Babble

My baby cries a lot, and I'm hoping this is a phase.  She's 8 weeks old but showed up a couple of weeks early.  During the day she's either eating or sleeping, and unless I rock/hold/soothe her, crying.  Anyone able to give me some hope that this is temporary?

Talk with her doctor.  I'm wondering if it's a touch of colic, but it could be reflux or just the normal baby fussies.  (I've read that about three hours a day of crying is normal.  But it was much more than that for us, and my baby's doc didn't acknowlege the colic until after it has subsided--as in, "Wow, you're baby was a really colicky one.  You did a wonderful job getting through that!"  Yeah, thanks.  I could have used some support when I came in telling you that she was crying all day long.) 

Here are a few of the things I found helpful for my fussy baby...and yes, colic was horrible but temporary!

• I was breastfeeding, so I cut dairy out of my diet.
• I began doing tummy massage after each diaper change.  She seemed to like it, and I really noticed a difference in her mood.  (The La Leche League site has info on colic massage.)
• I also started wearing her around the house for huge chunks of the day.  She was a much happier baby when I had her on me. 
• I worked hard to establish a sleep schedule and was able to start teaching her to self-soothe to sleep at 6 months.  I could have started sooner, but I wasn't ready.  Once she was sleeping better, she was a much happier girl.

Good luck! 

I second the baby-wearing - there are lots of ways to hold your baby hands-free and they love being close

Here is a great article about colic: http://wondertime.go.com/learning/article/interview-colic-expert.html - I think it addresses colic in a much more resourceful way - if your pedi isn't in the "new school" looking at things like milk protein allergies and GERD, find one who is...

 And Dr. Greene's website is also very useful: www.drgreene.com - you can search on just about anything.

 Good luck and hang in there - try to get a little "off" time for yourself - it is hard to spend all of that time soothing your infant without some time off yourself.

 Cheers,

Kendra

Crying is the first form of baby talk. I have found a article, may be this will help you some how... http://www.indiaparenting.com/newborn/data/newb01_02.shtml

Just a little warning about the above link: DEmily2007 is a new member and has only posted two comments, both with random links.  It may not be a good idea to open those files.

 Definitely try taking milk out of your diet. My son had trouble gaining weight and would suddenly turn colic-y out of the blue, and it turned out to be milk for me. I'm doing pretty well at eliminating the milk, but every once in a while it creeps back in and he's gets colic-y again. He's such a wonderful baby, it's a huge difference. Taking soy outmay help, too - some kids with sensitivity to milk also have sensitivity to soy, so try rice milk or almond milk instead.

Temporary -yes.  Baby will eventually grow out of it.  But what to do in the meantime?  Colic is really a wastebasket term for "we don't know why your baby is crying."  A lot of people are finding that acid reflux (which is common in infants) is hurting the baby and causing the colic.  Something to talk about with your pediatrician.

Have you tried a sling or infant carrier (I don't recommend snuglis or bjorns, as they hang baby by the crotch and cause a circulation problem)?  I use a pouch sling and an ergo carrier, and my sis loves her babyhawk mei tai. I can get soooo much done while carrying him, and he stays happy sitting close to me. 

And an added benefit - carrying baby so much has helped me get back in shape  :)

I am an unabashed Dr. Sears fan - their Fussy Baby Book might also give you some tips and tricks.

 http://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Baby-Block-Crying-Newborn/dp/0553588729/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-9694229-8504052?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193411413&sr=8-2

"Happiest Baby on the Block" stopped my daughter's crying almost instantly.