4 week old hysterical,please help

[Layladylay234]

It started yesterday, we put it down to the heat. She had a nap at around 9.30am then wouldn't be put down for the rest of the day, only wanted to be held which made us both hot. She had developed what we presumed was a heat rash so was really worried about her being uncomfortable. She woke pretty much every 2 hours after going down at 9pm. She's now been up since 4am and hasn't slept longer than an hour being held. Screams the house down if I put her down to nip to the loo.

Screams blue murder in pram,bouncy chair,sleepyhead .. you name it. She fell asleep in her baby carrier but sleeps with her head outside it so I was having to support her head.

Really don't know what to do, I don't mind holding her all day long if she'll sleep but I will need to use the toilet it get a drink! I have to get my son from school in 30 mins and she's currently feeding!

Took her to the doctors to get rash checked out and she's also been having loose stools since yesterday - he thinks the rash could be a viral one and it should right itself soon.

Has anyone got any tips?!

[Laylor]

Have you tried giving baby a cool bath? My baby is such a hot baby hes always in the bath when it's this hot. If you hold baby strip her off down to nappy and put a muslim between you both to stop some of the heat. It's awful isnt it. Also offer a bit of water if bottle feeding. You are allowed this, many folk will say not too but if your from the UK you will find all the information on the NHS website. Only an oz at a time inbetween feeds.

We have just spent the best part of 2k buying fans etc for our house because it's a sun trap. Its unbearable and I panic so bad with a small baby. Weve just bought an air conditioning unit which works quite well. I will be just as happy selling the house because it bothers me that much. X

[Ernieshere]

This is probably way off, but I was told for well over 6 months, that DDs rash was a viral and/or heat rash.

They said the constant, absolute constant screaming was colic.

They said the bad stomach was normal until age 2 ish.
I believed them, and I had no idea.
I started to read up on allergies, and decided to stop her formula, as I was BF as well, but used formula at the childminders.
I cut down my dairy as well.

Her rash went within 5 days, no loose stools, no screaming. I feel awful still for letting it go on.

We saw a consultant in the end, who said it was a milk allergy.

[APurpleSquirrel]

DD was similar. For her it was silent reflux, but it took several months for a diagnosis & treatment.
Is she gaining weight ok? Breastfeeding or formula?

[Layladylay234]

I breastfeed her during the day from about 6am-6pm then my partner gives her 3 bottles in the evening and night feeds.

We were giving her aptamil but she seemed to get constipated so we switched to Kendalmilk Organic about 10 days ago and she was pooing better. She usually poos once a day but today and yesterday is when her stools started being loose.If it was the formula,surely it would have shown up before as opposed to 10 days later?

We have also been giving her colief

[YukoandHiro]

It could be the heat. It could be colic. It could be allergies.
Are you breastfeeding? If so, have you eaten more of anything the last two days? (Ice cream? Dairy allergy is very common).
You have my sympathy. My daughter was like this from 3 weeks to 5 months. It nearly broke me. Turns out she had egg and dairy allergy and was reacting through my milk.

[YukoandHiro]

If you've got a rash and screaming that goes on for more than a couple of days I would cut all dairy and soy from your diet and also ask for a prescription formula to trial too (one that is free from cow's milk protein)

[APurpleSquirrel]

Does she's crunchy herself up? It does sound gastric.
Unfortunately there are several things it could be but you'll need to talk to your GP. You need them to see your baby when she's distressed.
One super unhelpful dr told me 'babies do cry, you know?' No shit, Sherlock! But not like that. Thankfully a great health visitor knew something wasn't right, sent me back to a diff dr who referred us to hospital. Through trial & error we got it down to silent reflux with ranitidine as the treatment. But we went through lactose-intolerance, milk protein allergy, colic etc before then.
If you think something isn't right, push for it to be looked into.

[Wingingthis]

Agree with dairy allergy sounds just like my daughter was 💔 it can take up to 6 weeks to leave your system if breastfeeding

[Layladylay234]

I took her to the GP this morning and he said with the rash and loose bowels,it was looking like a virus/tummy bug.

