Calgon, Take Me Away!
Since Saturday, Maddie has been the Very Fussy Baby. She refuses to sit in her papasan or her swing. She also refuses to nap during the day even though she’s so tired her eyes will barely stay open. The most disturbing thing about this is that she will not be soothed. In the past, all she wanted was to be held and cuddled. No problem! Sure it’s a little inconvenient when you’re home alone and you have a baby who wants to be surgically attached to you, but it’s doable. Now, however, being held does nothing for her. She’ll be content for 10 minutes at the most and then it’s Nuclear Meltdown all over again. At night, she’s a total angel and sleeps like a champ. It’s only when the sun is out that she’s uber cranky. Perhaps she’s a vampire?
Since Monday, I have tried the following things:
Swaddling
Swinging
Rocking
Singing
Car rides
Walks
Playing
Tummy time
Mylicon
Tylenol
Going back to her old formula
Putting her in her sling and vacuuming the house
All of these things work for about 10 minutes. Then, fahget about it.
It seems to me that this period of extreme fussiness coincides with several major changes. First, there’s the switch in formula for the “alleged” reflux. Then, there is the addition of pediatrician-directed vitamin supplements. Finally, there is the fact that she is six weeks old and should be going through a growth spurt. I’ve also read that most babies’ crying peaks around six weeks, but I don’t know if that’s true.
I feel so utterly helpless. I hate it like poison that she cries and I can’t do a damn thing about it. I feel like I should know what’s wrong and fix it… and I’m pretty sure she feels the same way. I’m exhausted, frustrated and at my wit’s end. Here’s hoping that the dr can help when we see her on Friday for a follow-up. Maybe Zantac is really what she needs, after all.
Filed under: uncategorized on February 28th, 2007
I really feel for you. Deeply.
This is a universal “mom” thing and unfortunately, other than saying I really feel for you and I so totally relate and I remember this very well to this day, etc., I don’t have much else to offer. 
It sounds like you are doing everything you can and that’s all you can do.
There is something I did when all else failed that will probably make me sound like the Evil Mother From Hell but when I really couldn’t stand it anymore, I’d put headphones on for ten minutes or so and turn it up loud enough so I couldn’t hear the screaming any more. And it wasn’t my idea; I’d read that tip from another mom so there are at least Two of us Horrible Evil Mothers out here. Not just me. Heh.
Honestly, at least it allowed me to get a break and catch my breath mentally and calm down a tad emotionally. There are few things more painful than listening to your own baby cry and not being able to soothe them. On the lineup of things people find hard to deal with, that HAS to be Numero Uno, no kidding.
I would make sure Lucy or Ray would be safe in her/his crib, make sure I’d done EVERYTHING POSSIBLE ON THE PLANET to try and soothe them and if that still didn’t work, 10 minutes with the headphones on while they were in their crib.
I could never get further than 10 minutes because I’d be too concerned something bad might happen; couldn’t stand it any longer.
Actually, 80 percent of the time they had falled asleep. I don’t know if it’s because *I* relaxed a tiny bit because I couldn’t hear them anymore and they could “feel” this in me from afar with their Extra-Special-Baby-Perception, or if it was just a coincidence and they fell asleep from exhaustion but either way, it was wonderful when they’d be asleep like that.
Great good luck to you and remember this above all; sometimes they cry and there is just not a damn thing you can do about it. It isn’t YOU or your love or anything like that; it’s just them.
This time will pass and things will change, take comfort in that.
{{{hugs}}}
Amber, have I told you lately how much I adore you? I really, truly appreciate your comments and I’m so glad you stop by to visit my little corner of blogland.
You rock!
I’d give the Zantac a shot. It doesn’t do a darn thing for me, but I have heard of it helping other folks babies.
Things will get better eventually. I promise! My son hardly cries at all anymore!!!
Huggs
Theresa