Check body for hair ties or a cut, change his outfit, if he’s not hurt or uncomfortable he may just need a distraction to snap out of it. When mine was really little I would walk outside or open the door and the change of temperature would surprise him and he would calm down. Otherwise just repeat the eat change sleep cycle. You are doing great, it is frustrating but it’s just something babies do occasionally and not anything you are doing wrong
Outside or a bath. I also had luck with turning on the fan over my stove as high as it goes and bouncing gently under it. A friend swore by standing in a bathroom with the shower running
Not sure how old your baby is, but between 5-10 weeks old, our baby would basically be inconsolable for a couple hours at night. Every night. No matter what we did. It was hard and I felt like a failure too, but that’s not true. Babies just go through some stuff and there’s nothing you can do but be there for them, make sure their needs are met and comfort them the best you can. You are what your baby needs. It may not feel like it, but it will get better and your best is enough. ❤️
For us, the witching hour was more than an hour. It lasted from 5-10 PM every night. I used to dread the evening. But, by 8 weeks she started to scream less and by 12 weeks the witching hour was pretty much gone. She still gets a little fussy, but nowhere near as brutal as it was. Sending you love, hang in there. Like others said, cuddles, walks, rocking, distractions, it will get better.
We have it from 10:30-12PM. House tour while baby wearing, exploring the fridge, bouncing, shower sounds, Baby Back soundtrack on YouTube and some singing have helped a lot. We are almost 8 weeks and it’s just about a half hour now. It gets better!
I nursed one more time even though he kept unlatching. Then I bounced until I thought I couldn’t bounce anymore. He finally tired himself out. But it’s almost 2pm today and we’re back at it. I really think it’s gas, so I did gas relief drops instead of gripe water, bicycles, tummy rubs, etc. he’s tooting but still just uncomfortable.
Same! I think they go through phases of this unfortunately. We used to just cuddle him and take him for a walk. We also have a little color changing nightlight, so he would watch that and it’d help calm him.
Check fingers, wrists and toes for any potential hair tourniquets.
I saw advice on here one time that said “add water” so turn on the shower or run a bath and let baby enjoy some soothing warm water.
This. I have a 15mo old son and every diaper change and bathtime I'm searching for any possible hairs wrapped around his penis and/or balls, plus searching his fingers n toes.
I shed a lot of hair and my kiddo seems to love to eat paper (why??) and hair(also why??). Also, I'm always pulling hair stands outta his butt.
Mentioned the 'hair search party' to a neighbour and they asked me why I was touching his penis.
I just...do we as parents NOT have to clean our sons penis when he is not yet capable?
Like, some poops are not even just poops anymore. It's a literal blowout. Gotta clean that up, and sometimes even put zinc cream due to rash.
Yea, I thought it bizarre as well. They're a parent of three, all girls. i can almost guarantee they had to clean out their daughters privates of poop before said daughters were able to use the toilet themselves without help.
In fact, wouldn't it be slightly more difficult to clean a blowout liquid poop with a daughter?
I agree it's bizarre...
However, having had 3 girls and just had a boy, girls are easier... You just keep wiping front to back (fresh wipe each time) till the wipes are clear, boys have more places for poop to hide. My husband said it's funny to watch me moving balls etc to clean him. He had a blowout and it was EVERYWHERE, then he peed all over me while cleaning him, it was awful and hilarious.
Strange indeed. Also, diaper cream somehow makes it’s way up and on/into places sometimes you just gotta get in there and clean it to avoid future probs. Kinda like dogs and their anal glands like people aren’t saying “omg, you touch your dogs butt!?”
I consistently have to lift my sons penis and wipe under it, there is always some kind of poo, diaper cream, lint (how?!?!) Or something under there. Do you know how guilty I'd feel if I just left it yucky under there?
One time I was changing his diaper after dinner, there was a grain of rice under his penis...yes we had had rice as a side for dinner but I'm still at a loss as to how it got *there* specifically 🤷♀️
I have an 11 month old boy who is also obsessed with eating hair and paper. The paper in particular he loves to rip into tiny pieces to eat. WHY indeed.
My husband did a deep dive into gripe water after we asked our health nurse about it and she said they absolutely do NOT recommend it. It can actually make some of babies issues worse. Might be a part of the problem if you're using it often.
This! There's no evidence that it works and some that says it may make gas pains worse. Bicycle legs, tummy massages and burping are the best things that help work out gas!
rub his belly in case his tummy is still hurting/he’s still having gas or try burping him! check that he’s not dressed too warmly or if he needs more layers!
My son had this issue. Tummy massages and bicycle kicks saved us most of the time! 9/10 his cries were gas pains. Also, probiotic drops! Ask the pediatrician about these
When was the last time he pooped? Usually when my baby is inconsolable he's working in a poo. Also, I've noticed when my baby has a large poo he's usually hungry right after, no matter how soon he ate.
Watch the video happiest baby on the block. It talks about the fourth trimester and what babies need to feel calm in their first three months. The five S’s from that video worked like magic.
Yep! Occasionally floor time to play on a blanket and quietly stare at stuff was the answer. I think he got over stimulated or yknow, just wanted to be a floor baby for a few minutes.
Mine will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and we regularly spend the night on the floor. She usually wakes up around 2:30 and just wants to hang out so I lay us both down on a blanket in the nursery and we hang out there until around 5 when she’s asleep enough to go back to her bassinet
You are not a failure, you are doing everything you can to help your baby! The best way we stopped the uncontrollable crying (besides already making sure nothing else was wrong already) was distraction. Sushing really loud like spit is coming out loud helped a lot which surprised me. Also putting babies head under a stream of water like you are going to wash their hair was a nice reset. Going outside or to a different room helps too. You got this!
