Colic or Reflux? CONSTANT CRYING HELP!

most likely colic... I had the same problem with my first child. So try this it has worked for me and my friends as well.. Get some infant gas drops and give it to her before you feed her and sometime even after. Then at night get some sleepytime tea it is safe to give to babies warm up the water and dip the tea bag in it just enough to color the water and she will drink the tea and calm down completly. I have told my friends about this and they said after doing this for a couple days they had completly different babies....let me know and good luck

My daughter went thru the same thing! MYLACON!!! That helps wonders! try it. Its for gas but sooths the tummy as well. MeKayla was not passing gas but it still worked.
Hope this helps.

L.

I don't know what would have caused the baby to throw up it proabably is the reflux thing. I know that my baby cried a lot when we first brought her home. I started giving her gas relief drops (like Mylicon) and it worked wonders. It kinda sounds like colic or with the symptoms you describe but you never know because a baby can't tell you whats going on. O another piece of advice, don't buy the brand name it's a waste of money the generic is the same and cost half. Good luck hopefully you get some peace soon. I know how frustrating it is when they cry and you can do nothing about it.

Sounds like a milk allergy. My son was the same way( for 4 months) The doctor didn't really help, he threw up constantly but the doctor said "he's still gaining weight" My mother finally bought me soy milk(prosobee) I'm not kidding when I say he was a different child within 24 hrs. No more throwing up, no more screaming and squirming with gas, I recommend trying that. I TOLD my doctor how much better he was and we could have saved all the headaches if he would have known that sooner, imagine how your poor baby feels, the only thing she's getting is something she can't digest? Good Luck!

Hi K..

I would DEFINITELY CHANGE doctors! It sounds to be that he's using your poor baby as a guinea pig to see WHAT works! I had a doc like that and I had to switch immediately.

It sounds to me that as soon as you started the rice mixture she started the crying because it made her constipated. Did you see a decrease in her stool? Breast milk is way easier to digest than formula, and then adding rice to the formula....it makes it even harder to digest. Rice is a bulkening product. Thats why he had you give it to her so that it would stay down since she had reflux. I was breast feeding my daughter and she also was diagnosed with reflux at about 6 weeks. But my doctor had me CONTINUE breast milk only and prescribed Zantac for the reflux..the result? Worked like a charm! You see, baby's tummies are sensitive and all this "switching" around the formulas is just aggravating her digestive system. I also used Mylicon gas drops which are perfectly safe. Hope this helps. Good luck! :)

K., my name is M. and I am a first time mom as well. My daughter is now 13 months old. Having said that, I went through the same thing. My first question to you is...the formula that you are supplementing with, is it powder or ready made liquid? My daughter was not able to take the powder formula at all. Second question, if you are still breast feeding are you watching your diet. If your eating spicy foods or drinking caffeine this could cause discomfort with your baby. Third question, right after you feed her have you given her gas drops such as Little Tummies Gas Drops? I found that brand works best for my daughter. And right after you feed her hold her with her back up against your chest and pull in her legs with your arm. If there is any gas this will help alleviate any discomfort she may have. And last but not least, there is Gripe Water. This I must say was a LIFE SAVER for me. My daughter lived on this for the first 4 to 6 months of her life. You can find it in Whole foods and I believe Walgreens and Publix now carry it as well. It is all natural and has camomile among other calming things in it. I hope any one of my suggestions help you. And good luck to you! Just know that you are not alone in experiencing this.
Kindest Regards,
M.

in my professional opinion, and personal one from a mother who had a colicky baby, if it were refuls the shower woudlnt likely calkm her down. breastmilk is the easiest for her to digest. so she will have the easist time with that. it may be something you are eating like alot of dairy or something that is making her feel so badly. the dairy in the formula might be doing the same thing. for many babys formula is quite hard to digest in such little bellies. especially with rice cereal. they have very immature digestive tracks.

It could be colic. in most cases colick seems to kick in around 5-6 weeks and is usually gone by 12 weeks. It is very difficult for us as mothers to see our babies go through this as we see ourselves as failures that we cant get the baby to stop crying. WE ARE THERI MOTHERS FOR GOODNESS SAKE! So, when you have tried everything, and cant pass her off to someone else, all you can do is love her through it. Sometimes , just as adults, babyes get in bad moods. and they just need to cry. its the only way they know how to communicate. and just as you dont always understand an adult, you wont always understand the baby. but you can still listen. and know you are doing you rbest. and love them through it. that goes for the rest of their life. not only now. sometimes we just want to be heard.

