3

My baby just turned 3 months old and he is crying a lot, he is hard to put to sleep as well as he fights it and cry a lot. We tried everything, changing his pampers on time, milk on time, give him time but he won't stop crying. He doesn't have temperature or any rash. He is really really getting hard to manage as we are unable to determine what is wrong. It is our first one but he wasn't like this before, as he would settle but not now, what would parents here recommend?

6
  • 1
    This is not an unusual time for infants to start with colic. You might want to search "colic" and read some of the answers. Such babies can really undermine a parent's ability to feel competent! Feb 25, 2016 at 19:35
  • Is "colic" even a thing any more? I Feb 25, 2016 at 22:06
  • 1
    @DejahRoman - Yes, seriously, it is, and it's very distressing to parents. Why do you think it might not be a thing? I'm very curious. Feb 26, 2016 at 1:58
  • 1
    I just wasn't sure. They have so much stuff out there now and I had previously been told that colic was no longer a term used for fussy babies. It seemed like for a while there any baby that cried had "colic". Some times babies just cry. Didn't mean to offend or put anyone on edge about it. Just a question, I was curious. I'm also a parent. I've had my endless, sleepless nights/days w a crying infant. I know how distressing it is. Feb 26, 2016 at 15:35
  • 1
    Yes he may be a COLIC baby. My daughter was and I would warm her up some Mint tea which soothes the stomach and calms them down. I would always have to be moving her around. I would go for a drive EVERYDAY and that is how she would fall asleep. I would also put her in a baby swing was a perfect item for her. I had a crying baby but got better eventually! Good Luck mama <3 (My daughter is now 37 yrs old) :)
    – Nana Gina
    May 18, 2020 at 13:36

5 Answers 5

6

Not to sound obvious, but have you talked to the pediatrician? There could be a medical reason. Outside of the vague diagnosis of "colic," there could be gastrointestinal issues at play. But, excessive crying at 3 months isn't too odd. My oldest was like that even though she was 100% healthy. After about 6 months, she calmed down. Take him to the doctor, and if the doctor says he's okay, just be patient and watch for other odd symptoms.

3
  • Is "colic" even a thing any more? I didn't see gas mentioned in the original question? Many babies this age have gas issues. Formula or breast milk, doesn't matter, they get gas. I would try gas drops or peppermint water (old school remedy that actually works). There is also a thing called "Purple Crying": I found this link very helpful: thenestingplace.blog.com/2012/09/… Feb 25, 2016 at 22:15
  • Yeah, it's still a thing... I mean, it doesn't really mean anything. It's just a medical way to say "cries a lot."
    – Christine
    Feb 25, 2016 at 22:24
  • Being patient as much I can. I am so tired that I am thinking of going to GP to see what is wrong but I know there isn't as he tells that babies cry but lately it has become too much frustrating. Get tired of holding him and switching sides but to no cure.
    – localhost
    Feb 25, 2016 at 23:36
3

It can be very frustrating not to know what the matter is. We had a similar experience with our daughter. She was tired but couldn't get to sleep. Took us a long time to figure that out, but when we tried taking a walk with her in a sling or holding her while gently hopping on one of those large rubber balls physiotherapists use, things started to get better.

Whatever it is, good luck!

3
  • Baby flight a lot when sleeping, what is your way around it?
    – localhost
    Feb 25, 2016 at 23:33
  • @Nofel what do you mean by flight?
    – jshlke
    Feb 26, 2016 at 5:07
  • 1
    I also found a baby carrier/sling very good when I had a little baby. He would always sleep if he was tired and I took him for a walk in the sling. It does get very tiring and that time really dragged but those days seem so far away now and my son is only two
    – MiniMum
    Feb 27, 2016 at 20:04
1

We had the same sequence happen with our second child (not with the first).

After a few weeks of constant crying, we bought him a sleeping swing. Within 5 days he was falling asleep in 5 minutes. No more crying - for us either:-)

Incidentally, we never found out what was making him cry before - nor why he did not cry after.

Your mileage may vary. I have suggested a swing to four different friends who had the same problem as ours. It worked for three of them. Hopefully it will work for you?

The swing we bought had two mobiles and music. The mobiles (one B&W, one color) did not seem to make a difference, but the music was quite important. One tune worked better than the others.

2
  • which swing was it?
    – localhost
    Mar 1, 2016 at 0:21
  • Not sure if it is OK to name brands/models? The original one was made by Fisher Price, can't remember the model. A few years later, I gave one as a gift, quite similar (also Fisher price), model name Papasan. Hope this helps! Mar 2, 2016 at 1:11
1

"Colic" is a common problem with babies starting at 2 weeks-2 months, and almost always stops before 6 months. Our 2nd daughter had it (and yes, she was breast fed). It was like a 3-month nightmare. There are a number of theories about what cause it ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_colic ), and a number of things you can try, e.g. leg presses (gently push the baby's knees up into the chest), colic drops, mother's diet or formula changes, etc. None of these seemed to do much for us.

We were careful to be very loving and comforting to her while we could, but when we just couldn't do it anymore we'd take her in and lay her gently in her crib, make sure she'd be comfortable, and then close the door and take a break for a few hours.

0

Wondering if you breast or bottle feed? If bottle feed, he might need more holding time. Nothing beats touch at that age. Keep them safe and warm :)

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .