All moms who have btdt with colicy babies. Our pastor's wife is at end of rope.

[FaithManor]

Hello Hive,

 

Our pastor's two month old is collicky, gassy, and has been since birth. She belches loud, tummy gurgles ALL the time, passes gas a lot, etc. She is exclusively b.f., is gaining weight normally, etc. and mommy is VERY careful with her diet. They've tried elimination diet for mom and can't identify any food triggers.

 

Today babe started screaming, blood-curdling screaming, face red, couldn't get her breath, etc. during church. Mom hurried home (parsonage across the driveway) while I gathered up their other two younglings, diaper bag, etc. and took them home. Dad was preaching and definitely pretty concerned as baby is normally fussy, very fussy, but not a hard crier much less a screamer.

 

It took us 30 minutes to calm her down, mommy eventually just broke down sobbing, the two year old lost it because she gets very upset when she sees mommy cry, you name it...not a good day. We gave colic tablets as well as tried a glycerin suppository just in case she was constipated - they've recently traveled though they took their own water along so mom wouldn't run into that issue - and really the suppository didn't seem to produce anything abnormal looking...however, she did stop screaming for a while.

 

She was nursing when I left, but since then she's had another bought of screaming. I think they are pretty close to an ER visit. However, if the diagnosis is a. we don't know or b. colic, then c. they aren't going to get any help at the ER.

 

What else works for stomach/intesinal pain or relief? Are there any magic herbal drops for baby, herbs for mom, etc.?

 

I'm going to cook the evening meal for them and make enough for leftovers tomorrow so if they get a chance to rest, she won't need to think about that. What else can I do?

 

Faith

[mommaduck]

Has she been seen by the doctor for reflux or a possibility of an intestinal blockage of some sort?

 

Gripewater from the health food store as a temp help, but not a fix. Mom should avoid all gas causing foods (broccoli included...also one baby of mine had trouble when I would eat tomatoes or tomato sauces and cheese).

[Caraway]

Is the baby tongue tied? (Does her tongue make a slight heart shape when she cries?) Having my daughter's frenulum clipped made a big difference for us.

 

Could she be having a reflux issue?

[Aunty Social]

.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

My first son screamed and screamed. I eventually quit nursing, because I couldn't figure out if it was something I ate, and he was on that formula that was $28.00 a can at that time. At 11 weeks, he was finally diagnosed with reflux and was a new baby within a short time of taking the medicine.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: for your pastor's wife. It is miserable and exhausting to deal with a screaming baby. You feel like a failure. :grouphug::grouphug:

[mommymilkies]

Cut out dairy. All dairy. Going to formula will not help-even soy formula has dairy unless it's prescription formula. Mom needs to cut dairy. Those are classic signs. I have had 4 kids with this issue. However you have to be very careful and it can take 2-4 weeks for issues to clear.

 

If she has done this, then I would suggest getting baby checked out for a blockage and/or GERD. Is baby having enough wet/dirty diapers? Mucousy or green poop?

 

How long has this been going on? Is it mostly at specific times? Like before bed, etc.?

[swellmomma]

I would guess reflux.

 

BUT if baby is only 2 months old how long did she try eliminating various foods from her diet? Myonly one that was like that had persistant crying like that since birth was allergic to dairy. IF I had explicit dairy she was be worse, but she would react to the dairy in products I ingested that I didn't even know had dairy. At 3 months old I stopped nursing and she was put on soy formula and she was like a brand new baby overnight. SUddenly instead of a being a screaming, miserable, spitting up baby, she was happy and smiling and cooing.

 

My youngest was treated for reflux for a longtime, she had crying fits but not the way my 2nd did and not to the extent you just listed.

 

I would not think colic because it has been there since birth. Generally colic doesn't start until a few weeks later. 2nd born screamed fromt he time she came out until 3 months old. 4th was more like traditional colic, she was fine until a month old and then it started. We treated for reflux and it made a huge improvement in her fussiness/gassiness

 

Baby is reacting to something in momma's milk I bet and if she is only eliminating things for a day or 2 it is not enough time to clear it out of her system before reintroducing it.

