Little newborn questions

[rachelilly23]

K is a month and just outgrew newborn clothes. She's about 10 lbs.

[jewel441]

Is it normal for LO to scream bloody murder when they have to poop? It's not every time but at least once a day sometimes she screams for like 20-30 min before the poop comes out and it seems to really hurt her.

[sunshineshades]

Apr 21, 2016 14:29:42 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

Is it normal for LO to scream bloody murder when they have to poop? It's not every time but at least once a day sometimes she screams for like 20-30 min before the poop comes out and it seems to really hurt her.

E does this every morning around 5 am for up to 2 hours. She isn't screaming but grunting and groaning and very uncomfortable. I hate it since clearly I would like to be sleeping. Every other time she poops no problem.
I've found that if I push her legs into her belly it helps her poop faster, same as undoing the diaper to get some air on her bum. Though with that one be prepared to cover her back up to catch the poop.

[adorebel]

Apr 21, 2016 14:29:42 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

Is it normal for LO to scream bloody murder when they have to poop? It's not every time but at least once a day sometimes she screams for like 20-30 min before the poop comes out and it seems to really hurt her.

LO was exactly like this, to the letter, from birth to 6 weeks. Now she sometimes fusses before a poop, but she doesn't scream and latch/unlatch off the boob like she used to. I think it's just their digestive tract maturing and them starting to be able to cope with gas better. Totally normal as far as I know.

[roseinbloom]

Apr 21, 2016 14:29:42 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

Is it normal for LO to scream bloody murder when they have to poop? It's not every time but at least once a day sometimes she screams for like 20-30 min before the poop comes out and it seems to really hurt her.

Our little guy has been having serious digestion issues--terrible gas and sometimes painful bowel movements--the past three weeks or so. In that time, I've found a number of tricks that sometimes relieve discomfort, so I hope one of these might help:

1. Warm, snuggled-up, sleeping is best for relieving discomfort while passing gas or stools.

2. Using gravity to help. R seems to have an easier time going when he's vertical.

3. Loosening the diaper waistband if it looks restrictive (even a little bit), can help with releasing built up or trapped pressure.

4. Stimulating or encouraging bowel movements through motion and touch:
A. Changing his position whether he's on his back, reclining, hunched/crunching his belly (burping), upright, held horizontally sideways, or held/placed tummy down. Cycling through these can help, too.
B. In any of the above positions, bouncing or "burping" can sometimes help. I like to gently "stir" his tush (ya know, shake, shake, shake! shake his bootay, shake his bootay!) while keeping his upper body stationary. Gentle rocking or swinging sometimes help, too.
C. While horizontal and covered, but without the restricting diaper, rocking his knees back and forth from side to side, doing bicycle legs, pressing his legs up to his belly then releasing, or gently massaging his lower abdomen with me hands and fingertips.

5. Sometimes eating helps stimulate movement through the bowels as well.

As I write this, it occurs to me that submerging his lower body in a warm bath might help too.

A couple other thoughts: my son sometimes gets confused and will act like he's straining for a bowel movement when in fact he's actually hungry. He also fidgets in his sleep when he has gas, and this can cause him to be overtired and inconsolable sometimes when he then is also in some discomfort pushing. Finally, is it possible that either your baby gets formula at a certain time of day or you eat something particular at a regular time of day? Changes in diet, allergies, or foods that affect the content of your milk might make a difference.

Remember that discomfort is normal while their digestive system develops (although you should obviously always talk to a pediatrician if you think there is a serious problem). You know your baby best and will figure out the best solution for your family!

[roseinbloom]

One other crazy thought:

R gets extremely fussy when we have low atmospheric pressure. Maybe it's been raining in the mornings? There's no scientific evidence that weather makes a difference, but I swear it's true for him. When that's the case I put a weightier blanket over him and it seems to help. Also, babies can pick up on stress, so fussiness might be related to that if you are in a rush or otherwise stressed at that particular time of day. Or it could be that she's not burped enough at that last feeding.

Unfortunately it's a LOT of trial and error, and what works one day may not work the next. Hang in there!

[jewel441]

Apr 22, 2016 3:52:45 GMT -5 roseinbloom said:

Apr 21, 2016 14:29:42 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

Is it normal for LO to scream bloody murder when they have to poop? It's not every time but at least once a day sometimes she screams for like 20-30 min before the poop comes out and it seems to really hurt her.

Our little guy has been having serious digestion issues--terrible gas and sometimes painful bowel movements--the past three weeks or so. In that time, I've found a number of tricks that sometimes relieve discomfort, so I hope one of these might help:

1. Warm, snuggled-up, sleeping is best for relieving discomfort while passing gas or stools.

2. Using gravity to help. R seems to have an easier time going when he's vertical.

3. Loosening the diaper waistband if it looks restrictive (even a little bit), can help with releasing built up or trapped pressure.