If you would like to figure out more info on breastfeeding, and seeing if maybe weaning her off formula to breastmilk only, that might seriously help. i can help you with that. my website is www.honoringwomen.com. you can email me from that.
I wish you luck!

Hi K.. Have someone run out to the British shop on Vineland and pick up some "Gripe Water" this is a holistic anti gas medication that is derived from dill water, and it relaxes the muscles so the produce gas quickly. My mother in law who is from England, turned me on to this, and my 13 week old son has been using it occasionally since he was a month old. Mylocon is good, but exspensive, and Gripw Water works faster. Good luck! PS...the baby will NOT like the taste at first, but will get used to it. I saved the Mylocon dropper and bottle, and put just a little bit of the Water in the dropper at first. .5 ml...not 5.0 ml as the bottle suggests. A little goes a long way!!!

I used the colic tablets put out by Highlands(health food store). Their a natural homeopathic based tablet that dissolves as soon as it hits their saliva. They also have teething tablets. I've seen those at CVS but not the colic tablets. They did help. Also, the more you can carry them in a sling or carrier, I felt that that helped to break up gas bubbles and would settle them down. We walk around and break up our own gas bubbles but babies are unable to do that so if we can help them by carrying them around during this stressful period you reap the benefit later. You will get a lot of people saying that you're spoiling your child but this is temporary and a short term comfort measure you can do for your little one. I used the "high shoulder" position that (my husband and I would call it that) when we had some reflux issues. I could get them in that position with my sling as well. I have heard of zantac, reglan, prevacid all being used in differenct instances of reflux. Sometimes it does take trying out a few but it's also frustrating to make so many changes. I think you have good instincts-so trust your mother's heart. LaurieK

I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND!! My son who is 2 1/2 months old has had the same problem. Sometimes I feel like I am going to pull every last hair out of my head! Reflux runs in my family and one of my brothers actually had severe reflux. My son was doing the crying/coughing, SCREAMING, throwing up constantly thing too. We tried beastfeeding for the first 3-4 weeks of his life, then switched from Similac to Enfamil Lipil. We then switched from Enfamil Lipil to the Enfamil for fussiness and gassiness (all while using mylicon which is a life saver for gas). We have finally switched to the Enfamil A.R. which has helped TREMENDOUSLY with his throwing up! We also took James to the pediatrician who immediately put him on 0.5 ml of Zantac 15. That helped for a little while, so now he is up to 0.8 ml of Zantac... yeah!!! Between the Zantac, the A.R., and the mylicon, he is doing much better. Don't let the doctor brush you off! That is what happened to my mom with my little brother and he ended up with such severe reflux that he had blood in his stool. You know your child better than anyone and the doctor is not the one who has to hear your baby cry all day! Now the problem we have with James is that he NEVER WANTS TO BE PUT DOWN!! I know James feels much better now. Good luck!

SOUNDS LIKE MY DAUGHTER. FIRST OFF PUT HER ON ENFIMIL LACTO FREE LIPIL, THIS TAKES AWAY THE INTOLORENCE TO MILK. MY DAUGHTER WAS COLIC, AND SHE HAD(HAS) ACID REFLUX. FOR THE COLIC TRY GIVING HER GRIPE WATER. GRIPE WATER HAS FENNEL IN IT WHICH TAKES AWAY THE GAS. IT CAN BE FOUND AT ANY NATURAL HERB AND VITAMIN STORE. THE PLACE AT AROSIO AND PSL BLVD SELLS IT. THEY ARE IN THE SHOPPING CENTER RIGHT NEXT TO THE CIRCLE K. MY DOCTOR SUGGESTED THAT FOR MY BABY AND IT WAS THE BEST THING I EVER USED. I WOULD GIVE IT TO HER BEFORE A BOTTLE AND SHE NEVER HAD DISCOMFORT. JULIA ALSO TAKES ZANTAC WHICH ALSO WORKS. I NOTICED MY DAUGHTER VOMITING AND SHE ALSO SEEMED LIKE SHE HAD FLEM IN HER THROAT AND CHEST. NEEDLESS TO SAY SHE IS MUCH HAPPIER NOW. THE COLIC DISIPATES AROUND 10 TO 12 WEEKS- BELIEVE ME GET THE GRIPE WATER, ZANTAC AND CHANGE FORMULAS. KEEP US UPDATED.

