hope your able to find the culprit that triggers your daughter. I completely understand the concern and exhaustion for both you and her. It's hard to see a baby suffer! GL and keep us updated!

Edited August 22, 2009 by ChrisB

[Lovedtodeath]

:grouphug:I am soory. It can be so hard.

 

Two things: You should be able to get rid of quite a bit of oversupply by expressing milk by hand... no pump required. After all, it is the overabundance of foremilk that is the problem; you aren't trying to pump out all of your milk.

 

Also: dairy. My son was only intolerant of milk. I was allowed all other dairy. Also the majority of babies who can't handle dairy can handle yogurt, and still others can handle organic dairy, or only cooked dairy. There are a lot of variables. When I cut out dairy for DD I was able to cook with goat's milk and coconut milk and that helped a lot. I suggest that you do an elimination diet and slowly add things back in to see if she can handle them. That way you aren't cutting out all dairy for the duration.

 

If you want more specifics I will be glad to help. I have remedied this very problem with both of my nurslings.

[joannqn]

JoAnn, your craving dairy when you go off it is a sure sign you're reacting to it too. For lunch we eat things like beets, kale, brown rice, nuts, no dairy, no soy. For supper we eat plain meat with a salad and some wild rice or quinoia, avocado, no dairy or soy. For breakfast we have fruit or oatmeal or eggs. Sometimes I have soy milk if it's with my oatmeal, but they make almond milk too. Nope, no starving around here. Just plenty of good eating...

 

Craving something is a sure sign something is off balance. When you're craving it, you're probably allergic to it.

 

I've heard that too. You'd think you'd get over the cravings after it's been gone for well over a year.

 

WIC provides our dairy right now. It's a majority of what they give you.

 

I'd surely starve at your house. LOL I found out that I'd rather go without or eat just enough to get by than eat foods I don't like. I don't complain; I just don't eat it.

 

Around 4 weeks she started pulling off while I was BFing due to oversupply and food intolerances. Re: oversupply, I would let my milk let down and when she pulled off I would catch the milk with a nursing blanket (about 30 seconds).

 

Despite oversupply, I don't leak, not even during let down. I'm just always full, even after nursing. It takes a few months to balance out.

 

:grouphug:I am soory. It can be so hard.

 

Two things: You should be able to get rid of quite a bit of oversupply by expressing milk by hand... no pump required. After all, it is the overabundance of foremilk that is the problem; you aren't trying to pump out all of your milk.

 

I'll see if hand expressing is enough. I used to be able to express 6-8 ounces by hand in one sitting.

[Harriet Vane]

*fingers in ears* lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalal I can't hear you! lalalalalalalalal

 

I was REALLY hoping for an answer other than dairy.

 

My 9 year old was allergic to whey. She's fine now but has some seriously rough skin. She doesn't care enough about her skin to give up dairy to see if that's the problem with her skin.

 

My 7 year old had undiagnosed lactose intolerance. It was so bad, it caused severe learning delays before we figured it out. I put him on a whopping 3 day long elimination diet to discover it. Then I started him on Digestive Advantage. He caught up and no longer has learning delays or lactose intolerance.

 

I'm occasionally lactose intolerance. It only bothers me once in a while, and when it does, I just tolerate the symptoms. I'd rather have stomach pain and diarrhea than give up dairy.

 

So, yeah, we've had dairy issues in our family.

 

Giving it up means a complete overhaul of every meal. I'm allergic to soy and don't tolerate the taste of any of the dairy substitutes so that means I can't eat anything that is normally served with or prepared with dairy. On a positive note, I lost 45 pounds in about 5 months without trying when I had to eliminate dairy for my daughter...there just wasn't anything I wanted to eat left to choose from. When you don't like your food, you don't overeat.

 

Frankly, this is really, really compelling evidence for you to try a month dairy-free. With this much sensitivity running in your family it could seriously be the culprit. And, I'd hate to think that your wee baby is in pain. In your shoes I'd give up dairy for a month.

[mominbc]

Frankly, this is really, really compelling evidence for you to try a month dairy-free. With this much sensitivity running in your family it could seriously be the culprit. And, I'd hate to think that your wee baby is in pain. In your shoes I'd give up dairy for a month.

