Temple to Radiate
12 hours ago
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Gas Pains, Parenting Pains
For a while I thought the sleep thing wasn't so bad- yes, it was broken up into lots of pieces, but the pieces usually added up to an acceptable amount. For several weeks Landon obligingly drank his bottle and went right back to sleep. This ended about 10 days ago. Now he gets terrible gas pains after drinking his bottle (and sometimes during)- he writhes and screams and shrieks for 30-45 minutes. He doesn't do it after every feeding- some of them remain peaceful and calm, and others just have a few moments of discomforts, but at least two a day involve pain for everyone (sadly, one of those two is always the 3-4am feeding). Supposedly gas pains peak between 3-6 weeks. Landon is 6 weeks old today, but he was 4 weeks early so he could be a little behind on these types of developments. We've finally figured out a few things that comfort him and make the screaming stop, but we've been unsuccessful in preventing the gas pains themselves. Frequent burping, keeping his head elevated, bottles with collapsible liners, mylicon drops etc. seem to have little to no effect. It's awful to see him in so much pain- he screams so much he can barely breathe. It's awful to be this exhausted. And it's probably awful for those living in neighboring apartments.
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There, there. The gas pains (colic?) will pass and so will your not so parental thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried a few sitz baths in the waking hours of one of his 2 really bad sessions?
Rubbing his belly in a circular, clockwise motion?
Are you formula feeding? Using expressed milk? It could be he doesn't like what's in the bottle..at least his tummy doesn't like it.
Sleep deprivation is bad enough but when you have a little one that needs you, lack of sleep is intolerable.
Please, please try to sleep when he does for now.
Good luck.
I had the same thought pop into my head in the beginning, but only in the middle of the night and after a lot of sleep deprivation. (Thank God; I felt so awful for having the thought pop into my head at all.) It really made me realize how close to animals we still are.
ReplyDeleteWe struggled to find a good formula and ended up with Nestle Good Start with b. lactis cultures (it's in the green can). It really improved matters for Eden. We also drop a couple of drops of mylicon into her bottles to break up any bubbles in the formula before she gets it. (We mix powdered formula with water, and it can be really bubbly.)
I feel your pain. It just sucks.
It's OK to experience the feelings you're having as long as you know when to walk away; at that point put him in his crib, close the door, and take a break.
ReplyDeleteAlso, talk to your pediatrician. I've had two babies with acid reflux, which could be what you're dealing with. Our ped prescribed Zantac, which we gradually phased out once we introduced solids.
It's tough. I remember having that feeling for the first time. Sleep deprivation makes you crazy.
ReplyDeleteColic is awful. Teething can be wretched too (not until about 6 months). As you say, it's painful for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're able to figure something out. People are giving you good advice here.