I agree with the other poster that it seems to be a milk allergy. But I wouldn't want to assume anything with a small baby.
Go to another pediatrician immediately, please!!! I can't believe this person is sugesting Zantac and Mylanta for a tiny baby. Look for a doctor who uses a more wholistic approach.
The crying abd fussing could be tdue to simple causes, like allergies, but putting a band-aid on it with medications is not the answer.

Dear K.,
I went through the same situation. My son threw up alot and was always crying. I was told everything from you are exaggerating about how much he is throwing up too he just has gas, you are not burping him right. His pediatrician told me to give him water between meals, then he stopped eating all together because he was full from water. Then the doc said put cereal in his bottle....that made him trow up even more. The doc had us try every kind of formula out there and nothing worked. Long story short, I changed peds around 8 months and his new doctor asked if Nick was tested for reflux. The results came back that he had reflux! After two doses of prescription Zantac my son slept through the night for the first time in 8months and stopped throwing up. My Nicholas actually smiled for the first time ever and was such a different baby. I am not sure if this is your baby's case, but it cant hurt to talk to the doctor about it. Hope your little girl gets better and I hope I have helped.
Sincerely, R.

Hi
It does sound like colic. I would give her gas drops after every feeding and lay her on her belly across your lap or arms while slowing swaying and patting her back. Or on her side while rubbing her belly gently. See if that helps. I also know that dairy can upset some babies bellies and certain vegtables like onion and broccoli. My girlfriend has a 5 month old and is still on a strict diet for breastfeeding her. Good luck I know that can be hard. Oh yeah and colic can start or end anytime before 3 months.

hi, my child didn't have this problem but my best freinds daughter described the exact same problem as you, she switched to Dr. Browns Baby Bottles and tried several new formulas and ended up using Carnation brand. I hope this helps she said the it was like a miracle her child had severe reflux. I pray you have the same great results. If you need to talk you can email me anytime I know how stressful this can be w/no sleep she used to keep the vacuum on constantly or the hairdryer, maybe you can find a nosie fan and put the baby in a baby swing or bouncy seat to soothe her or that womb sounds bear. E. M. email address is ____@____.com if you want to email me back directly.

We had a simliar issue with our son when he was a baby. The first time they gave him dairy based formula in the hospital, he threw it all up. Never checked him for an allergy. He kept having stomach issues, tried every kind of formula, cereal, etc. Long story short, we switched to soy on our own but we were using the powdered formula which when mixed with water was adding bubbles to the formula...in turn adding gas to his belly. Anyway, we survived the first year on the premixed Isomil (I couldn't breastfeed) once he started with cows milk....ALLERGIES!
I guess what I'm trying to say is, like the other Mom's it does sound like an allergy. Definitely change Pediatricians - We did too.
I'm not sure where you are but we have a great one! He got my son under control!

L.

Hello,

I can understand your frustration. My baby used to do the same. However, nothing could sooth him.

Anyway, he stopped crying when the doctor prescribed him half a tablet of Prevacid. Sometimes babies have heartburn. Interesting ah? Also, he changed the milk to Alimentum/Similac.
Sometimes babies are allergic to the milk's protein. Maybe that's why she threw up. My baby threw up with other milk formulas. He stopped throwing up with Alimentum.

Ask your Dr about this combination. Or maybe he lets you try Alimentum first before trying any medicine. Better than that...change the doctor!

Good Luck!
J.

My son was colic and started when he was 3 weeks old. I used Hyland's Colic tablets for him. It is homeopathic, and 100% natural.
It worked wonders for me. You can buy it in natural food stores.
I think for the babies the best is breast milk. I never tried anything else(he had bad refluxes and throw ups until we started solid food).
I hope the tablets will help you.