4. Stimulating or encouraging bowel movements through motion and touch:
A. Changing his position whether he's on his back, reclining, hunched/crunching his belly (burping), upright, held horizontally sideways, or held/placed tummy down. Cycling through these can help, too.
B. In any of the above positions, bouncing or "burping" can sometimes help. I like to gently "stir" his tush (ya know, shake, shake, shake! shake his bootay, shake his bootay!) while keeping his upper body stationary. Gentle rocking or swinging sometimes help, too.
C. While horizontal and covered, but without the restricting diaper, rocking his knees back and forth from side to side, doing bicycle legs, pressing his legs up to his belly then releasing, or gently massaging his lower abdomen with me hands and fingertips.

5. Sometimes eating helps stimulate movement through the bowels as well.

As I write this, it occurs to me that submerging his lower body in a warm bath might help too.

A couple other thoughts: my son sometimes gets confused and will act like he's straining for a bowel movement when in fact he's actually hungry. He also fidgets in his sleep when he has gas, and this can cause him to be overtired and inconsolable sometimes when he then is also in some discomfort pushing. Finally, is it possible that either your baby gets formula at a certain time of day or you eat something particular at a regular time of day? Changes in diet, allergies, or foods that affect the content of your milk might make a difference.

Remember that discomfort is normal while their digestive system develops (although you should obviously always talk to a pediatrician if you think there is a serious problem). You know your baby best and will figure out the best solution for your family!

Thanks for the tips I will definitely try some of these. The loosening the diaper one worked really well yesterday. No to formula, she is EBF, and only successfully took a bottle for the first time yesterday (and only 1/2 oz) so I don't think it's from a bottle either. But maybe something I eat, I will have to pay more attention to what I'm eating to see if that helps.

[mom2boxers]

jewel441 - you could try adding a probiotic once a day.

[sunshineshades]

Apr 22, 2016 9:34:06 GMT -5 mom2boxers said:

jewel441 - you could try adding a probiotic once a day.

I started this yesterday in hoping it helps!

[arbe]

Apr 15, 2016 2:32:45 GMT -5 blackbird said:

When did your LO (present or past ones) outgrow newborn size clothes? I didn't buy many bc I figured I'd have a bigger baby at birth. Well B was a month yesterday and still rockin' them. She weighed 7lbs9.5oz at her weight check on Monday.

Dd1 was 6 weeks, DS 3 weeks, Dd2 out grew nb sleepers about 3 weeks ago but onesies still fit (8 weeks on Monday)

[xxkimmy8xx]

On average, how many naps/hours are your babies sleeping during the day? Do more naps really mean they sleep better at night?

[zombiesquad]

May 14, 2016 17:24:25 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

On average, how many naps/hours are your babies sleeping during the day? Do more naps really mean they sleep better at night?

D has turned into somewhat of a catnapper. He naps multiple times during the day but only for about 30-45 minutes at a time. On average, he's been napping about 4-5 times a day at daycare. His longest nap is now when he gets home from daycare in the evenings. Now that he's awake a little longer, I actually think that's helping him sleep. As long as he's not overtired, we will likely have a good night.

[sunshineshades]

May 14, 2016 17:24:25 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

On average, how many naps/hours are your babies sleeping during the day? Do more naps really mean they sleep better at night?

Elora varies a lot. Today she's only been awake about 4 hours total. She's been napping today up to 3 hours at a time. Other days she takes little naps all day.
For sure I have found the more awake she is the harder she is to get to sleep at night.
With dd1 still at age 3 the less sleep she gets the more middle of the night wake ups I get and less naps she'll do.

[halfahippy]

May 14, 2016 17:24:25 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

On average, how many naps/hours are your babies sleeping during the day? Do more naps really mean they sleep better at night?

A tends to do a 2-3 hour nap in the morning, then is up for 1.5 hours, naps again for 1.5-2 hours. Up again for 2ish hours, then catnaps for 15-20 minute spurts all late afternoon and evening until bedtime.

[xxkimmy8xx]

May 14, 2016 20:31:41 GMT -5 halfahippy said:

May 14, 2016 17:24:25 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

On average, how many naps/hours are your babies sleeping during the day? Do more naps really mean they sleep better at night?

A tends to do a 2-3 hour nap in the morning, then is up for 1.5 hours, naps again for 1.5-2 hours. Up again for 2ish hours, then catnaps for 15-20 minute spurts all late afternoon and evening until bedtime.

Thanks for the details! Sorry I'm being so high maintenance with all my questions, haha!  Do you put LO down for a nap (swaddle, quiet room,etc) or just let baby lead and fall asleep when tired? I know I'm asking a lot by wanted to create a nap schedule now, but it'll help with night time routine.  Also, E has a tough time staying asleep when he falls asleep.  His startle reflex still wakes him up and he cant' get back down if he's not swaddled. 

[halfahippy]

May 15, 2016 19:07:33 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

May 14, 2016 20:31:41 GMT -5 halfahippy said:

A tends to do a 2-3 hour nap in the morning, then is up for 1.5 hours, naps again for 1.5-2 hours. Up again for 2ish hours, then catnaps for 15-20 minute spurts all late afternoon and evening until bedtime.

