Pure Parents

Question:

Hi Phillip I could tell from your email that you are living in Australia.  I am an Aussie living in Holland and have gone through exactly the same thing and my husband and I don’t have any help either.  No this shouldn’t go on for 6 months and the Doctor is right.  Have you considered that your baby might have that unexplained problem called Colic?  Go to a chemist and ask for the latest treatment for Colic.  Don’t worry it won’t be anything harmful, rather treatments are usually homeopathic.  Your baby could also be over tired and this becomes a problem as once this happens they find it really hard to fall asleep or stay asleep.  You may even be over stimulating him which means he becomes over tired.  I found that after I had fed my daughter that I would let her stay up for 1.5 – 2 hours and if she showed signs of rubbing her eyes and even yawning, then it was time to put her down for a nap.  No she didn’t like it at first but each day I try and maintain the same routine.  It doesn’t always work but you have to keep trying.  A bath is definitely great therapy and should settle him down.  The problem is made worse as you feel so alone as the relatives are so far away.  Don’t feel that you have a problem baby.  He is probably like my daughter (nearly 12 weeks old) who wants to take everything in at once and doesn’t want to miss anything.  Good luck and I hope that I have made some sense. p.s. when you can, get a baby sitter for a couple of hours and take your wife out on a much deserved post-birth outing.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi all > My wife and I have had our arrival at home for two and a half weeks now, > this is our first and we are along way from both off our families so we do > not have much help so I thought I would try this newsgroup, so this is > probably a silly question, but I am new at this. > All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, > and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after > feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he > falls back to sleep. We are a little worried, we burp him after each feed > and sometimes I will burp him quite a bit after feeding, we feed him on > demand, he always changed right after sleeping or when he poohs or pees, we > live in the tropics so keeping him warm is easy so as far as we can tell he > is not too hot.   We bath him once a day as well as clean him at each > change, no rashes or such.  My wife breast feeding so we do not think it is > anything he is drinking, as far as we can tell no upset stomach, she is > producing lots of milk so we are sure he is getting enough, plus he is > gaining weight fast.  Apart from the first week (my poor wife was climbing > the walls after the first week), we have developed ourselves a mental > survival plan,  she is expressing milk and storing it so after work each day > I take over a my wife can have a 8 – 10 hour break from the crying to sleep > or just get out of the house so we maintaining our sanity.  Plus the Doc > says there s nothing wrong with him. >  after all that here is the question > We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much > longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, > like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me ) > — > Steph & Phil

Response:

I’ll just chime to say first Hang in there, yes they do stop crying, Have your wife change her diet. Eliminating Dairy sounds like a good start, plus all spicy foods and no cabbage. My second was colicy, but it use to strike around 5 pm and last for 3 hours. Try different techniques, sit in a semi-dark room with him wrapped up; give him a pacifier to suck on (my kids favorite when they had a stomach ache); Lie him down and gentle rub his stomach; give him a massage. Good luck! This pass !! ChrisOD Mom-to-Mom http://www.cluein.com/cluein/public_summary.html?cid=R1556 A messageboard run by a Mom, for other Moms all about being Moms

Response:

> I’ll just chime to say first Hang in there, yes they do stop crying, > Have your wife change her diet. Eliminating Dairy sounds like a good start, > plus all spicy foods and no cabbage. > My second was colicy, but it use to strike around 5 pm and last for 3 hours. > Try different techniques, sit in a semi-dark room with him wrapped up; give > him a pacifier to suck on (my kids favorite when they had a stomach ache); > Lie him down and gentle rub his stomach; give him a massage. > Good luck! This pass !!

And all these techniques will help the time pass until they grow out of it.  sometimes one is lucky and does find the magic solution — i.e. some kids really do get calmer with less stimulation or with tummy rubs — but for the most parts it appears to be a matter of maturation.

Response:

> Why do everybody rush to assume the problem MUST be colic?

