I’m worried about my baby

I am a FTM and my baby girl is currently 8 weeks old. Since she was born everything outwardly appears to be going amazingly.

She was 9lbs when born, I breastfeed her exclusively. She only last half an ounce the first week of her birth and since then has been gaining weight well, and is now 12lbs 6oz.

The health visitor doesn’t even come regularly to see her now, which I want just for reassurance, but she said she doesn’t feel she needs to and has no concerns for my daughter.

LO has plenty of wet and dirty nappies a day. The doctor even said she is ‘a perfect baby’ when examining her last week.

I had zero concerns over her, until seeing other people’s reactions to her crying.

LO has cried quite a lot since she was born, and when she cries she REALLY goes at it. The midwives had a little laugh about it when they were coming, and said “oooo she’s got a temper hasn’t she”.

To be fair, she does only really cry when having her nappy changed. She seems to HATE being put down on her back to change. She seems to get very very upset. And sometimes if I’m not quick enough (because I’m changing her clothes) she seems to get so upset (sweating etc), at this stage the only thing that will settle her is feeding.

She can get upset like this over other things as well, like if she’s not feeding sometimes she can just start crying in her bassinet and (I’ll try and go do the dishes) and she gets so inconsolable until I can come back and feed her again.

Basically when she gets like this, the only thing that stops her crying is feeding and then she’s absolutely fine.

She isn’t always crying when not feeding though. I can have plenty of time of her engaging, smiling, cooing, looking around (she seems very alert and inquisitive).

But I had taken her to an osteopath (who started my concerns) as she put LO down on her back to examine her and LO got so upset and would not settle until I fed her. The oesteopath said it wasn’t normal for babies to get upset like that for no reason. She said she shouldnt get so upset about being put on her back.

I thought it was normal and it’s just something she doesn’t like. The osteopath said she is likely colic, but I don’t think she is as she isn’t always crying and always settles for a feed (which I assume is for comfort).

I don’t use dummies either so feeding is her only pacifier.

I’m doing it all by myself basically, and I’m wondering am I doing anything wrong? I had no experience with babies before, but is it bad if she settles mostly with a feed?

She doesn’t always, I can settle her by hugging her close and rocking her, but I mostly settle her through offering a feed which she will take and settle.

I take her out in the car, and out for a walk in her stroller, and she is fine, unless there’s a reason she is upset (such as a dirty nappy or hungry).

I’d just like to add she will go in her bassinet at night and sleeps about 11.30pm until about 7 or 8am. Is this okay? Someone told me it was as she has gained weight and has plenty of wet and dirty nappies, so it’s okay to let her sleep for that long? Or should I be getting up to feed her?

It’s just in the day, for some reason, very rarely will she go in her bassinet, she mostly wants contact naps.

But I’m just wondering is it normal that she gets so worked up when being put on her back to change, and being absolutely inconsolable, and also in her bassinet (in the day). She gets so upset she even uses her hand to like scratch my face (obviously she doesn’t know what she’s doing, but I can tell she’s very upset). She used to scratch her own face, she doesnt seem to do that as much anymore.

Maybe she hasn’t learnt to self soothe?

Also can anyone advise if she should be napping more in the day? Maybe that is what is upsetting her? I don’t keep track of her naps in the day at the moment I kind of just let her lead me, and whatever makes her happy I go along with. (Probably wrong).