[lailasmum]

One of the best things we found was just plain hot water. Not super hot, the temperature of a comfortable to drink hot beverage. Taking a couple of spoonfuls of that isreally good for bringing up wind.

 

Other things we found useful were baby massage and gripe water.

[butterflymommy]

How old is the baby? My son didn't stop screaming until he was 12 weeks old, then he went from screaming nonstop to "just" most of the time. We really couldn't leave the house with him until he was well past 1 because all he did was scream and shriek. A church service would have been out of the question.

[curlylocks]

My middle child had similar "upsets" for about the first 6 months of her life. It was heart wrenching...

 

My pediatrician recommended Mylicon drops -- they helped but didn't completely end the "upsets".

 

We ended up on a special formula -- I think it was "Nutramigen". Eventually we were able to "wean her over" to regular formula and then cow's milk.

[Harriet Vane]

When my son had these kinds of symptoms/behaviors as a baby it was because of lactose intolerance. If I had even a little bit it would make him miserable.

[Guest]

If I had that issue again, I would give formula and not be so stuck on breastfeeding exclusively. I know that is not popular advice, but I had doctors repeatedly offer nothing but, "Well, most babies outgrow it by 12 weeks." I think for my child, her crying was a mixture of not getting a full belly and then not staying asleep, and the vicious cycle continued. I'm sure formula does not abate every instance of marathon crying, but I think it would have for me. I was stubbornly defensive about bfing and because of it, I failed to utilize a possible solution. I missed out on my baby's newborn-hood because she screamed her head off for hours a day and I could do nothing but stay home and nurse a hundred times a day.

 

If the doctors don't find a physical reason, this is what I would recommend if it were my friend.

[FaithManor]

I would guess reflux.

 

BUT if baby is only 2 months old how long did she try eliminating various foods from her diet? Myonly one that was like that had persistant crying like that since birth was allergic to dairy. IF I had explicit dairy she was be worse, but she would react to the dairy in products I ingested that I didn't even know had dairy. At 3 months old I stopped nursing and she was put on soy formula and she was like a brand new baby overnight. SUddenly instead of a being a screaming, miserable, spitting up baby, she was happy and smiling and cooing.

 

My youngest was treated for reflux for a longtime, she had crying fits but not the way my 2nd did and not to the extent you just listed.

 

I would not think colic because it has been there since birth. Generally colic doesn't start until a few weeks later. 2nd born screamed fromt he time she came out until 3 months old. 4th was more like traditional colic, she was fine until a month old and then it started. We treated for reflux and it made a huge improvement in her fussiness/gassiness

 

Baby is reacting to something in momma's milk I bet and if she is only eliminating things for a day or 2 it is not enough time to clear it out of her system before reintroducing it.

 

 

I'll tell her about reflux. When baby began having trouble at five days old, she went on a partial vegetarian diet for six weeks. No grains, no dairy, and no nuts...oh no chocolate either. So, she was eating chicken, turkey, (no eggs just in case), vegetables, and fruits. That's it...very restrictive and hard to do while feeding everyone else. They also eat 70% organic. She went into the seventh week and not seeing any difference at all in her little one, she gave up. I didn't know babies could have reflux, but that makes sense to me. I'm definitely going to mention this.

 

Babes stools are yellowy or slightly brownish and soft although occasionally runny. Sorry for the TMI. Babe is actually 10 weeks old so 2.5 months.

 

I'm going to cook green beans and then for the entre - sauted chicken with sweet red pepper and celery (lemon and coconut oil) and a mild amount of garlic and basil, take along spelt pasta, but keep the parmesan sauce on the side in case she doesn't want to have the dairy, and home canned peaches (I used white grape juice and no sugar). I could switch to rice instead since rice is very rarely an allergen and wheat sensitive people can have trouble with spelt.

 

Does this sound like the right kind of meal?

 

Faith - Thanks for the advice...keep it coming! :001_smile:

[Zebra]

My daughter had a hernia, which took us 2 years to get diagnosed. It's hard to know unless you see it bulging.