She does curl up a bit sometimes but doesnt scream the house down when she does,it's literally just today and yesterday and when she's out down.

I've just given her some formula which she took no problem.

I'm hoping it's the heat as it does seem to have come on over past 48 hours. Before this, she'd feed,be awake for 30ish mins in a good mood then go for a sleep in the pram or on me. Today and yesterday it's been wake,scream,feed on me,fall asleep,poo in sleep,wake,scream etc.

[HoppingPavlova]

Another who would not discard reflux or allergies.

[Layladylay234]

So if it was an allergy to the formula, it would take this long to effect her? Aka we started giving her this formula 10 days ago,would it only start effecting her now as opposed to the first/second day after having it?

[fabulous40s]

I'd cut out the formula for 2 weeks and just breastfeed and see how she gets on. Mine were the same - they would gulp down formula but it gave them terrible stomachs - weirdly once they were past 3 months they were fine to combi feed

[fabulous40s]

Also if it is a bug rather than formula your breastmilk will detect whatever the bug is and make antibodies so she'll get better quicker if you up the breastmilk.

[Layladylay234]

So following on from this,tonight she's had two nappies with grass green poos. Which I've read is connected to allergies to cow's milk. But I've also read could be her getting too much foremilk and not enough hind milk. I'm not sure I have the energy to JUST breastfeed,she has tongue tie and is using nippleshields and never really seems satisfied after a breastfeed gone 1.30pm. Hence why she then gets a bottle once evening rolls around. I'm exhausted

[peachgreen]

You poor thing OP, it sounds uttey miserable. DD had a dairy allergy and although in hindsight I can see signs of it from earlier on, it wasn't until she was about a month to six weeks old that it became bad enough for me to seek help. The screaming, the wanting to be held upright, the rash and the green poos definitely all suggest an allergy. I'd get back to your GP or give your HV a call. It's so tough, you have my sympathies.

[GlamGiraffe]

But a tin of amino acid formula. Its expensive but should settle her down. It will hook you to know if there are allergy issues. Go for nutramigen Puramino. (You make it differently yo ordinary formula) if symptoms ease on this and the rash vanishes your gp will be able to prescribe this for you. You are describing symptoms if coes milk protein allergy it could be just coincidental that it has happened at the same time as the heat.
In genetalbits much easier to formula feed CMPA babies as you have to become so careful about every single thing you eat.

[APurpleSquirrel]

DD had a tongue tie - can you get it snipped? That helped with breastfeeding.
If you do want to continue breastfeeding & investigate whether it's a lactose intolerance or milk allergy, you will need to cut out all dairy from your diet (wasn't so hard for me as I hate cheese, & don't eat that much other dairy). You'll also need a dairy-free formula which you can buy or can be prescribed for free by the GP.
But first you really need to see your GP. They may try Gaviscon Baby to start to see if it's mild reflux.

[Throughabushbackwards]

I agree look at your own diet and also trial EBF as a double front - and, Green poo can also indicate that she isn't getting any hind milk when breastfeeding. My two were both EBF and we went through similar screamy green pop phases. When I realised it was happening again with DC2 I switched to feeding from each side in 4hr blocks to ensure he was getting down to the fatty hindmilk.

[Layladylay234]

Thanks all. She had her breastfeed this morning and did a yellow poo,which seems good?

I've not problem cutting dairy from my diet,I'm veggie anyway so it's not such a massive step for me.

My NHS trust aren't snipping tongue tie either "because of covid." Which is great. We could get it done privately but decided against as the research said it might not be a definite fix for her feeding problems. The private practitioners also are literally just snipping and sending you on your way,no aftercare/support f2f. Plus, she seems to be getting on fine with nipple shields at the moment.

I'm gonna drop the formula and cut dairy from my diet and see if it helps. If it does,I'll go back to the doctor and ask to try some non dairy formula

[Ernieshere]

My DD had lip tie, but we didnt get it seen to, the health visitor also said she didnt have tongue tie, but Im sure she did, as both affect feeding.

Her lip tie is still intact, years later, so she has rose bud type lips, I wonder if she will get it seen to when she's older.