Newborn Vomiting - Please help/ideas

[TheHermitCrab]

My baby is 3 weeks old and is vomiting about 2/3 times a day. It is not spitting up, she does that too, this is vomitting up a full feed anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes after a feed. All over her face, body, my body. We've changed our bed twice because of it, she's covered the sofa. My OH's mum told me not to worry, then she did it on her and her reaction was "ooooh no that's not right, that really is a lot!"

She is formula fed Cow and gate exclusively (she was combination fed up until last week) She takes anywhere between 1.5 and 3 ounces a feed. I burp/wind her every half ounce I keep her upright during her feed and 30 minutes following the feed.

We mentioned it to the health visitor on wednesday and I told her I was considering taking her to the doctors. She said that a doctor can't prescribe anything and that I should make sure I am not over feeding (I thought this was not possible!!) but she has a small appetite anyway and is only feeding 3/4 hours. She told me to buy infacol, which I did, and it has helped her wind, but she's throwing up just as much.

She's gained weight since birth, was 6lb 11 and on wednesday she weighed in at 7lb. She's sleeping well, eating fine, and if she vomits she roots for a feeding immediately after (And usually won't throw up immediately after)

She cries only for a feed and if she has a bit of wind. But nothing close to colic, she's just irritable between the hours of 12:00 and 6am.

The only thing out of the ordinary is she has a spotty/rashy face, but I've been told that's normal.

I'm going to ring the doctors tomorrow, But I'm sure they will fob me off because she is otherwise fine.

Does anyone have any ideas of anything else I could try to relieve this or should I just wait it out??

[fattymcfatfat]

Does she have a cold? My dd did this when she was newborn because she was full of a cold and because she couldn't blow her nose the mucus was going down her throat and causing her to throw.up everywhere. My dd lost a lot of weight as she.wouldnt take another feed after and never put it back on after she was better so now shes a tidge! But if it is a cold try a snot sucker thing....cant remember the name of them but basically a rubber bulb and you stick the tip up their nose to suck the snot out.

[Girlsville]

You need to see your GP. Sounds like she has reflux. My DD3 has reflux which started around 3 weeks. She has always put on weight well, is happy and placid and not bothered by the vomiting, but before we took medical advice she was being sick after every feed. Your GP can prescribe gaviscon and ranitidine and if necessary refer to a paediatric gastro. Good luck.

[Bellyrub1980]

My baby was exactly the same. It stopped at around 6 weeks. I stared a dairy free diet, which I guess may have helped, but at 12 weeks I'm too scared to try dairy again and risk it.

Maybe ask the GP for dairy free formula or a reflux remedy?

[TheHermitCrab]

fattymcfatfat She sneezes a few times a day but nothing more than a normal newborn. She's a bit gargly/wheezy when being sat up and winded, but it isn't constant...


Thanks guys,

I think I'll ring the docs tomorrow, and push the suggestions of allergies and reflux.. wanted people to suggest because I think unless I suggest something I'll be fobbed off just like the HV. x

[LostMyBaubles]

It sounds like reflux.
They should prescribe infant gaviscon. If that doesn't work theres domperidone, ranitidine, omperezole etc.
Reflux is horrible.
Lots if propping up during and after feeds, small amounts more frequently and I recommend the colic solved book by an American dr. Its brilliant. It was recommended to me when ds was nearly 2.
My ds is 4 and half years old. Hes allergic to cows milk, severe reflux, his allergies stop his gut from working, chronic constipation too. He still refluxs but less than before. His case is extremely rare (to still have it at his age) but has other health problems too. His reflux is that bad hes got severe food aversion and is fed via tube in his stomach.

Never force feed a child but dont think they will eat/drink when hungry as not all kids do. My child would rather starve than eat.


If your lo isnt getting any better push for paediatric referral as some meds can only be prescribed by paed.

All else fails take your lo to a+e when shes in pain and being sick so they can sort something out. Some may not agree to that but ive been on the extreme sides of things wrt reflux and I wish I would have pushed more (I was at thr gp 3x a week for ds)
Even though hes so bad he is still better than before.

