crying hysterically at night

Bryan is ebf and lately he has been crying hysterically at night like we are stabbing him or something- drs say that ebf babies dont get colic- and to try rocking him- helloooooo we've tried everything- I have resorted to walking around in circles outside while singing this has worked a few times soo far- But it seems as though when he cries he might be hungy- I nurse him round the clock sometimes and he still is not consoled- he even cries during feedings which makes me think he's not hungry but then when I stop feeding him- he is sucking on his hands and rooting like crazy. Last night I resorted to a bottle of formula which killed me emotionally so Im not doing that anymore if I can help it. I feel like my bb's are soft because Im depleted at night from all the cluster nursing. Any advice- dh and I need some sleep and sanity!

Message edited 7/25/2005 3:01:08 PM.

Re: crying hysterically at night

My son did that when he was real little and actually for a few months. He was EBF too. I thought he was colicky, but it turns out that he had really bad gas pains. There's really not much you can do for that except give him some Mylicon drops and push his legs up to his belly. What also helped was that at night he slept in his bouncer. We have the Kick n' Play bouncer and I put the vibration on. That's the only place he'd sleep. He did a lot of cluster feeding too. I could of sworn I was feeding him at least every 1/2 hour for a couple of days at a time. If it's not gas, I'm not sure what else it could be. It does sound like gas though. Good luck!

Re: crying hysterically at night

i disagree that ebf babies don't get colic -- mine did from about 2 weeks of age until 3 months. and i was feeding him just about every 1 to 1 1/2 hours round the clock most days. that always seemed to me to be a vicious cycle - b/c if he had gas pains then the frequent feedings probably only made things worse...
mylicon drops helped a little and so did his aquarium bouncer seat. when i switched to formula at 9 weeks he cried less and went longer between feedings....

Re: crying hysterically at night

I had the same problems, except Aidan cryed pretty much at every feeding. I also EBF in the beginning. It was gas...I started giving him mylicon drops, but then when I did some research I found out that it contains magnesium , which if given too much at an early age may cause muscle atrophy. So I stopped that and started giving him Gripe water. This helped, but didn't get rid of it. He stopped crying during feedings at around 3 months.

HTH

Re: crying hysterically at night

I am no help with the crying, but what is EBF?

Re: crying hysterically at night

Jules did that for a while, up until about 5 weeks. We had to take turns pacing and even had friends walk her around for an hour or two because we were so tired, I was afraid we were going to fall asleep while holding her. One night, she just stopped. It was exactly 6 weeks. At that point, I was still EBFing (exclusively breast feeding). From that point on, she began sleeping through the night.

We wrapped her in a receiving blanket and put her in the positioner on her side. See if that helps. I still put her on her side some nights when she is having a hard time falling asleep.

Re: crying hysterically at night

I agree with those who say to try mylicon drops. This stuff is a miracle and Logan gets it all the time now.

Re: crying hysterically at night

How old is your baby?

Have you tried a pacifier? My baby (now four months) is EBF, and I have been using a pacifier since the first week -- she was looking to **** all day long and my nipples needed a break!!!

In the first three months, unexplained crying at night is very common. Of course that doesn't make it easier, just want to make sure you know you aren't alone. The general rule is that it ramps up and gets worse until six weeks, and then gradually gets better until around 12 weeks where it levels off a lot.

Re: crying hysterically at night

I found these tips on www.mylicon.com:
Keep Moving
Rock your baby back and forth or take a walk or a ride in the car. Rhythmic motion can be relaxing for you and your baby.
Provide Distractions A continuous noise or vibration, such as a humming appliance, may distract and soothe your baby.
Place Your Baby in a Carrier
Infants like to be close to their parent’s body. Carriers allow parents freedom of movement without making them feel like they are neglecting a distressed child.
Give Your Baby a Massage
Stroke your baby’s back or chest lightly to soothe and comfort.
Try a Pacifier
Babies have strong sucking needs unrelated to their need for food; some simply find it comforting to have something in their mouth, whether it be a finger, a pacifier, or their own thumb.
Sing a Song
The sound of your voice as you glide around the room to a familiar tune can be very calming.
Try a Mirror
Unbreakable reflective surfaces, such as those that appear on many baby toys, often capture and hold a fussy infant’s attention.
Give Your Baby a Warm Bath
A warm bath can soothe and relax your baby just before bed.
Give Your Baby a Few Minutes Alone
Once you’ve fed, burped, and changed your baby, it’s okay to put her in her crib for a few minutes. Reassure her, then leave the room again for a few minutes longer before returning. Soon, she will learn how to calm herself to sleep

Re: crying hysterically at night

Not a mom yet but I have been reading the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" that a friend gave me and it talks alot about swaddling.
Have you tried that? Just an idea.

Re: crying hysterically at night

Thanks everyone- last night was a little better he only cried for about an hour- I kept burping him and lifting his knees to his chest- that seemed to help get the gas out- I think it is gas but Im not 100 % sure.

Re: crying hysterically at night

When Jack would cry during breastfeeding he would swallow alot of air and gas drops saved us. I sware I think PP should tell you about them before you leave.

Good Luck!

Ps. Could you be eating or drinking something that isn't agreeing with him.. for example when I had pizza or anything with tomato jack would get real gassy also if we went out to eat and I would order a coke if I breastfeed soon after he would become pretty awnry. Also he would become pretty wicked for about the first 2 days of a growth spurt and then would sleep like a champ the rest of the week.

Re: crying hysterically at night

We had a few nights like that, I can say for sure it was gas. We used to lay him down and bicycle peddle his legs and walk around bouncing him and it really worked.