6 month old EBF baby and wind: CMPA, silent reflux or something else?

[ACatCalledFang]

We're having serious problems with our DS and sleep at the moment, a large part of which appears to be digestive-related. He has terrible trouble with wind and I'm starting to wonder whether he may have silent reflux, CMPI/CMPA or some other issue. Apologies in advance for the length! Would welcome thoughts.

Background: he's six months old and EBF. My milk was slow to come in (day 5, probably due to EMCS), he lost 17% of his birth weight and we ended up back in hospital where we began formula top-ups. By week 7, we were exclusively breastfeeding. He would routinely go 2200-0300 at night, then to 0500/0600. He had a tendency towards green poos, and going 2-3 times a day, which suddenly stopped around 15 weeks.

The problems began at 13 weeks when his sleep went backwards. Within a fortnight, there were nights when he was waking hourly. Wind appeared to be a factor, in that he would feed to sleep, refuse to burp (despite my best efforts, including keeping him upright for a good ten minutes or so before I put him down), then be unable to get the wind out and wake uncomfortable after waving his legs up and down.

This is getting worse, not better (and was getting worse before we introduced solids). He often settles as soon as I pick him up but cries as soon as he's put down; it's as though he needs to be vertical. I can hear his tummy gurgling. Sometimes he'll burp/fart, sometimes not. We've tried Infacol (no difference) and gripe water (neat and diluted in warm water, occasionally helps). Tummy massage and bicycling legs makes no difference.

We've just started giving baby rice, made with either expressed breast milk or formula, given for lunch or breakfast. Could this be causing problems 12 hours later?

Could he have developed CMPA/CMPI despite not having these problems when on formula?

What else could be causing the wind? Possibly TMI but it smells foul! Could he be reacting to something in my diet?

I'm on my knees and can count on one hand the number of nights he's slept more than 2 hours in one go since November, and that's only when co-sleeping. I just don't know what to do and it's getting worse, not better. I appreciate some of this is sleep-related but I'm convinced there's a physical element to it. He's a happy soul during the day (steady weight gain too), though often wakes from pushchair naps crying and clearly in pain.

Any ideas as to what's going on would be appreciated. I plan to take him to the GP again next week, but the GP was very dismissive last time and said he couldn't have reflux because he'd be sick more and was too cheerful .

[Debbrianabottomburp]

We had this problem when she was bewteen two and three months. Sometimes they say that you have to be careful about what you eat because it will affect the child through breast milk.

I can't think of anymore help. We went through that.

Has the baby got constipation ?

Be careful of chocolate and things like cabbages and broccoli because they cause a lot of wind.

I can't comment on formula because I have never used it.

Try some water melon juice or use a blender to get it into some small pieces.

Are they drinking water at all ?

[ACatCalledFang]

Thanks, that's interesting. No constipation, we get a dirty nappy (sometimes two) most days. He recently went 3 days without a poo but I blame the mashed banana I gave him. Poos are always runny, no sign of discomfort when going.

Only just started weaning but plan to start him on water in a sippy cup at mealtimes.

Interesting that you mention chocolate and broccoli, I eat both. But usually save chocolate for after he's gone to bed...which doesn't explain the wind at the start of bedtime.

[Wilberforce2]

I haven't been through this personally but my friend did with her little boy and my Sister has just been referred for allergy testing on my nephew. It does sound like there is more to it than sleep issues and you can normally tell when they are crying in pain. My friends little boy had silent reflux and CMPA, a change of milk and being very careful when weaning meant he turned into a different boy within a week (he was screaming for hours during the day). My nephew has just turned 13 months and has tested positive for a dairy allergy, he was exactly as you describe your ds but my Sister was repeatedly told by her gp that nothing was wrong.

No real advice except to say that if you think something is wrong you have to not give up and refuse to be fobbed off by your GP, you can always ask for a second opinion or a referral to a paediatrician.

Good luck x

[ACatCalledFang]

Wilberforce2, that's really interesting. I'm convinced that it's not just a sleep issue - don't get me wrong, we have those too, but I'm sure something physical is waking him.

See, what I don't get is that he's generally fine during the day, except when he's tired and The Whine starts. He's not a screaming baby, usually pretty content. So I'd have thought that if the issue was, say, dairy in my diet, there'd be signs of it at other times of day (given that I eat dairy at most meals and always at breakfast).

I'm afraid I'm at the point where I'm not going to be leaving the surgery without something, though I'm not sure what that something will be. But I'm kind of loathe to cut all dairy out of my own diet and restrict his weaning unless I know that's what's causing the problem, although I will if I have to.

[Debbrianabottomburp]

What you described op is sound very physical.

I also remember reading that a lot of colic affected children in the evening. I don't know whether that is correct. I was reading everywhere for all different kinds of answers.,

You could try changing the formula.

Best thing though is to have the baby checked by the gp. Try to give as much information as possible. The allergy thing is very plausible.

[ACatCalledFang]

I've decided we're going to stick with expressed breast milk for the time being, although the amount of formula we use for baby rice is very small indeed. I agree it's like colic but I really thought he'd have grown out of it by now...