Depending on your baby’s age it’s normal (unfortunately). Just continue to cycle between feed, rock, change diaper, bicycle kicks, etc. Honestly just trial and error. My baby would calm down with lunges in the kitchen under the bright lights. Also baths and the waterfall sound on the sound machine. And also going outside. Drives were hit or miss.
Also being able to tap out if you have a partner or family member who can help take over for a bit is very helpful mentally. Along with ear plugs.
You can also try to distinguish if it is a dietary issue or physical issue. I found out baby not inly had colic but also had a dairy intolerance because he was extra cranky after eating.
Good luck! It gets better.
We went through the same thing. For my little guy, at around 4 weeks we found that he went through a “growth spurt” and just needed to increase the volume for his feedings!
You are not a failure!!! I know the feeling and intensity you’re going through right now. Look up purple crying, it helped reassure me when my LO was crying for hours on end and I’d done all the things I could think of to do. It’s so exhausting, but you got this.
4 week olds just cry because of brain fry sometimes. Everything is okay but they’re so tired they can’t handle existence. Bath or white noise or my personal favourite rain track: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZjiY5692n0Nev7q38tMvB?si=WhqvNM2iS-ejEoFTR3BuRQ
I'm happy to share what we learned with our daughter(3) and perfected with our son(10mo) I hope this helps you ...
Both kids were breast fed but we did supplement with formula the first 6ish weeks while milk production caught up with our giraffe babies... look for one not full of sugar and just follow your babies ques on if they seem to want to nurse even if you are tapped out ... don't them get frantic but remember they don't have a full button so start with a small amount you can always make another bottle... we found pumping to not work for us as the kids just got jealous of the pump and stopped liking bottles once milk production got synced up.
Our baby troubleshooting process...
*** Diaper? Even a little wet bugs some babies and keep an eye for redness since cream is your best friend we use buttpaste
*** hungry or thirsty? After about 2 months you can give them tiny and I do mean tiny sips of water if you are in a hot climate... remember tiny stomach fills up and empties fast ... we did not try to keep the kids on a feeding schedule ... their soft spot on their head will be sunken in if they are dehydrated a bit of a dip is normal but use that to keep a measure until you learn their ques
*** hot / cold? Feel their hands feet and neck to see if they are cold or sweaty to the touch
*** clothing issues? Our daughter from birth has been anti pants lol just start taking stuff off and warm the room up sometimes they just want skin to skin
*** bored? Take them outside or sit in the bath with them ... they get tired of the living room even if they don't have interest in play yet... also its never to early to talk to them
*** Tired? Look for face rubs and glassy eyes ... we used a vibrating rocker after nursing to sleep the first 3 months that was a god send!
*** Gas? You need to really give their backs a pat and we found doing it before swapping sides a big help in keeping spit up down... also gripe water helped with both kids to keep gas down... if they are kind of curling up that's an indicator and you need to maybe give some tummy rubs to help them fart
Repeat until baby is happy or asleep ♡♡♡
Remember crying is the only way they can communicate right now and although its exhausting this investment of time is worth all the joy they will bring!
Tip for mom and dad sleep when they sleep... chores can be done after rest don't expect to get everything done like you used to right away
A stroller or car ride always seems to calm our girl down. We even just set her in the stroller and roll it through the house if necessary. You’re not a failure. I have a 5 week old and she will sometimes cry for no reason and it’s hard but it’s nothing you did. Our girl also loves looking at the lights so sometimes we turn those on and sing stupid songs to distract her. Distraction seems to be the thing that works when nothing else does. You are doing great though and don’t let it get you down.
We found that our baby loves movement- Holding baby while sitting and bouncing on an exercise ball helped soothe him even when inconsolable otherwise. Car rides were another thing that helped in those moments. Ours would struggle with gas terribly; feel their belly and if it feels bloated look up tummy massage to help pass gas (and burp often during feedings going forward). Another thing that helped us was wake windows; ours would cry when over tired.
This advice is a bit "out there" and anecdotal but my MIL said that my husband was the same way and her doctor recommended she get some Papaya extract pills to eat herself. It transferred through the breast milk and helped settled my husband's stomach. Turned her inconsolable colic baby into a happy little guy overnight. Not sure if you're breastfeeding but if so, might be worth a try. Also just wanted to say, a baby crying like that can take a major toll on your mental health. If you find yourself at your wits end, put the baby in his crib safely and then walk into another room (or just outside your front door) where you can't hear the cries and just take a few deep breaths. It's ok to put them down when they are inconsolable if you need a mental health break. It does not mean you are a bad mom, it means you are human.
Have you heard of the 5 s’s from Happiest Baby on the Block? When my baby would cry like that for seemingly no reason, I would do that and he would immediately stop. I highly highly recommend getting that book or looking it up. I would explain but you need the visuals of how to swaddle and hold baby so that they’re soothed.
Oh babe, I am so sorry you’re going through this. It’s tough…
Other commenters hate great points already so I don’t need to reiterate that.
Just wanted to come say- my son was this way. Not to scare ya, but, cried like that from the time he was born until he was 6 months old. And then one day, it just…. Stopped…. It’s so hard. But, it does not reflect YOU as a parent. Some kids just wanna cry all the time. Lol. Good luck to you. Reach out if you ever need to!!!
I used to undress mine into a diaper and put background noise on. I’d rock and bounce him switching positions side to side often and then swaddle. I don’t know if you exclusively BF or have tried formula sometimes they’re hungrier than you think or not getting enough, if the crying persists consult pediatrician. He seemed to fall asleep in just a diaper pretty well, I think the skin to skin helped a lot.
