Anti CIO's advice for newborn please?

Question

My 11week old has severe reflux, some days are better than others but this whole week I haven't been able to do anything but hold him, even if I put him in his swing for a minute to prepare the next bottle or run & get a dummy he screams so intensely that by the time I come back which seriously is less than 2mins he's red in the face & gasping for air, sometimes I pace with him outside for 10-15mins just trying to calm his breathing down. I don't want to leave him crying like this but I need to be able to do the basics ie eat / drink / toilet / prepare his bottles / sterilize etc & I'm barely managing to do these things!

I have a Baby Bjorn & a sling but he doesn't like it when I sit in them & I can't stand all day with him...

Any advice appreciated?

Thank you!

Answer 1

I have a silent reflux bub. He is 8 months now and heaps better so let me first tell you, you will get thru this..



He could just be going thru a "where is my Mummy phrase" I know mine did and it nearly drove me nuts lol.



My little one didnt like the swing either unless it wasnt swinging and it had to be in the kitchen so he could still see me.



Another option is making milk up in advance, also if he has a dummy have a few around the house so u dont have to go far to get them to him lol.



When he gets old enough to roll around on the floor things get better trust me. Good Luck sweety

Answer 2

I'm neither anti cio or cio. I didn't use cio with either of my kids at any point but they were both sleeping through the night by 8 mos. I do feel a much older baby who has established trust can deal with cio without the same possible side effects as a newborn who has been left to cry for hours night after night.

Answer 3

Ok, I'm not anti-CIO, but I am with an 11 week old, and also a baby with reflux.

My first son had it bad and if he cried for more than 10 minutes he threw up everywhere even at 6 months old.

So first of all, is your son on medication? If he is, it sounds like maybe it isn't working for him. Both of my kids started out on Zantac, but the only thing that worked was Prevacid and it was like night and day. With my first son, I didn't know what I happy baby was like, because he had been miserable since birth. He did ok on the Zantac for about 3 months (or so I thought) he was still crying a lot, didn't sleep well, still throwing up a lot. But he seemed a bit happier. But then he went back to crying ALL the time, so I took him back to the Dr and they switched his medicine. After 2 days he was like a different baby.

So I do know what you are going through I think. And if the reason behind his crying is in fact the reflux, then nothing will help except getting him on the right medication. I dont really have any other ideas. You have tried the swing. I'm assuming you keep him somewhat upright during feedings and after. And when he sleeps he is elevated? Making sure he really gets good burps out? I could keep going with little GERDling tips lol, but you may already know them so I wont.

I hope I helped a little.

Answer 4

I really, REALLY know what you're going through. My son was born this past October and had severe colic. All he did was scream night and day. There were days I would sit and cry with him. It was that bad.



I recommend watching the ''Happiest Baby On The Block'' and trying out the 5 S's. These are the techniques that help calm the colicky, fussy baby. These helped us. We also found that Nutrimigen formula was helpful. Hang in there, it doesn't last forever (usually 3 months). Get help whenever possible. It will help preserve your sanity!





ABOUT DR. KARP'S METHOD

Dr. Karp believes that babies, especially in their first few months of life, can experience "fourth trimester" issues. Babies can have a difficult time getting used to the huge amount of stimuli present in life outside of Mom's body. Their reaction to all of this is to cry and cry.



The Happiest Baby On The Block method formulated by Dr. Harvey Karp, addresses these issues by helping you learn how to effectively recreate the environment of the womb, outside of Mom's body. Once you have learned the steps, you will be able to alleviate some, if not all, of your baby's colic symptoms.







The 5 S's

There are 5 components to this method which, when used together, work amazingly well to calm your crying baby and in many cases help your baby go to sleep with no fuss.

Using cross-cultural techniques combined with his own research, Dr. Karp has developed the "five S's system". Some babies will need all five, others just a few to help induce what he calls the "calming reflex."





•Swaddling - Tight swaddling provides the continuous touching and support the fetus experienced while still in Mom's womb.



•Side/stomach position - You place your baby, while holding her, either on her left side to assist in digestion, or on her stomach to provide reassuring support. Once your baby is happily asleep, you can safely put her in her crib, on her back.