 

:grouphug: to your pastor's wife, it's not fun to have a screaming baby that you can't console!

[JessReplanted]

It may be something unrelated to the colic - like an ear infection.

 

She may want to visit an emergency care center today just for peace of mind.

[Lily_Grace]

Has she tried an infant chiropractor? They can work wonders on super-fussy babies.

 

My youngest had bouts of screaming that would last for hours each night. By the time he was 3 months I nearly lost it - it was 1am and he'd been screaming at me since 9. I ordered an amber necklace the next day and within 24 hours of getting it he started calming down, and within a week it was like a whole new baby. They're generally used for teething aches but they help to quell any pain.

[Leanna Tomlinson]

. So, she was eating chicken, turkey, (no eggs just in case), vegetables, and fruits.

 

 

This caught my attention. One of my babies could not handle any citrus, or pineapple in my diet. I figured it out when I went three days without orange juice b/c I couldn't get to the store.

 

I agree with pursuing the reflux avenue as well. My #6 had to go on Zantac for 4 months. It was a world of difference.

[FaithManor]

Has she tried an infant chiropractor? They can work wonders on super-fussy babies.

 

My youngest had bouts of screaming that would last for hours each night. By the time he was 3 months I nearly lost it - it was 1am and he'd been screaming at me since 9. I ordered an amber necklace the next day and within 24 hours of getting it he started calming down, and within a week it was like a whole new baby. They're generally used for teething aches but they help to quell any pain.

 

 

What is an amber necklace? I've never heard of it. I'd like to know the alternative medicine behind it because I'd be willing to buy her one if I thought it would help.

 

Thanks,

Faith

[dirty ethel rackham]

Has she tried an infant chiropractor? They can work wonders on super-fussy babies.

 

 

I was just going to post this. I had a childbirth student who did this with her non-stop screaming baby. They were about to lose their apartment due to "excess noise" when the lease came up and they were desperate. Within 2 adjustments (one who works on babies is extremely gentle), the crying was cut in half. Another mom I know took her screamer to a cranial-sacral therapist and had great success.

[swellmomma]

I'll tell her about reflux. When baby began having trouble at five days old, she went on a partial vegetarian diet for six weeks. No grains, no dairy, and no nuts...oh no chocolate either. So, she was eating chicken, turkey, (no eggs just in case), vegetables, and fruits. That's it...very restrictive and hard to do while feeding everyone else. They also eat 70% organic. She went into the seventh week and not seeing any difference at all in her little one, she gave up. I didn't know babies could have reflux, but that makes sense to me. I'm definitely going to mention this.

 

Babes stools are yellowy or slightly brownish and soft although occasionally runny. Sorry for the TMI. Babe is actually 10 weeks old so 2.5 months.

 

I'm going to cook green beans and then for the entre - sauted chicken with sweet red pepper and celery (lemon and coconut oil) and a mild amount of garlic and basil, take along spelt pasta, but keep the parmesan sauce on the side in case she doesn't want to have the dairy, and home canned peaches (I used white grape juice and no sugar). I could switch to rice instead since rice is very rarely an allergen and wheat sensitive people can have trouble with spelt.

 

Does this sound like the right kind of meal?

 

Faith - Thanks for the advice...keep it coming! :001_smile:

 

 

If she went to a partial vegetarian I would actually think she is eating too many gas producing veggies

 

This link might be good to pass on to her, interestingly one thing they listed to agas producing is overstimulation, which church sure would be. Being the pastors wife I am sure she has had people coming and going etc all the time. THat may be increasing the fussiness/gassiness (though doubtful it would be causing it)

 

How often is baby nursing? Another thing listed on that link was hyperlactation syndrome. Which is a fancy way of saying baby it getting tons of foremilk and little hind milk. SO baby is fussy and gassier than normal.

 

Does she burp throughout a nursing session or only at the end? A pp mentioned the possibility of baby being tongue tied. THat would lead to poor latch and thought he baby is nursing she would also be swallowing extra air leading to more gas.