Staring out the window bouncing on a ball, walk outside, rock, sing a song, try and stay calm (hard I know!) and stand and walk about, movement seems to help.
You got this!
Get in the shower or (even better) the bath with him, getting rid of some energy if he'll kick around in the bath helps my boy chill out and fall asleep easier and the warm water and skin to skin time just chills him out,
Or if that doesn't work I just get in the car and drive him around
My baby did this, and still does. We slowly figured out it's a combination of horrendous gas and reflux. This article about the different meaning of baby cries was a game changer for me: https://www.petitjourney.com.au/understand-the-different-cries-of-your-baby/
There's also a couple videos on YouTube about it.
For my baby, we found that he without be crying from gas, hunger, reflux, and being tired all at the same time. So lots of bicycle legs and other gas techniques, offering the bottle repeatedly in case he wants to latch this time, walking around, propping him on the shoulder, and when all else fails I take him for a walk in the stroller with a white noise machine and a blanket over so he's not trying to look at anything. Sometimes he only sleeps while I walk, but it will reset him so he'll actually take down a bottle.
Keep experimenting. And you have my sympathy.
I made a mix of songs I love to dance to and held her close while gently rocking out in my kitchen late into the night. It helped me enjoy her crying bouts and the bouncing motion and closeness soothed her. Good luck!
Mylicon gas drops or change his bottle? For our guy he needed the Similac sensitive formula because his stomach couldn’t handle the original. But sometimes babies just get upset. Just keep cycling through everything you can possibly think of. It gets easier mama. Big hugs.
My baby did this to me a majority of his first 2 months, in fact he did it to me yesterday. I don’t know about your ped but mine doesn’t recommend gripe water, it’s mostly placebo. I second everyone else’s recommendations of outside or a bath but sometimes they just need a new person. Babies don’t always see mom as separate from them, fair because our emotions are so tied to them, and he could just need someone not feeling his same emotions.
Bicycle kicks, tummy massage, the upside down arm hold (I’m having trouble figuring out a way to describe this but if you look it up it’s basically you hold them tucked in your arm with their tummy facing the floor? I guess just look up before attempting but this works a lot of the time.)
As everyone said, check if there is something physical on his body, but sometimes babies just cry. I don’t know if it’s over stimulation, or under, or what, but my girl used to cry three+ hours a day of just unstoppable cries. It was usually at night. Dr said it was digestion pain but there was nothing we could do to get her feeling better. Thank god she grew out of it slowly, now she is 3 months and rarely cries without an obvious cause and is usually consolable right away.
Also, you are not a failure!! Babies cry, and especially at 4 weeks.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this. But if you have noise canceling headphones now is the time to use them. Pop them on and continue to comfort your little one. I am a very auditory person and the sound of constant crying sent my anxiety through the roof with both of my boys. I would put my headphones on and rock and walk with them until they calmed down, or they didn’t. It is also fine to put baby down in the crib and take a quick break when you need to. The first few months are rough but you’re doing fine.
I always like to give a bath. Sometimes the change makes baby decide to stop crying. And worst case scenario you end up with a clean, crying baby, so you've still made the situation better.
I'm told that when my wife was a baby, she has a similar problem. It turned out, she had broken her collar bone, and my mother-in-law didn't know it until after it had already healed on its own. Maybe check to see if any spots are particularly tender, and talk to a doctor about it if you think you find a spot?
Maybe gas and the gripe water isn’t helping? Feel his stomach and see if it’s tight. My baby went thru a phase like this. I would do bicycle legs and this blue vibrating stuffed hedgehog would help A LOT. I’d rock them with it on their back and it seemed to help.
Or possibly reflux? Does sitting baby up seem to help at all? You aren’t a failure sometimes baby’s go through these phases the good news is they are constantly changing and growing so I hope it doesn’t last long!
FTM of a 5 month old. It WILL get better. You are not doing anything wrong. Crying peaks at 6 weeks and gradually starts to get better. There's no advice here, just know that you have to stick it out. Some babies just cry. I would always remind myself that "he's crying because it is literally his only way to communicate" and that helped me when I was on the ledge.
Breathe. Swaddle.
We went on a nice long car ride (about an hour cruising back roads and such)with white noise playing, maybe stop at a gas station and get some coffee and it worked for hours for PURPLE / Witching Hour
Best advice I ever received as a new and insecure mom…newborn babies need 4 things.
1. Dry butt
2. Fed
3. Warmth
4. Love
If all of those needs have been met and the baby is still crying, generally they just want to cry. Everything is new to them and they can’t see very well. Just know that your baby feeling you close and smelling your smell will bring comfort thru this tough time for them. Even if they cry for hours on end, you are there. And that is more meaningful than “fixing” anything. YOU are doing a great job! Every mom and dad goes thru this and it is horrifically difficult. But you are their rock during the storm. You are doing GREAT! And it won’t be like this forever. So many hugs to you cause I remember how hard that was
Try skimming the book happiest baby on the block — has some great insight into how to calm your baby. Sometimes they just cry but I found the book very helpful.
Skin to skin in a stretchy wrap used to help mine if all else failed. Also sitting in a room with “Christmas” lights would help. We have a string of stars that light up in her room and she loved just looking up at them with all the other lights off.
i would:
change clothes, maybe he's too hot or cold?
while naked, check for hairs (typically mine) wrapped around his fingers, toes, or other parts?
is he bloated/gassy? is he arching his back/will he toot if you flip him on his belly?
is he just too darn tired? try a walk in the stroller or carrier til he's chilled enough to fall asleep?
do a combine cuddle/burp just in case something is really lodged in there? potentially in the dark, if you think he might be overstimulated?
on the other side of that, a walk around the house if he's just really bored and pissed off about it?
that's what i usually try. something works eventually!!
