Stressful visit to docs - how do you all calm your LOs when out?

[Lillylemon]

I've just been for our 6week check and there was no consoling him! Started outside the surgery and I felt so stressed going in, I didn't want to wait in waiting room as he was screaming for no apparent reason. I'd fed him and I think he was just tired. I feel so exhausted now, the doc couldn't even examine him as he wouldn't open his eyes and he said to me calm him down first then I'll look at him. I said to him I can't calm him, I don't know how when we're out of the house! At home I bounce him on the birthing ball or give him boobie - which then he sometimes brings back up as I know he's not hungry. He won't take a dummy or my finger either. Now the thought of having to go there again for his jabs fills me with fear!

I feel exhausted now...I know I'm lucky he doesn't have collic and isn't up all night screaming but I am getting to the point where I feel like I can't go out as when he cries I don't know what to do apart from give him a boob!

How do you all calm your babies if they start crying and you're away from home? Do you pick them up out the pushchair? I tried putting him in the sling but that didn't work either! I feel he has a very short attention span so I can sometimes keep him calm after a feed briefly but then I know he's going to start screaming!

x

 

[MandaAnda]

If he wants/needs booby for hunger/comfort when I'm out, he gets it. At his 6-8 week check, the doctor examined him with no problems and then gave him his first jabs. He was very upset after the jabs, and the doctor was more than happy for me to breastfeed him there and then while she finished filling in the paperwork.

 

[MelanieAnn]

I think the reason you see happy contented babies out and about is because mums tend to stay at home when babies are cranky/hungry!!!

Personally I used a sling a lot out and about. The closeness and the rock really helped comfort my LO. My fave was a ring sling but a stretchy wrap is an excellent choice for a littley, too.

And yes, I got very good at NIP!!!

 

[Lillylemon]

Oh I'm glad to hear you saying this - the only way I could comfort him was to feed him while the doc talked to me! I had no choice as I couldn't hear what he was saying over the screaming!

Do you find LO will bring back up milk if not hungry? This is why I've been trying not to do it for comfort. And because sometimes it's every 15mins or something...he'll become really unsettled. I really need to try feeding in a sling because I'm not finding the muslin over the shoulder really works as LO fights me and pulls it off!!

x

 

[MandaAnda]

I'm lucky that my LO rarely possets milk - and it's usually after a burp! IIRC what I read somewhere, they learn to comfort suck without taking much milk if they're not hungry.

I never cover Jack with a muslin - any attempt gets swiped away! I either raise my top, then lower my vest underneath, so not much is seen; or if I'm wearing a top where I need to pull my boob out over the neckline, I tuck a muslin across the top of my boob (from armpit to cleavage).

We never mastered feeding in a sling, but I still love them. Having him so close keeps him so settled and calm. We had a Moby wrap from birth until about three months when I sold it on and got a Sleepy Nico (a buckled mei tai) carrier. Both were preloved!

 

[Lillylemon]

I am using a Moby now but want to get something else, am thinking about an Ellaroo ring sling. Definitely want to try and ring one to see if I can feed in it, which would be a real result!

 

[EmmaM2]

I had this yesterday - it was so stressful and reduced me to tears. He cried the whole time until i fed him (in aprivate room, i didn't have the guts in the waiting room) and everyone in the waiting room before i fed him was looking at me as if to say can't you calm your baby? It's like if i knew how i bloody would - i don't exactly enjoy this either! I felt awful until we got back home, makes me scared to go out. I haven't got to grips with the slings but he likes his baby bjorn (sometimes) and i managed to go out for lunch in it today and got a few hours peace.

 

[Lillylemon]

Emma, I really feel for you, it sounds like we had the same experience! I totally agree that I'm getting more and more worried about going out. I've just got my head around the constant feeding and now I feel like I don't know how to calm him! My LO doesn't sleep much and I know most of the time he's just tired but I can't get him to sleep, he just cries!

 

[EmmaM2]

Mine too! he only sleeps if on me having been cuddled to sleep - as soon as i put him down he wakes within a max of half an hour but more likely 5 -15 mins. I did manage for a couple of days to calm him by swaddling, cuddling and using ssh/pat technique. He gets so overtired though he screams (ear piercing scream) for ages and then when over tired he wont stay asleep for long so its a viscous cycle. I was trying to keep putting him down once asleep but then i give up and let him sleep on me just so he will catch up but it leaves me stranded on the couch. He wont even sleep in the pram or car seat very often. Its reallt exhausting - i do understand. xx

 

[Lillylemon]

Snap to everything you're saying!! How old is your LO? Mine is 6 weeks and 3 days. I haven't been able to swaddle him at all - he seems to have been born with the strongest little arms and legs and hates being cocooned!! Mind you, I might try it again tonight to see if it makes any difference. He sleeps in bed with us mostly as I just don't have the energy to keep getting up and shhhing him back down and then him waking as soon as his head hits the sheets!

OH and I are excellent sleepers so always hoped LO would be - well maybe one day soon anyway!

x

 

[EmmaM2]

our little boy is 3 weeks and 5 days. He hated swaddling too and we stopped in the first week but people told us to persevere and he started to like it and he started sleeping a little alone at night but not in the day still (after being cuddled to sleep). Worth a go i would say. xx

 

[Emx]

The only way I would leave the house when Lani was this age was if I had a bottle of expressed BM with me - just incase I couldnt BF where I was ( was a bit more nervous about NIP then than I am now)... She was taking abottle from 3 weeks old and never had any confusion over breast/bottle.

I do feel for you though - as it used to make me feel nervous about going out, incase she kicked off and I couldnt settle her... it does get easier though I promise xx

 

[special0ffer]

I just had to reply, your post is my exact experience at 6 week check. Lo turns out was hungry and hv was fine to wait for a feed. But the state he worked up into reduced me to tears! I felt like a terible mother fir bringing a hungry baby to check. He had been fed 30 mins earlier! Then in docs I cries again, he has had days of 10 hours of feed/cry and only 10 min naps it's draining. Doc was lovely I was in a panic that she was off to refer me for pnd. Any way on positive note lo is generally better behaved when out than home but it's scary geting the guts to just get out after horrible days. I have ha to feed in a few places now and not to bothersd. I generally wear loose long Cardi which protects modesty.
Jabs on tues! Not looking forward to that!!!!!