Support thread for raising touchy babies - part 2

[Ima shel Alon]

Oh the joys to look forward to....I'm already seeing it during tummy time - he hates it. Has anybody ever been given advice to what you are supposed to do when they get frustrated?

Agh, tell me about it.
We are still struggling with tummy time, but it's much better (but only in the last few weeks, so it's coming your way).
What I did is insisting on tummy time. Every A time I would put him on his tummy, even if it was for 20sec till he started complaining (and by complaining I mean shouting for me to rescue him for this torture). Slowly slowly it became better and now he can tolerate a minute or two. Now I also put his favorite stuffed animal in front of him.

Sara - I remember you posted a while ago about Zac's ears (do I remember right?). How is he doing?

[ZacsMumme]

Slowly slowly it became better and now he can tolerate a minute or two. Now I also put his favorite stuffed animal in front of him.

This worked for us too Now if I get Zac on a good day he will roll around and move on his tum for up to an hour! (Though he is not interested in crawling grrr)

I did...not sure if you are refering to his ear infection (which he is well and truely over thank goodness - that was hell!) or him ripping them off!!! - The pulling at them etc which caused tears has healed. But I did have to get antibiotics for him and cream. It seems he had a bacterial infection The stuff that the plunket lady told me to use made it 10 times worse grrrr. All good now though!

[Ima shel Alon]

I did...not sure if you are refering to his ear infection (which he is well and truely over thank goodness - that was hell!) or him ripping them off!!! - The pulling at them etc which caused tears has healed. But I did have to get antibiotics for him and cream. It seems he had a bacterial infection The stuff that the plunket lady told me to use made it 10 times worse grrrr. All good now though!

Yeah, the ripping off, poor bub. Glad to hear it's better.

[MommaBrooke]

Lyanna always hated tummy time as well...I used the breastfeeding pillow trick.  I would also lay on the bed and have her do tummy time on my tummy.  She loved watching mommy make funny faces and hear all the funny noises I could make   If she wasn't into it, I didn't force it...she had other things she was good at, and we just worked on those strengths instead of forcing the poor babe into something she was obviously uncomfortable with.

[ZacsMumme]

Hey Ladies...do your touchies find teething really really really painful? Even when the teeth are just moving down ie not cutting? I feel like Zac is always in pain from teething even when they are not cutting but just moving around ie white and little pearl on the gums.

And...how do you all find the SA? At the moment we are getting it really bad. Well actually pretty much the day Zac turned 8 months it began!

[Khalam's Mama]

My touchy is too young to answer those questions for you Sara, sorry.

I am finding B is scoring much lower in the touchy dept now his reflux is controlled. Do any of you lo have reflux and do you find this anyone?

[ZacsMumme]

I am finding B is scoring much lower in the touchy dept now his reflux is controlled. Do any of you lo have reflux and do you find this anyone?

Yes Khalams Mama  - DS has reflux and since about 7 months he has developed a spirited streak! His spirited streak is really more when it comes to A times, he is very determined and gets easily frustrated. He is also a bit o a spirited feeder and around people he feels 'safe' with. he is still very touchy with sleep, pain and settling. HE is also very touchy to large groups, noise and when he is OT or OS. 

[MommaBrooke]

Reflux here as well.  But we got in under control around 3 months with a thickened formula.  I find L's touchy reactions are much more manageable now that she has more control of her motion.  She will push someone away if she doesn't want to be held, and will back away from people when they get too close to her.  Things have really gotten better for her as she got older

[clairebear79]

Same here.  Reflux and dairy intolerance.  Now controlled he is way way happier.  And now he is becoming more independent & can move around himself things have improved no end.

He still gets VERY upset if other people hold him or if he can't see his mummy though.  Had utter meltdown at playgroup yesterday b/c I left him to play & went to get a cup of tea.  He could see me still, but I wasn't right infront of him so it wasn't enough.  The main thing is that he will go to his grandparents (IL's) without crying....so I can have a break!  Just gotta work on him going to my mums now!

[Ima shel Alon]

Sara, yeah, teething is really really hard. What are you giving him?