IMO When you have a baby that seems to fuss and cry all the time, you want or need some sort of explanation for it.  You think, "This is not normal, there must be something wrong."  At least that’s how I felt and still feel about my child.  My daughter is 10 weeks old and is a very fussy baby.  I was convinced it was colic…the definitions I read of colic were simply unexplained, inconsolable crying for 3 hours or more, usually at the same time of day.  I’ve since read that colic is actually a term relating to abdominal pain…I understand horses get colic a lot and it’s when they have some sort of abdominal troubles.  How do you diagnose this abdominal pain in an infant?  They can’t tell you they hurt, you just have to assume if you’ve done everything else for them, it must be some sort of pain, therefore, you assume the baby has colic.  Plus, a lot of colicy babies feel more comfortable being swaddled (putting pressure on the abdomen and maybe relieving the pain), or, as with my child, feel better when you lay them face down on your lap.  Again, putting pressure on the abdomen and maybe relieving the pain.  So now you have a reason for why your baby cries. When I told the ped. about it and he basically dismissed the colic idea (I think because you can’t really diagnose it and even if you do, what can be done to treat it?) and he just said she’s a "high-impact" baby.  I’m beginning to think he is right.  Whether she has colic or not, I’ll never know.  All I know is that she crys *A LOT* and many times (usually at night), she’s inconsolable. My point in all of this is to the original poster, Phillip Smith to cry."  If I’ve done everything I can for her and I’m at my wits end, I put her down for a few minutes (5-10) and then come back and try to comfort her again.  It’s frustrating and difficult, but I’ve been told it does end. I’m waiting for that to happen. — J. Trip 1st time mom (Allison 7/30/99)

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> <snip> > >Mom will need to watch what she eats while > >nursing.  Others have pointed that out too.  But > >it bears repeating.  Anything spicy can be > >upsetting to the baby’s tummy. > This (that spicy foods are the most common cause of stomach upset in > breastfed newborns) is a myth. Yes, some babies are sensitive to spicy > things, but dairy, followed by veggies like broccoli, onions, cabbage, and > cauliflower and acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits/juices are > actually more common culprits. >Garlic was the one that set my son off.  So that’s >why I mentioned it.  He would have a lot of gas >and garlic scented BMs.  Isn’t that a pleasant >image?  lol

I don’t think of garlic as being "spicy", so I guess that’s why I reacted that way. When I think of spicy foods, I think of things containing chilies. And, generally speaking, chilies seem to be on the low-end of the scale when it comes to baby’s reactions. But I have heard of babies who objected to garlic. Luckily, mine don’t, because I *love* garlic! — Be well, Barbara (Julian [7/22/97] and Aurora’s [7/19/99] mom) "The hardest thing about raising children is that they’re not stupid." — Me

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Garlic was the one that set my son off.  So that’s >why I mentioned it.  He would have a lot of gas >and garlic scented BMs.  Isn’t that a pleasant >image?  lol > I don’t think of garlic as being "spicy", so I guess that’s why I reacted > that way. When I think of spicy foods, I think of things containing chilies. > And, generally speaking, chilies seem to be on the low-end of the scale when > it comes to baby’s reactions. But I have heard of babies who objected to > garlic. Luckily, mine don’t, because I *love* garlic! > — > Be well, Barbara (Julian [7/22/97] and Aurora’s [7/19/99] mom) > "The hardest thing about raising children is that they’re not stupid." — Me

LOL I do too!  It goes on EVERYTHING.  lol  It was hard to give it up while I was nursing, but it was so much more pleasant than smelling those diapers!!!  LOL Sharon

Response:

>We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much >longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, >like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me )

My question toy ou is did the doctor mention anything about being lactose intolerant?  he might get terrible pains from it and from where the doctor sits it doesn’t look like anything.  My youngest would cry from pain but had no other symptoms.  Her stool was soft and slightly runny but then again alot of newborns have soft runny stool.