[swellmomma]

Here is a wiki page of the cruciferous veggies to avoid (the gas producing ones)

[ktgrok]

tWo thoughts are hindmilk/foremilk imbalance (easily fixable with block feeding) or reflux. A trial of reflux meds would rule out the one pretty easily. IN the meantime, gripe water is over the counter and helps with both.

[FaithManor]

Okay, so does everyone think my meal of sauted chicken breast (coconut oil and lemon basil) with celery and sweet bell pepper over rice (changed from pasta with alfedo sauce) with green beans and home canned peaches (no sugar - I used white grape juice) is safe for her to eat?

 

Thanks,

Faith

[Lily_Grace]

What is an amber necklace? I've never heard of it. I'd like to know the alternative medicine behind it because I'd be willing to buy her one if I thought it would help.

 

Thanks,

Faith

 

These are amber necklaces. Basically just amber beads strung together, but the infant necklaces have knots between each bead so that if it is broken it's not a choking hazard. When the beads heat up with skin contact an oil is released and absorbed into the skin. It contains a pain reliever in the form of succinic acid. It's pretty cool. I thought it was a fluke until I wore my son's necklace as a bracelet and the back pain I had since labor disappeared. Quite a few babies in my neck of the woods wear them.

 

The site I linked you to has hazelwood, too, but I've never tried those.

[ktgrok]

Ok, if the stools are that normal (no green poop, not frothy, no blood) I'd go back to reflux. You can pick up some gripe water now, at the drug store, to keep her more comfortable until she can get to the doctor. It has baking soda in it to neutralize the acid at a dose that is safe for a baby. But the baby probably needs prescription meds. They can be a life saver. Classic signs are arching the back while screaming, wanting to eat (to soothe the esophagus) then screaming shortly afterwards.

 

Oh, and definitely try a chiropracter.

[rootsnwings]

My vote is reflux, the baby needs meds. Also, dairy & soy make my babies scream bloody murder. I know it can take up to 6 weeks for dairy to get out of your system completely. My last baby had reflux though and screamed the entire time she was awake until we finally got her diagnosed & on meds at 5 weeks. We did the meds daily for 6 months & she weaned off them completely by her first birthday. She's never had issues since.

[Ellie]

I would guess reflux.

Well, yes. It is reflux. What we need is the cause of the reflux. :)

 

Baby is reacting to something in momma's milk I bet and if she is only eliminating things for a day or 2 it is not enough time to clear it out of her system before reintroducing it.

:iagree:

 

And the most likely culprit is dairy. It can take upwards of a whole month of eliminating all dairy from the mother's diet to see a change in teh baby.

[rootsnwings]

If it IS reflux, the longer the baby goes without getting treated, the worse the esophagus is going to be burned & the longer it is going to take to heal. It's important to take the baby in NOW if she thinks reflux is a possibility. The screaming/crying (PAIN) is only going to get worse before it gets better.

 

And as for gripe water, that is the only thing that got us through those first 5 weeks with Julie but it even says on the water that the more you use it the less effective it becomes. That was exactly how it worked for us. It worked really well for about 3 weeks and then the effectiveness was less & less until I knew we just needed to take her to the doctor. Also, the gripe water sort of scared me because it seemed to make her sleep deeper, and I don't like messing with babies' sleep cycles (SIDS fear).

[rootsnwings]

Reflux is not caused by an outside source, it is a physiological, developmental issue. Her gut (enzymes, possibly structural, etc) is not completely mature yet.

[SweetPea]

My first ds was diagnosed with reflux at 2 1/2 months. The correct diagnosis and medicine following changed his life (and mine). The discomfort was eased and he was pleasant :lol: Has her peditrican suggested testing? I'd encourage this done soon.

[Perry]

It may be something unrelated to the colic - like an ear infection.

 

She may want to visit an emergency care center today just for peace of mind.

:iagree:

 

I once saw a baby like this and it turned out she had a hair wrapped tight around a toe, cutting off the circulation.

 

I'd take the baby to the ER.

