Monday, February 16, 2009

HELP ME!!!


SHE WON'T STOP CRYING!!!
I think I spoke too soon when I boasted to everyone about how lucky we are with Little One being such a good baby and being so low-maintenance! Ummm...ever since she had her RSV shot on Friday, she's been Little Miss Cranky Pants! The girl has found her voice...and boy, can she ever wail!

Nothing seems to appease her. She fusses and fights and gives you that "Poor Me" look. It breaks my heart to see the tears and the lower lip quiver thing that she does.

The only thing that seems to settle her is for me to carry her ALL THE TIME!!! Either that or this:



Yes, Little One is very selective in her musical preferences. She likes listening to The Skye Boat Song (among other of her favourites). This version is faster than how she's used to hearing it though.

Any tips for this tired mama? How do you calm a fussy baby? I'm hoping to get my sweet little baby back! Little Miss Cranky Pants is adorable, but she just exhausts herself with all the crying :( I fear I will never ever sleep again. *sigh*

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

If she has just had shots, I would say infant pain killers (I don't know what you guys have, but we have Panadol).

Isaac screamed all night too, so I'm incredibly sympathetic. Nothing fixed him except finally exhausting himself and dropping off to sleep - to the tune of me singing Pink Floyd songs.

With Amy I tried and had success (occasionally, and at different time different things worked) with:
a stroller/pram ride
car trip
panadol
swaddling and then patting and shushing
music

etc etc. Some days nothing would work and I would be frazzled.

Ellie said...

Hi there my dear!! I have been really busy and haven't checked in with you as much as I should be! I am first of all, so glad that you are home!! Sorry that Little One is so unhappy right now, it is really hard when there is nothing you can really seem to do to help soothe them. Here is what I did when my guys, especially Devin, were tiny.

Can you give her Tempra? If you haven't tried it, I would give it a go. It is made for infants, and it always seemed to help my guys when they just had their shots.

Car rides. I used to drive around our neighbourhood a lot, especially with Devin to get him settled. He would usually settle as soon as we got in the car, and then I could sneak him back into bed once we got back home.

The sling. Oh my gosh, I wish I had one of these with my older children, but it was a lifesaver to me! Devin hitched a ride in that all the time, but when he was unhappy, he was instantly soothed. Don't worry, you won't spoil her by carrying her around and picking her up when she needs it!

Nursing a lot. I used to tuck us both into bed and stay there, because really, we both needed it.

Going for a long walk - Devin liked to be in the sling or front carrier the best.

A warm bath. I used to take my babies in with me, and that relaxed both of us.

Someone else to come and look after the baby while I got out for a few minutes helped a lot. it jsust helped me to get a breather and refresh myself so I could be in a better frame of mind when I got back.

I hope some of these ideas help and that she will settle soon!!

I miss you!!
Love,
Ellie

Anonymous said...

chris what a beautiful song. little one must love it because her mams sang it to her while she was in utero !

as for my crying babies what worke4d most often than not was
-car rides as everone has probably told you already
-warm baths
-singing/listening to soothing music
-carrying/swaying/patting

and finally a strong drink. the strongest spirits in the liquor cabinet. not for the baby but for me! just kidding; i didn't drink when i was nursing but some days i wish i did! {{{{{{{{{{{lol}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

hey she's so cute even when she's crying

and your word ver thing is'pariated'. fuuny!

Anonymous said...

me agai. iforgot to tell you

no you will never sleep again! :0p

welcome to parenthood my friend

and just waith til shes a teenager!

Cherry said...

Good luck my friend!

Jeanna said...

What your pals are saying, music, car rides, warm baths and checking with the pediatrician to see if there is a baby pain killer. Got to be so very careful with that, I'd keep trying all the others.
Any chance you can get someone to help you out? For some reason I didn't mind getting up at all hours with the nephews, smelling their spit up and stanky onesies. Sometimes I wish I could still pick them up like that, little shits.

caninecologne said...

hi c - don't forget to try the Rock-a-Bye Baby Metallica CD I sent you! Perhaps the softer version of "Enter Sandman" or "One" may help! :)

when tc was a baby and cried a lot, i sometimes put her in the swing or this vibrating little chair. it worked sometimes. classical music also seemed to soothe her.

if she was dry, not hungry and already burped but still crying and holding her didn't help, sometimes i'd let her cry it out. yeah, i was hardass like that.


word ver:

tetchals

J said...

Maya had a swing that she liked, but I think she was older...Their neck has to be a certain level of strong, I think, that LO might not be at yet.

Because it came on with the shot, it's probably related, and should go away in a day or two more. I hope. I would probably try an infant Tylenol, but check with the doctor first.

Maya had colic, which meant inconsolable crying for 2 - 4 hours EVERY NIGHT. Inconsolable means that nothing worked. We just took turns, so that we could each have a break from the endless crying. Everyone said it would go away at 3 months, but it lasted until she was 5 months. Crap. I heard once, and chose to believe, because it was in our favor, that smart babies get colic. There's no reason for it, except that it made me feel a little better about all of our suffering! HA!

