After (almost) 10 months of surviving what is variably referred to as a 'fussy', 'challenging', 'difficult', or as I prefer 'painful' baby I have decided to embrace blogging in the hope of catharsis.
Let me start at the beginning. B3 was born in October of 2008. The third, and first planned, child. B1 and B2 are girls, so B3 was also the first male baby. He has also proved to be the most difficult baby of the 3.
B3 cried for an hour after he was born, and 12 hours after his grand entrance I was pacing hall ways of the hospital trying to soothe him to sleep. After 24hrs I checked out and headed home as I needed sleep and wasn't getting any with this new addition. Things at home didn't improve, and until he was about 4 months he didn't sleep before about 11pm each night.
If there is such a thing as being simultaneously over and understimulated then this kid was exhibit A. He needed to be sheltered from anything externally stimulating yet neeeded constant motion to fall asleep. Consequently we swung and bounced him on knee and exercise ball, and after a couple of months resorted to walking around the block with B3 in sling til he eventually gave up fighting and would succumb to the land of dreams. Though never for very long.
He had colic and reflux. He didn't feed well subsequently, only snacking at the breast every hour despite my best efforts to spread the feeds out to a more tolerable 2 or 3 hours. Eventually at 3 months I gave up the boob for the sake of my sanity, which was already hanging by a frayed thread. Fortunately he did accept the bottle happily.
During this time I read, and read, and read, baby books offering advice on routines, and helping babies to sleep, and managing 'fussy' babies, but nothing seemed to apply to B3. I googled ADHD in Infants, and Early signs of Autism, and various other disorders in attempt to understand why I had this kid who was just so grissly, unsettled and at times impossible to satisfy.
Just last month we tried a reflux medication that offered no improvement in his demeanour. So then went to a Pediatrician vainly hoping they would offer the answer and solution. However she appeared as baffled as I.
So at almost 10 months he continues to whinge and whine. Desperately trying to crawl, yet somehow just stuck, unable to work it out. And boy is he frustrated. And boy, arn't I as well.
Let me start at the beginning. B3 was born in October of 2008. The third, and first planned, child. B1 and B2 are girls, so B3 was also the first male baby. He has also proved to be the most difficult baby of the 3.
B3 cried for an hour after he was born, and 12 hours after his grand entrance I was pacing hall ways of the hospital trying to soothe him to sleep. After 24hrs I checked out and headed home as I needed sleep and wasn't getting any with this new addition. Things at home didn't improve, and until he was about 4 months he didn't sleep before about 11pm each night.
If there is such a thing as being simultaneously over and understimulated then this kid was exhibit A. He needed to be sheltered from anything externally stimulating yet neeeded constant motion to fall asleep. Consequently we swung and bounced him on knee and exercise ball, and after a couple of months resorted to walking around the block with B3 in sling til he eventually gave up fighting and would succumb to the land of dreams. Though never for very long.
He had colic and reflux. He didn't feed well subsequently, only snacking at the breast every hour despite my best efforts to spread the feeds out to a more tolerable 2 or 3 hours. Eventually at 3 months I gave up the boob for the sake of my sanity, which was already hanging by a frayed thread. Fortunately he did accept the bottle happily.
During this time I read, and read, and read, baby books offering advice on routines, and helping babies to sleep, and managing 'fussy' babies, but nothing seemed to apply to B3. I googled ADHD in Infants, and Early signs of Autism, and various other disorders in attempt to understand why I had this kid who was just so grissly, unsettled and at times impossible to satisfy.
Just last month we tried a reflux medication that offered no improvement in his demeanour. So then went to a Pediatrician vainly hoping they would offer the answer and solution. However she appeared as baffled as I.
So at almost 10 months he continues to whinge and whine. Desperately trying to crawl, yet somehow just stuck, unable to work it out. And boy is he frustrated. And boy, arn't I as well.
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