Why won't he stop crying?

Question

my son is almost 10 weeks old; he's fed, he's not too cold/warm, no fever, he's burped and being held......he won't take anymore food. he screams so hard sometimes nothing comes out.......he always does this between 5 and 8, mostly for 2 hours.

My hubby and I are at our witt's end here...it's been worse these last two nights.

right now he's sleeping belly down on my lap....could he just have been tired? he naps some during the day, but never for very long. what can I do? I try to get him to take naps but he usually calls his own shots there and takes them when he wants to.

Answer 1

Is he breastfed? My 8 week old does the same thing if I have caffeine or too much sugar.  Then he won't take daytime naps and is so fussy because by 8pm it's been a long day.   Today is one of those days for us too.

Answer 2

Does he have colic?  He may have gas on his tummy and he is miserable. There are drops for this....can't think of the name.

p.s. He looks adorable in the pic:)

Answer 3

At ten weeks you really can't make any baby take naps so don't worry about not being successful at getting him to nap when you think he should.  

With regards to the crying, if you are formula feeding could it be that he doesn't tolerate it well and if you're breast feeding, something you eat might cause him discomfort.  That's really the only two things I can think of other than that he may just be a screamer.  Please just remember that it it is because he is a screamer it is a faze and he will grow out of it sooner than you know.  Until then, if you haven't already I'd suggest investing in a good baby swing.  We got this one http://www.target.com/Graco-Classic-Pooh... but in a different color and it was a life saver!

Good luck!!

Answer 4

just have patience it won't last forever

good luck!

Answer 5

Babies are creatures of habit, so make sure he's got a schedule.  Feed him on a schedule, put him down for a nap on schedule and put him to bed on schedule.  Keep him busy in the morning! Put him on a play mat and work his little body! Talk to him, clap his hands, sing to him, etc.  Then make it clear after lunch, it's nap time!  In the afternoon, more of the same.  Stick to the schedule in the afternoon. Feed him, play with him, bathe him and then bed time.  See if he can get used to doing things at the same time each day.

I would ask the doctor.  If he's happy most of the time but not between 5 and 8, it doesn't sound like colic.  

Answer 6

Some babies cry for no apparent reason, it's called the witching hour, correct me if I'm wrong. You just have to endure it, it will get better. It is supposed to get better at 3 months. Mine got over it sooner, but now he's doing it again, and sometimes while he's crying, we'll put him in his crib and comfort him and after 2 minutes, he'll be asleep. Maybe he's just tired.

Answer 7

Hang in there, mama. Most crying problems are resolved by 12 weeks. Your baby sounds like he just has a "fussy" period. Most babies have fussy periods at night. 2 hours sounds like a long time, but maybe he needs to cry to wind down from the day. Or it could be any number of things. Try this link:

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fus...

Answer 8

That is classic colic - unexplained crying during the early evening hours.  There's not much to do, but to endure it.

Mylicon gas drops may provide relief if it's gas related.  Else, there's the "colic hold" which is to put the baby across your arm so that he's stomach down on your forearm with his head in your hand and his feet spread on either side of your elbow.  

Even though it's probably colic, you should take him to the doctor to make sure that there's nothing else wrong with him, particularly if he isn't sleeping well.  

He may be lactose intolerant, be reacting to something in his environment, be getting sick, etc.  It's best to have him checked out and to get some expert advice on handling colic, if there's nothing else that is found to be wrong with him.

Answer 9

you could give him some gripe water to treat gas.  This can be found in any pharmacy section at any grocery/drug store.

Answer 10

He has colic, it's a nightmare but it will get better one day...there is hope!

Swaddling will be your best friend. Also, invest in a baby swing and get a warranty on it because I burnt thru 2 with my son, lol. Also, rub his belly and sing to him, bicycle his legs and try to burp him while he sits up on your lap.

EDIT: Take him outside, the change of scenery might help him...or confuse him long enough to forget to keep crying, lol. It worked for both of my kids. My guess is that he is on bactim for his Kidneys? My daughter is on that for her Kidneys and i know it is common medicine for kids. The bactim could be irritating his belly, maybe ask your DR for the other kind, i can't remember what it is called, but maybe try to switch?

Answer 11

This sounds like colic. My daughter had colic and cried for 4 hours every night. It only lasts a couple months usually. Just hold him, rock him, talk to him etc. Don't get stressed, that will make it last longer. And don't believe the people who tell you holding him will spoil him. He needs to know the world is a safe place and holding him will do just that. Just be patient, it does end evenually!!

Answer 12

Sounds like "colic" to me.  Lots of people have different ideas about what casues it, but what helped me was the "happiest baby on the block" book.  I always swaddled my kids, as tight as I could get it, and would put the in a swing or vibrating chair to sleep their first few months and that helped a lot.  Sometimes white noise helps too, the vacuum cleaner always put my newborns to sleep.  But if nothing works then at least take comfort that this phase only lasts the first 3 months or so and will be over soon.  The day will come when all of a sudden the crying stops.  Good luck!!

