I have a 6 week old girl who's colicky and has severe reflux (projectile vomits after every feeding). She sleeps better at an incline and right now we have her sleeping at night in her car seat. I put it on the dryer when a load's going and she seems to calm down with the vibration. Does anyone know of a good baby carrier/seat that has a vibration as well as a glider/swinging motion? Any other recommended seats?
My sister had a vibrator thing that you could attach to any car seat, swing, or pretty much anything else. I can't remember the brand that made it, but I would bet they are still available.
Sometimes when I couldn't calm my baby down I would put her in the swing and then turn on the vacuum close by. For some reason the white noise of the vacuum calmed her down. Good Luck! Amy
When my daughter had colic and the reflux as well and there were plenty of nights where she slept in a swing. I believe that its Graco that makes a vibrating bassinet (I bought mine at Once Upon a Child-second hand) and I rolled up a couple of towels to elevate her so she wasn't laying flat on her back. She also liked the Fisher Price aquarium bouncer that vibrated and she liked that because of the lights and music as well. Her reflux went away as she got older. Good Luck!
We used the Fisher Price brand for both the swing and bouncy seat. They worked wonders for our daughter who wore the perma-bib (permanent bib for spit -up) all the time. Good luck!
Hi Alex,
I loved the papasan swing and bouncers. My daughter loved them, too. Depending where you live you can often find them for less on Craigslist.
I read an article years ago in ( I think it was family circle ). They did a study on breast feeding. We are not talking 3rd world countries. The average age to wean is 4 years to kindergarten. Only in America is it 6 months. I nursed my daughter till she was 4. I never had a problem getting her to sleep. No ear infections and seldom sick. It was always easy to comfort her during tamper tantrum age and the only time it became a problem was when she got a rare cold due to the fact that nursing kept her sinuses open and when she dozed off they would clog back up and wake her up thus wanting to suckle again. Cows milk is designed to produce brawn not brain. Thus a contribution to the obesity problem in this country. I hear complaints that the baby just isn't satisfied nursing but they like to suckle and even though mom is out of milk the child likes to suckle. It gives them exercise. They also have studies that show in countries where the mom carries the baby on them while working that colic is non existent. The walking movement helps them to digest there food. Front and back packs are wonderful for babies. The moms from poor countries eat more natural not processed foods. Yes it is a sacrifice to moms and allot of work but if we do not pay the price than our children will. They grow so fast and a good start can make all the difference. I cook from scratch and stick with mother natures wisdom. The result is a daughter that is rarely sick, zero allergies, no weight problems and smart. Human milk has brain development enzymes that are important to proper brain development. Unfortunately the economy and the cost of living requires 2 incomes to live at a middleclass standard on top of the full time job of running a household. We struggled for me to stay home. Clothes were bought at goodwill etc. but it was worth it. When she was 3 I only allowed her to have nursies for night night and reminded her with a little rhyme that at 4 no more. Even though she did not like the thought of no nursies, when she turned 4 she was well prepared and there was no problem.
The Dangers of Soy Formulas
Since the late 1950's, it has been known that soy formulas contain anti-thyroid agents. Infants on soy formula are particularly vulnerable to developing autoimmune thyroid disease when exposed to high exposure of isoflavones over time. ( Breast and soy-formula feedings in early infancy and the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease in children. Fort P; Moses N; Fasano M; Goldberg T; Lifshitz F Department of Pediatrics, North Shore University Hospital-Cornell University Medical College, Manhasset, New York 11030. J Am Coll Nutr, 1990 Apr, 9:2, 164-7) This study found that the frequency of feedings with soy-based milk formulas in early life was noticeably higher in children with autoimmune thyroid disease, and thyroid problems were almost triple in those soy formula-fed children compared to their siblings and healthy unrelated children. Dr. Fitzpatrick even believes that long-term feeding with soy formulas inhibits TPO to such an extent that long-term elevated TSH levels can also raise the risk of thyroid cancer.
