Always cranky!!!?

Question

My 3 and a half month old daughter is CONSTANTLY fussy, cranky, crying, it just seems that she is never happy. We show her love all the time play with her, we are very attentive parents. She feeds/nurses every 2 hours STILL, even through the night. Our baby just seems that she is never happy. Anyone else with this problem and any advice greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Take her to your doctor and explain to him the symptoms. She may have colic(a gassy tummy). He may suggest changing her formula. Good Luck.

Answer 2

Please, please, please....take your daughter to see her pediatrician, and explain to him/her that nothing seems to make her happy and she is fussy all the time. I had this same problem, and my pediatrician told me that some babies are just grouchy. I dealt with this for 7 months (I don't know how!). She basically cried all the time, no matter what I did. She was very clingy and never wanted to be with anyone but me. Everyone told me it would get better as she got older and it didn't. Well, finally after 7 months we had a period of 3 days where she seemed absolutely inconsolable. I was about to have a nervous breakdown and finally took her to the doctor because I didn't know what else to do. Her regular pediatrician wasn't available, so we saw someone else. Come to find out, my daughter has GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disorder) better known as acid reflux. She had been suffering for 7 months and was in constant pain and I didn't know it because although she did spit up some as a younger baby, she stopped around 4 months when she could sit up on her own. So, I had no idea she was having a reflux problem. They put her on Prevacid (Zantac is what is typically used since it is approved for babies as young as 1 month old) for her reflux, and I tell you, that same night she was a different baby. It was amazing. I felt like a horrible parent because she had been in pain her whole life and I didn't know it. Needless to say, I switched pediatricians! So, although this might not be your daughter's problem, please have it checked out because if in fact it is, it doesn't get better without medicine! I wish you the best of luck and hope that you get whatever is causing her fussiness under control because I completely understand what you are going through!

Answer 3

My two year old was very cranky when he was little and my now five year old was colicky, it is possible that this is what your daughter suffers from. Although there is no known cure for it, there are a few things that might help. Walk her, sing to her, rock her if you have a rocking chair. Placing her over your legs and rubbing her back (when she's on her stomach) might make her feel better. Although it is rare, it is possible that she is allergic to breast milk, or doesn't like the way it tastes. Even babies who are breast fed can be lactose intolerant. It doesn't mean you can't breast feed, you'll just have to stay away from dairy products. Talk to your doctor if nothing else works. Breast milks flavor changes depending on what the mother eats. Spicy food and other things with strong flavors are usually not liked by babies. If all else fails, a car ride might relax her, or try turning on the shower for a while. The soothing sound of the water running helped my son when he was a baby. Hope this helps. If it doesn't, just hang in there and remember to give yourself a few moments of space even when she is crying. Not to neglect her needs that is to say, but I know what it's like to have a crying baby for hours on end.

Answer 4

I have had two children that were extra clingy and always wanted to be held after feeding or when they are hungry. I'm talking about a grip on you like they are in extreme pain and need soothing.
They both had acid reflux. It took me 2 1/2 months to realize with my first child that it was more than just colic that made her scream and want to nurse constantly. I was getting a complex thinking I was failing as a mother. Finally, the doctor got the idea to try Zantac and that maybe she had reflux. That worked! We finally got a happier, although still colicky baby.
On my son, who is 4 1/2 months, I saw the signs at 1 1/2 months and he's been on Zantac since then and he is the happiest baby ever.
See if you notice your baby making bubbles when it's hungry. That is sometimes a sign that they have reflux.
Best of luck to you. Hang in there. It is tough. My daughter outgrew colic at 3 1/2 months and reflux shortly after. Son is still having reflux issues at almost 5 months.

Answer 5

Try Mylicon and Tylenol see if that helps. Also, with my last, who was definitely the crankiest, I found that if I put him in a snuggli and walked with him for a while it helped tremendously. One more thing, maybe you shouldn't feed her every time she cries, try holding her, playing with her, tickling her. Sometimes gassy babies aren't really hungry they just want to suck on something. Maybe she is overdoing it and aggravating it further? Every 2 hours seems a bit much to me for a 3 1/2 month old. Try contacting La Leche League at http://www.lalecheleague.org/resources.html?m=0 I am assuming when you say nursing you mean breastfeeding? If not ask her dr about using a different formula. Good luck and remember This too shall pass.

p.s. some one else mentioned the vacuum. This combined with the Snuggli worked like a miracle on my son. 5 minutes and he was out and bonus you get clean carpets ; ).

Answer 6

I don't think it's colic. That usually is gone by 3 1/2 months. And it's probably not the formula if it's been the same and she just recently started to get fussy. My son got his first tooth at 4 mths. It could be teething. Give her a little Tylenol/ Motrin and see if she calms down.If so then it's teething. Get oralgel, teething rings, even try frozen bananas. It might also be gas. Try Gentle Naturals Tummy Soother. It is all natural and is save for babies this young.Good Luck.

Answer 7

Maybe she's just bored. If you stay at home with her it's possible that she just wants a change of environment. You can also try letting her cry it out for a little while maybe about 10 minutes and see if maybe she is just getting spoiled. When people say that you cannot spoil a baby that is a complete lie. You can!! Believe me I know. It can also be that she is hurting somewhere. Maybe she has colic. They say that some sign of colic is when she cries does she bring her legs to her chest and stretch them out constantly. You might want to try a different bottle to feed her with. The bottle that I swear by is Playtex Vent-Aire since you said you nurse they have the natural shape nipple that is easy for them to switch back and forth between the breast and bottle. Good luck.

Answer 8

Is your baby jondouse? have that yellowy color? My oldest was very crankie and I was told it was because of this.....

Babies have no other way of communicating then to cry. Being parents of a new born I bet sleep has not been to easy either!

Is she being breast fed? Is your milk to acidy for her? Some mothers do have a acidity problem with there breast milk, have your doc check this out.

Maybe it is another kind of food allergy? If she is not sleeping this to could be making her cranky.

My oldest and the youngest loved to go in the car when it was nap time. The oldest one was real funny about it! Try going for a drive to get baby sleeping?? Maybe all your baby needs is sleep?

Hope you figure something out and soon so you can get some sleep!

Answer 9

She may have colic. My son developed colic when he was two weeks old (this is the norm) and from that day on ... it was a living nightmare. He wasn't just cranky ... he was impossible. If I wasn't holding him and rubbing his little tummy, he'd cry non-stop. I then took him to a specialist ... his colic was soooo severe. The Pediatrician prescribed a anti-spasmodic drug and a formula called Nutramagin ... which is usually only for really sick or premature babies. This only settled his pain by about 50% ... poor little guy.

There are different degrees of colic ... your little one may have a mild to moderate colic. You may want to take him to a pediatrician to have him examined. Best of luck to you and your baby.

btw: I also had an 11 month old son ... who was teething at the time ... AND I was experiencing Postnatal Depression. Gawd, I'm sooo happy those days are but a memory ... lol.

Answer 10

Take her to the pediatrician. It sounds like it's extreme enough to get help. She could be alleric to something you eat, or the formula she's getting. Sounds like a gastro-intestinal problem. Your pediatrician will know what to do. My daughter didn't sleep for more than a 3 hour stretch, very seldomly four hours, until four months. But by 8 months it was 12 hours a night. Hang in there- get the help you need for now, and KNOW that it WILL get better sooner than you think.

Answer 11

My daughter started showing signs of teething about this age. Although she didn't get teeth for several months later she would have spells of fussiness. Is she showing any other signs of teething? I agree though that it might also be colic and I would talk to your doc. Trust me they go through tons of phases so have faith that it will get easier.