3 Month Old Baby Who Was Never Fussy Then the past Couple Weeks Is Starting

M.:

Welcome to mamapedia!!

I'm sorry for the loss of your mom!! May her memory be eternal!!!

CONGRATULATIONS on your baby girl!!

Three months seems a tad young to be giving rice cereal any cereal to a baby. My kids (all three of them!) were at least six months.

You don't say if you are bottle or breast feeding her. If you are bottle/formula feeding her - she may not like or have a problem digesting the formula.

If you are breast feeding - something you are eating may not be agreeing with her.

I would nurse and then burp her good. Keep her propped up for about 30 minutes after eating - as she might have reflux. If she brings her legs up to her belly - that's TYPICALLY the sign of gas or reflux.

If she is having 4 to 8 wet diapers a day - she is NOT dehydrated.
her BMs should be soft until she's on solid food. That's when you should notice a change in her bowel movements.

When you take her in for her next well-child check up - have a list of questions and make sure you let the nurse who is scheduling the appointment you have a LOT of questions for the doctor. WRITE THEM DOWN!! TAKE IT WITH YOU. Check off the list as you ask the questions.

Everything will be fine. I'm sure you are rockin' the mama thing!!! Follow your gut. Stay away from on-line medical resources - you will drive yourself nuts with the information out there.

Talk with your mother in law about your husband and what he was like when he was a baby, what she did to relax him when he was fussy. I can tell you from first hand experience, that they pick up on your being nervous and/or upset. So take a deep breath - YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Please get the book "What To Expect The First Year."

3 months old is a growth-spurt time, as well. Every 3 months is, a growth-spurt in a baby.
They change, at each age juncture.
They are never, static or the same each month.

Have you tried, infant gas drops? Mylicon infant gas drops.

And feed her on demand. More frequently, instead of "more" at each feeding. Their tummy is very tiny... and if you overload her with a feeding with more... than she can intake or digest... then problems occur. And spit up and gas, etc.
A baby, typically feeds every hour or 2 hours or 3 hours.
And they also cluster-feed too. Meaning, every single hour.
And all of this is normal.

I think, you are feeding her too much at a time. And going 4-4.5 hours until the next feeding, is a bit long.
My kids at 3 months old, did not intake 6 ounces. They took less.
I think, she is getting too.... full of too much, intake.
That is why she is fussy and spits-up. And probably has gas.
A baby gets fussy, when gassy or when fed too much.

I would NOT NOT NOT, put cereal in her bottle.
A baby's organs and digestive system at this age, is NOT fully developed yet.

Filling up a baby, does not make a baby non-fussy or not spit up.

Also, babies ARE clingy with their Mom. They need to bond and get comforted and bonding with Mommy... actually aides in their development. And they are changing in cognition too. They are no longer a 1 or 2 month old infant. At 3 months old, this is a developmental change and growth spurt time. At at each growth-spurt, it can tweak a baby. It is normal. They are changing and growing so rapidly.

A baby needs to be given feedings (breastmilk or Formula) on-demand... 24/7, day and night. NOT according to a "schedule." Babies that are fed on a schedule... do not thrive better and it does not address their natural development and hunger needs.

She could be allergic to dairy? Or need to switch formula if you're formula feeding. Sorry about your mom, lost mine less than two years ago.

It must be hard to go through this knowing you'd like very badly to ask your mom these types of things. :( I'm sorry about your mom.

I don't know what is going on, specifically, with your baby, but I do know that changing diapers of an infant can be QUITE a surprise! LOL

I wanted to suggest a few things for you that might help ease your mind:
1. Trust your mommy gut--always. You know your baby best and you know best when something is "off" with your own child. You may not feel like "pro" yet (no new mother does!) but you know YOUR baby better than anyone.

2. IF you feel something is "up" NEVER hesitate to call your pediatrician's office. That is why they are there! And they usually have an after-hours line as well. NEVER, EVER feel awkward calling for help, ideas, suggestions or advice! NEVER!

3. Consider getting a book. Something like "What To Expect The First Year." I can't tell you how dogeared my copy became over that first year. It will answer LOTS of commonly asked questions that new parents have--sometimes daily!

All the best to you & your little O..

(P.S. If all else fails--you can usually find someone here, on this site, day or night! We're a poor substitute for your mom--but we try really, really hard!)

