Eight Week Fussiness?

[Anselm's Mom]

Our son is almost 8 weeks old and he's been going on severe, random crying jags for a few days now. Feeding him, changing him, singing to him, rocking to him -- nothing helps. But when he eventually decides to calm down, he coos and smiles and he's a total angel. Has anybody else experienced this around two months? Any idea when or if it will stop? Thanks...

[Anci]

it may be a growing spurt, maybe he has growing pains...Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). Babies don't read calendars, however, so your baby may do things differently.Growth spurts usually last 2-3 days, but sometimes last a week or so.


http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/growth-spurt.html

[Laurel]

Well, here was my take on my daughter's eight week crazy spell: she was huge and growing huger every day, she really was GASSY like a mule and did I mention GROWTH? Really, eight weeks is a typical growth time. I used the bouncer chair a bunch- like 4:30 in the a.m. when she wouldn't crash any other way. The upright position helped her.
And it really did pass... I swear! :) Don't despair.... it all changes.
Also, I read an article about gas in babies (on Babble) and it suggested that longer BFing on each side (more than 10 minutes please) helped babies get more of what they can digest (the enzymes and not so much whey, I think) and minimized fussing. It's under the subject of milk and allergies! Good luck!

[Melinda]

I've found that my son has crying jags associated with needing to burp, or having gas...and these particularly flare up around growth spurt time, as he eats more then. It's kind of like his body is having a hard time keeping up with the increased intake. Maybe that's what's going on. I'd suggest waiting it out to see if it regulates itself. Good luck -- BTW, the profile picture is precious :)

[Anselm's Mom]

Thanks! I think it was a combination of growing and gassiness, but it did pass -- at the moment, he's a very happy baby. I found this Wonder Weeks theory online that says eight weeks is a common time for fussiness since the baby is learning new skills and making new connections. Although the book seems to be out of print, that made me feel better!

[calgonmom]

my kids had this too, although I'm not positive it was at 8 weeks. Be assured, it will get better, and he will start responding to you and interacting with you and it all gets so wonderful! You are about 4 weeks away :-)

[Tamara]

Not sure. Lots of babies go through growth spurts at two months and fuss a lot so they can eat more. Mine did. Is there any pattern to the crying? Time of day? Type of crying?

[Erin]

Have you talked to your doctor about Acid Reflux? My 2 month old son was recently put on prescription medicine along with a formula change because of the severity of it. He would cry randomly like your baby, but also throw is body around and arch his neck and back. Just something to consider. WebMD has a lot of information about it if you need to do any research.

[Ms Savvy Mom]

Babies can have colic up to 3 months old. Luckily we didn't have that problem and I owe all the credit to Dr Harvey Carps miracle blanket. He loved to be swaddled in that thing. It would instantly put him to sleep. I also read his book "The happiest baby on the Block" and never made it past chapter 10 because he wasn't a fussy baby due to the tecniques dr carp suggested. Knock on wood. I expect pay back around age 2. If its gas you can try gripe water. Its all natural. You can find it at most drug stores. I've only needed to use this on my son once when he was crying and unconsolable. After he took it he threw up a large projectile vomit(so be ready) but within less than a minute he was back to normal. I was surprised at how fast it worked. Either way take in every moment no matter how frustrating because it goes by so fast. My son just turned 6 months and I can't tell you where the time went.

[leo81]

my daughter is the same.apparently she has colic.im using gripe water at the moment.it worked for awhile.i hope it stops soon too

[James&Cindy]

We were trying to supplement our adopted son's formula with a family friend's breast milk(for added immunity benefits). Apparently this would have worked if the friends infant was the exact same age as our son. The difference in age was enough that her milk was too advanced for Will and caused a LOT of gas and fussiness. We found that gripe water and gas drops worked wonders.

[Bess]

Have you ever heard of the 5 S's? They are Swaddle, Shhhhhh, Suck, Side, Swing. I'm a mother of 4, my youngest is only 3 weeks old. Try a kiddopotamus swaddle me, or something similar with velcro that wraps baby up nice and tight, they love this! Offer a Pacifier, hold baby on his side in front of you and gently swing from side to side, while you're saying "Shhhhhhhh". Sounds like a circus performance, but it works!