Not much is being done in the U.S. to make parents aware of the thyroid-related dangers of soy formulas, or to alert the public that heavy soy consumption may be a danger to thyroid function. Other countries, however, are far ahead of the U.S. In July of 1996, the British Department of Health issued a warning that the phytoestrogens found in soy-based infant formulas could adversely affect infant health. The warning was clear, indicating that soy formula should only be given to babies on the advice of a health professional. They advised that babies who cannot be breastfed or who have allergies to other formulas be given alternatives to soy-based formulas.
Why more information is not available about these concerns is probably a function of the tremendous strength of the large agricultural companies that dominate America's soy market. One thing is clear, however. At the same time that health experts, and nearly every radio and television health program in the nation touts soy as the miracle health food of the new millenium, the United States pediatric and medical community needs to get more on top of this issue, and begin to counsel their patients regarding the serious impact use of soy products can have on thyroid function.
How Much Soy is Safe?
According to the Soy Online Service, for infants, any soy is too much. For adults, just 30 mg of soy isoflavones per day is the amount found to have a negative impact on thyroid function. This amount of soy isoflavones is found in just 5-8 ounces of soy milk, or 1.5 ounces of miso. For more information on how much soy is too much, see the Soy Online Service guidance page.
The USDA has launched a website that is promoting the health benefits of use of soy and soy foods. The USDA site lists the isoflavone content of a total of 128 foods, including foods such as vegetarian hot dogs soybeans, chickpeas and tofu. This can help you in deciding how much soy to include in your diet.
My son didn't like to sleep lying flat, so we put him in the infant papasan seat and he napped/slept in it for the first 5 weeks. We loved the seat and it worked wonders for us. It's very cushy and has settings for vibration and music although it does not swing. Highly recommend it!
First of all, I know what you're going through - I'm on my second colicky baby. In addition to my swing recommendation - Fischer Price Nature's Touch cradle swing - I would also suggest two other things: 1) swaddling if you don't already. I like the Kiddopotamus brand, can purchase at Target.com. 2) I have sought acupuncture for my nine-week old this time around. Don't worry, he doesn't get poked with needles! I go to a fabulous practicioner (which makes all the difference) and we have found out his issues stem from an intolerance to gluten - including vegetable gluten. There are a few other items I'm staying away from too, but removing that from my diet for the time being has revolutionized our lives. Good luck and let me know if you would like any more information.
Alexa,
The bouncer didn't work for my son who has acid reflux. He hated it actually. He only tolerated the swing, even though it had all the padding, etc. It just didn't work. The item I ended up purchasing, and hasn't been mentioned, is the Graco Sweetpeace Soother. They designed it specifically for colicy babies. They had a website just for it, if you google it, you'll find it. I actually wish I'd bought it much sooner. I didn't until he was 5 months old and we'd already suffered through all the other typical items... as soon I put him in this, he settled right down and loves the gliding action that is exactly like what I do, if i have the energy! The sound options and swaddler are such a help too. Hope you find what works for your little one!
you might want to research the Amby baby bed. It is like a hammock/swing. We bought it for our daughter, but she was already too old to adjust to it. She enjoyed laying in it and bouncing, but we only got her to nap in it a few times. I believe if we had gotten it first, and put her in it from day one, it would have been heaven for all of us. My daughter also had reflux very young. I had started taking Xango(a mangosteen juice)and through my breast milk it helped her reflux go away. She had been on Previcid for it. www.mymangosteen.com/HaileyJ for more information. I am now a distributor for it. Best wishes and I hope your beautiful baby gets some relief soon!
My baby was extremely colicky and I have done all things to soothe him. He was also coping with spit ups and babies magic tea was the only thing that soothed him from acid reflux and colic.
Wonderful advice, ladies, I do appreciate all of your comments. We ended up buying the Graco Sweetpeace Soothing Center, thanks to one of your recommendations and it worked WONDERS. In fact, last night she slept thru the night for the first time (not quite 3 months old). I highly recommend this swing. It is where she sleeps every night and she does really well in it. It helps elevate her for reflux reasons, it vibrates, swings in different directions, plays background noise or music, etc. I wouldn’t have discovered it if it weren’t for you. Thank you!