My friend's baby is less than a week old and it cries all the time.?

Question

Is there anything they could do to help calm the baby? They were told to put a drop of honey on the soother, but I looked it up and it says that it is not helathy. No, it's not that they aren't feeding her or anything stupid like that.

Answer 1

No...honey is NOT the answer for a young baby..it can cause infant botulism.

Try swaddling him tightly and rocking him. The baby could be colicy, so light pressure on his belly might make him feel better. A ride in the car or running the vacuum might help as well. Good luck.

Answer 2

never give a infant honey! She could possibly be allergic to it, or get really sick! She is probably crying all the time because she has gas. Try burping her in the middle of feedings (after every ounce) and immediately afterwards. If she still seems like she's really fussy try infants Mylicon drops (for gassy infants). Usually these do the trick. She might even have colic if she is constantly crying and wont stop. You could try to switch her formula (if she's bottle fed) to an anti colic formula like Similac (there are generic's available too that are cheeper). It will not work instantly, but over a couple of days you will notice a change. What it is ...a more refined formula that is gentler on the stomach and is easier to digest. Anytime the parents have questions or concerns about their new infant they should call their ped's dr.

Answer 3

The baby is prolly colic. I would speak with a dr about it.
Try placing your baby face-down on your lap over a rolled-up towel, as pressure sometimes eases colic.

Place your baby over your knees so that there is no pressure on the abdomen: pressure sometimes aggravates colic. (You can use these symptoms as a guide to choosing a homeopathic remedy.)

Give your baby some dill- or fennel-seed tea. Simmer a teaspoonful of seeds in a pint (1/2 litre) of water for 10 minutes. Strain and cool and give it to your baby in a bottle or on a spoon. Do not add sugar or honey. Be careful about giving gripe water as it can contain a worrying amount of alcohol.

Help your baby to pass a stool, if the colic precedes the passage of one. Massage the abdomen very gently in gentle clockwise circular movements or hold your baby in asemi-squatting position, their back to your tummy, legs pulled up a little, again very gently.

Take a break from your baby if you are at the end of your tether. Even if your feelings aren't affecting your baby they will affect you and some time out will enable you to survive a very difficult time in your baby's life.

Look after your own needs if you have become exhausted — get someone to look after your baby so that you can sleep. Ditch the housework and simplify any other chores so that you can reduce your stress load. You will find that you can cope better.

Answer 4

First of all, no honey for a baby that young. There is a risk of botulism when honey is given to a baby under 12 months.

Secondly, you didn't say whether the baby was breastfed or not. IF the baby is breastfed, is she gaining weight? I ask only because after two days of CONTINUOUS screaming, we had to suppliment when our baby continued to lose weight in the days after coming home from the hospital (most babies lose weight the first couple of days, but should begin to put it back on by the end of the first week and be at or near their birth weight by the end of the second week). If she does find it necessary to suppliment, I strongly suggest pumping after each feeding to try to keep her milk supply up.

Some babies respond well to being held and bounced either on your shoulder or across your legs. When my baby was about 3-6 weeks old, she went through a period of *extreme* fussiness in the evening for a few hours each night, and this helped. I understand it's not nearly as bad as all day, all the time, but I did a bunch of things with her. Holding her, jiggling her, rocking her, "bicycling" her legs, etc. It's possible it's gas that's bothering the baby, and these might help. My baby also responded VERY well to baths...sometimes it was the only way to calm her. Also, skin to skin contact is very soothing for some babies, whether it's mom or dad. Strip off the shirt, and hold baby close. SHHHHH-ing her might help....put your mouth close to Baby's ear, and say "Shhhhh" in a soothing, low voice. See if the baby prefers to be swaddled (wrapped tightly in a blanket) or wants to be free. Babies can go either way on this one. If she wants to be swaddled, this will help calm her. Also, my baby liked having her head rubbed (almost like petting a dog). Some babies like a gentle massage (mine does NOT). I'm just trying to throw out ideas for you.

I wish I could help more. Quite honestly, every baby is different. Your friends may have to just experiment. It's trial and error; trust me, I had no real idea of what calmed my baby the first month, let alone the first week.