:iagree:But I would give it 6 weeks. When my son had allergic collitis while I was nursing the pediatrician told me it takes 6 weeks for the allergen to leave your body.

[kmacnchs]

Here's a position my dds liked during their "fussy times" (dd1-8-9pm, dd2-4-5pm): Sit propped up and knees propped up on your bed or the side of the couch, wherever you can be semi-comfortable.

 

Put her on your lap (45ish degree angle) and rock HARD back and forth (w/or w/out pacifier) and sing a low-key/register song over and over. Whatever works, ya know? Don't even ask me how I figured that out...I think I was tired of walking and bouncing on my toes (great calf workout though) one night and tried a few things :) Good luck!

 

PS When they are little little, I hold their head still - that is how hard I rock (not fast, just hard; side to side, side to side :))

[busymama7]

I have not read all the replies, but I have the same opinion as you. Babies don't just cry for no reason. With my 5th newborn I thought I was having a humbling experience when she cried and cried despite being in arms, at the breast, in my bed etc. Two doctors told me it was just colic and inside I was feeling so deeply that there was something we were missing. I did doubt myself and wonder if I was wrong and was finally having a colicky baby.

 

I took her to a nautropath who diagnosed her with yeast in her intestines. She was getting if from me who had pretty bad systemic yeast. She put me(and dh) on a product call Candex and in less than 48 hours we had a completely new child :) She was a calm, serene, happy baby from then on.(she is now 4) I seem to remember green poops too, but I dont know if that was related or not, I can't remember. This may not be what would help your baby, but I share my story for support and encouragement.

 

Trust yourself mama, and keep looking to find answers.

[JennC]

Not a Dr, don't play one on TV. One offering--

Did she have any mecronium issues at birth? I know this is weird to ask, but does she ever taste salty when you kiss her? These are indications of a metabolism disorder. Just check it out with the ped if the answers are yes.

 

This is a quesiton I sometimes ask moms with a colicky baby, too. Some research has shown that a large number of babies who have their stomach "pumped" at birth because of the possiblity of meconium being swallowed before birth have colic symptoms. It is an abrasion injury to the esophagus, if I remember correctly, causing the pain.

 

For JoAnn, have you tried OTC refrig. pro-biotics? Dh was having dairy issues and no longer does on account of this product.

 

I, also, have heard of systemic yeast, as well as thrush, causing the digestive pain for infants. We had thrush issues here many times, always external, though. The yeast in the digestive tract can cause painful bloating and gas pains for dear baby.

[Terabith]

Could you hand express into a bottle or a sink for a few minutes before a feeding? The green poop is concerning, and makes me think she's having some physical discomfort.

 

Not that it in any way solved our problems, I did appreciate the 5 s's from the Happiest Baby on the Block. Side or stomach lying, swinging (usually in arms), shhhing noise (white noise), sucking, and there was something else. It *helped* some. We would put the car seat on top of the dryer and turn it on sometimes...... The vibration was calming. Do you have a baby swing?

 

What about massage? Gently moving her legs and hips in circles? Doin "baby drops" where you "drop" her (while holding her the whole time)? Think sudden knee bends. Swing her up and then way down in between your legs in a big arc while she's on her belly in your hands. Trying to think of other colicky yoga positions.

 

She was a preemie, wasn't she? Could she be neurologically immature? Too much stimulation?

 

Ask on the mothering.com forum! I really think you could get some good advice from them.

 

If the chiropractor said she's fine, what about cranial sacral therapy? Never did it myself but a close friend with a VERY fussy baby had immediate, dramatic results from it for her child who had been in the NICU.

[Cera]

I have no advice you haven't already been given but I will say giving up dairy bites. In the 3 1/2 years after I became a mom I could only have milk for 3 months and I love milk. I was able to add back yogurt and hard cheese once each kid hit a year or so but it was HARD. I also dealt with oversupply and reflux with our oldest and it made for some really fussy evenings. While we were figuring out the issues we discovered that a really easy way to soothe her was to hold her in the shower under streaming warm water. It seemed to settle her quite a bit and the heat and pressure from the water gave her some relief.

[Lovedtodeath]

Did you see this? block nursing and cold compresses look promising.

