Growth spurt or just stress?

Caterpillar had a no good, horrible, very bad day today.

Woke up around 8:30, nursed on both sides, got changed, into
the carseat, off to have her ears checked (she can hear!).
Big poopy diaper around 10am, right on schedule; didn't want
to nurse after (unusual -- she usually eats every 2 hours,
and after a diaper change). Then on to a few errands and work.

Nursed again around noon (unusual to go that long during the
day), burped, napped. Half an hour after she ate, she was
up fussing, then crying, then screaming. She sounded like
she was in pain, not hungry, so we tried walking and singing
and swinging and gas drops and burping and rocking and each
thing worked for a few seconds, then she was back to
screaming. So I fed her again, and she nursed
half-heartedly and fell back asleep.

I handed her off, and she fussed, then cried, then screamed.
Eventually she had a giant blowout diaper (which everyone
hoped would solve the problem), which made her feel hungry,
so we nursed, then slept, then fussed, then cried, then
screamed. Repeat until everyone but me was frustrated with
her and at wit's end.

Finally, I happened to come in just as she was starting to
wiggle awake, picked her up, and fed her before she had a
chance to peep. And fed her and fed her and fed her until
she was so full she went back to sleep. Then I just carried
her around the rest of the afternoon, until we went home.
At that point, she'd slept for about an hour, compared with
the 15-20 minutes she had been getting.

Got home, took her out of her seat and nursed her. She was
full and asleep, I was starving, so I handed her to
Allyson's mom while I ate. Within 5 minutes, she was
fussing, then crying, then screaming. Finally, I pointed
out that the only thing that had worked the entire day to
calm her down was to feed her, and fed her while I ate
one-handed.

Since then, she's nursed for 10 minutes every 45 minutes,
which doesn't bother me -- when I'm home, I really don't
have anything better to do than carry her and feed her.

In the last two weeks, she's done really well coming to
work. She does tend to get overtired, in part because her
grandparents like to play with her as opposed to just
carrying her around, and because she gets put down by
herself more, so she does have to fuss some if she wants to
be carried. And she has wanted more nursing on the evenings
we go to work, but she normally eats less during those days.
But today, my easy, never-crying, fuss-free baby spent
virtually the entire day crying inconsolably whenever she
wasn't being fed.

She's coming up on 6 weeks, so it's possible she's going
through a growth spurt. But if the stress of too many
people and too much heat and having to wait to be picked up
and held and fed is causing her so much distress that she
cries all the time, then we're going to have to figure out
some way of fixing those things.

We've got a sling, but it's a padded one and I can't adjust
it tight enough to carry her chest-to-chest, and she doesn't
like lying down in it. I think a front-pack might work, if
I can either nurse her in it or get her out easily when
she's hungry. A Maya wrap might be better in the long run
(because I can carry her different ways), though. I can
leave her on a Boppy pillow on my lap between nursings, but
can't really get up and wander around with her unless I use
both hands for her. And it's so big it limits how much of
my arms I can use too much for me to get any work done but
reading.

Anyone have any thoughts on poor Caterpillar's plight, or
the best carrier that would let me hold her while sitting or
standing or nursing with minimal adjustment between
positions, and preferably the maximal use of my hands when
she's not eating?

Phoebe

G'day

Phoebe wrote:

Caterpillar had a no good, horrible, very bad day today.

hugs for Caterpillar and Phoebe

But today, my easy, never-crying, fuss-free baby spent
virtually the entire day crying inconsolably whenever she
wasn't being fed.

She's coming up on 6 weeks, so it's possible she's going
through a growth spurt. But if the stress of too many
people and too much heat and having to wait to be picked up
and held and fed is causing her so much distress that she
cries all the time, then we're going to have to figure out
some way of fixing those things.

Could be any of those things. Could just have been a bad day. Could be
teeth. Could be something you ate. Could be an ear infection. Wait and
see.

Anyone have any thoughts on poor Caterpillar's plight, or
the best carrier that would let me hold her while sitting or
standing or nursing with minimal adjustment between
positions, and preferably the maximal use of my hands when
she's not eating?


What I used and LOVE LOVE LOVE is my hug-a-bub. It is an aussie product,
but can be ordered on the web, and it distributes the weight on your
hips like a backpack. I used to get stopped all the time and asked where
to get one. I wore DS 6-8 hours/day 5 days a week for many months
without any back pain. I still wore DS when we went out, for maybe an
hour or two once he got heavier (19 lb). These days DS would prefer to
walk/run/investigate, so I haven't used my hug-a-bub for a quite a few
months, but would use it in a heartbeat if he was sick and needed
hugging for extended periods. Google for some of my posts on it - one
had a selection of photos with me doing things like flying overseas,
teaching a lecture class of 500 students, sleeping, feeding, working
at a computer - while wearhing DS.

They're at http://www.hug-a-bub.com.au/. Tell them that the Aussie
Ruth from Texas sent them (I've been referring people at a high rate -
I'll have to asking for a commission!)