Answer 5

I remember getting an email from a friend about an old Oprah episode where this woman figured out how to decipher newborn baby's cries. When they are that young, the type of cry they make is based on reflexes like feeding, yawning, etc. It is really fascinating. Then you don't have to wonder what is wrong if you learn how to read their cry. You'll know if they're hungry or tired... even if you just watch it, it's interesting. But it only works I think on babies under 3mths old.

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200611/20061113/slide_20061113_350_101.jhtml

Answer 6

If you suspect or have been told that your baby has colic, you may want to consider the possibility that your baby may have reflux. This may not be the answer for all colicky babies, but in my experience and based on my conversations with other mothers, reflux is very common and is very often misdiagnosed as colic.

Symptoms

These are some of the more common symptoms of reflux. Your baby may only have some of them, and may have other symptoms that are not listed.
Spitting up frequently
Vomiting
Unexplained crying
Poor sleep; frequent waking
Fighting during feeding
Arching neck or back during feeding
Frequent hiccups
Congestion
Wheezing
Coughing
Hoarseness
Strange odor on breath
Poor weight gain
Frequent choking episodes
Important: There are a couple of common misconceptions about reflux:

First, your baby does not have to be losing weight to have reflux. On the contrary, many reflux babies actually overeat because eating eases the pain.

Second, your baby does not have to be spitting up to have reflux. This is known as "silent reflux" and can actually be harder on your baby because their esophagus is getting burned by the acid on the way up and again when it goes back down. It's also a lot harder to recognize as reflux.

Answer 7

No honey!!!! Babies cry, some cry all the time. It's really hard to deal with, but it happens. When they're that little they only need basics.....
swaddle (wrap tightly)
swing (rocking back and forth, or in a swing, or bouncing )
sucking (boob, bottle, finger, soother)
shhh (rhythmically and gently 'shh' in their ear)

...and of course making sure their bums are dry, tummys are full, and get lots of cuddles.

it might be colic.... or maybe she's not producing enough milk to satisfy the baby.... check with the doctor.

Answer 8

Good for you double checking on the honey. Honey is very bad for a baby..There are so many things that can cause a baby to cry: too hot, too cold, hungry, gassy, clothes are tight or itchy, too much noise..Swaddling and gently rocking may help. Saying "shh, shh" quietly may help. After you and your friend have tried all of your ideas and nothing helps, I would say she should call the doctor....Good luck. It's nice that you are a good support system for your friend. Please help her to try to stay calm through all of this, as I'm sure it's frustrating.

Answer 9

FIRST AND FOREMOST..DO NOT GIVE A CHILD UNDER ONE HONEY..IT IS DANGEROUS not unhealthy. As far as the crying, It could be ANYTHING..gas, illness, temperature of the room, comfort in clothing, fear, not getting enough to eat, needs burping..The only thing your friend could do is to take to her pediatrician for an examination to see if everything is in order. The doctor will also offer her suggestions on possible issues motivating her to cry so often. If there is no success from this option all you really can do is keep trying. A good site to subscribe to is babycenter.com. They have messsage boards and articles that can be helpful.

Answer 10

Check this natural method to get rid of acid reflux http://acidreflux-cure.info
Usually, heartburnThe most common symptom of acid reflux disease (also known as gastroespohageal reflux disease, or GERD). Heartburn feels like a burning pain in the center of the chest. It is caused by acid from the stomach backing up into the esophagus. is a symptom of acid reflux disease (GERD) Also known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Describes the condition of backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus which frequently happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes more often than it should and/or at inappropriate times. The symptoms of acid reflux disease typically occur on 2 or more days a week.. And if you suffer from persistent heartburn on two or more days a week—and you’ve treated it and changed your diet—it could be due to acid refluxBackflow of stomach acid into the esophagus. Acid reflux frequently happens when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) relaxes more often than it should and/or at inappropriate times. This allows harsh stomach juices to back up into the esophagus. disease. But only your doctor can tell you if these are signs of acid reflux disease.