Coping with fussy baby?

Question

I need advice or maybe just the avenue to vent. My 4 month old beautiful baby is teething. I do try everything...teething rings, cold cloths, etc. I also make sure his needs are met such as feeding, changing, gas, etc. He will not stop crying! My husband works very long hours. I am alone with him all day long. I work from home. We just moved here and I do not know people. I also do not have a car. It is constantly raining so we can not even go outside for a walk. This constant crying has my nerves on edge. Please help. I want to be the best mommy I can be...

Answer 1

I know exactly where you're coming from.Please don't worry you are doing great.The advice the others gave about the teething and gas is great.The most effective thing I was able when I was stressed with the fact I couldn't stop one (or both)of my twins from crying was to put them down for just a couple of minutes and get completely away from the sound,anywhere where you can't hear it,like the bathroom or just somewhere you can't hear the crying and take a few deep breaths.Believe me this will help you get your bearings and you will be amazed when you come back in the room how much better you feel.And this will do the baby good,too because she can feel your stress.Whatever you do,don't beat yourself up over it,everyone goes through this.

Answer 2

When my daughter is teething and fussy I give her infant Motrin, which is a pain and fever reliever and also an anti-inflammatory for the swollen gums. It also last 8 hours as apposed to Tylenol which lasts 4 hours. If you don't want to go the medication route, here's an article I found:

5 Tips for Calming Fussy Babies
Yikes! Baby's crying and you can't seem to calm her down. Or he's miserable with teething pain and you've had no luck finding something to make him more comfortable. So what do you do if a trip to the store for the "latest and greatest" baby gadget doesn't fit into your schedule or budget? Just take a dose of imagination and add a few items conveniently found around your home. Click here for the full article http://www.huggieshappybaby.com/info/bow/article.aspx?article_id=4186

Good luck!

Answer 3

I can completely relate to how you feel. My 10 week old is very colicy - every time I feed her she gets a sore tummy and crys all the time. To cope with this is do fun stuff with her when she is in a good mood - we play, sing and read. When she is upset I bounce her on my knee, walk around the house with her and give her a homeopatic colic remidy that seems to take the edge off. my two biggest saving graces are the baby swing and the fact that I go out every day to do stuff i.e. baby yoga, massage, salsa babies, nursery rhymes etc..... Even if it is cold i bundel her up realy warm and we go for a walk with her in the stroller - this also helps alot!!! Another thing you can try is having someoen to come relieve you - a neighbour perhaps. to get to know people see if there are any mommy baby activities in your area. If you are alone and stressed out it is ok to leave the baby in a safe environment i.e the crib - for five or so miutes till you get a mini break.

Good luck

Answer 4

Try some infants motrin. I always give it to my son when he's teething because I think it's better for him emotionally if he's not in constant pain. My son never wanted anything to do with frozen or hard objects, so I gave him the dose that my pediatrician reccomended, and no more than that, kids can overdose easily because they are so small. Then I got him a bottle of warm formula, or breast feed him, and cuddled. Babies feed off of our emotions, so I would sugesst that you get yourself a cup of tea, and just plop the both of you on the couch. Forget about dishes and housework, and just have some down time with your son. The motrin may make him sleepy, but he should calm down. And of course, talk to your Doc before trying this, because my kid is different than yours, and your Doc would know if trying Motrin is right for you. You can always just call and ask the nurse. They can also give you the correct dose, since it's not on the box. Good luck!

Answer 5

I hope you felt better after you typed the question cause you probably relieved some of the inner tension.
The baby can definitely feel your tension, so you need to take some deep breathes and tell yourself that you can only do what you can and as long as you love your baby you ARE the best mommy.
Now as for the crying you need to distract him from that. Dance for him, vaccuum, pick him up and show him all the stuff in your house.
Try Mylicon Gas Drops, even gerber has some and they're fruit flavored. You could try a little bit of Rum or even Tequila (I used that on my son) for his growing teeth. All you need to do on that is dip a q-tip just so that it gets a little wet and rub it on his little gums. Orajel works really well and they have the nighttime formula also. There are some homeopathic teething tablets and I used them but could not tell if they worked or not.
I live in WA State and I had my daughter in August so I was cooped up all winter so I feel your pain on that one. I exercised a lot while I had my baby in her bouncy and she just got a kick out of that.
Good Luck!!!

Answer 6

MY advice. You need to keep your energy up. TO help keep your child calm. WHat I learned back in taking school was that you can never forget about YOUR ENERGY. I remember I too was in a similar situation. DAUGHTER crying NON stop for days Husband working 2 jobs and his only time at hoem was to sleep. WHEN you get to the point of frustration. ITS OK to leave your baby in a safe place.

I know there were one or two times. WHEN I could no longer take it. I would place my girl in her crib and I would go to the hallway and have a good cry. Lasting only a minute or two. WHATEVER your child is going thru 2 minutes is not going to harm them any more. I always felt better after a cry. Able to cope with the stress of NOT knowing what calms my child.

ITs the little things that keep us sane and strong. I know I could never figure it out. I kept asking my doc if its possible to become colicy at 3-4 months. Because she was always a needy child per-say. BUT it was at 3-4 months when things seemed to get out of control.

All the best to your. WHAT I did love that is with being in canada our mat leave is one year. I am envious of the american moms who are back to work at 6 or 12 weeks. I know I could not do it. HELL my daughter was still giving us issues at night at 1 year because of teething

Answer 7

When mine were teething, the doctor said I could give them Baby Tylonol and Baby Motrin. I gave them a dose of Tylonol and then wait an hour and then give a dose of Motrin. And then Tylonol every 4 hours and Motrin every 6. Ask your baby's doctor if this is ok to do for you little one, it really helps with the pain. Good luck and hang in there. Having a little one with no car and no adults most of the time is really hard, but it will get easier, I promise :)

Answer 8

Try freezing a wet washcloth. Or freeze a banana. Just something really cold for them to chew on. My mom used to rub rum on my gums...I don't know if that's a great idea with a baby, but I know alot of parents that used that method and it worked.

Answer 9

let me hit on this first. If it is raining...and not a down pour...get a rain coat and a stroller with a cover and go for the walk anyway...it'll do you both good to get outside...unless the weather is terribly bad.

Also...one thing that young parents tend to over look...maybe the baby is just thirsty...try giving him a bottle of water. formula or breast milk will not always take care of this need.

Do not pick him up everytime he cries...I know it's hard but just check that everything is ok then let him cry if nothing is wrong...this builds strong lungs.

You ever heard of the term crocodile tears? Believe it or not...by 4 months of age...the child has learned that by screaming he can get your undivided attention. You should perhaps take him back to your dr for advice on this...as I am not a dr...just an experienced father.

One mistake parents make is picking the child up every time they whimper ...and trust me it's normal...If you simply check to make sure everything is ok...then let them be they will get past this.

As I said,,,,check with your dr first..but don't give in so easy...I know it's easier to say then to do...but as long as he is healthy...he'll be ok.

Answer 10

Sometimes the baby feels your emotions as well. The baby could be colicy. Your baby could have gas as well. They have gas drops at Babies R Us. If you don't have a car you can order them online. Good luck It happens your not alone I promise