Unlike most clubs, this might not be a club you are necessarily happy to be in. However, if you have a fussy baby, isn’t it nice to be reminded you aren’t alone? I have heard that you don’t truly understand what it’s like to have a fussy baby, until you’ve had (or have) one. This is not to say that my friends with sweet, calm babies did not help me out…they definitely did! But to the people out there who could share in the struggle– YOU GET IT.
First let me tell you a little about my son. He was born on the early side (37 weeks + 2 days), but otherwise healthy. His first few nights home were rough, but that was to be expected with a newborn. It was when they continued and lasted throughout the daytime that I knew we were going to be busy with this little guy that we love so much. There are several factors that I believe played a role in his colic/fussiness that are probably true for most babies and parents in the same predicament:
TUMMY TROUBLES. My son had tummy troubles in the beginning that I knew were affecting his mood. He was gassy, and on top of it, he would go days without a dirty diaper (which most parents would say how “lucky” I was–but the effects of this problem definitely did not make me feel that way). He had trouble burping, and when he did burp, there was LOTS and lots of spit up (reflux). The best recommendation we were given was to try the Gerber Soothe probiotic drops (we got them on Amazon) daily. We would put 3-4 drops once a day in one of his bottles, usually in the morning. Over time, most of these issues resolved. Key words: OVER TIME. I have linked the drops we used below.
SLEEP. First, he just wouldn’t go down. Then he woke frequently. Then he got slightly better (and by better I mean for US, not to the outside world!). Then he learned to roll, and would cry every time he rolled in his sleep. We were all over the place with trying different sleep training techniques and products. The ones that helped the most were the Nested Bean Zen swaddle and sleep sacks. They are lightly weighted to mimic the feeling of your hand over your little one’s chest or back (there are options to put the sleep sack on either way, depending on the position your baby sleeps in). We would secure the swaddle tight and after a consistent routine was established, he was beginning to make some improvements as far as stretches of sleep. Again…OVER TIME. With sleep I feel like if it isn’t one thing, it’s another. When babies finally get the hang of sleep, there is a regression, teething, illness, etc. It felt good knowing he was at least comfortable, safe & more calm in these products! Shop the swaddles (recommended for 3 months & under) HERE and the sleep sacks HERE.
Our other favorite sleep product is our Hatch sound machine. We would be lost without it. We have a travel sound machine we love as well (The Hushh). When we travel and stay in hotels we turn on the Hushh for our son, but I have to admit it definitely soothes me to sleep too! We have used sound machines every night since the early days of our son’s life. Not only does it block out noises that would otherwise wake him, the consistency of the sounds are soothing and help him with falling asleep & sleeping more soundly.
DAYTIME CRYING. If given the choice between nighttime crying and daytime crying, my guess is most would choose daytime crying if it meant no 2am wake up calls. But if you were up all night with a restless baby and you are already running on empty, daytime crying is no easy feat either. I would get so anxious having to take my son out because of his repeated screaming episodes in the car or stores or restaurants. This made me either avoid these situations or try to make them as quick as possible (and always with a bottle in case I had to pull over and feed him a couple ounces in order for him to stop crying and make it home—please tell me other people have done this!?). If he was crying at home there were 3 things that could save me without fail:
1. A bath– let me clarify, I mean putting the baby in the bath…but it may work for you too. At least to stop your own tears…
2. A walk– Getting outside and pushing my baby in a stroller always seemed to calm him. My husband did laps around our driveway at 9pm when he was just a couple weeks old one night when we were desperate. It works people.
3. Baby wearing! Some days I think the only way I was able to feed myself or brush my hair or do anything at all was because of my baby carriers/wraps. I had tried several different types, but loved the Solly baby wrap the best, especially in the summer. It was lightweight and comfortable. Since I learned to tie it myself, it could easily be adjusted so that it wasn’t too loose or too tight depending on what clothing I was wearing that day. My son also fit snug in it from an early age. It was easy to take with us on trips too! Get any 2 Solly baby wraps for $100 by clicking HERE and using the code 2FOR100 or get 2 of their sleep products (sheets, sleepers, etc.) for $60 by clicking HERE and using the code SLEEP.
Did you or do you have a fussy baby? Have any tips & tricks to share? Leave them in the comments below! And remember—you got this, everything is a phase that ends at some point, and you are not alone! You may even laugh looking back on it one day…