Usually around 3 months a baby will start wanting to be awake a bit more and moving around more so they become more fussy and maybe not so still when you change them, etc. Some kids notice strangers earlier and don't want to be left or held by others this early and some do this later at a bit older as all babies are different just like we are as adults. Maybe you need to feed her a bit more often and not over feed her to see if that helps with the spitting up. Maybe she's not needing to eat so much with not 4 hrs. between. Try that and see if it helps. She'll be getting the same amount of milk but just not so much at a time or so long between feedings. Maybe you could put her in a swing if you have one, or a pack and play so she could see you while you work and then play with her when you aren't busy. Here is a link you may find helpful.
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/infant-development-9/...
Here is another one that may help with feeding.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-y...
As with anything, do what you feel is right and what your doctor advises though.
Keep in mind that everytime your baby cries she is not hungry and learn to listen for what each cry means. You may already know that but sometimes with the first baby it takes a little time.
I'm sorry you lost your mother. I'm probably the oldest mother/grandma on here but if I can ever help just send me a message.

Babies that little should not have poo that is more solid than peanut butter. Gross, right? But true...it sounds like she is totally normal there. How many pee diapers does she have a day? Do you see any darker yellow or orangey color in her diapers? That is a good indication of dehydration. If she is getting 6oz of fluid at each feeding, I am guessing she is not dehydrated. She could be pre-teething, having a growth spurt, or just want to be held more :) After she eats the 6oz, is she still moving her head around like she is looking for the bottle, or will she start sucking the empty bottle frantically? Remember that baby's stomach is about the size of her fist, so she is not starving on 6oz! Maybe smaller, more frequent feedings could help? The swing and bouncy chair were my best friends when mine were tiny, and a carrier can be great, too. Good luck, and so sorry to hear about your mom.

the formula could be upsetting her belly... it can happen at any age. Have you tried a "sensitive" or "gentle" formula to see if it makes a difference? For my kids it usually took about 3 days to see if it really made a difference in them.

Another thing it could be is acid reflux. That also can happen at any age.

Yes her poop sounds normal and as long as she is eating and not spitting up an entire bottle then I doubt she is dehydrated.

Good luck and I hope you find out what is wrong with her... there is nothing worse than something wrong with your little ones and not knowing what it is
:(

I feel for you. HUGS. as a mother of a very fussy baby! I used A. all natural gripe water that I ordered online at amazon.com I think. CVS and other pharm. stores do sell it but it is not all natural and I am not sure what they put in those. google it. we did not like the idea of giving our baby anything but we were desperate, he cried so much. I think the purpose of it is for colic. It is scary because it is black and it stains everything but it really worked. we used a pacifier dispenser to give it to him. It looks like a paci but it has a hole in it and it dispenses the medication as they suck(my son did not take a paci and it still worked) He liked the gripe water and would get excited when he saw it. It sounds like your little girl has gas or and upset tummy. Sorry to go on and on about it.
They cry for so many reasons. It could even be gerd, or acid reflux. Talk to your pediatrician. I just think that babies can just be fussy and the rice cereal might not be helping at all. I know I always thought my son was hungry and I would try to constantly feed him but it did not work. 3 months could be a growth spurt too! They get them a lot it seems :) I'm sorry you are going through this.
ETA: I was just thinking and wanted to add they start getting a little bit of a personality at 3 months so I can see why she would want you around her more. It is normal and you will never be able to get anything done when she is awake ever again. joking. it will get better when she gets older. I think I posted this same question when my youngest was 3 months. I hated the fact that I had to keep him in a baby carrier while I was cooking and cleaning. but baby wearing is good for them and you.
and the poop sounds totally normal.

3 months is really young to feed cereal, my doc recommended 4-6 months. I opted to wait until 6 months as studies are showing that prior to 6 months, cereals can cause allergies in some children. Poo becomes more solid typically with meats, veggies, fruit but may "beef up" from cereal use. Does your doc feel she's more hungry, don't be afraid to ask them more questions, read current books and magazines so that you're more informed when you see them or need to call. I agree with most of my docs recommendations, but not all of them, so being informed is important. For example, a former ped I called the morning my daughter ended up being lifeflighted tried to assure me that my infant's high fever would be fine until I came for her appt in a few hours. Had I listened, she would not have made it - weigh your Mother's Instinct with that of doc's.

She may also just need more cuddle time. An easy way to do that w/o wearing your arms out and managing to get some things done is to wear the baby. Some great baby carriers that will last through toddlerhood include Ergo, BabyHawk, and Beco.

It is so hard to be a first time mom no matter what the situation, and it must be even harder without your own mom. I am so sorry for your loss.

Babies cry and fuss for so many reasons. Neither of my boys really cared whether or not their diaper was changed (obviously I still changed it as soon as I realized their was anything in it), so if they were crying it was a pretty safe bet that that wasn't the problem. I would say more often than not, they just wanted to be held.