Response:

>Does he have colic?  My son had that for awhile and he cried a lot.  His >grandmother suggested giving him a special tea.  It worked.  I forget the name >of the tea.  I’d consult my child’s physician if I were you.  

a small dose of chamomile tea

Response:

> Hi all > My wife and I have had our arrival at home for two and a half weeks now, > this is our first and we are along way from both off our families so we do > not have much help so I thought I would try this newsgroup, so this is > probably a silly question, but I am new at this.

Hi Phil, Congrats to you and Steph on your new son!   A few things to throw in the mix.  My two children (now 3 & 7) did much better if I swaddled them. This is when you wrap the baby in a receiving blanket.  Put the blanket out flat on your bed, the floor, where ever you have room.  Then lay him on the blanket with his head at one corner of the blanket.  Take the corner that is down by his feet and fold it up so it covers his legs and tummy. Then take one of the corners at his side, and wrap it over his tummy (so that his arms are sort of gently pinned to his sides) tuck that corner under him on the opposite side from where it started, between his body and the blanket under his back. Now take the other corner at his other side, wrap it over his tummy and tuck it under him.  Think of it like making a Baby Burrito.  :-}  This limits their movement and is comforting to some newborns.  Remember by the time he was ready to "come out" he didn’t have a lot of room in Mom to move around.  Since you said you live in a warm climate, you might try leaving him in just an under shirt and diaper before you wrap him up.   Sometimes too if they are a little colicky (and it sounds like he might be) it feels good to snuggle belly to belly with Mom or Dad.  Give that a try. Remember he shouldn’t sleep on his tummy.  But when you are holding him try holding him that way. Ask your doctor about Mylecon drops.  (I think that is how it’s spelled.  Pronounced My-leh-con.)  This is basically an anti-gas medicine for babies.  Even though you burp him till you think he’ll burst, he may still have a gas bubble in there.  Remember that when babies cry, they gulp and swallow air.  Thus making bubbles in the stomach.  But ask your doctor BEFORE you give him any of those.  They aren’t harmful in any way, so far as I know.  But it is ALWAYS a good idea to ask the MD before you give a baby ANY medicine. Mom will need to watch what she eats while nursing.  Others have pointed that out too.  But it bears repeating.  Anything spicy can be upsetting to the baby’s tummy.   The last thing I wanted to point out is that babies are very sensitive to Mom & Dad’s moods. If you two are stressed out (and I remember how stressful it can be to have a crying baby) that will wind him up too.  So try to keep cool heads. (I know that isn’t easy to do.)  You are making wonderful progress at relieving each other.  My hubby and I call that Tag Team Parenting.  lol  By all means, keep that up!!  Sometimes it helps to try and fool yourself.  Just keep telling yourself that he isn’t really crying, he’s just talking to you in the only way he knows how.  :-}  (I know it sounds silly, but it got me through some ugly days!) This WILL stop eventually.  Remember that just like you are adjusting to having him around, he is adjusting to being out in the world.  So it’s bound to be a little rough.  :-} Give him some snuggles for me.  And while you are doing that sniff his little neck.  (I just love that baby smell!  :-})  And go in and look at him while he is sleeping peacefully.  That beautiful little, peaceful face will make the crying face a lot easier to look at.   My best, Sharon ps Remember that there are no stupid questions.  We were all first time parents at one time. And please don’t feel insulted if any of the stuff I said were things you already knew.  Just trying to be as clear as I can be.  Hang in there!

Response:

Hi all My wife and I have had our arrival at home for two and a half weeks now, this is our first and we are along way from both off our families so we do not have much help so I thought I would try this newsgroup, so this is probably a silly question, but I am new at this. All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he falls back to sleep. We are a little worried, we burp him after each feed and sometimes I will burp him quite a bit after feeding, we feed him on demand, he always changed right after sleeping or when he poohs or pees, we live in the tropics so keeping him warm is easy so as far as we can tell he is not too hot.   We bath him once a day as well as clean him at each change, no rashes or such.  My wife breast feeding so we do not think it is anything he is drinking, as far as we can tell no upset stomach, she is producing lots of milk so we are sure he is getting enough, plus he is gaining weight fast.  Apart from the first week (my poor wife was climbing the walls after the first week), we have developed ourselves a mental survival plan,  she is expressing milk and storing it so after work each day I take over a my wife can have a 8 – 10 hour break from the crying to sleep or just get out of the house so we maintaining our sanity.  Plus the Doc says there s nothing wrong with him.  after all that here is the question We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me ) — Steph & Phil