My little guy was daignosed with reflux and had all of the symptoms you mentioned. I used the enfamil AR and that worked in conjunction with prevacid prescribed by a GI doctor. (He was sent for an upper GI before medication was used) Some of the non medical things that I believed helped were: Dr. Browns Bottles, Carrying him in a sling, Sitting him upright for 30 minutes after feedings. (I used the baby papasan for that I'm sure any baby chair that has a semi-sittingposotion would work)

J.
Stay at home Mom to a 22 month old little boy

I would think it is colic. My suggestion is to try Gerber gas drops instead of anything else. Otherwise put her on a lactose free formula. I went through months or crying and screaming with my first daughter and the doctor told me that the lactose free formula does not help and don't change her. I couldn't take it anymore so i changed her to a loctose free formula on my own (yes the dr. was mad @ me) It made a world of a differnce. If you research what colic in on the internet, it is from a milk based formula, but doctors these days don't think so. I put my daughter on Parent's choice lactose free formula from Wal-Mart. She did better on that brand than enfamil or any of those big names. I wish you luck and feel your pain. Also try a bounces that vibrates. My daughter loved it!

Hi K.,
My daughter, who will be two in about 3 weeks, had all of the same symptoms (hands clenched, arched back, spitting up/throwing up after eating) and her diagnosis was reflux. She was put on Zantac and her symptoms went away in about 2 weeks. She however did not have the non stop crying.

Sometimes you need a second opinion and sometimes even a third opinion. Most of the time, and I know this because I work for a large group of physicians, doctors don't get their feelings hurt if you seek a second opinion. Sounds like you are frustrated and don't entirely trust the instructions from your current doctor.

You should listen to your instincts, they are usually going to lead you in the correct direction. Good luck with the baby!

hi K., i have a daughter that just turned 15 monday. when she was born all she did was cry, cry, and cry more., she never stopped. she was like the exercist if you were any where close to her you would get EVERYTHING she just ate, and she would jurk like she had seizures kept telling her ped. that i thought she had seizure's. the ped. said no its probley colic. for about 5 days strait i took her in, the last day as i was putting her in her car seat to leave the office she had one of her what i called a seizure the doctor came running outside and said she needed to see a gastrologist. she called one of former teachers who was a gastrologist and we went to miami childrens the next week. while we was there we found out she had a pda (heart) and reflux disease. we were there for 3 weeks. she recieved meds for the ruflux(the exercist was gone) she took her meds 30 minutes before she ate. that was the hardest part because i never had my babies on a schedule. but she took it for a couple of years and then she was fine. now she is a healthy 15 year old girl. i hope you find out soon what is wrong with her. good luck. as for milk goes she was allergic to milk so she was on nutramigen until is was about 15 months old.

I dont think my son had that problem. is colic where they have gas?

K.,
Of all the topics that I have responded to this one is the one I know the most about.
Our daughter was born with acid reflux. Not only was she miserable so were my husband and I. She cried all the time, never slept and would puke up everything. It could be up to 2 hours later and she was like the exorcist...it would be everywhere.

The dr. tried the rice ceral...the enfamil A>R nothing worked.
Finally this is what did work.....
Nutramigen formula, liquid zantac nad reglan. The last two are prescrition.

We tried everything...finally at 4 months the dr. gave us the combination and it was like a miracle. It got better everyday!
She began sleeping through the night, no more crying and actually happy.

And the whole shower thing...I would have to stand and rock her back and forth.

Please talk to your doctor about the combo I told you about.
It was a life saver for us.
The dr. told us that A.R. is heriditary....do you or the babies father have or ever have it?

Good news they grow out of it between 9 months to a year....unfortunitally they get it back as an adult.

Good luck...let me know what the dr. says.
G.

She probably has both colic and reflux. TRY SOYMILK IMMEDIATELY. You'll save yourself a lot of time and trouble.

It's definitely reflux. Both of my daughters had it. The biggest sign is back arching. She would have no reason to arch her back with colic. You can try Mylanta or Zantac, but I suggest you see a Gastrointerologist, as she could have GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). My oldest daughter had this condition from birth and it's most prevalent in preemies. She should outgrow it by the time she is 2. One thing you can try to control the spitting is to burp often, at least once half way through her bottles and again when she's done, work in a third time if you can. Also, make sure she is in somewhat of an upright postion when you feed her, and keep her upright for 30 minutes to an hour after her feedings (try propping her up on pillows or put her in a bouncy chair if you have one). This will give her food time to settle in her tummy and keep the acid from rising. Acid rises more when you lie down.

