12 week growth spurt NIGHTMARE

[nicabery]

I have had the hardest 2 weeks of parenhood so far and need to hear from anyone who might have had a similar experience. Our DS is 3 months old on Wed ( 12th) and has spent the past 2 weeks being a TOTALLY different baby. Whereas he was placid and content, he's become angsty and noisy! He was a really textbook case with an 3 hour EASY established weeks and weeks ago. Night and naps were great (12 hours at night!) and 2 solid 1.5-2 hour naps in the day plus another hour later on. He has been cluster feeding in the evening as he weaned himself off a dream feed. BUT the past 2 weeks we've seen flying arms, crying, screaming, vomiting, screaming, no naps, short naps, eating and eating and today more eating. Where has my child gone and who has replaced him?
Is this just a growth spurt or someone I need to get used to? It's been getting me down and I'm in a right state!
Help and advice needed please....

[deb]

My very first thought, because we dealt with it only earlier, is possible reflux. Check out the Reflux board - there's a post there entitled Reflux 101. See if anything on there rings a bell.

Have you changed your diet in any way recently? Sometimes there are triggers that can cause symptoms like this in babies, like dairy, tomatoes, wheat, sometimes soy.

I would also suggest seeing if trying pain meds 20 minutes before a sleep time makes a difference. If it does, that's a clue, although it won't tell you the source of thepain, whether it's a latent ear infection or teething or whatever. (Natalie popped her first 2 teeth around 4 months :shock:)

Just some random thoughts - I'll watch this post and see if I think of anything else.

[ava's maman]

Hi, my DD is 11.5 weeks old and has been going through her growth spurt for the past week and I think finally calming down, but like your LO, she is hungry every hour, wakes us every two hours at night when she used to only wake one to two times a night, and has been sleepy, cranky, etc and definately not on schedule.  I tossed the schedule because it was making me frustrated so now we just do what she needs even if it is a feeding before a nap, etc...
Now my daughter also has acid reflux and is on Zantac which only helps neutralize the acid, but she has been fussy at the boob since about 3 weeks old.  I thought it could be the acid reflux or powerful letdown, but she still does it.  She is usually calmed just by sitting her up on my lap, but if she is in one of those moods if I recline her again to feed she screams.  Not sure if this is still the acid reflux or she is just telling me 'mom i don't want to eat'...

[nicabery]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Things seem to have calmed down a bit although he's definately eating all over the place including just before a nap- the pacifier or finger doesn't help at all. We're off on holiday today for 5 weeks and have a 9 hour plane journey to deal with so hopefully things will be ok!
I think we've decided to be a bit more relaxed with things for the next few days and get back on track once we all get over jet lag.
Thanks again