I wonder when we got to a place where we got through an entire day without Maya crying? There are so many years of it, for so many different reasons...I don't remember when it ended. Hmmm.

Anonymous said...

Our cranky kids generally calmed down with Mom or Dad holding them. We just got used to carrying them everywhere! lol Getting used to doing stuff while holding a baby and only being able to use one hand is tricky, but it's every Mom's talent, right? ;)

Karen MEG said...

Tempra, miracle drug esp. around shots... but as all have said, check with your ped.

So, yes, you WILL sleep. G was the WORST for 3 months, had to be held, would only sleep for an hour at a time... always crying, her poor little gut in contortions... I did give her some Ovol at times, but didn't use it a lot. My brother was very hesitant to use it on his daughter, but I guess it's everyone's comfort level.

Carrying her all the time isn't a huge deal, really, when you think about it. You can't really SPOIL her now...although it can get exhausting for you. Do you have a carrier for her (mind you, I'm not sure she's big enough yet re: head support etc.) but I used to keep little G in a carrier with me, attached, even when I was vacuuming... it seemed to soothe her...

She used to like her car seat, to get to sleep. I wouldn't keep her in it too long, obviously, but somedays that was the only way she would pass out, before I moved her.

Oh boy, those were the days... I never thought they would end... but they did....Hang in there, and as J has said, really try to nap when she naps. It makes a huge difference!

becky s said...

I carried my little boy in a moby wrap, snuggled up close to my chest. It actually allowed me to wash dishes, read, or check email while still giving him the closeness he needed. Without tired arms and shoulders. I hope the babe feels better soon!

J said...

My other advice, though it's weird...take some video. Someday, the sicker side of you will laugh while watching it. :) Really.

Anonymous said...

Wear her. If you think she hates it, try a different way...and keep moving. If she likes being carried, she'll like being worn, but sometimes it takes a while to find the right position and carrier. Try an upright carry in your peanut shell (both my girl's preferred upright carries). Put it on with the seam at the front of you, hold her over your shoulder and fold her legs, then drop her in!

Nursing and being carried/worn is all that works for my babies, but it works very well!

Momisodes said...

Oy. Poor things. I would have to second the warm soaks in a baby tub and infant pain meds. I'm sure the endless crying probably has you at your wits end at times. I hope she finds a bit relief soon and returns back to that sweet, low maintenance baby.

Barbara said...

Oh I remember those days. My son cried a lot! He always wanted to be held. I used a baby bjorn infant carrier that held him close to my chest where he could hear my heart beat. He would always stop crying and fall asleep. I used to wash the dishes with him in the carrier. He loved the sound of the water.

Some other ideas:

run the vacuum it was the only thing that helped my nephew when he was a baby

swaddle her nice and tight

when you're completely tired call a friend or relative to come an help, sometimes it takes a fresh pair of arms.

Remember that you know what to do and you will be fine. Sadly this time will be a distant memory more quickly than you know.

Anonymous said...

hi C! Sorry to hear that you`re having some fussy times... what worked for M was being in the sling as much as possible. I would wear her around in it all day, and she could nurse whenever she wanted, and still be snuggled in all tight. We also got bought a cd off of itunes that was all baby noises - vacuum, dishwasher, etc and she really liked that - I can email it if you want.

Have you read the book attachment parenting by William Sears - it talks about things to do with fussy babies... I have really liked it.

Hope something helps!
J from the island :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, I've heard "happiest baby on the block" is the BEST book for fussy babies. Luckily, neither of my babies have tended to be fussy enough for me to get it (except during growth spurts, but they pass before I hit the bookstore!).

Calfkeeper said...

Sorry about the "fussies" the little one has. "They" (as in the baby books I read) say that some babies just cry for no reason or to release whatever tensions they have.

Try everything everyone's suggested and if nothing else works, get earplugs and endure. Eventually she WILL grow out of it.

She's such a cutie.

Manitoulin Threads said...

I love the Skye Boat song...never heard it before. As for your cranky pants (by the way, what a cutie and a beauty!), I use the Baby Whisperer with my two, for crankiness not due to needles. Of course, I am only getting about 3 hours in a row of sleep at night, so I can't say it has been an unqualified success! Best of luck, from: Sleepless in Manitowaning

Anonymous said...

Hope she has stopped her crying. Just to let you know that this happens sometimes after a shot. It hurts and they get cranky, nothing a little Tempra won't help if you can give her some.

Unknown said...

Veronica:
I wonder if Panadol is similar to Tempra?

Everyone:
Little One is no longer Little Miss Cranky Pants! :)
I have to say that when she cries, I pick her up and soothe her. Some of the "Old Schoolers" tell me to let her cry, but I don't feel great about the whole "cry it out" practice. I also get the "You carry her too much! She's going to get spoiled if you don't put her down!"

Any thoughts on that?

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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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