Try reading the book Happiest Baby on the Block. Talks about the 5 S's - swaddling, swinging, "shh"ing, sucking, and one other I can't seem to remember off the top of my head. The book is great and really helped me. Definitely try swaddling. It is worth it.
Also- the baby seats that bounce. I had one (the aquarium series) that vibrated and had music. The same swing is great too.

Hi, first of all I would change pediatricians right away. Yours is too vague. You need definitive answers and alternatives. Many peds no longer believe in "colic". I don't know. I totally agree with trying the Happiest Baby book and/or DVD. It's amazing! Try swaddling her if you're not already doing so when she starts crying. It immediately calmed my baby. Also try gripe water. NOT the American kind with dill. My dr. suggested the U.K. version which you can get at a english/irish specialty shop or online. Totally calmed her down. The Irish mommys in my neighborhood swear by it. You can also try gas drops. Maybe it's gas. My daughter calmed down when I put her in a swing too. Good luck! You know what? It will pass :-)

I had to write to you because I went exactly through the same. My son started having colic at around 8 weeks and he had it until he was 12 weeks old. He was fine during the day, but at around 6:00 pm he would cry non stop until 9:00 pm. We tried everything and in his case the only thing that would soothe him was the vacuum cleaner, so I would vacuum the house almost every night so that he could fall asleep. We also did the cereal and changed the formula and nothing worked. The doctor basically said to be patient that there is nothing to do but wait. At around 12 weeks everything changed. I could not believe it. He got better instantly. Some of my friends have gone through the same, so my advice is: If she is not spitting a lot or throwing up, just be patient. I assure you it will get better. This is just a phase. I wish I could give you an instant remedy, but sadly it just takes time.

Best of luck

I know everyone else is saying it sounds like colic but my understanding is that colic appears for a few hours a day, constant crying and it is most typically in the evening, right when you are trying to get dinner and wrap up your day, lovely huh!?!

But all day crying is not usually colic. I've never heard a doctor tell anyone to give a baby milanta. That just doesn't even sound reasonable to me! The gas drops you buy over the counter usually work pretty good. My daughter went through just about every type and brand of formula available. My guess is that you will just have to try a few more to find one that agrees with her. Rub her belly and try really hard not to bang your head against the wall too hard!

Good luck

It sounds exactly like reflux. My son had it when he was a baby and he exhibited all those symptoms. Believe it or not Zantac is commonly prescribed for little babies for this problem and it is completely safe. Now, a sensitivity to dairy can exascerbate this problem, and I found giving up dairy (I breastfed exclusively) helped a bit but every baby is different. However, my son never got complete relief until he was put on Zantac. It really changed my life. It also really helps to elevate their head while they sleep. I actually purchased something called the Amby baby hammock that was great for my son. I am sorry you and your little one have to go through this. It is no easy time, but on average they grow out of it by 12 mos. My son did at 10 mos. If you have any more questions or need some moral support, feel free to e-mail me. I have done extensive research on the subect. Good luck!

A.

I was wondering what kind of bottle you are using when you feed your baby. My daughter Sofia was about 6 weeks old and started to cry uncontrolably and she was my second child and my oldest daughter never cried like that before, so I heard from a friend to use Dr. Brown bottles. The first night i used that bottle she actually stopped crying and went to sleep for the first time in weeks. I was amazed by it. I swear by these bottles. Maybe you should give them a try. And if that doesnt work ask your doctor if your baby can be having a reaction to the formula or even breast milk. My younger brother was allergic to formula n breast milk until my mother found a special brand of formula that actually worked I cant remember the name of it but I will ask her n get back to you on it. I hope everything works out for you and your baby.