•Shushing Sounds - These sounds imitate the continual whooshing sound made by the blood flowing through arteries near the womb. This white noise can be in the form of a vacuum cleaner, a hair dryer, a fan and so on. The good news is that you can easily save the motors on your household appliances and get a white noise CD which can be played over and over again with no worries.



•Swinging - Newborns are used to the swinging motions that were present when they were still in Mom's womb. Every step mom took, every movement caused a swinging motion for your baby. After your baby is born, this calming motion, which was so comforting and familiar, is abruptly taken away. Your baby misses the motion and has a difficult time getting used to it not being there. "It's disorienting and unnatural," says Karp. Rocking, car rides, and other swinging movements all can help.



•Sucking - "Sucking has its effects deep within the nervous system," notes Karp, "and triggers the calming reflex and releases natural chemicals within the brain." This "S" can be accomplished with breast, bottle, pacifier or even a finger.





These steps sound pretty easy, but seeing them done properly, in conjunction with each other, is the key to relieving your baby's colic symptoms and making Mom, Dad, and baby less stressed and much happier''

Answer 5

My situation is different because I didn't have to do all the sterilizing etc but I did everything with my baby in my arms. I held him in my left arm upright while I did things like chop vegies, go to the toilet, make a sandwich and eat it...is there anything stopping you from doing that, or is the issue more that you need some respite?



I used a Hug-a-Bub wrap for sleeps because my boy didn't like to lie down for sleeps between 10 weeks and about 6 months, I'd pop onto a stool or stand when he slept and sit down with him in my arms when he was awake.



Best wishes, hope this helps a little! This too shall pass.

Answer 6

Hang in there!. He will be ok if you set him down a minute even if he cries, and in a few months he will most likely be able to be alone for longer and longer bits of time.



Also if you have know of a trustworthy highschool girl who can come in once or twice a week as a "mother's helper" they can be life savers. You might be able to find someone for just a few dollars an hour that can rock the the baby while you take a bath or do the dishes.

Answer 7

but a pillow under the mattress under the top of the cot the slight elevation helps



put him on a hypoallergenic anti reflux formula karicare make a great one its ha-ar only one our son will drink its helped allot also see a gp and have him assessed as it needs to be researched what type your son has as many forms of reflux and severe reflux is rare, ask for losec it works more effectively than gaviscon



make a appointment with a chiropractor that specializes in pediatrics as reflux has been proven to be linked to a tight muscle in the neck he may also have birth injuries i felt horrible after finding out my son had a dislocated shoulder from birth





my son has severe reflux and is getting operated on in a few weeks to tighten his sphinx as it hasn't since he was born but we sore many improvement from the chiropractor and medication



unfortunately you do have to leave them cry there why you do things my son would make himself sick and made everything worse but you cant live like that he will be ok to cry for 2 min there are some great websites out there that offer support and advice and saved my mind as i could cry it out to other mums that have lived through it



try not to leave it much longer before you get help as babies with severe reflux develop a phobia of the bottle and trust me that's another huge issue to deal with





feel free to msg me anytime for some advice or support

Answer 8

Ok here's what I do.

I sit my boy in his buggy and I push him back and forth (just in the living room) until he dozes off and I then have about 5-10 mins to do what I need before he wakes up and realizes I've tricked him and starts howling :)



I've also noticed I can out my son down for tummy time for about 2 mins before he gets fussy but he's so concentrated on hating tummy time that I can use that 2 mins to, say, use the bathroom.

Answer 9

Well you for sure shouldn't let him CIO, he is in pain, and how you respond to his cries will greatly determine what kind of trust he has in you.



But honestly, if you need to wash bottles or something bring his swing up into the kitchen with you (what I used to do) so he can be in the same room as you

As far as eating or going to the bathroom, I used to put my daughter (when she was that young) in her bouncy seat and pull it room to room with me, as long as she could see me, she was good.



Another possibilty may be that something is really bothering him, call his pedi and see if there is anything else that might be going on with him...and when all else fails turn on the vacuum when he is crying...the vacuum STILL works on my 14 month old every time, she actually falls asleep to it some nights

Answer 10

Persist with the Bjorn and the sling; eventually, he will let you sit down...



To some extent it is just normal for Mom to have trouble getting a meal in etc with an 11wk old. You just have to remind yourself that it won't last forever, and eat a lot of frozen food and take-away.