9 week old, had a really unsettled night

[Bexleymum]

My dd2 is 9 weeks old ebf with the occasional formula feeds (1 every couple of days) , to hopefully stop her refusing the bottle later on. She has been showing some colic like symptoms during the evening but this seems to be when she is over tired. So last night I managed to get her to take 2 oz of formula. And she seemed fine straight after, but she has been up nearly all night crying in pain. She crys when she passes wind and crys when she burps. She is now happily asleep on my chest, but do you think it was the formula or silent reflux? Or something else?
Sorry for the epic rambling post didn't get any sleep and I am desperate to never have a repeat of last night. Any thoughts?

[Heatherbell1978]

I remember posting something quite similar when DS1 was the same age (he's now 17 wks). We had just started giving him the odd bottle of formula for the same reasons as you and I had a night where he screamed when he pooed and seemed to have a really sore tummy and I was sure it was related to the formula. All i can say is it didn't happen the next night and when he was 12 weeks old all the colicky symptoms disappeared. Like yours he was agitated in the evening too. We started a regular formula dream feed at that stage and he now guzzles 7oz of it with no issues. I gave him Infacol but nothing else. I remember chatting to the HV about it but she wasn't bothered/interested.....

[Bexleymum]

Thanks for the reply. So you gave him formula the next night too? Think I'm too scared to. Was thinking of going to see the health visitor this afternoon.

[Heatherbell1978]

Yes although I think it was during the day at that stage as I was trying to get him used to the bottle and formula. In fact now I remember, it was Cow & Gate I used that day and I was worried it could have been that so I went out and bought the Hipp Organic which is meant to be better at the early stages and he was fine with that and a few weeks later we started on Aptamil (which he hadn't taken initially but I was keen for him to take as its the most widely available!). Maybe try Hipp?

[Heatherbell1978]

I should add he was 12 wks before we started the dream feed, at 9 weeks he still wouldn't take a lot of milk in the bottle and wouldn't take a dream feed.

[Bexleymum]

Thanks it was aptimal that we used last night, so can give Hipp a go. Think I would rather ebf for 16mths again than go through last night again. It gets so much easier when they can say what's wrong.

[squizita]

Can you express? I was worried about this so express a bottle during nap time (1 or 2 oz unless I'm going out and need more). At first I had no luck with pumps so hand expressed into the bottle, then hand pumps worked (your boob gets used to expressing). I now even have a stash frozen!

[squizita]

...oh and I've had a couple of nights/days like this just randomly. Most recently I think it was snot from a runny nose! so it may well be formula is fine and it was a coincidence.

[Bexleymum]

Thanks squizita, I was thinking about that last night. Is hand expressing easy? She does have a cold too so could very well be that, so many variables.

[squizita]

It's messy but easy! I kind of hold my boob just above the areola and squeeze and pull down. After a minute or so milk starts to squirt!

And my dd is a terrible feeder with a cold so yes it may well be that!