[Lacie]

My screamer had relux and was allergic to dairy and soy. He was put on medicine and Elecare (dairy/soy free formula). It also helped if I held him to my chest with his back to me and my arm around his stomach. I pushed in just enough on his stomach to relieve the pain.

[FaithManor]

I will definitely recommend they take her to the pediatrician and explore reflux. Today was the first time she's ever done this all out screaming, arching of the back, turning red and crying so long and hard she couldn't get her breath, etc.

 

Let me tell you how bad this was. The church did not have the sanctuary windows open. However, literally across the driveway is the parsonage...so my guess is 75 ft. distance from their kitchen window to the north entrance. The door to the church was closed and her kitchen window was only open about 4 inches. Baby could be heard screaming in the church hallway and everyone was asking if she was okay.

 

So I can only imagine the pain she had to feel. However, the screaming is not normal. The fussing and keeping them up ALL THE TIME is normal which is why dear mommy is about done in. She's a stoic kind of mom and tries not to ask for help...her own mother lives about 3000 miles away and so do her inlaws.

 

But, I've told her rather firmly that from here on out she is to ask...the women of this church are compassionate and love to help. I think it's reached the point where she needs to have someone spell her or take the younger two for an afternoon or not have to worry about some meals, some laundry, etc. However, they do eat a lot of organic and so I know they wouldn't get that kind of food if a lot of people were bringing meals. But, we eat a lot of organic so I can help with that and our dear local organic farmer has a wife that loves to cook and they love to donate meat and veggies from their farm. The Mrs. canned, dehydrated, and froze (by her own admission) far more than the two of them can ever eat before next harvest, so I'm certain that if they knew, they'd helpd. Pastor is a loving father and helpful around the house, however, I don't think he quite understands how much pressure she has put on herself to super mother and she is feeling like a failure because she can't solve baby's problems. Maybe I can help him understand this because he was pretty bewildered when his wife broke down. I'm afraid she's going to just crash. I know what she's going through...My middle boy was lactose intolerant (not full allergy) and until we figured that out our life and his was miserable!

 

There's a GNC about 17 miles from here. With any luck, they'll have the gripe water. My sister-in-law has organic chamomile tea and I'll see if my mother-in-law (retired pediatric nurse) can use her influence to get a prompt appointment with the pediatrician (a very busy woman since she is the only ped in our entire county) right away if they choose to do that. I think it would be wise to explore reflux issues, but that is there call. MIL is a very sweet, persuasive, and succesfully persistent influence so I'll let her handle that. She'll be very sad for baby, but secretly happy to have a patient because she misses her profession.

 

Thanks a huge bunch! If you think of anything else, please post. I'm going to check in often this afternoon except for a brief hour when I take the meal to them and am at choir practice.

 

Faith

[KRG]

Sounds a lot like ds2. He was diagnosed with an immature digestive system and allergic to dairy and we quickly found out that he could not tolerate soy either. I tried eliminating (it felt like I was down to bread and water) and things just kept popping up that he could not tolerate. I finally gave up breastfeeding and started giving him nutramigen. It is very expensive but it made a huge difference. I know how hard it is to stop breastfeeding but I would suggest nutramigen or alimentum. She will know very soon if the formula works( a day of less).

[scrapbookbuzz]

Believe it or not, some colicky babies need to see a Chiropractor. It really does help!

[Laura Corin]

I cut out dairy from my diet and it made an enormous difference. Feeding through on one side at a time, so he got more hind milk also seemed to help - my midwife suggested this.

 

Laura

[LizzyBee]

Not me, but my oldest sister went through that with her youngest. Because his allergies were so severe (lots of blood in his stool @ 2 wks old), formula was not an option. Instead, my sister was on an extreme diet - meat, potato, vegetable - no butter or spices whatsoever, no sweets, no processed foods, no bread, no flour, no eggs. She pumped and put breastmilk in a cup for her son until he was nearly 4. He hasn't outgrown his allergies, but they are not as severe now at 18 yo.

