help my baby is miserable

Antwoinette - posted on 12/05/2011

He could be sensitive to the lactose, try a soy formula, that could be the answer. Sometimes it is hard for babies to break down the lactose and proteins in cows milk, which is the base for regular formulas. My son was the same way, really gassy and fussy, he also threw up a lot.

Wendy - posted on 12/05/2011

Switch to a sensitive formula. If you continue to breastfeed as well as supplement keep a food diary. Perhaps little one his having an allergic reaction to dairy or something else in your diet. My little guy has issues like this when he was little--I think he was allergic to dairy all along. So see your pediatrician and if they are no help take him to a naturalpath or chiropractor.

Luchia - posted on 12/05/2011

some times we don't now if our breasfeeding is enough for them but if he cry after breastfeeding my be it is low your breasmilk supply but keep breastfeeding as much as you can my doughter when she was 2 wk she was crying and one of my friend told me my be your breastmilk supply is low so add her formula so she can sleep long hours and did give her one day and the next day she didn't pass motion and i was so worried but i stop the formula and i keep give her breastfeeding till she is 6 monthes after 6 ofcourse it is not enough and already she is start solid food so the adding the formula was helpfull

Suzanne - posted on 12/05/2011

It sounds like colic. The best book in the world for mom's is called "Secrets of a Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. But until you can get the book and have the time to read it, there are all kinds of little tricks to help that poor little man out. If he's pulling his knees up to his chest when he's crying, that means he's gassy. The best trick ever: Hold his legs at his calves and one at a time, push them gently to his chest. This gets the bubbles shifting and settling in his tummy. Then after you've done that a few times, curl his legs at the same time so his knees are at his shoulders. This will force the air out. When I would do this to my son, I'd always say, "Chugga chugga, Chugga chugga, Toot toot!" He loved it.
Also, I've heard SO many rave reviews from mom's with colic-y babies that the chiropractor is the way to go! It personally freaks me out, but I guess it has something to do with how they're birthed through the birthing canal. Makes sense, really.
Well, good luck! And I hope you give that book a shot. It made my life SO much easier and helped me really enjoy my baby. Take care!

Titti - posted on 12/05/2011

try breast milk, if you are not seriously sick, your breastmilk will always be just the amount he needs and when he needs more he will make sure you produce more, its work, but it works. :)
and "how to raise a healthy child inspite of your doctor" by robert mendelsohn.

Lindsey - posted on 12/05/2011

I agree with the idea that he could have colic. I had colic when I was a baby and I have also used my grandmas remedy on my children. When I was little my grandmother told my mom to get a 4 ounce bottle, fill 1 ounce with clear soda (gingerale, 7up, sprite) and the last 3 ounces with water. Give the bottle to your son and the carbonation in the clear soda will help break up the gas bubbles in his stomach. This also works when a baby without colic has gas. Also, try laying him, on his stomach, on a warm heating pad. Make sure the heating pad is not on his face and put a light blanket in between him and the heating pad. This will help his stomach relax so he can pass the gas without all the pain. Newborn babies tend to have a lot of digestive issues early on because their systems aren't used to breaking down the nutrients. Just help him be as comfortable as he can be and it will eventually pass when his system gets used to it. Hope this helps.

Walena - posted on 12/05/2011

See a Dr. he/she might have acid reflux or a bowel problem, my geat grandson was on nexium . Then again try the sensitive stomach or soy milk, it helped him.

Lisa - posted on 12/04/2011

At the risk of being attacked by any breast-feeding Nazis, I still have to say that whether you decide to breast-feed or not is your own personal choice and your baby will get the nutrition it needs because you care for him/her, not just because you're giving him your boob.
I've breastfed both my kids (the first until 12 months, the secoond until 9 mo cuz she couldn't stand the sight of my breast after that), and I've also given them top-up formula in the evenings to help them sleep longer at night.
When I breastfed my son, he could go without poo-ing for a whole week, which the dr. said was normal for breast-fed babies. My daughter poo-ed a bit more often, after almost every meal.
From my own and other mothers' experiences, a breast-fed baby who has the reactions you mentioned may very likely be caused by your diet. For example, one friend's baby couldn't tolerate cheese or curry. My son got upset if I ate onions, especially raw onions. Another friend's baby reacted badly to cabbage. What I'd suggest is that you monitor your diet and note what foods might cause your baby to have such reactions.

Huana - posted on 12/04/2011

maybe try a different formula. I had issues like this with my first child and it is heart breaking but you are not alone. Iput him on a soy based formula and he thrived.

ANNA - posted on 12/04/2011

The more you give him formula, the less milk you make. Most babies that do not have exclusive breast milk at any age before at least 9 months have digestive issues. What makes you think you don't have much milk? If you are nursing when ever he has any cue at all he might be hungry and he is having at least 8 or more wet CLOTH diapers a day he is getting enough. Nurse often and for as long as he likes and then when he is done offer the other side, likely you will not need any formula at all.....

