My once very happy 3 mth old suddenly cries constantly, won't nap, and won't feed easily. What could be wrong?

Question

My 14 week old has always been a very happy baby who sleeps through the night (9pm-7pm) but has now stopped napping during the day for more than 20 minutes at a time. He acts like he's exhausted and won't eat when we try to feed him. We end up spending half an hour soothing him until he finally settles down and eats. (We feed him every 3 hours.) I just don't understand why suddenly he is so fussy and screaming in hysterics. Is he in pain? Teething at 3 months? What can I do to fix it?

Answer 1

My daughter teethed at 3 months and had 4 teeth by 4 months and 8 teeth by 6 months.
She's now 14 months and has 16 teeth!
Is he drooling a lot? Temperature?
Makayla was not interested in feeding at all when she was teething, she just wanted to chew on everything. I gave her panadol because i personally think bonjella is crap (it might work for you though)
I think the feeding every 3 hours is probably a growth spurt. But because its happening at the same time it seems a lot worse.
Good luck

Answer 2

It is absolutely alright if he is feeding every two hours! My son, now 3 and a half and still nursing, used to feed every two hours (almost to the minute, day and night) until he was about 9 months old (from about 2 months on). I'm not sure if some of it ended up being just habbit, but he was always very active and is not fat now (never was) and is as healthy as a horse. I had quite a few Drs tell me I had to space out the nursing to at least every 3 hours (for no real reason), but I gave up on this after a few tries as his crying was inconsolable, except to nurse, and this caused me to be very upset too. So, I called the lovely LaLeeche people and was reassured IT IS NORMAL, so I didn't worry about his nursing frequency and didn't look back. Good luck with the nursing and be glad that you're getting 6 hours sleep each night! I too now have a 3 month old (girl) who is nursing, but unlike her brother is more like every 3 (or so) hours, so just relax and be proud that you're giving your son such a wonderful start to life!

Answer 3

I don't know that babies typically teeth at 3 months. Doesn't mean it's impossible. Try running your fingertip over his gums to see if you can feel anything. Is he drooling a lot? Chewing? These are signs he could be teething.

My daughter went through all sorta of weird colicky episodes where she wouldn't nurse for no apparent reason. I even took her to the doctor a few times I was so concerned. Nothing was wrong with her. Try giving him tylenol and give your pediatrician a call if it really concerns you.

Answer 4

You might want to ask your pediatrician about the possibility of reflux. My baby boy was born very premature and those are some of the symptoms he has when his reflux is acting up. We tried switching formulas and found that Dr. Browns bottles worked for him. They eliminate the amount of air ingested during feeding. They are a little pricey but they are worth the money for us since it makes him much more comfortable.

-Ellie

Answer 5

with new baby's there is a lot that could be wrong. take him to a doctor and explain all the symptoms. to me if there is no fever it could possibly be teething or colic. teething is oral gel or ice pack things they can knaw on. colic is a lot different. that could take a while to figure that out. if there was a big change in the family lifestyle that could be the trigger and he just doesn't like it. you would have to give him time to get used to it.

Answer 6

It could be colic, but that usually starts shortly after birth and clears up by 3 to 9 months of age. I'd take him to the pediatrtian.

Answer 7

Colic, teething, ear infection, allergy to formula (if he's on formula) other infection...

Go to the pediatrician to rule out medical causes (ear infections hurt like hell, I still get them!). If there are no medical causes, change formulas, or if you're breast feeding, watch your diet, and don't get frustrated. I know easier said than done. **There's nothing wrong with putting him in his crib while you calm down.**

You could try putting him in a side to side swing, a baby carrier (strapped in) on the dryer (while you're holding it). Going for a walk in the evening, a baby carrier on your chest. Try holding him (with only a diaper), on your chest with no clothes, while rocking him. That's the only thing that would calm my daughter down. Try EVERY possible position for rocking. Bounce him (lightly) up and down, side to side, laying down, upright. You could swaddle him in a warm blanket (provided you're place has AC and he's not too warm) and put him in a swing, or in his crib. He could also want to lay still. Try swaddling him and putting him on his back or side in his crib.

With doctor's permission, try a soy based formula, or if you're breast feeding, try eliminating all dairy. If he's colic, it will end in a few months.

Answer 8

Sounds to me like teething more than llikely. Teething can happen at 3 months for sure.

Grab some teething gel, see if that helps.

Answer 9

I had this same problem with my son memphis, I took him to several Er's and doctors finally we went really old cool doctor who said you guys just need to breath, calm down relax its colic and when you guys stop freaking out and chill he will catch on and he did thank god !!!

Answer 10

Maybe your baby has colic. You may want to check with his doctor before giving him some drops they sell at your local grocery store. It helped with my son, but I also changed his formula. Both helped him out alot. I would recommend it but I would prefer you to ask his doctor first.