DrRuth

Well tons of people just recommended the Maya wrap to me, but I ended
up with a Snugli front carrier after trying out 4 front carriers. It
was only $20 at Walmart. My baby hates my NoJo sling so much that I
was afraid to get another sling.

It is probably a growth spurt, since our growth spurt was what made me
write to this group looking for baby carrier recommendations. This
growth spurt really made me want to wear my baby, so I could get
anything done when she falls asleep on me after feeding before she
wakes up wanting the next feeding.

KC

Phoebe & Allyson wrote in message ...
Caterpillar had a no good, horrible, very bad day today.

Woke up around 8:30, nursed on both sides, got changed, into
the carseat, off to have her ears checked (she can hear!).
Big poopy diaper around 10am, right on schedule; didn't want
to nurse after (unusual -- she usually eats every 2 hours,
and after a diaper change). Then on to a few errands and work.

Nursed again around noon (unusual to go that long during the
day), burped, napped. Half an hour after she ate, she was
up fussing, then crying, then screaming. She sounded like
she was in pain, not hungry, so we tried walking and singing
and swinging and gas drops and burping and rocking and each
thing worked for a few seconds, then she was back to
screaming. So I fed her again, and she nursed
half-heartedly and fell back asleep.

I handed her off, and she fussed, then cried, then screamed.
Eventually she had a giant blowout diaper (which everyone
hoped would solve the problem), which made her feel hungry,
so we nursed, then slept, then fussed, then cried, then
screamed. Repeat until everyone but me was frustrated with
her and at wit's end.

Finally, I happened to come in just as she was starting to
wiggle awake, picked her up, and fed her before she had a
chance to peep. And fed her and fed her and fed her until
she was so full she went back to sleep. Then I just carried
her around the rest of the afternoon, until we went home.
At that point, she'd slept for about an hour, compared with
the 15-20 minutes she had been getting.

Got home, took her out of her seat and nursed her. She was
full and asleep, I was starving, so I handed her to
Allyson's mom while I ate. Within 5 minutes, she was
fussing, then crying, then screaming. Finally, I pointed
out that the only thing that had worked the entire day to
calm her down was to feed her, and fed her while I ate
one-handed.

Since then, she's nursed for 10 minutes every 45 minutes,
which doesn't bother me -- when I'm home, I really don't
have anything better to do than carry her and feed her.

In the last two weeks, she's done really well coming to
work. She does tend to get overtired, in part because her
grandparents like to play with her as opposed to just
carrying her around, and because she gets put down by
herself more, so she does have to fuss some if she wants to
be carried. And she has wanted more nursing on the evenings
we go to work, but she normally eats less during those days.
But today, my easy, never-crying, fuss-free baby spent
virtually the entire day crying inconsolably whenever she
wasn't being fed.

She's coming up on 6 weeks, so it's possible she's going
through a growth spurt. But if the stress of too many
people and too much heat and having to wait to be picked up
and held and fed is causing her so much distress that she
cries all the time, then we're going to have to figure out
some way of fixing those things.

We've got a sling, but it's a padded one and I can't adjust
it tight enough to carry her chest-to-chest, and she doesn't
like lying down in it. I think a front-pack might work, if
I can either nurse her in it or get her out easily when
she's hungry. A Maya wrap might be better in the long run
(because I can carry her different ways), though. I can
leave her on a Boppy pillow on my lap between nursings, but
can't really get up and wander around with her unless I use
both hands for her. And it's so big it limits how much of
my arms I can use too much for me to get any work done but
reading.

Anyone have any thoughts on poor Caterpillar's plight, or
the best carrier that would let me hold her while sitting or
standing or nursing with minimal adjustment between
positions, and preferably the maximal use of my hands when
she's not eating?

Phoebe

Phoebe & Allyson wrote:
snip
Since then, she's nursed for 10 minutes every 45 minutes, which doesn't
bother me -- when I'm home, I really don't have anything better to do
than carry her and feed her.
snap

Sounds like she hit the growth spurt. From a previous post I understood
you weren't sure at exactly what time it hits, but IME there is quite a
spread in time for the 6-week spurt to set in. It lasts a few days, and
then everything should be back to normal. Keep the good stuff coming!

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

"KC" wrote in message
om...
Well tons of people just recommended the Maya wrap to me, but I ended
up with a Snugli front carrier after trying out 4 front carriers. It
was only $20 at Walmart. My baby hates my NoJo sling so much that I
was afraid to get another sling.


Ack!
Please, please, please do not judge all slings based on the NoJo. I don't
like 'em myself (they are difficult to adjust properly).

A poorly adjusted sling will not feel secure to you or your baby. But a
correctly fit sling will last you until your child is too heavy to carry.

The majority of slings found in mass market stores are middling to terrible.
In contrast, there are dozens of brands of slings available online which are
much, much more comfortable.

Jenrose