Have you tried the anti reflux milk?
I had to use that at first with the other2 dc.
That and gaviscon helped with the others and didnt need to see the gp for them.

[LostMyBaubles]

Sorry didn't want to scare you with my post. I just wanted to share my story.
Reflux took over my life once ds was born. I remember endless nights of getting very little sleep as he was screaming due to refluxing so much even at 3yrs old.
He still refluxs now.
You can hear him reflux a lot at night but hes got used to it now and the omperezole helps settle him to. Hes on 40mg of omperezole a day. That's adult dose

[TheHermitCrab]

LostMyBaubles

She definitely doesn't have colic, she rarely cries except for a feed, and she will cry maybe for a total of an hour in 24 hrs if she's windy, irritable.

Poop is fine, longest she's gone without is two days.

When she vomits she shows no sign of pain or distress, she can be sleeping and not even open her eyes as it pours out, luckily she's been on our knees each time she has vomited, because although I have been told she will instinctively turn her head to the side she doesn't. She vomits and then lets it rest in her mouth/throat and I have to tip her to get it out!

She definitely seems less irritable, painful since I gave her the infacol, but it hasn't reduced the sick at all.

I haven't tried to change the milk yet, as I was trying the infacol, and I want to know what is/isn't working. Hesitant to change the milk until she sees the doc now so that I have some consistency when explaining things to him. She was definitely OK on the milk until last week. She's only been being sick for a week.

It probably is just reflux, will just have to see how much the doc wants me to try at home before he prescribes anything.

[LostMyBaubles]

Im not saying it's colic, I don't believe in colic but the book is called colic solved and is about reflux.

When she's sick does the sick go far like projectile.
Its 'just reflux' thats made my ds life hell

[VainVulva]

If she stops doing dirty/ wet nappies I would be concerned it could be pyloric stenosis.

My dd began with what you described, but quickly stopped any dirty/wet nappies. Sometimes she would vomit up a feed immediately and then want to feed again immediately, sometimes the feed would stay down a couple of hours but then she would vomit it all up. It would be all over me, herself and the bed!

I had to keep going back to the hospital but when she got very dehydrated they eventually took it seriously and she got the diagnosis I had been looking for all along. She had her op two weeks ago.

[TheHermitCrab]

VainVulva She's been vomitting since monday/tuesday. No change at all in wet nappies, she has much less dirty nappies but I think that is down to me moving her onto just formula.

LostMyBaubles "Just reflux" is just a term I used to say at least it is a common and none life threatening situation even if it is horrible for me and the baby. Please don't be picky about my term of phrase.

No it's not projectile, it travels inches not feed, if she's lying on her changing mat it will make it off the side of the mat, but no further, it pours out more than fires out.

[Salhal]

Upon reading your post my initial thought was could it be a cow's milk allergy? The vomiting and the rashy face rang some alarm bells with me. My DD has a cow's milk allergy but I was breast feed so I didn't find out until I was weaning her into to solids. If I did give her formula she would more than likely throw it back up, she was a happy baby but very unsettled at night. She is nearly 5 and has pretty much grown out of it but won't drink cow's milk as she doesn't like it! I at to pat privately to have it confirmed in the end as the Drs were reluctant to agree with me. You can get diary free formula but it is pricey and I've heard Drs can be unwilling to prescribed it. Good luck, hope you get something sorted.

[TheFirstOfHerName]

I had one very vomity baby who turned out to have pyloric stenosis.

Another who didn't vomit but cried after feeds. That turned out to be reflux.

[TheFirstOfHerName]

Having had a baby with pyloric stenosis and another with reflux, the term 'just reflux' makes sense to me because it's not life threatening and doesn't require emergency surgery to save the baby's life.

[TheFirstOfHerName]

Thankfully, in this time and place, both can be helped with treatment.