 

Or this?

Occasionally, blood in the stool may be due to breastmilk oversupply. Per Dr. Jack Newman, bloody stools in some babies have been eliminated completely by resolving mom's oversupply. This can be done by following the usual management procedures for oversupply; it can also be helpful to use breast compressions to increase the amount of fat that baby gets while nursing. See Can a baby be allergic to breastmilk? for more information on oversupply causing blood in baby's stool.

Blood in the stool may also be caused by a temporary case of lactose intolerance, due to an intestinal infection.

 

also: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/foremilk-hindmilk.html

[chpiper]

Have you tried wearing her? Sometimes that can help digestion and in turn causes baby to be more comfortable...I had one fussy one that needed to be in a sling for several hours in a day or she would be very unhappy...Just something else to toss out there for you...

[justamouse]

Unfortunately, I don't have a pump, nor can I afford to buy or rent one.

 

I had the same problems with oversupply. There is this pump that worked awesome for me. It was cheap as heck (8 bucks) and was a manual syringe type. I would lean over get it suctioned on good, pump once or twice and I'd fill that sucker up in no time. Just on spray alone.

 

Have you tried Freecycle? Go on the freecycle website and sign up for your town. I've seen a few breastpumps given away lately.

 

There's also the 5 s's from the book The Happiest Baby on the Block?

 

These steps include swaddling, side/stomach position, shhh sounds, swinging and sucking.

 

Don't actually PUT them on their side, just use the position with your hand/arms.

 

Lastly, I SWEAR by the sling. If you need one, PM me and I'll mail you my old one. (not old old, just not used in three years).

 

Other than that, I faith you peace of heart, strength, hope and sleep. :001_smile:

[Mrs Mungo]

The trouble is that it could go either way-foremilk/hindmilk imbalance or dairy sensitivity.

 

I don't have much experience with the dairy issue and I know that an elimination diet is about the only way to really test the theory out. You received some great advice there so I'm not going to touch that one.

 

I will touch on the foremilk/hindmilk/over-supply because I have dealt with that issue quite a bit. Lovedtodeath and hornblower offered some good advice. I would only suggest that you try hand-expressing *before* you nurse. If you can achieve letdown while hand-expressing so much the better. Hand-expressing before nursing allows baby to get more hindmilk and can clear this up pretty quickly. It would happen within a few days. Their BMs would become more yellow, smell more like buttermilk, etc. I think you said before in one of your other posts that you were already nursing only on one side for a 2-3 hour time frame? If you're not doing that I would suggest trying that as well.

 

I would not suggest an ezzo-style schedule for any mom with an over-supply. In my experience it tends to exacerbate the problem. Ymmv, as always.

[Lovedtodeath]

http://www.healthy.net/scr/Article.asp?Id=1085&xcntr=5 electrodermal screening accurately found DDs allergies/intolerances after the elimination diet, so I did it first with DS and it worked like a charm. That is how I knew to only cut out milk itself and not the other dairy.

[Garga]

I see pumps for sale at yard sales at least once a year. So, I second the post that said to look on Craig's list for a pump. Esp if you're just going to dispose of the milk once it's pumped.

[chaik76]

I've always had over supply issues. This is the first time it seems to be affecting the baby more than me. I only nurse her on one side per feeding, and keep hoping it will resolve faster than it usually does. Unfortunately, I don't have a pump, nor can I afford to buy or rent one.

 

I need to mentally get myself psyched up to quit dairy. It's in nearly everything we eat. I had to give it up for a year and a half for my oldest and I never stopped craving it every day. It was really hard for me. I also couldn't stomach any of the alternatives so I had to give up a lot of other foods that are normally prepared with it.

 

She's already been to the chiro for this. He said she was fine.

 

 

 

There isn't anything in dinner that I have every night or that isn't also in our other meals. Dairy for example is consumed all throughout the day.

 

The audio CD isn't a nightly thing, although we try to listen to it nightly. Most nights, she starts crying before we start the CD. I've also tried taking her to our bedroom, which is very dark at that time, and lay down to nurse. She doesn't calm in a quiet dark room.

 

I haven't tried taking her to the bathroom and running water. She normally dislikes baths but I haven't taken her into one with me.