Thanks for the details! Sorry I'm being so high maintenance with all my questions, haha!  Do you put LO down for a nap (swaddle, quiet room,etc) or just let baby lead and fall asleep when tired? I know I'm asking a lot by wanted to create a nap schedule now, but it'll help with night time routine.  Also, E has a tough time staying asleep when he falls asleep.  His startle reflex still wakes him up and he cant' get back down if he's not swaddled. 

I usually watch for sleepy signs and then swaddle her and nurse or bounce /walk her to sleep. Occasionally I can lay her down and she drifts off on her own, but not a ton. If she falls asleep not swaddled I lay her on her belly where I can keep an eye on her. She sleeps so well on her belly! I wish I could just let her sleep like that all the time, but I'm paranoid.

[minae01]

May 14, 2016 17:24:25 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

On average, how many naps/hours are your babies sleeping during the day? Do more naps really mean they sleep better at night?

I'm still trying to figure out the daily nap schedule, but generally I can rely on one good nap - 2-3 hours, swaddled and in the swing. Usually it's in the afternoon. I can count on another shorter nap - 1-2 hours in the swing. There are other catnaps throughout the day but nothing significant. She sleeps well at night 6-7 hours (in RnP) plus another 3-4 after eating.

[sunshineshades]

May 15, 2016 19:07:33 GMT -5 xxkimmy8xx said:

May 14, 2016 20:31:41 GMT -5 halfahippy said:

A tends to do a 2-3 hour nap in the morning, then is up for 1.5 hours, naps again for 1.5-2 hours. Up again for 2ish hours, then catnaps for 15-20 minute spurts all late afternoon and evening until bedtime.

Thanks for the details! Sorry I'm being so high maintenance with all my questions, haha!  Do you put LO down for a nap (swaddle, quiet room,etc) or just let baby lead and fall asleep when tired? I know I'm asking a lot by wanted to create a nap schedule now, but it'll help with night time routine.  Also, E has a tough time staying asleep when he falls asleep.  His startle reflex still wakes him up and he cant' get back down if he's not swaddled. 

I go by the clock.E can stay up for hours with only 5-10 minute catnaps if I don't stay on it. Usually 1.5 hours awake max and I swaddle her, rock her a bit, put her in her swing and she'll sleep 1-3 hours. If I let her stay up say 2+ hours it takes forever to get her to sleep and stay asleep.
She'll be 7 weeks tomorrow. Since I started watching the clock I find she's less fussy in general through the day.

[blackbird]

Has anyone been to a pediatric eye doc before?

B had her 2 month shots yesterday and her pedi wants her to see one. We have an appt tomorrow. I think I'm more worried about it than I was the shots.

[jewel441]

May 25, 2016 9:14:20 GMT -5 blackbird said:

Has anyone been to a pediatric eye doc before?

B had her 2 month shots yesterday and her pedi wants her to see one. We have an appt tomorrow. I think I'm more worried about it than I was the shots.

No but I think we are headed there... Did they say why? Non-spectral vision runs in my family and LO still gets cross eyed a lot. Hope everything is ok with LOs eyes!!

[sunshineshades]

May 25, 2016 11:17:20 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

May 25, 2016 9:14:20 GMT -5 blackbird said:

Has anyone been to a pediatric eye doc before?

B had her 2 month shots yesterday and her pedi wants her to see one. We have an appt tomorrow. I think I'm more worried about it than I was the shots.

No but I think we are headed there... Did they say why? Non-spectral vision runs in my family and LO still gets cross eyed a lot. Hope everything is ok with LOs eyes!!

I'm curious too. DD1 had an eye that turned in often until she was over a year. It wasn't super noticeable except for some pictures. My doctor wasn't concerned because they often just need to strengthen. She actually never even brought it up, I did when she was 6 or 9 months because another doctor mentioned it.

[blackbird]

May 25, 2016 11:17:20 GMT -5 jewel441 said:

May 25, 2016 9:14:20 GMT -5 blackbird said:

Has anyone been to a pediatric eye doc before?

B had her 2 month shots yesterday and her pedi wants her to see one. We have an appt tomorrow. I think I'm more worried about it than I was the shots.

No but I think we are headed there... Did they say why? Non-spectral vision runs in my family and LO still gets cross eyed a lot. Hope everything is ok with LOs eyes!!

Well I mentioned to her at a weight check 2wks ago that I had noticed B's pupils were different sizes. She looked & said she'd probably send us to an eye Dr eventually but not to worry. But then yesterday when she looked in B's eyes, she said she thought she saw a white spot so she wants to have it looked at.

She said it's probably nothing serious but better to be safe.

[songbirdsinging55]

Evie has her 1 mos check up in June. Why did the schedule it for when she is 2 mos? Should I be worried that they waited so long?