After having 2 daughters that have had milk protein allergies to the dairy I was drinking coming through my breastmilk, you may wish to consider the amount of dairy you consume. My first daughter had all the symptoms that yours has and ended up having bloody diarhia at about 7 1/2 weeks. By the way, 7 weeks is about the time that the immune system kicks in and allergies become apparent. I stopped BF and gave her Allimentum on the advice of our Pediatrician (after trying to eliminate dairy from my diet for 1 week and then reintroducing BM-and a non-stop crying day!) My second daughter, now 14 wks old wasn't really a crier, but had rashy acne on her face, started sneezing and runny nose after each feed, and lots of watery stools. Close to 7 wks, they became VERY smelly and greenish. Back and forth to the Pediatrician- decided to go the soy milk route this time-all symptoms cleared up within days. Since I did not love BF, I gave it up with just a little guilt. You may wish to do more research on milk protein allergies on the LeLeche League website-they have lots of info about breastfeeding issues such as this if you are committed to keeping the baby on the breast

K., is your baby bowl movement normal or to hard sometime is constipation Give her more water with karo syrup which will smoth her another thing every one ounce of formula burp her and gases hide in the side of her tummy rub in the sides. I try this with my babies and it work. a liitle of philp magnesia baby spoon in 5 ounce of water. just once. God Bless you and hope I help a little

My baby screamed a ton at that age too. I eliminated almost everything from my diet so my breastmilk would not upset her tummy. If at all possible, I would try the "total elimination diet" for two weeks and keep feeding her breastmilk. After four days, I saw a change in my baby. For some babies, formula is way too hard to digest so they get tummy pain. Also, see/read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" (in book or DVD form)and/or read Dr. Sear's "The Baby Book" and his list of 100 things to do to sooth a screaming baby.

Message me if you have more questions about the elimination diet.

if you think it is colic try puting something that vibrates by them and try soy milk. That is what my daughter had and she was about that old to. They changed her formula 7 times. Final we did the vibration thing and soy milk it work. Good luck hope it helps.

HI K.,
I have one word: perseverence. You have so much great information from other Mom's that I definitely agree with. My son exhibited exactly the same behaviors as your daughter. I commend you for breastfeeding! I also commend you for not giving the rice cereal mixture! At her age her stomach is not even mature enough to digest it so it just knocks her out because her digestive system is overwhelmed. Keep nursing, but mind your own dietary consumption that could cause gas like beans, spicy foods, mixing fruits with starches, etc. Drinking fennel teas while nursing reduced gas in my son. If you have to supplement once a day w/ formula try organic soy formula from the health food store instead of enfamil. What worked best w/ my son was lying him on his back while holding his feet in air and moving them as if he were riding a bicycle. I did this several times a day. Best wishes to you. Don't worry it will get better. ;-)
Kindly,
D.

Hello,
So sorry to hear about your problem. I had a similar problem with my son. He's almost 7 weeks old. I don't breastfeed, but He was like that with every formula. I finally tried Nestle Good start. My doctor recomended it right before going to Enfamil Nueg. After 5 formulas, including Enfamil A.R. he was good. It's weird because it's the cheaped formula out there, but the comfort protiens actually work. he is amazingly better and just started sleeping through the nigh (the trick is letting him sleep in his carseat, mommy secret)
Another thing that helped is making him poop. I had to use a Q-tip with vasoline and put it in for him to poop. It always made him and and feel instantly better. Hope this helps!!! Keep me informed and if you have any other questions, just ask.
:),
J.

K.,
My son had colic. Try gripe water. I found it at Stuart Fine Foods in Palm City. Also if you are nursing, are you eatting dairy products? Your daughter could also be lactose intoloerant. It makes for a very blan diet, but try elimating all dairy, green veggie, tomatoes and anything spicy. I also recommend a soy formula. It takes a few days to transist, but it helped my son tremendously. I went to Enfamil first (my old reliable formula), but have found that Simalic digests better for my little guy. I tried the AR and had no luck as it is milk based. Good luck. Keep us posted

I went through that with my first son. It usually lasts only three months. My son when sleep in my arms but as soon as I put him down and tried to walk away he would scream again. They are usually not tolerating what they are drinking. Mine did not take well to breast milk, soy formulas or anything except of one formula that even back in 1998 costed $20 a can. My health insurance paid for it though. I am sorry I do not recall the name of it and I have not seen it in the stores as of late. Search the web site though under colicky babies and you will find a lot of information to help you. What you need most to do is to take care of yourself so that you could take care of your baby. Have someone relieve you for awhile of having to be around the baby if even for a few hours so that you could get the much needed rest you need. Baby swings were a blessing and the faster they went the better help they provided. That used to give me a big break. I believe your baby is colicky just by what you wrote about her. I will be happy to discuss anything that comes up with you about her.

L.