Response:

Well congratulations of the baby. As long as you’ve had him to the Dr.’s to know all is well, yes it can be very normal. The swaddling is good as well as advice about your wife eating differently and also for her to calm down. Babies do pick up on edginess. Also certain drops to try for gas. Every baby is different and always keep trying. What works for one won’t for another. You sound like you have my first daughter there. She really did stress me. I finally stopped breast feeding her and that helped a lot. I was the only one taking care of her 24/7. I was tired and although I ate right, my milk bothered her. If that was me now, I would try to find another solution. But at that time, it helped us both. After she turned about 3-4 months old, it slowly started to get better. Yes it does go away. Good Luck and so far it sounds like you are doing what you can to stay happy and get through this small trying stage. Mainmom to Tara (13) Joseph (4) Sierra (3)

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Thanks all for the advice it was greatly appreciated. Tried a few drops of the chamomile tea and wrapped him up firm in some cheese cloth, (I am in the tropics so do not want to over heat him, it is the thinness material I could find) and he has been lying quite happy in his crib most of the afternoon.  My wife and I are over the moon.  Lets hope this is not sort lived . — Phillip Smith Darwin Australia www.users.bigpond.com/hapchap/                               *                                            *                           *                .                                             *                 * *

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi all > My wife and I have had our arrival at home for two and a half weeks now, > this is our first and we are along way from both off our families so we do > not have much help so I thought I would try this newsgroup, so this is > probably a silly question, but I am new at this. > All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, > and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after > feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he > falls back to sleep. We are a little worried, we burp him after each feed > and sometimes I will burp him quite a bit after feeding, we feed him on > demand, he always changed right after sleeping or when he poohs or pees, we > live in the tropics so keeping him warm is easy so as far as we can tell he > is not too hot.   We bath him once a day as well as clean him at each > change, no rashes or such.  My wife breast feeding so we do not think it is > anything he is drinking, as far as we can tell no upset stomach, she is > producing lots of milk so we are sure he is getting enough, plus he is > gaining weight fast.  Apart from the first week (my poor wife was climbing > the walls after the first week), we have developed ourselves a mental > survival plan,  she is expressing milk and storing it so after work each day > I take over a my wife can have a 8 – 10 hour break from the crying to sleep > or just get out of the house so we maintaining our sanity.  Plus the Doc > says there s nothing wrong with him. >  after all that here is the question > We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much > longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, > like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me ) > — > Steph & Phil

Response:

> >We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much >longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, >like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me ) > My question toy ou is did the doctor mention anything about being > lactose intolerant?  he might get terrible pains from it and from > where the doctor sits it doesn’t look like anything.  My youngest > would cry from pain but had no other symptoms.  Her stool was soft and > slightly runny but then again alot of newborns have soft runny stool.

colick of unknown origin is very common and often has nothing to do with digestion [iin babies]  Lactose intolerance to breast  milk is VERY rare — almost unheard of in babies.

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<snip> >Mom will need to watch what she eats while >nursing.  Others have pointed that out too.  But >it bears repeating.  Anything spicy can be >upsetting to the baby’s tummy.

This (that spicy foods are the most common cause of stomach upset in breastfed newborns) is a myth. Yes, some babies are sensitive to spicy things, but dairy, followed by veggies like broccoli, onions, cabbage, and cauliflower and acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits/juices are actually more common culprits. People often mistakenly believe it’s the hot stuff in tomato-based foods such as salsa and other sauces, but it’s actually the tomato that’s causing the problem. Really, from a logical perspective, it’s hard to believe that spiciness alone would be the cause of problems for lots of babies, since well over half the world’s population eats a diet that is rife with spicy foods (e.g., Indian, Thai, Mexican, and many regional Chinese cuisines). Chilies are a very important seasoning agent in tropical areas because they also antibacterial properties which reduce problems associated with eating fresh foods in hot climates. — Be well, Barbara (Julian [7/22/97] and Aurora’s [7/19/99] mom) "The hardest thing about raising children is that they’re not stupid." — Me

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} All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding,

Does he look content while feeding? } and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after } feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he } falls back to sleep.