Answer 13

my boys did the same thing..its just them wanting to be close to you...hes in pain...all that medication..and his troubles..he needs your heartbeat...just cuddle w/ him in bed, and dont be afraid of "rolling" on him, or dropping him..put a bedside mesh bar up and just cuddle him to your chest let him hear your heartbeat... My first born son did that around the same time,,(ten weeks), omg no sleep, I was sooo sad and crying my eyes out cuz didnt know what to do...so I tried that..just holding him..and it worked!!,. I would suggest to keep experimenting..ways and keep getting him checkups at docs..and just keep cuddling as much as possible..the warmth of his mother..and father always helps..mainly mother..for that bond of still being in the womb is there..try it..and see if that works for you..also look at his formula..and possibly breast milk , for the breast milk might be too rich for him..It can happen, and formula can be the wrong choice..try Infamil prosobee..all three of my sons needed to use that until they were practically two, then I was able to put them on " Cows" milk..just hang in there..I know its rough..I will pray for you and your family..Hugz to you and your family, and God Bless all of you...;)

Answer 14

I would think colic.  Get something called "Gripe Water" from your local drugstore or health food store.  Its supposed to help!  

Are you breastfeeding?  If so look at your diet.  Eliminate things that can cause gas like broccoli, cabbage, milk, etc.

Even though you are going nuts right now, this will not last forever.  Keep telling yourself that.  If you need a break and you feel like you're on edge, lay him in his crib, shut the door and let him cry for 10 minutes or so but no longer.  Just long enough so you can take a breath and sort of regroup.  I've had to do that sometimes.  Just take it easy.

Answer 15

most babies will cry unconsolibly because of stomach pains caused from gas or colic. if you've gone through your checklist and can't figure out what's wrong and it persists for more than a couple days, don't be afraid to take him to the doctor. they can give you advice and answer any questions you have better than anybody on the internet.

Answer 16

When did it start?  If this has been going on for awhile, it is probably colic...the good news about that is at 10 weeks, he is probably close to the tail end of it.  You could try mylicon drops...those help some babies.  

EDIT:  If this has just started recently, have you changed what or how he is fed?

Answer 17

does he wake up suddenly and hes stiff when he cries? that is the sign of colic

if thats the case read about it on the internet (google.com) and see that actaully what ur doing at the moment is a GOOd thing,bcoz the pain is relieved as the baby lies on his belly

hope that helped

Answer 18

I am no expert as I am still waiting for my baby to be born but are you sure he does not need to be burped again?  Some babies get colic as they still have too much wind.  Maybe his tummy is sore from this.

Just an idea and as I said, I am no expert. Good Luck.

Edited to say:  I have read  in a baby magazine from an expert nanny who says to burp your babies, lie them over your knee on their back while supporting their heads.    Have his bottom on your knee.  With your free hand massage his tummy above his underpants line and below his ribs in a kneading motion two or three times.  Lift him up to stretch out his tummy and help dislodge the burp.  Sit him down on your lap and lean his chest out against your open palm to keep him sitting tall and to support the weight of his body.  Hook your thumb and little finger under his arms.    Gently tap him between his shoulder blades.

Answer 19

i would say its colic, take him to the doctors and they will be able to help you with ideas that can help prevent it.

Answer 20

My baby girl sobbed uncontrollably for her first 6 mos of life. She was completely inconsolable. I was terrified that something may be wrong with her. She used to cry so hard her little body would just tremor.

We took her to the ER and they thought something may be seriously wrong and after that she was on all different types of meds for colic, acid reflux and so on. Nothing worked. The doctors found nothing.

Then... one day it just stopped! And now she is so happy. Sure she still has her fits but shes a completely different child.

I went a bit loony having to listen to her all day but be confident that this will pass. Take her to to the docs. They will check out her belly and see if hes colic. It also might be the reflux...LOTS of babies have that.

Good luck to you. Stay strong!

Answer 21

It really does end---eventually. :) My son had a lot of colic when he was a baby and what your baby is doing sounds very similar. Singing seemed to help my son calm down at least temporarily. I did sense one factor that seemed to make him worse and that was if I was stressed out. Of course after all that crying anyone would be stressed. :D Still, it might help to evaluate your stress levels and see if there is anything you can do to relax. You might try a warm cup of chamomile tea. Since you are breastfeeding, the benefits may pass through your milk as well. :) Another thing you might try is cutting out chocolate. When I was breastfeeding my daughter, she seemed to react to chocolate with a lot of gas and crying. If I ate very much dairy, it also seemed to affect her. At this point, if you're like me, anything is worth a try. :) Good luck and take good care of yourself so you can get through this. :)