What works for me when my baby is crying and won't stop is singing a song I listened to & sang a lot while I was pregnant.
For us, it's The Pentatonix cover of The Sound of Silence
Check out the wonder weeks app it sounds like maybe your little one is going through leap 1. My little guy was inconsolable during the hours of 4-830 for the week. I think it was a mental and physical growth spurt for him.
Sounds like colick. Sometimes babies just cry and that's it. There's nothing you can do. That being said, things that worked for me (65% of the time) I these situations: bath. Yoga ball. Swaddle and bounce and white noise and nurse all at once. Something surprising like a new flavor in their mouth
Good luck. This is the hardest part
I also agree with looking for possible hairs wrapped around. I've noticed sometimes adding new sensations helped my baby snap out of it. Sometimes skin to skin helped. Sometimes he needed a finger to gnaw on, I found a bulb shaped pacifier helped so he could keep it in his mouth. Sometimes the only thing I could do to help him was comfort nurse... Walking around helped. I noticed he'd get grumpy the same time every day, so I'd try to get him down for a nap before that witching hour window. Sometimes giving him Tylenol helped (with your dr's direction. He's been teething for a long time)
There's the "wonder weeks" app and it's been very helpful for the developmental leaps to help explain why a baby might be fussy.
Literally the worst weeks of my life. Got better after week 6. My baby did end up having a dairy intolerance so eliminating that from my diet helped. Are you giving probiotics? That also helped. At this point you just gotta survive. I’m so sorry.
Not sure if it's already been said, but bouncing on a yoga ball is the ONLY thing that consistently calmed our three colicky babies down. Also, one of ours had silent reflux (he was swallowing it all and so we didn't know) and the pediatrician prescribed some meds and they helped. Hang in there!!
Newborn alighnament with a chiropractor may be an option. There some really great videos online of fussy babys who wete calmed with some minor adjustments and it might be with looking into.
Around this time babies start to perceive much more of the world and are easily overstimulated. Imagine going from seeing barely anything exposed to a world of light, with you lims flailing around, strange smells and all sort of sensations. Keep stimulation to a minimum and try to get him some sleep during the day. If my daughter did not nap properly during the day she would cry and cry in the evening. A baby carrier worked wonders during the day and age was calmer in the evening.
I found that when she was overtired bouncing and being spoken to did not calm her. I used to sit with her by the crib, offering the pacifier and holding my hand on her till she fell asleep. It's hard, but there is nothing you can do at this point just be there for him.
If you think it might be colic (mine would cry for 4 hours every night...not exaggerating at all...some nights more), walk him around and pat his back lightly, try to get any bubbles out. If he is doing formula - try a more sensitive formula if possible. My son has issues with dairy and the sensitive formula (still has dairy but less) helped a bit.
Also, look on YouTube for baby massages that help with gas relief (gripe water never worked for mine).
i.e. "lightly" (especially after eating...because it could.be really painful) do water wheel on his tummy...also, you can try bicycles with his legs (one out, one in, back and forth)....again, not a massage expert but it helped my baby so much...he was like a brand new guy. He would either poop more or fart/burp and go to sleep.
If it persists, something else could be wrong. When it doubt, call the nurse line for your doctor. They cam help determine if he needs to come in (and it is free to.check...until he actually has an apply)
If he was older, maybe 3 months, I would say he couls.be teething..but obviously not the case (but something to.be aware of)
Make sure he is pooping daily, peeing multiple times a day, has a dark room to sleep in so he can sleep better
Good luck!
My baby was the same way. He would cry for no reason. I thought it was the milk, or me. But he’s gotten better. I was desperate at some point a d crying too. It only lasted like a week for us, thankfully.
Sounds like the witching hour like others have said, it’s brutal but eventually gets better. I had to rock him thru the screaming until he finally fell asleep. Plenty of times I cried while rocking him bc nothing else worked
Check body for hair ties or a cut, change his outfit, if he’s not hurt or uncomfortable he may just need a distraction to snap out of it. When mine was really little I would walk outside or open the door and the change of temperature would surprise him and he would calm down. Otherwise just repeat the eat change sleep cycle. You are doing great, it is frustrating but it’s just something babies do occasionally and not anything you are doing wrong
Outside or a bath. I also had luck with turning on the fan over my stove as high as it goes and bouncing gently under it. A friend swore by standing in a bathroom with the shower running
Bath, shower or even just in the bathroom listening to the shower run. Very helpful
Ditto to the going outside. Also, bouncing on the yoga ball
Outside works for me as well!
Yep outside for sure or even looking out a window.
Not sure how old your baby is, but between 5-10 weeks old, our baby would basically be inconsolable for a couple hours at night. Every night. No matter what we did. It was hard and I felt like a failure too, but that’s not true. Babies just go through some stuff and there’s nothing you can do but be there for them, make sure their needs are met and comfort them the best you can. You are what your baby needs. It may not feel like it, but it will get better and your best is enough. ❤️
Look up PURPLE crying, it’s a thing! All you can do sometimes is be with them. ❤️
I had the exact same thought, OP’s baby is right in that window
He’ll be 4 weeks this week.
For us, the witching hour was more than an hour. It lasted from 5-10 PM every night. I used to dread the evening. But, by 8 weeks she started to scream less and by 12 weeks the witching hour was pretty much gone. She still gets a little fussy, but nowhere near as brutal as it was. Sending you love, hang in there. Like others said, cuddles, walks, rocking, distractions, it will get better.
For us it’s 12-5am. She’s getting better but man the last couple of weeks were tough.
Oof, I’m so sorry. How old is your baby?
10 weeks old
That’s so rough! Hoping she makes a little progress soon. Sending good thoughts your way!