Other people commented on possible physiological problems.  I am not qualified to offer any medical advice except one: Consider consulting a pediatrician. I have one more question to ask: Do you hold him and hug him and rock him and talk and sing to him while he’s awake? Clueless dad (TM). — My email address is intentionally mangled to foil spambots. Please remove the "—filter—" from the address for replying. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > } All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, > Does he look content while feeding? > } and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after > } feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he > } falls back to sleep. > Other people commented on possible physiological problems.  I am not qualified to offer > any medical advice except one: Consider consulting a pediatrician. > I have one more question to ask: > Do you hold him and hug him and rock him and talk and sing to him while

he’s awake? It is this instinct to hold and hug and rock and talk and sing that is precisely the problem for some colicky babies — this seems comforting to you and me — but may be overstimulating to some babies which is why swaddling and leaving them alone a bit works sometimes.  If all that rocking and walking doesn’t work — then one experiments with LESS ‘comforting’ .

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> >We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much > >longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, > >like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me ) > My question toy ou is did the doctor mention anything about being > lactose intolerant?  he might get terrible pains from it and from > where the doctor sits it doesn’t look like anything.  My youngest > would cry from pain but had no other symptoms.  Her stool was soft and > slightly runny but then again alot of newborns have soft runny stool. >colick of unknown origin is very common and often has nothing to do >with digestion [iin babies]  Lactose intolerance to breast  milk is >VERY rare — almost unheard of in babies.

The baby in question was probably not lactose intolerant, but dairy protein intolerant. Dairy protein intolerance is quite common in newborns, and since the proteins pass through mother’s milk to the baby, elimination of dairy from the mother’s diet or (for formula fed infants) switching to a soy-based formula solves the problem. A *lot* of doctors and others mistakenly refer to this problem as "lactose intolerance", but this is a misnomer. There is 3x as much lactose in breastmilk as in cow’s milk, and eliminating dairy products from your diet doesn’t reduce the amount of lactose in your milk. — Be well, Barbara (Julian [7/22/97] and Aurora’s [7/19/99] mom) "The hardest thing about raising children is that they’re not stupid." — Me

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > <snip> >Mom will need to watch what she eats while >nursing.  Others have pointed that out too.  But >it bears repeating.  Anything spicy can be >upsetting to the baby’s tummy. > This (that spicy foods are the most common cause of stomach upset in > breastfed newborns) is a myth. Yes, some babies are sensitive to spicy > things, but dairy, followed by veggies like broccoli, onions, cabbage, and > cauliflower and acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits/juices are > actually more common culprits.

Garlic was the one that set my son off.  So that’s why I mentioned it.  He would have a lot of gas and garlic scented BMs.  Isn’t that a pleasant image?  lol Sharon

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – } } > } > } All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, } > } > Does he look content while feeding? } > } > } and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after } > } feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he } > } falls back to sleep. } > } > Other people commented on possible physiological problems.  I am not } qualified to offer } > any medical advice except one: Consider consulting a pediatrician. } > } > I have one more question to ask: } > Do you hold him and hug him and rock him and talk and sing to him while } he’s awake? } } It is this instinct to hold and hug and rock and talk and sing that is } precisely the problem for some colicky babies — this seems comforting } to you and me — but may be overstimulating to some babies which is } why swaddling and leaving them alone a bit works sometimes.  If all that } rocking and walking doesn’t work — then one experiments with LESS } ‘comforting’ .

