New Baby cries a lot! How do I get him to stop???

Question

I have a 2 week 6 day old baby boy. I don't know how to get him to stop crying. It's not cause he is hungry because he cries with my breast in his mouth! He is not wet or dirty. He burps a lot though. Could it be gas and if so how do i fix it???

Answer 1

Make sure you burp him often. He can't do it himself. He may just be a fussy baby. Sometimes babies are. Hold him, comfort him, rock him. Have you called the doctor? A check up might be a good idea to rule out illness or physical causes. He may have colic. He may also be tired. My first baby cried a lot when he was tired. He just wanted to lay down in his crib and sleep and I thought he needed something so I kept trying to feed/change/entertain him, but when I just layed him down, he went to sleep. He just needed a lot of sleep.

Answer 2

I had the same problem. Our fist daughter who was and is very very demanding was okay for all the usual stuff such as feeding, changing, etc. but still crying -- she wanted to be entertained, but my dancing and silly faces didn't last long. But I found that taking her outside did the trick. She'd be totally engrossed by just taking her outside. I could literally just put her in the stroller and sit her outside and she'd just sit there for hours looking around at the world. Inside, she was driving me nuts crying and screaming like someone was stabbing her with a red hot knife. Once outside all was fine. So, basically, I had to give up my inside chores, and just take her for walks or play with her on the grass. Even if it was raining, we'd go out for walks or I'd take her hiking in the backpack -- anything to get outside. Our second daughter, although about 10% as demanding, is the same. Outside, all is fine and she can entertain herself. Inside, she just gets so bored and always wants me to entertain her.

On the other hand, if it is as others have suggested, gas, it could be that a simple 'burping' (patting on the back) will do. In some cases, the child is swallowing air from drinking too quickly or not latching onto the breast properly.

Or it has to do with what you are eating. The mother consuming gas causing foods. Basically you should stay away from anything unnatural, but also cabbage, onions, garlic, spices, certain herbs, supplements, and... well, there's a list of things to avoid that are both natural and gas forming (our midwife educated us months prior), but mostly stay away from those and junk foods etc. and try to eat as healthy as possible. My co-worker's wife had the same problem -- they were eating a lot of spicy foods (being Indian) and this caused the baby terrible pain with gas... they were totally ignorant and just instead gave up breastfeeding for formula. That was really silly.

Don't worry, you'll find the cause.

Answer 3

You can try burping him more often during and after feedings. If you are formula feeding Enfamil has a formula that helps with gas and there are bottles out there (Dr. Browns, Playtex Nursers) that work wonders for gas and colic.

To get your baby to stop crying you should try the 5 S's method:
1 - Swaddling
2- Sucking (breast or pacifier)
3- Side or stomach (lay baby on his side or stomach)
4- Swinging (swing baby from side to side or bounce, find your own style, whatever works)
5- Shushing (put your mouth next to his ear and make long shoooooooosh sounds)

These methods will work to calm the baby as long as there isn't anything else going on such as hunger, dirty diaper, etc.

Answer 4

He could have acid reflux, I say this only because you mention he cries while you're nursing him, my daughter cried a lot and would also cry while I was nursing her; I knew something was wrong and after many calls and a visit or two to the pediatrician's we figured out she has silent reflux. She would want to nurse all the time but would also be pulling away and crying - it soothed her to eat but it would keep bringing the acid back up because she kept eating.

Our pediatrician first had me try giving her a little Maalox, 4 times a day - you could call and talk to a nurse at your peds office and let her know you suspect it could be reflux and see if she can tell you the correct dose to give him for his age. Also, keep him elevated for at least 20 min after feeding. When he's sleeping keep him elevated, and sometimes a car seat will be very uncomfortable for a baby with reflux - wait at least 20 min after feeding to put them in a carseat.

Does your son arch his back a lot when nursing? That's a sign of reflux - my daughter did it all the time, I wrote down how she was acting and told it all to her pediatrician and she knew right away. We now have her on prevacid solutabs and she's so much better.

Another product that works good for fussy babies is gripe water. My daughter had fussy periods at night for months and gripe water was the only thing that worked - it also allowed her to get her gasses out and sleep better.

Answer 5

First, call your pediatrician. He or she is the person to ask if your child is crying inconsolably.

Chances are, it is gas. He may be colicky.

Some babies cry a lot in the early evening (between 6pm-12 midnight can be the "witching hour" where they may cry for a few hours straight no matter what you do).

Please call your doctor to be on the safe side.

Either way...get help....a friend, Mom or other relative, husband....someone who can take the baby off your hands for a few minutes so you can take a breath and catch a little sleep! It's exhausting. By week #6 it starts to get better. Hang in there..... Good Luck!

Answer 6

I read a book that suggested using "5 S's".

1. Swaddle - wrapping the baby up tightly makes it feel safer, reminds him of the womb

2. Side - Hold him like he's laying on his side

3. Shush - The SHH sound is relaxing, again they are thinking it sounds sort of like the noisiness of the womb

4. Swaying - or gentle bouncing while walking around

5. Sucking - whether with a pacifier or a finger, whatever works.

We used these on our baby, she's 3 months old now. It never took more than a minute or two to settle down. Sometimes it took all 5, sometimes one or two would do the trick.

Answer 7

i had that problem it is gas it is because of what you are eating or drinking call the doctor and find out what foods you should be eating while breast feeding i know after a few days i couldn't get in in control so i bottle fed and some mylicon will help alittle it is baby gas medicine that is safe to give to your little boy i love that stuff anyway it can be bought most stores in the baby section and probably in the medicine section too other wise just rock him and pat his bottom this is soothing to most babies if non of these ideas work i would contact the doctor!

Answer 8

He could have reflux. Even if he's not spitting up he could have this and it can be causing pain. Is he congested at all or does he spit up? Also, make sure he is swaddled nice and tight. Make sure to burp him well. Even breast fed babies need to burp (some people think that you don't need to burp breast fed babies and that's not true). If he continues to be really fussy, check with Pediatrician to make sure there isn't something wrong.

Answer 9

If it's gas, give him gas drops. i've always preferred the Little Remedies vs. Mylacon (it's much cheaper). you can get them pretty much anywhere.
if that doesn't work, have you talked to your dr about colic? that might be what is going on.
or maybe he's just a cranky child. my second was (and still is). it's just a fact of life that babies will cry. get used to it, it isn't over yet.

good luck!!!

Answer 10

Try swaddling him tightly in a receiving blanket. Also try using a mother's bear, it is a teddy bear that you turn on and it sounds like the inside of a womb. My youngest son used it, we brought 3 of them from walmart. They are about $18.