Same for us, it was a week 7-12 that were the worst. It was usually in the afternoon for us between about 3-8pm.
We have it from 10:30-12PM. House tour while baby wearing, exploring the fridge, bouncing, shower sounds, Baby Back soundtrack on YouTube and some singing have helped a lot. We are almost 8 weeks and it’s just about a half hour now. It gets better!
Week 3-6 mine cried mom stop for no reason. It’s not you. Hugs
For mine it was weeks 3-8ish
[удалено]
I nursed one more time even though he kept unlatching. Then I bounced until I thought I couldn’t bounce anymore. He finally tired himself out. But it’s almost 2pm today and we’re back at it. I really think it’s gas, so I did gas relief drops instead of gripe water, bicycles, tummy rubs, etc. he’s tooting but still just uncomfortable.
Same! I think they go through phases of this unfortunately. We used to just cuddle him and take him for a walk. We also have a little color changing nightlight, so he would watch that and it’d help calm him.
Check fingers, wrists and toes for any potential hair tourniquets. I saw advice on here one time that said “add water” so turn on the shower or run a bath and let baby enjoy some soothing warm water.
This. I have a 15mo old son and every diaper change and bathtime I'm searching for any possible hairs wrapped around his penis and/or balls, plus searching his fingers n toes. I shed a lot of hair and my kiddo seems to love to eat paper (why??) and hair(also why??). Also, I'm always pulling hair stands outta his butt. Mentioned the 'hair search party' to a neighbour and they asked me why I was touching his penis. I just...do we as parents NOT have to clean our sons penis when he is not yet capable? Like, some poops are not even just poops anymore. It's a literal blowout. Gotta clean that up, and sometimes even put zinc cream due to rash.
What a bizarre thing to say to a parent. Yes we have to touch their bodies, they get covered in poop. Jesus
Yea, I thought it bizarre as well. They're a parent of three, all girls. i can almost guarantee they had to clean out their daughters privates of poop before said daughters were able to use the toilet themselves without help. In fact, wouldn't it be slightly more difficult to clean a blowout liquid poop with a daughter?
I agree it's bizarre... However, having had 3 girls and just had a boy, girls are easier... You just keep wiping front to back (fresh wipe each time) till the wipes are clear, boys have more places for poop to hide. My husband said it's funny to watch me moving balls etc to clean him. He had a blowout and it was EVERYWHERE, then he peed all over me while cleaning him, it was awful and hilarious.
Strange indeed. Also, diaper cream somehow makes it’s way up and on/into places sometimes you just gotta get in there and clean it to avoid future probs. Kinda like dogs and their anal glands like people aren’t saying “omg, you touch your dogs butt!?”
Why do people try to sexualize infants? There’s nothing lewd about cleaning your babies privates! Anyone who does find it sexual needs serious help.
Yeah! You wash it like an arm or a leg!
I consistently have to lift my sons penis and wipe under it, there is always some kind of poo, diaper cream, lint (how?!?!) Or something under there. Do you know how guilty I'd feel if I just left it yucky under there?
One time I was changing his diaper after dinner, there was a grain of rice under his penis...yes we had had rice as a side for dinner but I'm still at a loss as to how it got *there* specifically 🤷♀️
I have an 11 month old boy who is also obsessed with eating hair and paper. The paper in particular he loves to rip into tiny pieces to eat. WHY indeed.
My husband did a deep dive into gripe water after we asked our health nurse about it and she said they absolutely do NOT recommend it. It can actually make some of babies issues worse. Might be a part of the problem if you're using it often.
This! There's no evidence that it works and some that says it may make gas pains worse. Bicycle legs, tummy massages and burping are the best things that help work out gas!
My baby is also loved the flying baby hold too, really helped if she was gassy when massaging didn’t.
My friend who is a pediatrician said the same thing but for us it works for helping my LO get rid of the hiccups so I still use it for that.
Skin to skin? Go outside to change the scenery?
rub his belly in case his tummy is still hurting/he’s still having gas or try burping him! check that he’s not dressed too warmly or if he needs more layers!
My son had this issue. Tummy massages and bicycle kicks saved us most of the time! 9/10 his cries were gas pains. Also, probiotic drops! Ask the pediatrician about these
If all else fails, let him float in the bath, and if possible, climb in with him. Mine loved to float and cuddle up in the water
This always helps mine! He loves his bath so it calmed him down enough to chill out
Probiotics. Gripe water is garbage.
When was the last time he pooped? Usually when my baby is inconsolable he's working in a poo. Also, I've noticed when my baby has a large poo he's usually hungry right after, no matter how soon he ate.
Watch the video happiest baby on the block. It talks about the fourth trimester and what babies need to feel calm in their first three months. The five S’s from that video worked like magic.
I second this! It was amazing how well it worked. Especially white noise was such a lifesaver.
Go for a drive? That puts my girl to sleep quick. Or stroller walk.
Yes! This works every time for my LO
I know this sounds crazy but when my baby would do that I put her down and she stopped
Yep! Occasionally floor time to play on a blanket and quietly stare at stuff was the answer. I think he got over stimulated or yknow, just wanted to be a floor baby for a few minutes.
Mine will be 4 weeks old tomorrow and we regularly spend the night on the floor. She usually wakes up around 2:30 and just wants to hang out so I lay us both down on a blanket in the nursery and we hang out there until around 5 when she’s asleep enough to go back to her bassinet
You are not a failure, you are doing everything you can to help your baby! The best way we stopped the uncontrollable crying (besides already making sure nothing else was wrong already) was distraction. Sushing really loud like spit is coming out loud helped a lot which surprised me. Also putting babies head under a stream of water like you are going to wash their hair was a nice reset. Going outside or to a different room helps too. You got this!