Edited March 18, 2012 by LizzyBee

[LizzyBee]

Okay, so does everyone think my meal of sauted chicken breast (coconut oil and lemon basil) with celery and sweet bell pepper over rice (changed from pasta with alfedo sauce) with green beans and home canned peaches (no sugar - I used white grape juice) is safe for her to eat?

 

Thanks,

Faith

 

I would skip the pepper because of the issues the baby is having.

[ktgrok]

Walgreens carries Gripe water here...I bet CVS and other drug stores would as well. No need to go to GNC. It is in with the teething remedies and such on the baby aisle, or near the gas drops and such.

[mommymilkies]

If this was abnormally bad, I would look into an ear or bladder infection, as well.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I haven't read the whole thread but I think two different things are going on here. The screaming = trouble, illness, something to me. Ped or ER!!! For the general/normal fussiness I recommend the book The Happist Baby on the Block.

[JessReplanted]

I haven't read the whole thread but I think two different things are going on here. The screaming = trouble, illness, something to me. Ped or ER!!! For the general/normal fussiness I recommend the book The Happist Baby on the Block.

 

:iagree:

 

Although I don't agree with the author's take on evolution, that book was very helpful to me when my kids were babies!

[pfamilygal]

I would say to cut milk and wheat and carry the baby in a sling as much as possible. My first was a screamer/spitter and the only thing that helped was carrying him upright. We even put a wedge under his crib so he could sleep upright.

[lmrich]

Not a fix... but my colic baby stopped screaming while the vacuum cleaner was on. I wore her and vacuumed. We ate dinner with the vacuum on; we even made a cassette of the vacuum cleaner to bring with us.

[QumaCote]

I completely feel this woman's pain! One thing I could not eat with my first child was peanut butter and that took awhile to figure out. I also could not eat any dairy, vegies, spices, and most fruits. I had a VERY limited, bland, plain diet. I wish her the best in figuring out the issues.

 

Warmest regards,

[Spryte]

Poor baby. Poor Mommy. Poor family. It's hard. It's heartbreaking when they are in pain like that.

 

I would suggest a visit to the pedi, then a possible visit to the GI doc. The GI doc did help our little one, a high needs baby, and I wish we'd gone that route sooner, in retrospect. We used meds, and special (very expensive) formula, as DS was adopted, so breast feeding was out. FWIW, this is my baby with multiple life threatening food allergies, so that was likely the beginning.

 

Hugs to your friend!

[ApronMama]

My first ds was diagnosed with reflux at 2 1/2 months. The correct diagnosis and medicine following changed his life (and mine). The discomfort was eased and he was pleasant :lol: Has her peditrican suggested testing? I'd encourage this done soon.

 

 

This was my ds. The screaming is horrible. We tried every kind of formula, but if its reflux, its doesn't matter what you feed.

 

There are two kinds of reflux--one causes the extreme spitting up, but the worse kind is if the baby DOESN'T spit up--that means its burning going up and coming back down, and harder to diagnose. I'd request reflux meds.

[melmichigan]

Both of my boys had reflux to the point that the first 6 weeks were a clock ticking down until they had grown enough to absorb prevacid granuals. For that six weeks when not being fed they had to be jiggled (my DH has this nervous habit) or in a vibrating seat or swing. Both boys had reflux that isn't seen, they don't puke, they just hurt. I would have it checked out. Now, if this screaming is new that might be something else adding to the trouble and I would be sure that it isn't an ear infection or something like that. Some babies don't take well to all the noise and fuss of a busy house, white noise can help with that. I hope they get some relief.

[Melissa in Australia]

I know someone who's baby had to be kept upright. she wore him in a in a baby carrier, and her husband made a cradleboard type of thingy to hang the baby from the wall ( think along the line of Native Americans).

It worked well for them. as soon as the baby way reclined, he was in pain and started screaming again.

[msjones]

It's already been said, but I'd guess reflux and get the baby in to a doctor for some meds as soon as possible.

 

Poor baby and mama...

 

I'm glad she has a friend like the OP. I'm wondering if she has help during the days so she and her other little ones can have a break from the crying.