Kayla - posted on 12/04/2011

have you tried hypoallergenic formula, youy baby may have milk protein allergy the same thing happened to me when my baby hit 2 weeks old, we have switched to every formula there was goats milk and now she is almost 5 months and has to have rice milk, along with baby food, she cannot have anything including pablum. any thing with dairy or wheat... hope this helps alittle, yu should talk to your ped, about allergy testing!!

Elizabeth - posted on 12/04/2011

It sounds like he is having a hard time breaking down the protein in cows milk and for many baby's soy can cause the same problem for many infants until they are old enough to handle it. We went through this with both of our boys. it can be so sad and frustrating knowing there in pain and not knowing how to help. Our first boy we were able to put and keep on sensitive formula and he did great. But our second boy, a few weeks after he was born, we had to put him on a formula called Alimentum. Which is definitely not cheap, but it helped a lot. It made his poop kind of gross, cause all the proteins were already broken down for him, but he definitely wasn't constipated and wasn't in as much pain. We kept on that for 3 months until he was old enough where he could tolerate soy formula. Which still caused him to have sleep difficulties, and still was a little fussy but not as bad. Once he turned one we started giving him Almond milk, and our nightmare was over, he slept through the night. No more bowel problems and the fussiness went away. Every child is different, but I would try him on sensitive formula, where the proteins are partially broken down. That is usually the reason they have constipation, because many babies have a hard time breaking down proteins in milk themselves. Then if that doesn't help, then I would try the Alimentum, and go from there. Hope this helps! :)

Kimberly - posted on 12/01/2011

when I was nursing, I had to cut out "gassy" foods from my diet, beans, broccoli, dairy, etc. I'm also lactose intolerant, so I had to go back to soy milk, (silk is the best!) I also had a super gassy baby, lots of gas drops, won't hurt them at all, chiropractor, camomile tea, gripe water, the works. You just have to trust your self, try lots of things and take your baby back to the doctor until you find a solution!

Lorna - posted on 11/25/2011

try using Dr Browns anti colic bottles they are the best money can buy and i wouldn't use any other now, they reduce the amount of air that gets stuck in the bottle and helps baby to burp better because they arent getting so much air trapped in their bellys, my son had to have them and it soothed his colic immediately, the difference was noticeable after the very first feed.

Mandi - posted on 11/24/2011

Try Enfamil Nutramigen!!!!It works miracles

Insly - posted on 11/22/2011

ask your pedia about it.. i also have the same problem when i breastfed my baby.. doc said i should switch to s26 lactose free but my baby's stool became as hard as stone and she only poops once a day or once every other day.. that means she is constipated.. i'm using s26 gold last night, still under observation.. i havent seen her poops but she urinates less than the other two formulas, the infant forula and the lactose free..

MoNa - posted on 11/22/2011

babies stools are normally very soft so it might not be diarrhea. Perhaps talk to your pediatrician about gas drops. My baby was the same way. Babies also commonly have acid reflux. Try keeping him upright up to half an hour after feeding to prevent the acid from coming up from his little stomach. Hope he gets better.

Hope - posted on 11/22/2011

Well, it's mainly because of the formula I hate to say it. Your baby was used to your stuff, now he's on the formula and his tummy doesn't like it apparently. In this- you have to try to get him to nurse if you want to continue breastfeeding- Supply = Demand! You see, your nipple contains lactolytes which are basically cells that stimulate a hormone in your body which in turn stimulates milk production. So as you can see, the sucking action your child does actively set you up for success!

Michelle - posted on 11/19/2011

I went through something like this with our daughter and it was the formula that was making her gassy and well she didn't smell very good either. So we switched from the cheaper formula at Walmart to the Carnation Good start that is supposed to be close to mothers milk and this worked like a charm the gas went away and she was a happy camper.

Sharlene - posted on 11/18/2011

He's probably unsettled change breast milk to formula milk , I would go back to see your predi,and see what they suggest , good luck

Colleen - posted on 11/18/2011

we tried every formula on the market, my kids were allergic to breast milk and soy. We ended up with Nutramigen.

Samantha - posted on 11/18/2011

sounds like lactose, or try gripe water

Aimee - posted on 11/18/2011

A friend of mine took her infant to a chiropractor when he was weeks old-- it was the only way to get him to poop

Stacy - posted on 11/18/2011

I and many of my friends have taken their kids since they where little I have been taking my daughter since she was 3 months old and the chiropractor said he has ajusted new born babys still in the hospital just trying to help!!