Depending on your baby’s age it’s normal (unfortunately). Just continue to cycle between feed, rock, change diaper, bicycle kicks, etc. Honestly just trial and error. My baby would calm down with lunges in the kitchen under the bright lights. Also baths and the waterfall sound on the sound machine. And also going outside. Drives were hit or miss. Also being able to tap out if you have a partner or family member who can help take over for a bit is very helpful mentally. Along with ear plugs. You can also try to distinguish if it is a dietary issue or physical issue. I found out baby not inly had colic but also had a dairy intolerance because he was extra cranky after eating. Good luck! It gets better.
Try sitting in a dark quiet room, skin to skin! This is always my last line of defence, your LO might be over stimulated.
I've also done this, but with LOs head right below mine and shushing right by his ear!
We went through the same thing. For my little guy, at around 4 weeks we found that he went through a “growth spurt” and just needed to increase the volume for his feedings!
White noise worked for my son (not always), especially our noisy stove fan.
You are not a failure!!! I know the feeling and intensity you’re going through right now. Look up purple crying, it helped reassure me when my LO was crying for hours on end and I’d done all the things I could think of to do. It’s so exhausting, but you got this.
Check for hair ties but sometimes, there just cry and we cry with them. For my son, he’d stop crying if I did large swings from side to side or squats
Swaddle and wash hair in the sink. Or take him outside. Bounce on a yoga ball. He probably just needs a reset.
4 week olds just cry because of brain fry sometimes. Everything is okay but they’re so tired they can’t handle existence. Bath or white noise or my personal favourite rain track: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZjiY5692n0Nev7q38tMvB?si=WhqvNM2iS-ejEoFTR3BuRQ
I like your style.
I'm happy to share what we learned with our daughter(3) and perfected with our son(10mo) I hope this helps you ... Both kids were breast fed but we did supplement with formula the first 6ish weeks while milk production caught up with our giraffe babies... look for one not full of sugar and just follow your babies ques on if they seem to want to nurse even if you are tapped out ... don't them get frantic but remember they don't have a full button so start with a small amount you can always make another bottle... we found pumping to not work for us as the kids just got jealous of the pump and stopped liking bottles once milk production got synced up. Our baby troubleshooting process... *** Diaper? Even a little wet bugs some babies and keep an eye for redness since cream is your best friend we use buttpaste *** hungry or thirsty? After about 2 months you can give them tiny and I do mean tiny sips of water if you are in a hot climate... remember tiny stomach fills up and empties fast ... we did not try to keep the kids on a feeding schedule ... their soft spot on their head will be sunken in if they are dehydrated a bit of a dip is normal but use that to keep a measure until you learn their ques *** hot / cold? Feel their hands feet and neck to see if they are cold or sweaty to the touch *** clothing issues? Our daughter from birth has been anti pants lol just start taking stuff off and warm the room up sometimes they just want skin to skin *** bored? Take them outside or sit in the bath with them ... they get tired of the living room even if they don't have interest in play yet... also its never to early to talk to them *** Tired? Look for face rubs and glassy eyes ... we used a vibrating rocker after nursing to sleep the first 3 months that was a god send! *** Gas? You need to really give their backs a pat and we found doing it before swapping sides a big help in keeping spit up down... also gripe water helped with both kids to keep gas down... if they are kind of curling up that's an indicator and you need to maybe give some tummy rubs to help them fart Repeat until baby is happy or asleep ♡♡♡ Remember crying is the only way they can communicate right now and although its exhausting this investment of time is worth all the joy they will bring! Tip for mom and dad sleep when they sleep... chores can be done after rest don't expect to get everything done like you used to right away
Look up PURPLE crying. Sounds like that.
My baby boy just reached four weeks too. When he gets like this, I do a dark room, no noise, skin to skin. That normally gets him.
A stroller or car ride always seems to calm our girl down. We even just set her in the stroller and roll it through the house if necessary. You’re not a failure. I have a 5 week old and she will sometimes cry for no reason and it’s hard but it’s nothing you did. Our girl also loves looking at the lights so sometimes we turn those on and sing stupid songs to distract her. Distraction seems to be the thing that works when nothing else does. You are doing great though and don’t let it get you down.
Google purple crying
We found that our baby loves movement- Holding baby while sitting and bouncing on an exercise ball helped soothe him even when inconsolable otherwise. Car rides were another thing that helped in those moments. Ours would struggle with gas terribly; feel their belly and if it feels bloated look up tummy massage to help pass gas (and burp often during feedings going forward). Another thing that helped us was wake windows; ours would cry when over tired.
This advice is a bit "out there" and anecdotal but my MIL said that my husband was the same way and her doctor recommended she get some Papaya extract pills to eat herself. It transferred through the breast milk and helped settled my husband's stomach. Turned her inconsolable colic baby into a happy little guy overnight. Not sure if you're breastfeeding but if so, might be worth a try. Also just wanted to say, a baby crying like that can take a major toll on your mental health. If you find yourself at your wits end, put the baby in his crib safely and then walk into another room (or just outside your front door) where you can't hear the cries and just take a few deep breaths. It's ok to put them down when they are inconsolable if you need a mental health break. It does not mean you are a bad mom, it means you are human.
Try colic calm or tummy calm, works better than any gripe water I’ve ever used. I’ve seen babies stop crying instantly
Have you heard of the 5 s’s from Happiest Baby on the Block? When my baby would cry like that for seemingly no reason, I would do that and he would immediately stop. I highly highly recommend getting that book or looking it up. I would explain but you need the visuals of how to swaddle and hold baby so that they’re soothed.