Why do everybody rush to assume the problem MUST be colic? Clueless dad (TM). — My email address is intentionally mangled to foil spambots. Please remove the "—filter—" from the address for replying. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Response:

Does he have colic?  My son had that for awhile and he cried a lot.  His grandmother suggested giving him a special tea.  It worked.  I forget the name of the tea.  I’d consult my child’s physician if I were you.   Denise http://www.chistell.com

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi all > My wife and I have had our arrival at home for two and a half weeks now, > this is our first and we are along way from both off our families so we do > not have much help so I thought I would try this newsgroup, so this is > probably a silly question, but I am new at this. > All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, > and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after > feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he > falls back to sleep. We are a little worried, we burp him after each feed > and sometimes I will burp him quite a bit after feeding, we feed him on > demand, he always changed right after sleeping or when he poohs or pees, we > live in the tropics so keeping him warm is easy so as far as we can tell he > is not too hot.   We bath him once a day as well as clean him at each > change, no rashes or such.  My wife breast feeding so we do not think it is > anything he is drinking, as far as we can tell no upset stomach, she is > producing lots of milk so we are sure he is getting enough, plus he is > gaining weight fast.  Apart from the first week (my poor wife was climbing > the walls after the first week), we have developed ourselves a mental > survival plan,  she is expressing milk and storing it so after work each day > I take over a my wife can have a 8 – 10 hour break from the crying to sleep > or just get out of the house so we maintaining our sanity.  Plus the Doc > says there s nothing wrong with him. >  after all that here is the question > We are coping but worried, is this normal? and if this is normal how much > longer does this generally go on for? (if this does go on for a long time, > like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me ) > — > Steph & Phil

such babies are usually described as ‘colicky’ and no one really knows why they are so disturbed, but it almost always ends by 3 mos.  Some have found that it is over stimulation — that they are unusually unable to contend with the chaos of being in the world — and that they do better if swaddled tightly and left in a quiet dark place [rather than lots of rocking and walking and singing and talking]  It is very common — drives lots of parents nuts — but usually passes and these kids are not more likely to be difficult than any other toddlers and kids — it is apparently a newborn thing.

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> My wife breast feeding so we do not think it is > anything he is drinking,

You know your wife has to watch what SHE eats, right?  Spicy foods can upset a baby’s stomach through mom’s milk. > (if this does go on for a long time, > like 6 months or more, be nice and lie to me )

Oh yeah.  I doesn’t last long.  :-) If babies could only talk… Dad.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi all <snip> >All or son does when he is awake he is cry non stop unless he is feeding, >and this seems to follow a cycle, he sleeps for 3-4 hours wakes and after >feeding we get 1-3 hours crying while trying to settle him until finally he >falls back to sleep. We are a little worried, we burp him after each feed >and sometimes I will burp him quite a bit after feeding, we feed him on >demand, he always changed right after sleeping or when he poohs or pees, we >live in the tropics so keeping him warm is easy so as far as we can tell he >is not too hot.   We bath him once a day as well as clean him at each >change, no rashes or such.  My wife breast feeding so we do not think it is >anything he is drinking, as far as we can tell no upset stomach, she is >producing lots of milk so we are sure he is getting enough, plus he is >gaining weight fast.

Constant crying and fussiness like you describe is sometimes a result of dairy protein intolerance. Some babies can’t digest these proteins and it makes them uncomfortable. Since these proteins come through mother’s milk to the baby, you may have some luck if your wife cuts all dairy out of her diet. This means scrupulously avoiding not just obvious sources of dairy, like cheese and ice cream, but the dairy in baked goods which is often listed as casein or whey in the ingredients. It can take up to two weeks to clear these protetins from mother’s milk, so don’t expect an immediate improvement (though some people do see results nearly overnight). Others are right, though. Some babies are just fussy. Most babies do tend to get over the worst of this at about 3-4 months of age, though. I know that seems like a long time now, but trust me, in the scheme of things, it’s not. — Be well, Barbara (Julian [7/22/97] and Aurora’s [7/19/99] mom) "The hardest thing about raising children is that they’re not stupid." — Me

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