6 wks old, reflux, colic, sore nipples, top up feeds?? Help...

[figgysss]

Hi all,
My 6 wk old son (breastfed baby) won't sleep most nights, on a good night when he will go into his cot he wakes up hungry every 2.5 hours, so i get 1 hour sleep maybe if he goes down quickly and doesn't wake a million times cause of his winds. He throws up all through the night, I could keep winding him forever cause there are always more. He cries cause his tummy is hurting him. Im exhausted and at my wits end.
He is on losec for reflux but it doesn't seem to be helping.
Any suggestions?
Also my nipples are not getting better, they are getting more and more raw, my right nipple is so sore, I cried all through his feed this morning, it feels like it's being ripped off.
I also want to know about top up feeds of formula, does he need it if he's waking up so often to eat? 2.5 hours maximum from beginning one feed to beginning next?
I just want to maybe give him one before bed at night to help him feel fuller. Will it make his reflux worse?
Please help...

[ChrismumMiaow]

The time between feeds is perfectly normal and DS was feeding at least that often at 6 weeks - he was only just starting to slow on 4-8 hour cluster feeds in the afternoon/evening that he had been having (I think we were down to 2-4 hours by that point).

Someone else will be along with suggestions about your nipples - can't help with that unfortunately

I've never heard of anyone that gave one bottle formula and helped the baby to sleep. Giving a bottle at the time when your supply is lowest can really compromise your supply as your body needs the stimulation to tell you to make more milk. I tried it with EBM that I expressed in the morning and it just seemed to make things worse! I have no idea about the reflux though.

I'm not going to give any advice about the wind either, because I imagine its different when reflux is involved.

Hope you get some advice about the rest though, just wanted you to know that the feeding times are normal and that they do get better!

[fishie]

figgysss you poor thing. sadly 2.5hours is entirely normal and is helping to build yoru supply as your ds grows. painful nipples is not normal and you need to speak to a bfc, hopefully get someone to see you feeding and help with positioning. here down right hand side are numbers. because they are vols i should think they are a) busy with xmas but b) at home so ring away.

i had a total nightmare with this and know how absolutely agonising it is. the earlier you get some help the quicker it will be over. have you got any lansinoh cream? get some immediately if not.

[daisydora]

I second the 'normal' feeding times. DS is 4 weeks and 3 hours between feeds is good at the moment!

I tried formula top ups with DD later at night in the hope it would 'fill her up' more. It didn't work in fact she threw a lot up and appeared to have tummy ache from it....IIRC her 'cluster' feeds slowed about 7 weeks, and she just started to sleep longer at night on her own.

Can't help with the rest sorry, but hopefully someone will be along with some advice for you

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Another one who thinks the timings aren't uncommon. Ds (now 10 weeks) was feeding every 1.5-2 hours for the first few weeks, but now sometimes does a 4-6 hour stint at the start of the night.

I do have some advice though, which I suspect may help if you're prepared to do it...
Give up eating dairy products, totally, for 2 weeks. Milk intolerance and reflux often go together, and his behaviour sounds very much like dd, who suffered both (ds is milk intolerant too, but we picked up on it much earlier this time). If he's better then you'll need to stay off dairy, and make sure that you don't give formula, as it's made from cows' milk (you can get a hypoallergenic formula on prescription if you need to at a later point).

My other piece of advice is to contact a breastfeeding counsellor and ask them to come out and look at your latch, as although bf can hurt to start with, it shouldn't be as painful as you're describing. Numbers are on the right on here.

[figgysss]

I have cut out dairy and eggs and caffeine and alcohol and tomato and chocolate and gassy cooldrinks, and spicy foods and cabbage and beans and everything under the sun, still no difference, and it's been weeks.

I live in south africa, I don't think those numbers work here, but I will find a bfc.

[SleighGirl]

You def need to sort out the latch so it doesn't hurt anymore.

Sympathy sounds horrid! Also if you sort out his latch he may swallow less wind and be in less pain.

[InTheDollshouse]

The frequency of feeding sounds normal I'm afraid. My 4-week-old DS is feeding 2-hourly, and sometimes more often. It is hard overnight; I share your pain! Have you considered cosleeping? It might mean he would settle more quickly and then you could squeeze in a bit more sleep in between feeds.

Agree with what others have said about checking his latch. Another possibility is thrush, although I think that is less likely than it being down to the latch.

[tiktok]

figgy - wind could have nothing to do with it, you know....it's normal for babies to wake up frequently and his cries could be because he wants to feed/cuddle.

Hope you can get help with the soreness.

[figgysss]

He throws up so much if I cosleep we will all end up sopping wet and covered in breastmilk... He never stops puking...
I tried the thrush thing already and it wasn't that. I will def get a bfc in.
No it's not a cuddle/feed thing, he wakes himself up 90% of the time by puking everywhere and then getting upset or cause he can't get a fart or wind out, because he's squeeling and when I pick him up then sometimes it comes out and then he's happy again, happy and wide awake...

[laumiere]

I'm no expert but when I was having trouble with DS, the counsellor said painful nips were a sign of a poor latch (so your DS might be either breathing in air or getting more foremilk and not enough hind) which could be accounting for the throwing up.