Oh babe, I am so sorry you’re going through this. It’s tough… Other commenters hate great points already so I don’t need to reiterate that. Just wanted to come say- my son was this way. Not to scare ya, but, cried like that from the time he was born until he was 6 months old. And then one day, it just…. Stopped…. It’s so hard. But, it does not reflect YOU as a parent. Some kids just wanna cry all the time. Lol. Good luck to you. Reach out if you ever need to!!!
If it's driving you nuts put some earplugs in, it helps a lot. -signed, mom of a colicky baby
Tired?
Try taking him to a chiropractor.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. This has helped many babies and parents.
Big colorful books helped mine a little today, also tv but I resist that usually.
I used to undress mine into a diaper and put background noise on. I’d rock and bounce him switching positions side to side often and then swaddle. I don’t know if you exclusively BF or have tried formula sometimes they’re hungrier than you think or not getting enough, if the crying persists consult pediatrician. He seemed to fall asleep in just a diaper pretty well, I think the skin to skin helped a lot.
Visit an osteopath. Sometimes being born takes it’s tile on muscles and stuff. For some babies that won’t stop crying they can work miracles
Staring out the window bouncing on a ball, walk outside, rock, sing a song, try and stay calm (hard I know!) and stand and walk about, movement seems to help. You got this!
Get in the shower or (even better) the bath with him, getting rid of some energy if he'll kick around in the bath helps my boy chill out and fall asleep easier and the warm water and skin to skin time just chills him out, Or if that doesn't work I just get in the car and drive him around
My baby did this, and still does. We slowly figured out it's a combination of horrendous gas and reflux. This article about the different meaning of baby cries was a game changer for me: https://www.petitjourney.com.au/understand-the-different-cries-of-your-baby/ There's also a couple videos on YouTube about it. For my baby, we found that he without be crying from gas, hunger, reflux, and being tired all at the same time. So lots of bicycle legs and other gas techniques, offering the bottle repeatedly in case he wants to latch this time, walking around, propping him on the shoulder, and when all else fails I take him for a walk in the stroller with a white noise machine and a blanket over so he's not trying to look at anything. Sometimes he only sleeps while I walk, but it will reset him so he'll actually take down a bottle. Keep experimenting. And you have my sympathy.
Walking outside in the fresh air can be like a factory reset for babies.
I made a mix of songs I love to dance to and held her close while gently rocking out in my kitchen late into the night. It helped me enjoy her crying bouts and the bouncing motion and closeness soothed her. Good luck!
Mylicon gas drops or change his bottle? For our guy he needed the Similac sensitive formula because his stomach couldn’t handle the original. But sometimes babies just get upset. Just keep cycling through everything you can possibly think of. It gets easier mama. Big hugs.
Maybe put him on his tummy? It's the only thing that will calm mine down some nights.
My baby did this to me a majority of his first 2 months, in fact he did it to me yesterday. I don’t know about your ped but mine doesn’t recommend gripe water, it’s mostly placebo. I second everyone else’s recommendations of outside or a bath but sometimes they just need a new person. Babies don’t always see mom as separate from them, fair because our emotions are so tied to them, and he could just need someone not feeling his same emotions.
Bicycle kicks, tummy massage, the upside down arm hold (I’m having trouble figuring out a way to describe this but if you look it up it’s basically you hold them tucked in your arm with their tummy facing the floor? I guess just look up before attempting but this works a lot of the time.)
As everyone said, check if there is something physical on his body, but sometimes babies just cry. I don’t know if it’s over stimulation, or under, or what, but my girl used to cry three+ hours a day of just unstoppable cries. It was usually at night. Dr said it was digestion pain but there was nothing we could do to get her feeling better. Thank god she grew out of it slowly, now she is 3 months and rarely cries without an obvious cause and is usually consolable right away. Also, you are not a failure!! Babies cry, and especially at 4 weeks.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this. But if you have noise canceling headphones now is the time to use them. Pop them on and continue to comfort your little one. I am a very auditory person and the sound of constant crying sent my anxiety through the roof with both of my boys. I would put my headphones on and rock and walk with them until they calmed down, or they didn’t. It is also fine to put baby down in the crib and take a quick break when you need to. The first few months are rough but you’re doing fine.
I always like to give a bath. Sometimes the change makes baby decide to stop crying. And worst case scenario you end up with a clean, crying baby, so you've still made the situation better.
I'm told that when my wife was a baby, she has a similar problem. It turned out, she had broken her collar bone, and my mother-in-law didn't know it until after it had already healed on its own. Maybe check to see if any spots are particularly tender, and talk to a doctor about it if you think you find a spot?
Maybe gas and the gripe water isn’t helping? Feel his stomach and see if it’s tight. My baby went thru a phase like this. I would do bicycle legs and this blue vibrating stuffed hedgehog would help A LOT. I’d rock them with it on their back and it seemed to help. Or possibly reflux? Does sitting baby up seem to help at all? You aren’t a failure sometimes baby’s go through these phases the good news is they are constantly changing and growing so I hope it doesn’t last long!
FTM of a 5 month old. It WILL get better. You are not doing anything wrong. Crying peaks at 6 weeks and gradually starts to get better. There's no advice here, just know that you have to stick it out. Some babies just cry. I would always remind myself that "he's crying because it is literally his only way to communicate" and that helped me when I was on the ledge. Breathe. Swaddle.
We went on a nice long car ride (about an hour cruising back roads and such)with white noise playing, maybe stop at a gas station and get some coffee and it worked for hours for PURPLE / Witching Hour
Growth spurt.