[ZacsMumme]

Well....he hates anything too cold in his mouth SO I have been giving him homemade rusks and cruskits to munch on along with his teethers. He also likes cool water. And, I hate to admit it but I have been giving him pain relief before his naps and before BT the last few days or he just screams and screams and gets exhausted. The only thing he is settling with when he is bad is the boob as the dummies seem to hurt him.

Last night we had the worst! He screamed for an hour and nothing would calm him. I am too scared to look in his mouth this morning to see if that top tooth has cut in case it hasn't and there is more to come! Any other ideas for things I can do to ease his discomfort...it seems like he is ALWAYS teething...

[Ima shel Alon]

Have you tried teething gel? And there are also the teething granules, they seem to at least ease it (the pain is still there iykwim), I also heard some moms here recommend the amber necklace.
With my LO I also tried many different things and unfortunately found that the only thing that helps is the pain relief stuff.
I didn't want to give it to him at all, but he suffered. Sometimes this "chemical" stuff is just the only way to go to stop them from suffering. If you think about it, it is an unbelievable pain, and it's so slow too! If the pain killers seem to help and you are getting some sleep, I'd say go for it.
Poor little Zac

[ZacsMumme]

Oh yes and bonjela (teething gel) We use that a bit and it does seem to help. The powder doesn't seem to have much effect.
We have an amber necklace...Thanks for reminding me as I haven't put it on him for a while. (Actually I forgot about it!)

Yeah...my mum is a nurse and both her and the DR have told me over and over that the pain med dosages are designed to be safe for use even if you have to use them consecutively for a period of time. It beats a baby in pain. I do agree but I still feel guilty, esp after him already being on meds for reflux.

Thanks for the tips and reminders Ima shel Alon

[ZacsMumme]

So DS is 9 months old and people keep asking me about his 1st birthday. I am really excited about it...but also terrified. All tehse people in his house making lots of noise. I am really worried he is going to get A) OS like you would not believe and B) Upset and overwhelmed with it all and cry the entire time!

Anyone with babies over 1 year BTDT and have tips on how I can have a birthday party for Z without it being a terrifying experience for him!!!!! I cant stop worrying about it

[Cecildix]

Hi, I am in need of some desperate help!!! I am new to this site (haven't had the chance to post pics) and a first time mother with a touchy/textbook 10 week baby girl and feel like I am a prisoner in my own home.  She seems to be so sensitive to everything and I can't seem to get her out of the house without her getting overtired or overstimulated. At this point its just not worth having to see her scream and cry in the afternoons because she can't seem to settle down and sleep. When I do get out I am nervous the entire time because I know what is coming when we get home. I just end up feeling like a horrible mother. She has meltdowns and sometimes there is no calming her down. If she misses a nap or I don't catch her when she yawns then its really hard getting her down and now once I do get her down she only sleeps for like 45 minutes. She sleeps good at night, but during the day she doesn't sleep very well and wakes up very easily. I feel like there is no "y" in my schedule. I have been on the EASY schedule for about a week now and things have gotten somewhat better, but I think it still needs to be tweaked. She can't seem to stay up for longer than an hour E and A and then its back down because she is yawing and ends up getting cranky. Then at 4:30 or 5:00 every evening when she is suppose to go down she won't and I end up spending an hour to get her down only to fail and then dinner is ruined. I haven't eaten a meal in weeks without screaming and having to eat so fast my stomach ends up hurting.  Also I am feeding her every two hours and it just seems like she snacks instead of eating and I am afraid my milk is going to dry up. Should we be going 3 hours? and if so how do I tweak my schedule??? Also, how I manage to not get her overstimulated or overtired by then end of the day? I have cut out basically everything to a point where I feel like she is not getting any interaction. I am so confused and can't seem to figure her out or read her.

FYI She usually eats well and loves her baths...I know that is not typical of a touchy baby. Any ideas how we can get out of the house for a couple hours without getting too tired. She is constantly looking around and is always jerking and moving. I don't know that she can ever really just relax. I know I am not mentioning everything, but please help this first time mommy out. I get that she may be a sensitive little girl and I am okay with that I just want to be a better mother to her. I think that she may be a little insecure because the world is such a big place.