I think someone else mentioned this...but it's really easy to hand express milk, especially if you have oversupply (I had enough supply I could hand express an eight oz. bottle in five minutes). You would hand express before you started the feeding, thereby allowing the baby to have more of the hindmilk. There are a ton of websites on it...just look up how to hand express breast milk. This will at least relieve the problem with oversupply and allow you to focus on other things if there are still issues.

[Mrs Mungo]

I think someone else mentioned this...but it's really easy to hand express milk, especially if you have oversupply (I had enough supply I could hand express an eight oz. bottle in five minutes). You would hand express before you started the feeding, thereby allowing the baby to have more of the hindmilk. There are a ton of websites on it...just look up how to hand express breast milk. This will at least relieve the problem with oversupply and allow you to focus on other things if there are still issues.

 

:iagree:Google Marmet technique. I think breastfeeding.com may even have a video.

[Sonshine]

It doesn't sound like you are considering this, but I can't imagine using a behavioral approach with a baby in pain.

[joannqn]

I use a sling regularly. It doesn't help at all with the nighttime crying. Neither does any of the 5s.

 

Update:

We only had 45 minutes of crying tonight. Based on what we tried, I feel more strongly that it may be reflux. I'll be doing the same thing again tomorrow and talking to the doctor about it on Monday.

 

We are also begin eliminating dairy tomorrow. I'll eliminate it immediately while the rest of the family finishes the dairy and dairy-containing foods in the house.

[SonshineLearner]

http://www.kanoe.us/

http://www.ambybaby.com/

 

My husband's ex swears by this...the kanoe hammock....

 

Carrie:-)

[Lovedtodeath]

Eliminating dairy did little to help my kids. Instead of assuming it was something else I went on a full elimination diet. With DD I had to also eliminate tomatoes, wheat, citrus and apples. With DS I also had to eliminate coffee, tomatoes and yeast.

[Reya]

Green poo means it's going through her system fast. Good luck finding out why, but yes, her tummy's probably cramping. My DD was sensitive to the cow's milk that I drank for a while, but it passed. Lots of crying could produce lots of mucous that makes her go more, too, so it could be reflux.

 

Ray of hope, here! I only had to eliminate milk completely for 2 weeks. I added it back slowly, and she did fine.

 

Try extra nursing or a pacifier. Try massage. Make sure she's the right temperature. Make sure she isn't exhausted but unable to calm herself. Some babies, when overtired/overstimulated, shut themselves off. Others can't an lose it. The others are high strung, AKA, mine. ;-)

 

(My DD woke from sleep when hungry for the first week after birth with a dingo-eating-the-baby SHRIEK that had grandma elevate vertically out of the bed by about a foot and then start to shoot over toward us. It was actually quite funny. I'd never seen a baby go from sound asleep to bloody-murder screaming in .5 seconds when nothing happened to her before...)

 

Putting your bably naked stomach against yours will help the pain a LOT. You know how your own palm feels good on your upset stomach? It's a temperature thing.

 

There's a really dumb-titled book called Happiest Baby on the Block that does have very good advice on calming babies. I'd already used most of the methods as a babysitter/nursey worker before I got the book--and they work pretty darned well.

 

Please,please, please PLEASE stay away from Ezzo's toxic advice. I have seen more children destroyed....

Edited August 23, 2009 by Reya

[joannqn]

To relieve any worry from some, I have never and will never consider Ezzo advise. I'm firmly in the attachment parenting camp.

 

Update: We got yellow poo this morning for the first time in three weeks. I switched to block nursing at 6 hour intervals yesterday afternoon.

[Lovedtodeath]

To relieve any worry from some, I have never and will never consider Ezzo advise. I'm firmly in the attachment parenting camp.

 

Update: We got yellow poo this morning for the first time in three weeks. I switched to block nursing at 6 hour intervals yesterday afternoon.

I wondered where the Ezzo talk was coming from.:001_huh:

 

I am so happy that something is working, even if it is temporary. She is digesting better!:hurray:

[Terabith]

YAY for yellow poop!!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!

 

Here's to hoping for a happier baby and more peace for mama!

 

(And hooray for attachment parenting!)