[Plateofcrumbs]

Some degree of reflux is very common and most grow out of it in months rather than years. Definitely ignore the HV and go to the Doctor. They can prescribe various things for reflux but it can be trial and error.

If she is gaining weight and producing wet/dirty nappies it is unlikely tobe anything serious but worth a trip to GP nevertheless.

[Bellejessleo]

Another vote for reflux, my ds had it just like this. Only thing that helped was a thicker feed, aptamil comfort I think it was. You can get a cow and gate version too. Tried gaviscon but it didn't help. Silly health visitor..of course the doctor will do something! Hope you find a solution.

[coolaschmoola]

My dd had reflux from birth. Not the acid type thank God, but the puke like the Exorcist type. Changing milk did nothing, Ranitidine did nothing, Gavin on made a marginal difference so we kept her on that.

Apparently most children grow out of it by six months. My dd didn't she was still puking like a good un well past a year. She's now three and still has a loose valve, coughing often results in a splash but at least she keeps food down.

She was never distressed by it. She gained weight week on week. Medics were therefore not concerned, some babies are pukers. I owned forty muslins and nearly the same amount of bibs. She wore a bib permanently until she was 18 months old. A feed used at least three muslins. Once she was mobile I washed carpets and toys daily.

She was and is a happy, healthy soul though. She was just a sicky baby.

[TheHermitCrab]

Thanks for all your messages guys, went to the doc and he's put her on infant gaviscon for a week. Told me the HV was full of tripe and although it is for 1 year up the docs can prescribe it based on weight. Gotta go back in a week to see how she gets on with it. Fingers crossed!

[Mummyk1982]

Hi there- my daughter had gaviscon infant for a week- gave up after a few days and returned to Gp as it made her constipated (it simply thickens the milk in their belly, consequently making it hard for them to poo). They then gave us ranitidine which worked great :-)

[5dogsgoswimming]

My oldest was like this. Never seeked advice although probably should have done although I don't know what they could have done. Cleared up definitely before 10 weeks. On a practical note, try and feed them on a towel. Nothing more annoying thank having to change the bedding at. 3am.

Wishing you all the best, tgis part will be over with before you know it.

Am I'm sure a visit to the doctors wouldn't hurt

[chasingtail]

Sorry, haven't been able to read whole thread but this sounds very similar to my DS.

Has HV/GP considered cows milk protein intolerance? (Different to cows milk allergy)

At about 4 weeks I stopped BF and over him onto formula. He then started vomiting constantly (I used to have to angle cot/pram to try and keep milk down). He was restless all night, going to sleep then waking about an hour later, wriggling and squirming.
And the wind !

I tried every "colic/reflux"'product on the market but nothing helped - GP/HV were no help " every baby is sick".

Eventually when he was 4 months we paid for a private consultation with a gastric paediatrician. We went through all the symptoms, DS was examined and in 15 minutes Cows milk protein intolerance was diagnosed.(different to CM allergy and Lactose intolerance) I was a crying, exhausted, grateful mess!

DS was instantly put onto to a hypoallergenic, non-dairy formula (which smelt foul but he drank!) and from that point we didn't look back. Symptoms stopped within days.

DS was on dairy free diet for 3 years but now a totally fine, strapping 9 yo

PM if you need any other info - just wish MN had been around back then!

I

[ch1134]

Mine was like yours coolaschmoola. I never even took him to the doctor. He threw up all the time, we'd get through 10 muslins a day and many changes of clothes for us and him. People would give me pitying looks and say 'poor baby' and 'is it reflux?', but he was so content and gaining weight, I never worried. One health visitor suggested it might be an underdeveloped stomach muscle or something. It stopped at 6 months.

[WrappedInABlankie]

DS was like this, it's like a volcano isn't it.

Turned out SMA didn't agree with him after i exclusively expressed. Put him on Aptimal and he was fine, didn't do it since.

No idea why though sorry OP if she still does it could you change milk, however Cow &Gate and aptimal are made by the same people

I know how horrid it is to see them throw up like that