K.,
It really sounds like reflux to me. My 2nd son (now 2) had this until he was 22 months or so. He was spitting up *all* the time (we changed his "going home" outfit at the hospital 3 times and he still went home with puke on himself - poor guy). He cried a lot. My first son was a cryer too, but he was more fussy/colicy and there IS a difference. With reflux, there was really not a break from the crying. It was pretty much all day and he would wake every 2 hours or so crying as well at night. With colic, there was a more defined period of time for the crying - typically the "witching hour" - 3 to 7 pm or so for us. There is also a difference in the sound of the cry. With reflux, it sounded like he was in pain. Not just whiny or fussy. Coughing is definitely a symptom, as are the squirming and back arching. I really pushed my doctor to try a round of Zantac (if you do this, be sure to ask for a compounding pharmacy and have it compounded with flavoring - the standard prescription is for a very minty solution made with a lot of alcohol and it made my son choke and gag too much). Anyway, this post is too long but here is a link for some more info - there are lots of environmental things you can do to relieve his discomfort. http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=message...
Good Luck
J.

PS I just read your update. One other thing to consider is a soy allergy. Esp if you've changed her from soy to dairy formula and the crying has stopped.

Sounds like a dairy allergy. Both of my children were like this until I cut dairy out of my diet. Are you nursing? Stop the formula and especially the cereal, it's not only a choking hazard it can cause obesity and other problems later in life.

I'd bet money that it's dairy - most cases of "colic" are undiagnosed dairy allergies.

Also, if the running water helps, try white noise - we use a cd with ocean waves playing. Swaddling and swinging may also help.

Hi there,

Yes, this sounds a lot like Reflux. There is a great website for info on little ones with Reflux, it is-www.infantrefluxdisease.com. I know first hand how tough it can be, but the good news is that it does get better!

Hope this helps!

I had that with my middle child my daughter. Mylacon drops only helped once in a while. I found that if you are breast feeding YOU have to watch what you eat. Like tomatos, hot sauce, and certine foods. These foods will upset her tummy. Also if you are going to give her a formula, I HATE WHEN A DOCTOR SAYS TO GIVE THEM A FORMULA THAT THE FOMULA COMPANY PAYS THEM TO TELL YOU TO GIVE THEM. Infamil is a harsh formula. Try a different formula. I had to give my children Carnation Good Start because it was an easy formula. Even some of these Store brand formulas are better then the Pricey expensive brand formulas. Even better go to a Health food store and get a whey protine shake and make her some of it. My youngest who is 15months has been drinking Muscle store brand protein Shakes since he was 6 months old. Here is a web link for it if you are interested www.musclestoreusa.com. It has the same whey protein in it as formula does. It is broken down to the lowest level for easy digestion. and it tasts a heck of a lot better then formula LOL.

But seriously, I had the same probelm with my daughter and I had to do the same thing as you are doing with her. I found that the mylocone drops helped some, change of food that I was eating for breast feeding and if I gave formula try a different brand and you have to try it for about a week to see if they adjust. Don't but down the store brands because they are just as good and the Infamil and simalac if not better then them. Just to let you know that some Pediatricians are payed money for evey time they refer a parent to those two brands of formula. Oh and by the way Hospitals are now starting to give out Carnation's Good Start, and it use to be the unknown brand. I have used it with all 3 kids my oldest is 8 years old. Hope this helps let me know.

Hi K.,

My daughter is 9 weeks old and has trouble with feedings. She has those same exact symptoms and those are symptoms of reflux. We tried AR and it made her constipated. We are now trying soy formula instead of regular formula. The soy formula still comes up but she seems to be less gassy and more relaxed while feeding. I breastfed her until I went back to work last week. Anyway, get some gas drops and try the Dr. Brown's bottles or the playtex nurser. Both of them have been somewhat helpful. The pediatrician said that if she didn't improve by two months (meaning not throwing up more than every other feeding) that she probably needed to be medicated. She also is having us get an upper-gastrointestinal x-ray done to make sure there is no obstruction. It sounds to me like your daughter might have colic. I read that it starts around 3-6 weeks. I think my daughter may have a mild case because she is fine until she eats and then gets unhappy and we have to walk around with her and burp her constantly. This is my first child also. Ask your doctor about the upper-g.i. x-ray, etc. and see what they say. Good Luck!