[joannqn]

I wondered where the Ezzo talk was coming from.:001_huh:

 

The first response to the thread recommended Ezzo. I was just ignoring it, but when I saw that others were worried I might consider the recommendation, I thought it would be best to alleviate that concern.

Edited August 23, 2009 by joannqn

[joannqn]

The two things look like they may be resolved by two separate fixes. We tried Hyland's Colic Tablets with little success. Since it didn't seem to be helping much, I gave her 1ml of Mylanta. She calmed down and was a smiling, happy baby within 20 minutes. She even nursed. Every other night, she refused to nurse during that 90 minute stretch of time.

 

I think the yellow poo is probably coming from me stretching the block nursing out to 6 hour blocks. I'm actually feeling more empty those last couple of hours rather that always full.

 

I ate dairy yesterday, including a cheesecake dessert, so I can't give eliminating it any credit for helping yet.

[Lilymax]

Glad to hear you've found something that's helped. I'll keep those colic tablets in mind for this next little one.

 

My first had the green poop issue, and it was definitely a foremilk issue. I never had oversupply, but that was back when they told you to switch sides after 10 minutes--which I now know was a bad idea with a sleepy, colicky, late-term-preemie (36 weeks) who was a very slow nurser.

 

Have you heard of gripe water? You can buy it OTC but it's kind of pricey. I found a recipe online and it really helped DS2 through his cranky spells. I tried taking a few tablespoons once when I had a stomach ache and it really did help...it has a lovely, almost numbing effect as it goes down. Here is the recipe:

 

Gripe Water

1 c. water

1 t. anise seed

1 t. dried dill weed

1 t. fennel seed

1 t. baking soda

3 drops stevia (or a couple teaspoons sugar, to taste)

 

Bring water to a boil, then infuse herbs. When cool, strain into clean bottle and add baking soda and stevia drops. Give 1/2 t. to infants for tummy upsets, hiccoughs, and when they can't burp after a feeding. Up to 2 t. for howling toddlers. Keep it in the fridge. (I usually made a fresh batch every few days, just because it turned dark green after a few days and though I'm sure it was harmless, it just looked icky! LOL)

 

Edited to add that if you're on WIC, you can definitely ask to borrow a pump. I"m on it for this pg, too, and they mentioned that's one of the services they offer. HTH!

Edited August 23, 2009 by Lilymax

[kmacnchs]

Update: We got yellow poo this morning for the first time in three weeks. I switched to block nursing at 6 hour intervals yesterday afternoon.

 

I am so happy for you! btw, what is "block nursing"? Surely you don't only nurse every 6 hrs w/a newborn?!?

[Lovedtodeath]

I am so happy for you! btw, what is "block nursing"? Surely you don't only nurse every 6 hrs w/a newborn?!?

It means that for 6 hours you offer the same breast and only that one at each and every feeding.

 

In this way the other breast will lower production because of not being used. In addition, the baby will more fully empty one breast, getting more of the fat that is in the hindmilk and not just the foremilk or skim milk that the child would be getting if they drank from each breast but not emptying them. HTH

[Mrs Mungo]

To relieve any worry from some, I have never and will never consider Ezzo advise. I'm firmly in the attachment parenting camp.

 

Update: We got yellow poo this morning for the first time in three weeks. I switched to block nursing at 6 hour intervals yesterday afternoon.

 

Great news!! Hooray! I'm glad to hear it.

[Mrs Mungo]

It means that for 6 hours you offer the same breast and only that one at each and every feeding.

 

In this way the other breast will lower production because of not being used. In addition, the baby will more fully empty one breast, getting more of the fat that is in the hindmilk and not just the foremilk or skim milk that the child would be getting if they drank from each breast but not emptying them. HTH

 

Yep, nursing just on one side for a block of time helps with foremilk/hindmilk imbalance and oversupply issues.

[kat19]

I haven't read all the responses, but it could be reflux.

 

Does she arch her back?

Is she spitting up?

 

I see someone else mentioned Gripe Water~that helped my son.

 

My son(in the pic) had reflux when he was born and was on hypoallergenic formula and zantac for awhile.

I have a couple forums I belong to about infant reflux if you are interested in looking at them.

Edited August 24, 2009 by Kristafish