Lynn - posted on 11/18/2011

I'm not against chiropractors at all, but I would advise caution with a two week old baby, and I wouldn't take mine at such a young age. I was a little aprehensive about taking my ten year old when he was having some chest pains and breathing trouble. Not sure if the chiropractor really helped, anyway. I'm just saying, do your own research, and be very careful with such a young child, that you don't do something harmful.

Stacy - posted on 11/18/2011

try the chiropractor, it could be that his back is out and putting presser on his little tummy, have him ajusted and see if it helps!

Stifler's - posted on 11/16/2011

Oh wow I've been there. Twice. Once a day is fine for bowel movements or even once every 2 days is normal. it sounds like lactose intolerance but we can't tell from the limited information you've given, you should probably see a doctor about this.

Stacey - posted on 11/15/2011

My LO is 5 weeks now and whilst he is exclusively breastfed, he is also a super gassy baby. He generally burps really well but also seems to be in a bit of pain when he tries to do poos. We started giving him Infants Friend which is a natural remedy to help them pass wind etc (can also be used for other things such as teething). We used it for our first son also and it is amazing! It is a similar product to Gripe Water and it just helps them to be able to pass wind and helps with any tummy upsets.

Aimee - posted on 11/15/2011

I would talk to your dr my son is lactose intolerant and had the same symptoms. Its hard I know

Vivian - posted on 11/15/2011

You could check if he could has reflux. Reflux is very common in newborns, and it made the babies get angry and fussy because the pain. I have a 6 month old and he has reflux, so after eating he complains a lot and cried, one common symphtom of reflux is that the baby arch his back to avoid the pain. So we went to the pediatrician and gave us a reflux medicine. After that my baby never complains again

Lynn - posted on 11/15/2011

If you feel your baby is confused in any way by going from breast to bottle, you can buy something to do both at the same time. I don't remember what it's called, but you can buy it online or in any breastfeeding supply store. It's a bottle of formula that you put around your neck, with two tubes that go down to your nipples. You use a gentle tape to tape the tubes to your nipples, and the baby gets breast milk and formula at the same time. I know it sounds a little ridiculous, and I felt a little foolish, but I tried really hard to breast feed, and that saved some time when I was trying to breast feed, then give the bottle. If you call a breast feeding supply store, they'll know what I'm talking about. The tubes are very small, so they can get clogged-fyi.
Again, if you try everything, and breast feeding doesn't work for you, don't feel bad. My kids are ten and seven, in one of the best schools in Maricopa County (in AZ) and on the Honor Roll every quarter since they started Kindergarten. Formula is just fine!

Mindy - posted on 11/14/2011

i'd talk to your doctor because I couldn't breastfeed my boy and the nurses put him on the wrong formula! When I told my doctor he immediately told me to switch (I forget what they had him on) to the regular formula.....you may have to do vise versa and go to a lactose free formula. I really wish I could have breastfed my children but I do not in anyway think formula was bad for them. I know a lot of people used to give me a lot of gripe about how stupid my children would be but they are smart and I really think it's how you raise them. I do believe you should stay either with breast milk or formula though which ever is the best for you because I think if they go back and forth that could confuse their little bodies, but I could be wrong. The best thing to do is talk to the doctor :)

Lynn - posted on 11/14/2011

It sounds to me like a milk allergy, but you should talk to your peditrician, to be sure.
I just wanted to make a quick comment about your low milk supply. If you know you need to supplement, don't feel bad - you have to feed him, and if that's what you have to do, then you shouldn't let anyone make you feel bad about it. When my son was born, I exclusively breast-fed for two days, and he was so hungry, he was crying uncontrollably, and I couldn't figure out why. I was so thankful that the hospital had given me some of those free samples, because I gave him one, and he sucked it down really fast! I felt like a horrible mother for starving him for those two days because I wasn't producing any milk. I tried pumping and lactose constultations, and nothing worked. I supplemented for four months, than gave up because I never got more than 3/4 of an ounce, and that was only once. I tried again with my daughter, and gave up sooner. Not everyone is able to breast-feed, period! I am so grateful that we live in a time in history when we have choices! My kids literally could have starved to death 100 years ago!
Just talk to your pediatrician, switch formulas, and find one that works better than what you're using. You'll have far more to feel guilty about in your child's life, than giving him formula!

Samantha - posted on 11/14/2011

Have you ever tried drinking a nursing tea? There are a couple brand names but Weleda is the one that helped me woth 2 of three of my kids. Even if you do supplement with formula, what breasmilk he does get will help. It helps baby with gas and bloating but also helps increase milk supply...I won't tell you to give up formula but some of the hypoallergenic ones may help significantly the similic one helped us...and last but not least you could try pumping to both help with supply and to reduce the amount of formula getting into him..you can mix breastmilk and formula together or keep them seperate and feed breastmilk first then "top up" with a hypoallergenic formula. I had to supplement with formula for my 2nd and 3rd and it all turned out fine. Try breasfeeding first always then "top up" with formula and you get the best of both worlds :) Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Nicole - posted on 11/14/2011

Is there a chance it could be something else? My son broke his collar bone during delivery and it went undiagnosed. We thought for sure it was gas. He was going once every few days so we thought he must be backed up. The stress made my milk supply low, I changed what I ate, we bought the hypo allergenic formula...anything to help him. At his 4 week appt the pediatrician noticed his collarbone had the scar tissue of it healing.

