Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

Indigestion an indicator of hunger?

14 replies

orangekitty · 21/01/2013 04:43

My 5 and a half month old was sleeping in his cot at night and waking 3 times to breastfeed. For the last 10 days he seems to have same wind symptoms as a young baby (writhing when on his back, won't sleep in cot but is okay if propped up on cushions). So he requires all night supervision so he doesn't fall or suffocate on the sofa. Could his discomfort be hunger for food? On cushions, he only wakes 1 time for food, as he sleeps better than when he is on his back. I was going to start weaning now, but don't want to if he has belly ache. Any advice welcome, I am incredibly tired and don't know what to try.

OP posts:

Report

GailTheGoldfish · 21/01/2013 08:32

No fabulous advice but just couldn't read and run when I saw what time this morning you wrote this! I started DD (26 weeks) on purees a couple of weeks ago and she has hardly been sick since. She was never terribly sicky but would bring milk back up a couple of times ago but has only done that once in the past two weeks. I think the purees have helped her digestion. If you do need to keep him upright at nights could you get hold of a bouncy chair that you can raise up, we have a baby bjorn babysitter balance which can either lay down or sit them more upright in, then you could strap him in and not have to worry so much.

Report

GailTheGoldfish · 21/01/2013 08:34

A couple of times A DAY I mean.... Damn iPad!

Report

orangekitty · 22/01/2013 05:33

Thanks very much for the advice, I am definitely going to try starting to wean today. My left eye has gone blood shot through lack of sleep, and I am too embarrassed to tell anyone that I have been staying up all night. It is nuts, but if baby is crying in pain, that would make 2 of us awake, right? I still seem to be producing breast milk though- the body is amazing! Unless it is my manky milk making him sick?

OP posts:

Report

GailTheGoldfish · 22/01/2013 21:05

If he is 5 1/2 months I would think that you would have known for a while if the was something in your milk that was upsetting him, so unless you have recently started eating something different I wouldn't imagine it would be that. Try bland stuff like baby rice first and see how he goes. Do you give him tummy time? That always helps DD get the wind out even though she protests like crazy! Some people i know use colief drops to help with colic, you can get them from Boots and might help but have a good look at them first. Also check his tummy is soft and palpable, if it is hard seek medical advice asap. Sounds like you are really suffering so I would suggest you see either a HV or GP because you can't continue like this, you need sleep. Good luck, let me know how you get on. Sleep deprivation is the pits so please get some help before you get ill.

Report

orangekitty · 23/01/2013 05:13

Thanks for keeping an eye out, we had a slightly better day. Did tummy time, colic massage and swapped from dentinox to infacol. Went to clinic to see HV and she recommended I stop drinking milk, not sure why but am happy to try. Also suggested I make the slope on the cot bigger by putting an adult pillow under the mattress. I will try in the day first, as it sounds hazardous!

OP posts:

Report

Chigertick · 23/01/2013 05:40

You could raise the cot with books or a piece of wood under the legs?
Hope you get some answers soon and some sleep.

Report

Iammrsbeckham · 23/01/2013 07:52

We put a pillow under the cot mattress. If you put it half way down and still do foot to end then it should be ok. Have you considered reflux? My DD had md reflux diagnosed when she was about 3 months old. She was given Gaviscon first then a special formula which really helped. Other tho g's that might help are keeping your LO upright for a while after feeds. About 20 minutes was about right for us. Hope this helps.

Report

Iammrsbeckham · 23/01/2013 07:52

Md = mild

Report

JiltedJohnsJulie · 25/01/2013 00:27

Not sure if drinking milk is great advice, if your HV suspects an intolerance she should really be referring Lo for allergy testing.

Report

orangekitty · 26/01/2013 04:04

Thanks all for your input, I finally went to the GP who diagnosed silent reflux and prescribed gaviscon. I am awake at 4 in the morning now, but that is the first night time wake up tonight, so it is fantastic. I am so relieved. I have been propping up the cot and keeping him upright for 30 minutes after every feed since birth, but HV said he just had a bit of wind. I feel like a fool for just putting up with it until it got so bad, not very nice for baby either. Thanks for encouraging me to head to doctor. She said I have bloodshot eye due to tiredness, so it will just go away on its own. Soon, I hope, as I look like dracula....Baby back asleep now - gaviscon dreams. Did it make a difference that I gave up milk? I don't know, but I can live without it for a couple of months until I quit breastfeeding.

OP posts:

Report

JiltedJohnsJulie · 26/01/2013 09:18

Glad last night was so much better. Silent reflux can often be diagnosed when the problem is actually tongue tie. It's worth considering getting this checked. Is there a la Leche league group near to uou or a bfing support group.

Don't feel bad either about trusting your HV. She should be there as your first point of contact and should be giving you better advice than to stop drinking milk.

Report

GailTheGoldfish · 26/01/2013 20:29

Fantastic, so glad to hear things are better. sweet dreams, both of you!

Report

Purplelooby · 27/01/2013 16:39

When I read your post I immediately though silent reflux. DS has had reflux since he was born (also linked to a tongue tie in this case) and it got miles worse after he hit about 4.5 months. To answer your original question, he definitely starts being sick more when he is hungry - in fact it's one of the first signs that he's hungry. He's 5 months 1 week and doing almost exactly what your DS is doing. We prop up his cot but he is sleeping better now that he can roll onto his side. Your HV is also right ad it is thought that up to 50 % of silent reflux cases are linked to milk protein allergy.

Report

orangekitty · 01/02/2013 06:05

He must be eating a tiny bit of food, even though it seems most is on his chin, because poo is now thick and smelly. This has helped the nights, like his tummy is less sloshy. Only 1 wake up tonight (aside from 1 breastfeed), and it could be just because he is in the habit now. Will tackle sleep training another week! I miss milk, I only had it in morning porridge and the substitutes (oat, soya, rice, hemp, almond) are all nasty. But I will deal with it, just one of many mum sacrifices. If he does a full uninterrupted night then I will reintroduce milk to determine if it is the culprit.