Is this normal behavior for a 3 month old?

My son will be 3 months 1 week tomorrow. He had VERY bad colic in the beginning and things have been getting SO much better, but he still has his moments of 'bloody murder' crying/screaming.

We were told to switch to lactose free formula when he was about 1 month old and when we did that, he got much better. He is still on this today. He eats, has about 1 - 2 hours of happiness and then screams again until his next feeding. When he was in the hospital they were feeding him every 4 hours, we feed him every 2 1/2 to 3 hours (we were told on demand).... (he was 9 lbs 10 ounces when born). So his day is eat, stay happy for up to 2 hours, usually less, and then scream until eating again. Is he hungry? Is he still colicky? Should we switch to hypoallergenic formula which is what our doctor told us we might have to do months ago?

What type of behavior did your/does your 3 month old have? Shouldn't he be happier now? Please help.... I don't know whether I should call the doctor again, or is it normal for a 3 month old not to be happy much? When he is happy, he really is happy, all smiles..... but when he is upset, boy oh boy, he is upset! Thanks for your help.

So, wait - how often are you feeding him now? The dr. told me to feed Nick every 3 to 3.5 hrs at a minimum. He said that this will hopefully allow him to fit all of his necessary feedings in during the daytime hours, and during the 10 - 12 nighttime hrs, he should be sleeping (maybe one feeding sometime during the night if need be). Is Matthew sleeping through the night? If so, perhaps he is hungry more often during the day. Also, how many ounces per day does he drink?
My dr. also told me to give Nick cereal in his bottle 3 times a day since he was so hungry, but I know not everyone agrees with this. However, it does make him much more satisfied.
As far as behavior, Nick is pretty much happy all of the time unless he is hungry. The only time he cries is for food, or when we leave him alone for even a minute during the day. His normal schedule is something like: Eat and burp for 1/2 hour or so...play for about 1/2 hour or so, then nap. Then up again for more eating and playing...then another nap. He eats every 3 hours like clockwork...unless he get cereal, he may last 3.5 hrs. We are just starting to feed him the cereal with a spoon, so he is getting much less.

Rebecca is 3 and 1/2 months and she too was colic. Much better after we switched to hypoallergeic formula. She just started on oatmeal this past week. We tried rice at 3 months and it was a horrible exp. So we opted to try the oatmeal and have been intoducing it slowly. We started out with a 1/2 tablespoon 2 times a day on Mon. and yesterday we are up to 1 Tablespoon 2 x a day. We'll try 3x by the weekend.
She still cries (blood curdling)to be fed about every 2- 2 1/2 hours. So we feed on demand and usually about 4-5 oz at a time otherwise she gives it back. We have tried to time it to prevent the outbursts but she sometimes sleeps 3- 3 1/2 hours so she is still difficult to figure out.
She does sleep through the night about 7-8 hours so we are truely blessed.

If your baby screams until he is fed, then I would say that sounds normal. They have no other way of communicating that they want something. If he screams even after he is fed, then I would say that isn't right.
We had to change our daughter's formula a couple of times. The first formula gave her such bad gas, she couldn't burp and she would scream and cry and kick up her legs in pain. The second formula she would spit up really bad. Finally the third formula was the one that agreed with her.
You know your baby. Trust your instincts. If you think the formula may be upsetting your baby and making him not feel well, tell your dr. They may suggest trying another one.

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Posted by NovemberSue

If your baby screams until he is fed, then I would say that sounds normal. They have no other way of communicating that they want something. If he screams even after he is fed, then I would say that isn't right.
We had to change our daughter's formula a couple of times. The first formula gave her such bad gas, she couldn't burp and she would scream and cry and kick up her legs in pain. The second formula she would spit up really bad. Finally the third formula was the one that agreed with her.
You know your baby. Trust your instincts. If you think the formula may be upsetting your baby and making him not feel well, tell your dr. They may suggest trying another one.

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Can I ask what formula is your daughter on?