Cheryl - posted on 11/14/2011

My son had the same problems and we found out he was lactose intolerant. Talk to your pediatrician about trying a lactose free formula.

Kristi - posted on 11/14/2011

i have six children and have exclusively breast fed three of the last 5. However, my last son has symptoms similar to those that you describe with your son. It took us two months to figure out he could not tolerate my breast milk or any lactose at all. we put him on similac sensitive (lactose-free formula) and he was a totally different baby, what a releif. It was devestating not to ba able to nurse him but i would rather lose that than see him so uncomfortable. BTW -they make store brands of lactose free formula too! and just so you know, babies who are lactose intolerant cannot take the "reduced lactose" formulas like the enfamil brand. good-luck!

Karen - posted on 11/14/2011

also, there's a good book - "Happiest Baby on the Block" - Dr. Karp - his website: www.happiestbaby.com - check it out! we used his methods for calming our son and they worked pretty well!

Karen - posted on 11/14/2011

perhaps try a lactose-free formula; or maybe he has an allergy to the formula? sounds like he isn't tolerating that formula well - ask his pediatrician for advice!

Tara - posted on 11/13/2011

I'm reposting this answer as you had this in another thread as well.

We had problems with both our girls and switched to the Nestle GoodStart formula and that helped.

From your description it sounds like he may have some problem with colic and/or reflux. Both my girls did, even when I was exclusively breastfeeding.

What we did was switch to the GoodStart formula and I fed both girls in a semi-reclined position and kept them semi-reclined and/or upright for a few minutes after they were fed and burped - it helped tremendously, although there were still some problems with gas/fussiness even then.

I would check with your doctor to rule out any allergies or physical problems and ask if they think a different formula might help.

And to the ladies that have jumped on the "Breast is best" bandwagon? She asked for help, not a slam of her choices - her baby, her choice.

Amanda - posted on 11/13/2011

What makes you think your supply is low? I am sure your supply is just fine. Btw its the formula that is making him have a hard time pooping. My best advice is to stop the formula all together and get that baby back on the boob.

Boobs work on supply and demand, its less then something silly like 2% of woman who cant actually breastfeed. There for the more time your son spends on the boob the more supply there is. It will be a week of baby constantly on the boob to get your supply back up from missing feedings for formula but it will be well worth the effort when your little mister is back to a happy newborn.

Olivia - posted on 11/13/2011

Don't get offended this is just my opinion, and my personal experience. I have only exclusively breastfeed and I am not against formula feed but this is what I know.



So a 2 wks old his stomach is very small, when it comes to breastfeeding he really doesn't need much. If you are cuddling skin to skin and nursing on demand and he seems fine then the formula might be too much for him to eat. I am not saying this is why he has some colic, but it may play a part in it. You may feel like your milk supply is low but did you try just breastfeeding him if that is the way you wanted to go? Because by doing so on demand is the only way to build up your milk supply as he demands more.



Now that I said what I felt I needed to say for colic, if you put rice in a sock and tie it off (you will need it often its just a for the moment solution) heat it in the microwave for 15 min and hold it between you two as you snuggle/nurse/rock... whatever you do to calm him and it will go away and he will sleep. Also to help him pass his gas role his legs into his stomach in a clockwise formation (thats the way the digestive track flows). I hope this helps and best of luck. remember it is just a short time this usually happens for, especially if its not extreme colic. So just bear with it and do your best, your doing great by just following your mommy instincts listen to him he may not be able to communicate with you like you are use to but even up to 5 years of age they have different ways of telling you something is wrong or needs to be changed.





oh goodness I just read what I post...I was tired when I wrote this, the shock needs to be heated for around 15 seconds not minutes :/ sorry.

Amanda - posted on 11/13/2011

He could have colic.
Does he seem to have abdominal pain?
Does he arch his back and clench his fists when he screams?
Is he having trouble passing wind?
Is the screaming worse in the evening?

Both my kids sufferered with colic and there are things you can do to help. You can get colic drops that you drop on his tongue before a feed or I think you can put them into his bottle.
Ask your health visitor for information on baby massage. They can give you techniques that will help your baby relax and pass the wind easier. I did a session run by my early chidhood centre and it was fantastic, plus it's great bonding for you and your son.

Hope this helps.