It's so hard to know what to do for them. I'm guessing that when you chose to feed her again, she wasn't actually hungry and that's why she spit up. If the doctor suggested you add rice cereal to her bottle, it could be that he/she thought she was having issues digesting her food and not that she simply wasn't hungry. (Hard to know which is the case, since your daughter can't tell us, right?)

Don't worry about moms who said she's too young for rice cereal. As a general rule, they are correct. However, there are certain issues where rice cereal is called for, and a pediatrician is certainly someone qualified to make that determination.

I would try to look at the clock a little less and just feed her when she seems hungry. If she continues to fuss just rock her or sing to her. If you need a break you can try "wearing" her in a baby carrier or sling. Those never really worked for me, but my boys loved the swing and the bouncy seat.

It really sounds like your daughter is doing just fine. Babies go through so many changes it can make your head spin. It's tough, but you just have to go with the flow. Try to come up with a "bag of tricks." As time goes on you'll need to add new tricks and some that seemed fool proof at the time will suddenly stop working and then suddenly start working again a month or two later. As she gets older, the changes will happen much more gradually, but for now she's just a baby and this is what babies do.

Good luck! Don't be afraid to ask more questions here, and please don't be afraid to call your ped. That's what he/she gets paid the big bucks for!

I think she is waking up and noticing things and just not willing to hang around when you do things any more. Interact with her, take her for walks so she has more things to see, talk and sing with her, read her books, hold up toys for her to grasp at, etc. Try wearing her in a front pack while you go about your day so she is stimulated. She is at a new stage of development which is perfectly normal so try to see things through her eyes. This can be a lot more fun than a newborn who just wants to eat and sleep.

Remember, she will be growing fast and changing constantly, enjoy each new stage. Forget about most of the housework and have fun with her.

Of course, if she looks or act sick, take her to your pediatrician for a checkup.

personally, I don't think there's any reason to thicken- her poor digestive system is still so immature. I would stop w/ SCHEDULE and find more ROUTINE(S). This is the time to start singing a particular song before sleep, while changing diaper, etc. Baby will learn what is coming up/what to expect. WEAR YOUR BABY! Seriously. People think this might 'spoil' the baby. In fact, it's the opposite! when a baby feels close & attached, then they are more likely to become wonderfully independent, when they are ready! HOLD that baby! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/browardbabywearing/

www.thebabywearer.com/forum

I wore my babies. They are now 6 & 9 and SMART & HEALTHY & INDEPENDENT :)

You can do this :)

just scrolling down a bit to read some of the answers i didn't see anyone mention teething. my son at 3 months started cutting his first tooth. check her mouth...if the front gums are a little bit on the whiteish side then she is starting to teeth. google on teething....as there are many remedies for teething!!

M.,
At three months, her poop is still pretty mushy, cereal or not. Her digestive system is still maturing; that's why every time you introduce new food, you wait to see how she adapts.
Babies spit up some, even when it's just formula. Take some time to burp her, gas is bothersome and it could be what's making her fussy. Trust your mommy feelings, you are the best person to sense when things are not right.
Blessings to you and your baby.

I'm sorry you lost your mom. I know you are feeling it hard now with this baby. I'll bet she's looking down on you and wishing you the very best with her.

Your baby's poop is just fine. It's exactly as it should be.

One thing you have to figure out is why a baby is crying. It's hard - sometimes it's a mystery. But babies cry for different reasons other than hunger. They cry because their are wet or poopy, because their bottoms hurt from a little diaper rash, because they are tired, bored, gassy, in pain or discomfort, don't like the car ride, or "just because". Some babies have colic - oh my.

Giving her more milk (and in my humble opinion, cereal at this age) is not the answer. Sticking a bottle in her mouth everytime she cries isn't good for her. She needs to be on a schedule - 6 ounces every 3 hours from start of bottle to the next start of bottle.

In between these scheduled feedings, try to figure out why she's crying. If she's just fussing, put your hand on her belly and jiggle her a little and coo and talk softly. If she's laying down, and doesn't settle with that, put her in a bouncy seat or swing, or even in her carseat so that she is tilted up. If she's gassy or needs to burp, that will help.

You don't want to pick her up every time she fusses because you won't get anything else done. So take her in every room with you, sing to her, talk to her, kiss her and touch her as you go back and forth with your business. Get on the floor with her during breaks and give her tummy time, show toys and books to her, hold her in your arms, etc.

If she is gaining weight, taking a bottle regularly and has these kind of poops you are talking about, she is not dehydrated.

I hope this helps some. Get her on a real schedule and don't give in to the temptation to stick a bottle in her mouth every time she fusses.

All my best,
Dawn