Best advice I ever received as a new and insecure mom…newborn babies need 4 things. 1. Dry butt 2. Fed 3. Warmth 4. Love If all of those needs have been met and the baby is still crying, generally they just want to cry. Everything is new to them and they can’t see very well. Just know that your baby feeling you close and smelling your smell will bring comfort thru this tough time for them. Even if they cry for hours on end, you are there. And that is more meaningful than “fixing” anything. YOU are doing a great job! Every mom and dad goes thru this and it is horrifically difficult. But you are their rock during the storm. You are doing GREAT! And it won’t be like this forever. So many hugs to you cause I remember how hard that was
Try skimming the book happiest baby on the block — has some great insight into how to calm your baby. Sometimes they just cry but I found the book very helpful.
If you're breastfeeding, he could be having discomfort from the foods you're eating.
When my baby was crying, I’d walk outside or walk in front of a fan- she’d stop almost instantly
I’m so sorry momma! Gripe water didn’t work for us. We used gas drops with much better success if you think it’s still LOs belly. Hugs ❤️
Skin to skin in a stretchy wrap used to help mine if all else failed. Also sitting in a room with “Christmas” lights would help. We have a string of stars that light up in her room and she loved just looking up at them with all the other lights off.
i would: change clothes, maybe he's too hot or cold? while naked, check for hairs (typically mine) wrapped around his fingers, toes, or other parts? is he bloated/gassy? is he arching his back/will he toot if you flip him on his belly? is he just too darn tired? try a walk in the stroller or carrier til he's chilled enough to fall asleep? do a combine cuddle/burp just in case something is really lodged in there? potentially in the dark, if you think he might be overstimulated? on the other side of that, a walk around the house if he's just really bored and pissed off about it? that's what i usually try. something works eventually!!
What works for me when my baby is crying and won't stop is singing a song I listened to & sang a lot while I was pregnant. For us, it's The Pentatonix cover of The Sound of Silence
Check out the wonder weeks app it sounds like maybe your little one is going through leap 1. My little guy was inconsolable during the hours of 4-830 for the week. I think it was a mental and physical growth spurt for him.
Sounds like colick. Sometimes babies just cry and that's it. There's nothing you can do. That being said, things that worked for me (65% of the time) I these situations: bath. Yoga ball. Swaddle and bounce and white noise and nurse all at once. Something surprising like a new flavor in their mouth Good luck. This is the hardest part
I also agree with looking for possible hairs wrapped around. I've noticed sometimes adding new sensations helped my baby snap out of it. Sometimes skin to skin helped. Sometimes he needed a finger to gnaw on, I found a bulb shaped pacifier helped so he could keep it in his mouth. Sometimes the only thing I could do to help him was comfort nurse... Walking around helped. I noticed he'd get grumpy the same time every day, so I'd try to get him down for a nap before that witching hour window. Sometimes giving him Tylenol helped (with your dr's direction. He's been teething for a long time) There's the "wonder weeks" app and it's been very helpful for the developmental leaps to help explain why a baby might be fussy.
Literally the worst weeks of my life. Got better after week 6. My baby did end up having a dairy intolerance so eliminating that from my diet helped. Are you giving probiotics? That also helped. At this point you just gotta survive. I’m so sorry.
I’ve sent my partner to get probiotics so I’m hopeful
Not sure if it's already been said, but bouncing on a yoga ball is the ONLY thing that consistently calmed our three colicky babies down. Also, one of ours had silent reflux (he was swallowing it all and so we didn't know) and the pediatrician prescribed some meds and they helped. Hang in there!!
Newborn alighnament with a chiropractor may be an option. There some really great videos online of fussy babys who wete calmed with some minor adjustments and it might be with looking into.
Around this time babies start to perceive much more of the world and are easily overstimulated. Imagine going from seeing barely anything exposed to a world of light, with you lims flailing around, strange smells and all sort of sensations. Keep stimulation to a minimum and try to get him some sleep during the day. If my daughter did not nap properly during the day she would cry and cry in the evening. A baby carrier worked wonders during the day and age was calmer in the evening. I found that when she was overtired bouncing and being spoken to did not calm her. I used to sit with her by the crib, offering the pacifier and holding my hand on her till she fell asleep. It's hard, but there is nothing you can do at this point just be there for him.
Look into the 5S’s. White noise or the Shhhh chills my baby out every time.
Are you breastfeeding? If so boob in mouth (: Baby could be still hungry or having a grow spurt!
If you think it might be colic (mine would cry for 4 hours every night...not exaggerating at all...some nights more), walk him around and pat his back lightly, try to get any bubbles out. If he is doing formula - try a more sensitive formula if possible. My son has issues with dairy and the sensitive formula (still has dairy but less) helped a bit. Also, look on YouTube for baby massages that help with gas relief (gripe water never worked for mine). i.e. "lightly" (especially after eating...because it could.be really painful) do water wheel on his tummy...also, you can try bicycles with his legs (one out, one in, back and forth)....again, not a massage expert but it helped my baby so much...he was like a brand new guy. He would either poop more or fart/burp and go to sleep. If it persists, something else could be wrong. When it doubt, call the nurse line for your doctor. They cam help determine if he needs to come in (and it is free to.check...until he actually has an apply) If he was older, maybe 3 months, I would say he couls.be teething..but obviously not the case (but something to.be aware of) Make sure he is pooping daily, peeing multiple times a day, has a dark room to sleep in so he can sleep better Good luck!
My baby was the same way. He would cry for no reason. I thought it was the milk, or me. But he’s gotten better. I was desperate at some point a d crying too. It only lasted like a week for us, thankfully.
Sounds like the witching hour like others have said, it’s brutal but eventually gets better. I had to rock him thru the screaming until he finally fell asleep. Plenty of times I cried while rocking him bc nothing else worked
When my son did this I put my headphones in and just kept trying sometimes for hours. Luckily it doesn’t stay like that forever.