Help! Moms and Grandmoms!

[catnapper]

Ok folks, we're going out of our minds here. The baby is good as gold when Ashley is around. The moment she leaves, he bawls his eyes out for HOURS. We feed him, we change him, we rock him, we talk to him. We burp him. We try the swing, the crib, the sway lounger. We prop him up. We bounce him on our knee..... you get the picture. We try everything and anything and he continues to cry.

I figured by now that he'd be used to me, especially, since I babysit him at least 3 ties a week for 6-8 hours each time. If anything, the bawling is worse. I am glad though, because its not just me! Everyone said it was ME in the beginning because I "was too uptight and needed to relax". Well, they finally got their opportunity to babysit him for 6 hours like I typically do. I honestly think they fare worse than I do. I swear that since I have learned to tune out incessant dog barking at work that I can tune out incessant crying. But nobody else can and everyone's at their limit.

He just cries non-stop. Real, solid, crying with tears. He's been checked out by the doctor and nothing is wrong with him. He's as happy as can be at the doctor's - probably because Ashley is there. He simply wants attention (or so it seems) the moment we approah to pick him up, its like an "off" switch, and he quiets. He's happy to be held for a few minutes, we rock him baclk to sleep, and the moment we put him down, he reawakes and the crying begins again.

We've tried the theory of letting him "cry it out" and.... well... that was a fundamental failure. I let him cry for half an hour yesterday until I felt too guilty and picked him up. No lie, he fell asleep on my shoulder within a minute of being picked up. Problem is he won't stay asleep unless he remains held.

Ashley hardly ever puts him down. Which I think is the problem, however we can't convince her of that. We're all frustrated and feel helpless. Its confusing. could he be teething early? If so, why does he only do this when mom isn't home?


HELP HELP HELP!!!!!!!!!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go attend to a screaming baby.

[caseysmom]

I never subscribed to the "just let them cry" theory. I think they need all the contact and interaction you can give. In a few months he will be more able to entertain himself and it will get easier, while he is tiny I am afraid there is nothing you can do.

[catnapper]

I never subscribed to the "just let them cry" theory. I think they need all the contact and interaction you can give. In a few months he will be more able to entertain himself and it will get easier, while he is tiny I am afraid there is nothing you can do.

WAAAAAAHHHHH, thats not what I wanted to hear! (LOL )

Actually there IS one thing that keeps him quiet, I've been doing it every day - walking him in the stroller. My upper arm muscles are getting strong because its a broken stroller and I really need to control it. I've walked and walked with him and typically he's happy and quiet as can be during the walk. I just can't afford to leave for any long period of time because I work from home and need to be there in case a client calls. Sigh.

[Husky_mom]

Oh Kim..........been there done that.........LOL..........my kid got a bit "embrasilado" (thats a spanish term used to define when a baby want to be hold at ALL times LOL) so he always wanted to be held, he didnt cried as you desribe lil Cam does, but he did cried until u piked him up, and we also let him cry it out for a while, he did get the idea, thankfully, it was giving me back pains

as for advice I think i read somewhere they suggested recording Ashley´s voice and you couls get her to use some clothes of you so they get her "smell" on them, you could try music, and maybe even get some breast milk and use as "perfume"........just a thought........

and don´t get frustrated cause I believe babies feel anxiety and would demonstrate by crying more, so try to stay as calm as you possibly can, maybe get some lavender scent (i know its used to soothe horses, but maybe babies too ) I´ll ask my mom other thing she had to do to keep baby nice and quiet

[Cataholic]

I don't subscribe to the 'let them cry' theory, either. I don't think it is appropriate for an infant of this age to cry non-stop for 30 minutes. Maybe that was an exaggeration on your part, but, that doesn't seem right.

Some babies are high needs. Maybe Ashleys is one of them. Infants want their mothers. I personally feel they should have them every minute of every day at that age. I know, I know, everyone needs a break. Well, not at the expense of an infant. Maybe the baby just wants more of Ashley? More continuity? More security?

Maybe there is some reflux going on? Maybe there is an issue with where he is placed for sleep? With Jonah, I heated his bed before placing him in it, so he didn't experience that cold feeling when I removed him from me and placed him in a cold little bed.

He will grow out of it.

[catnapper]

Ok, relief came in the mail! I looked online last week and came across a pacifier that is vanilla scented and supposedly calms down babies... it was only $3 including shipping,so I thought why not try it. It came today, and guess what? IT WORKED! He's now happily sleeping.

Is it too early to tell if the pacifier made the difference?

Thanks for the suggestions and hope that he will grow out of it.

[Catty1]

DON'T QUESTION IT!!!!

Let sleeping Cams lie...

[BitsyNaceyDog]

You just discribed my nephew. He was the same way, only he cryed even when his mom was there. He's 4 months old now and it's better, but he still crys a lot (my M-I-L swears he doesn't stop). One thing that works with my nephew is a ride in the car, it puts him to sleep everytime.
Would you post a link to that pacifier, I'd like to show my sister-in-law.

[caseysmom]

Kim, I just remembered that my swing saved my life when my kids were that small.

[catnapper]

The pacifier is the Gumdrop pacifier. I found mine on ebay, I don't know what they are offering on ebay today. I was thrilled to get it so cheap

Gumdrop pacifier

[Karen]

Swing! If the pacifier stops working, a swing will give him the "motion" feel he likes without you leaving the premises and missing client calls. And though it may not seem like it now, he will outgrow it. And just think what strong lungs he's building! He could be the next Pavarotti, right?

[catnapper]

Karen, he doesn't like his swing. We put him in it, and he's quiet for twenty seconds then he starts bawling.

[jenluckenbach]

Strap on a frontal baby carrier and just walk around with him all day.

[Dorothy39]

Strap on a frontal baby carrier and just walk around with him all day.

I waited, and waited, (dial up!!! ) ,

When I got to the last post,

You took the words right out of my mouth

[moosmom]

Babies need to suckle. Especially at that young of an age. Did he EVER have a pacifier?? If not, that gumdrop thingy you described like it did the trick.

Good luck Nana!!