18 week old screaming when put on her back at night

[BadgerFace]

My DD was fairly good at sleeping between 3 and 5 hours at a time at night until she hit the 4 month sleep regression 2 weeks ago when she started waking lots more, although she still settled well at bedtime and after the night feeds.

A new development over the last week is that she will settle at bedtime but then after all wakings will scream and scream if put on her back. I've tried her in her bednest (which is a fairly new after she outgrew her moses basket) and also in the bed next to me but she will only settle if belly down on my chest so I have to sleep propped up and so am not really sleeping much at all!

She seems to be in a lot of discomfort with wind, legs drawn up to her belly, lots of farting. I have tried to increase the belly massages in the day to help with this. She also started puking up more often and curdled milk so I wondered if she had some reflux at night time.

I went to the doctor today and he doesn't think it's reflux but prescribed domperidone for the puking. He thinks it's separation anxiety. Can this happen even if I am next to her all night?! I don't really want to give her the drugs if it is "only" a behavioural change.

Apologies for the length of this. I suppose what I'm really trying to ask is if anyone has any ideas on how to help her settle after the night wakings or has experienced similar (and can tell me it's just a phase and it'll be gone in a few days!!!)...

[noblegiraffe]

Are you breast or bottle feeding?

[BadgerFace]

with thwith an expressed bottle at bedtime although she has been refusing the bottle this last week as well.Breast

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Does what you are experiencing sound like this? My DS had tt and upper lip tie and my night back then sound just like yours do now....

[noblegiraffe]

If she has bad wind lately, then that's probably what's causing the increased puking, my DD always seems to be sick if she needs burping. She's not happy lying on her back if she has wind she needs to get up either.

Is she faffing around on the breast much more? When they get interested in the world at about this time they start bobbing on and off. I also got really lazy about my latch as time went on. Both these could lead to taking in more wind than previously. Maybe try feeding her with fewer distractions, make sure she's latched properly and burp as thoroughly and often as possible? Maybe even halfway through feeds?

4 months is a really tough time!

[BadgerFace]

Thanks JJJ,I should have said DD had a tongue tie which I had cut at 8 weeks after having a private consultation as I was told by 3 midwives at birth she didn't have one. I asked the GP today to refer me to the nhs tongue tie clinic to check whether it had reformed (it as a posterior one and hard for me to see) as I wondered if she was taking in more air than usual but he said it would be down to feeding differently whilst she was teething. I'm not sure if that's plausible or not!

Noble she's definitely more interested in the world than feeding at the moment! Good idea to be more careful about the latch. I think I get a bit lazy with it niow that she feeds more easily - we had a really hard time establishing breast feeding in the early weeks so I think I have a slight t habiof thinking any feeding is good... Gah, I thought by t by 4ths breastfeeding would be et easier, harder!

[BadgerFace]

Apologies for typos, this tablet has a mind of its own when I try and correct things and usually makes them worse!

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Poor you, I think its a good idea to get the tt looked at again, is there a lll leader near to you?

[BadgerFace]

Thanks JJJ, there's a breastfeeding cafe I can go to next week which I know has a lactation consultant who specialises in tongue ties and referrals to King's, so hopefully she can have a look for me (and tell me it is fine!).

Last night was a little better, although DD still would only settle after midnight in the crook of my arm. Fingers crossed tonight sees another improvement...

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Hope it gets resolved for you and hope you get a better night. Do you think breast compressions might help in the meantime?