Why Do Some Babies Cry Inconsolably?

2008-08-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

That was the question I asked myself for the first 4 years of being a postpartum doula. Every time I ran into one of those babies, I would remember my own baby 36 years ago. He would cry all evening and far into the night. I was so tired. I felt like I just couldn’t keep going. I remember the exhaustion and the endless thoughts of what could be wrong with the little baby boy. I went to my pediatrician and he said you just have to let him cry it out. We had a very small three bedroom house on a military instillation. When we let my son cry it out then instead of two of us being up four of us were up. I finally gave up the cries were too pathetic and helpless. I later met my pediatrician’s wife while shopping (we delivered the same day) and shared with her my exhaustion and frustration. When I mentioned her husband's recommendation to I let the baby cry it out, she said: “I don’t know why he said that, it is not working at our house either.” What a relief!! I wasn’t a bad mother not doing what the doctor said. As a nurse, I decided there had to be something physically wrong for the baby to cry, and cry, and cry with piercing screams. This began a series of visits to the pediatrician that only ended in frustration. He had no idea why my son was crying. He told me it was colic and there was nothing I could do but let him outgrow it. My son eventually outgrew it – whatever it was. I often joke that I was sent a “colicky” baby so there would be no more babies.

Helping mothers now 36 years later, I was amazed that babies were still crying inconsolably and doctors were still telling mothers it was colic. I couldn’t believe that since we have so much more information about babies than we did 36 years ago. I had a pediatrician friend who I turned to for help and he solved the problem. He told he use to tell mothers it was colic but now pediatricians knew it was reflux. He sure hadn’t been talking to the same pediatricians the mothers I helped talked to. At least he pointed me in a new direction.

Just as I had amassed 40+ books on infant and sleeping, I began amassing a full library on reflux. All of those books certainly described reflux but somehow they didn’t describe what I was seeing as I cared for the babies. The regular baby books had very little information on reflux. Some had several pages on Colic. The colic pages said pretty much the same thing as my pediatrician said 36 years ago. Then as I was browsing through Borders I found Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to-Soothe Baby by Brian Vartabedian MD. I literally could not put the book down. I read it in one evening. Now, I knew what was wrong with the babies who were crying inconsolably. More later.

Passion For New Mothers And Babies!

2008-08-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

I am Pam Ferinde, a registered nurse and post-partum doula with over forty years of nursing experience. After my retirement, I began to care for mothers and their babies as a certified postpartum doula. For the past four and a half years, I have developed a passion for working with new families and babies especially those babies who are labeled “colicky” and cry inconsolably.

I provide support during the initial three months of a new baby's life, not only for the new baby but also for Mom, Dad, and siblings.

My services include the following:

Support for you as you acquire your own parenting style
Breastfeeding instruction and problem solving
Infant care using the latest research-based techniques
Colic Coach with management strategies to soothe a fussy baby*
Assistance with nutrition, hydration, and rest for the new mother
Coaching in the 5 S’s**
Sleep coach for all ages
Assistance in understanding the meaning of your baby's cries by using the Dunston Baby Language
Introduction to Baby Signs for infants and toddlers
Assistance in preventing plagiocephaly (flat-head syndrome)

Provision of The Mother's Handbook and Log, an infant care manual covering such topics as your baby's sleep and nutrition requirements, when and how to meet those requirements, and the use of soothing techniques, with each topic detailed on a separate page in the manual for easy reference

*As presented in the book, Colic Solved: The Essential Guide to Infant Reflux and the Care of Your Crying, Difficult-to-Soothe Baby by BryanVartabedian, MD

**As presented in a book and video entitled The Happiest Baby on the Block, the 5 S's are Swaddle, Swing, Side, Suck, and Shhhh. Having completed training in the associated teaching program, I am a certified Happiest Baby on the Block Educator.

I travel throughout Washington Metropolitan Area including Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Montgomery County, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Frederick County, Falls Church, Alexandria, Fairfax, Reston, Vienna, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Mount Airy & Frederick.

In this blog I am going to share my experience and knowledge about the "colicky" inconsolable baby. I will share what I find works doesn't work and any research I find that gives new insight into the little bundles of misery labeled "colicky." Come walk this journey with me!

Mothering New Mothers

Why Do Some Babies Cry Inconsolably?

Passion For New Mothers And Babies!