2 1/2 week old newborn. Question about colic!?

The onset of colic is normally at around 2-3 weeks, peaks at 6 - 8 weeks, and tapers off at about 3 -4 months. A typical baby with colic will cry about 3 hours a day, 3 times a week, and is for the most part inconsolable. I am sure there are variants to the amount of crying and colic. So that if your baby does not fall into this same pattern, he could still suffer from colic.

However, because you can soothe him relatively easily, it may be something other than colic. Sounds more like something is irritating his digestive system. He could be having a hard time adjusting to formula from breastmilk (breastmilk is after the most gentle on a baby's tummy).

If you are sure about not breastfeeding him, than you will likely need to find a formula that he can tolerate better. Does he have any blood in his stools? If so, he may have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy. In that case, you need to look into putting him on one of the elemental formulas such as Alimentum or Nutramigen. These formulas are pre-digested and easier on a baby's stomach. If he does not, maybe Similac Sensitive or Enfamil Gentleease. Pediatricians will recommend you trying a milk based formula prior to switching to a soy based formula. However, soy can be a good alternative as well.

Also, it could be acid reflux. If the pain and clenching commence right after eating, it is likely that he has reflux. Also, does he wake up screaming? - this too is a sign of reflux. Your doctor will need to evaluate him. For reflux, they usually recommend elevating the mattress at an angle, holding the baby upright longer after a meal, and might prescribe zantac.

Good Luck!

aww im so sorry that your poor baby is crying so much! well when my baby was little like that i remember the same thing. it was gas. i switched him to the gassy formula and it helped but he was still up hours every night inconsolabley crying. he did the same thing your baby does but i could hear and feel the gas in his little tummy sometimes. try these things....

1. rub his tummy or put a little soothing pack on it for a min.

2. get really good bottles that take out air bubbles

3. try rotating his hips or doing a bicycle movement with his feet.

there are tons of stuff you can do too. but the thing is "colic is a term doctors use for babys that cry inconsolably for no known reason. nobody knows why it happens or what causes it. its just a term they use when they dont know why the baby crys. a lot of people say that if theyre baby has collic it strikes at about the same time every day and lasts for hours at a time. my baby got even worse when i put him on baby food. i think he just had a hard time digesting things.

I believe colic doesn't come on until about 6 weeks or so.

No, it sounds like your baby is gassy and uncomfortable.

First of all do you have any of those gas drops, mylicon?

(the very best place to buy them is at Target, the Target brand)

Try that. If it helps, I think you should consider switching formulas. Sounds like it isn't agreeing with him.

Good luck.

(Also, as a side note, not a judgment, you could still go back to nursing. I mean if the medical thing cleared itself up at all, your breasts will make the milk for the baby. It would be the easiest choice of all, because there is never an allergy to mom's milk! Good luck!)

My little girl is 8 weeks old and has been breast fed from day one. A couple weeks ago I started adding one bottle of formula a day (4-6 oz) to supplement because she was always hungry. I noticed she started getting really fussy and her tummy would get rock hard full of gas. I did some research and soon found out that breast milk is alreay broken down so the baby doesnt have to digest it. When you switch them to formula, their fragile little systems have to adjust to breaking it down and it can cause a lot of discomfort with gas and stuff. The soy formula actually seemed to make the problem worse. I got some Mylicon for her and it seems to help a lot. I haven't tried the gripe water yet but I hear that works great too. You could also try laying him on his back and massaging his belly and peddaling his legs for him to releive the gas. Good luck!

What kind of formula are you using? It sounds like it's not agreeing with him. We had to try a couple different brands until we found one that worked well for our son.

It doesn't sound like colic because colicky babies usually can't be calmed down despite trying everything. But, you never know.

Burp him frequently and try using gas drops, they work wonders.

Can you elaborate on the "medical reasons" why you stopped nursing? I'm not attacking- just curious. A lot of times, mothers think they can't nurse due to certain medications when it's actually safe to continue nursing.

Sounds like your son is trying to tell you something- he wants breastmilk. I'm sure you still have milk and can totally go back to breastfeeding if you'd like.

If you feel comfortable elaborating on the "medical reasons" thing- we might be able to help you find a way around it so that you can continue nursing and your baby can stop screaming :)

Try a drop or two of Mylicon before each feed. This helped my kids. I also switched to a lactose free or soy based formula which helped with the tummy aches

Sounds like he has gas. My son had gas bubbles and reflux. Poor thing. I would put him in a warm watter bath usually that worked to settle his tummy. I also used those gas drops. Don't worry, everything will get easier. It doesn't sound like colic to me, just a gassy baby.

American Academy of Pediatrics do not recommend switching to soy formula for the problems that you described. You make try gentlease, nutramigen, or go to a breastmilk bank.

When my daughter was a week old, she diagnosed with colic. I tried different remedies and babies magic tea was the last product that soothed my child.