To think there's something not quite right with my baby

[ButteryJam]

HV, GP and DH all make me feel like I'm an over worrying hypochondriac mother

My LO has been very very fussy right from the very start, very alert and a little bit colicky (but definitely not colic). Now she is 13 weeks and has the following:

• episodes of screaming in pain for up to two hours, and won't settle unless I give her calpol. This occurs in the morning too. But it's all very unpredictable
• excessive (sometimes up to 50) hiccups at least twice a day
• refuses feeding (even if feed time) when in the state of crying
• tends to only feed when either asleep or very sleepy
• naps are so short, sometimes just 10-20 min, and a very very sensitive sleeper (I have to keep the house phone off and literally tiptoe around her)
• has had a sniffly nose, watery eyes almost constantly
• coughing during feeds or after
• and just generally not very happy, though does have some very happy smiley moments too

I'm a first time mum, so please tell me, is this all completely normal? HV told me earlier on in the week to stop looking for what may be wrong but just accept I am very unlucky to have this type of a baby.

(Tongue and lip tie were removed around 10 weeks so its not that).

Lactose intolerance is very serious in babies, and would cause a lack of weight gain/failure to thrive.

List of foods to avoid.

Not sure what the evidence is, but seems to basically be foods, adults avoid to minimise their reflux.

I second silent reflux, DS has it and although he slept loads all the other symptoms sound the same. Baby gaviscon done the trick!!

Can you describe a feed? How often does she feed?

What happens if when she cries you put her to the breast and try to feed her?

It sounds awful and horribly stressful for you both

Silent reflux I would guess. My daughter had this and was very similar at that age. She also barely slept at night. Hi back to gp with info about it with you. It was my bf supporter who diagnosed DD.

OP i haven't read the whole thread but i do have 2 reflux kids. It really does sound like silent reflux to me. Esp hiccups. Please feel free to have a look at Living With Reflux on facebook. It's a great support group and will help you get support you need. Unfortunately, reflux is very misunderstood by health professionals and difficult to diagnose.

Kitten, when she is upset she will completely refuse the breast. In fact she will cry and scream when I attempt to put her side ways to go near the breast.

Her feeds are always either when she has fallen asleep or as soon as she has woke up. When asleep she will feed fine. When awake she bobs on and off alot, and fusses alot and sometimes coughs as well. Her feeds awake tend to be short (sometimes even just 5 min).

Her feeds are always either when she has fallen asleep or as soon as she has woke up. When asleep she will feed fine. When awake she bobs on and off alot, and fusses alot and sometimes coughs as well. Her feeds awake tend to be short (sometimes even just 5 min).

really does sound like both of mine. It's like they learn that feeding causes discomfort so they stop, but they are sort of tricked into feeding when asleep.

btw. refluxey kids don't always fail to gain weight. Sometimes gp's wont do anything until they can see weight loss or failure to thrive, but really they need to address the pain before it becomes an issue not afterwards.

It's true, my DS always put on weight despite having reflux. The issue was the screaming and the vomiting.

For the first few months mine put weight, health professinals say not to worry as they'll grow out of it. Most of them do by 18 months old, but mine haven't and because of useless HV's who told me to 'chill out' my son now has feeding aversions and is on 0.4th centile (was 50th when born). So if you continue to have problems, please keep pushing. If it is reflux maybe worth trying Gaviscon. If you suspect silent reflux, ask for Gaviscon to see if it makes a difference (it deosn't always). There are tests to determine whether it's silent reflux or not but they are invasive (PH probe down oesophagus). But instead many kids with suspected silent reflux are tried out on meds and if the meds seem to imrove things then it's highly likely that they have reflux.

The stuff your describing with the feeding sounds awful . It could be something medical like reflux, or an intolerance, and their is an awful lot to be said for your instincts about whether there is a problem that needs further investigating.

However, it could also be something more straightforward and easy to fix to do with feeding. For example, oversupply might cause these sorts of issues, as baby might be getting lots of the more watery milk produced first, this is lactose rich and can lead to lots of digestive issues. It can also make them unsettled, as not only is their tummy uncomfy, but also they don't feel as full because they never get to the richer fattier milk because their little tummy is full already, but it's not as calorific, so they get hungry, and the cycle continues. This would make sense in conjunction with a fast let down, or less than perfect attachment, leading to lots of fussing at the breast. There are other possibilities too, for example various possibilities linked to tongue tie or even tongue tie after division (which I think you mentioned?).

It could be lots of things. Can I suggest you ring one of the breastfeeding helplines and start by talking through the feeding thoroughly with them? They are great at listening and will really hear you out. If it does turn out to be something like reflux, then they will also support you with any breastfeeding aspects whilst you get the medical care you need from a doctor. The BfN are on 0300 100 0210 from 930am-930pm, and there are other helplines too, I just don't have the numbers handy!

One final thought, sometimes, later and in restrospect, parents say they can see that these early issues were related to their child's personality and it's part of what it is to be them. You'll find our own way through, but many parents say that movement and carrying their baby close can help, a a good sling can be a real help.

I hope things improve very soon.

Thank you everyone! A sling isn't always helping as she wants to be held arm around her upper torso and legs dangling down facing outwards.

I don't know why but it has got worse in the past few days. I'm really tempted to go to A&E but I don't want to be fobbed off and I'm also not in my home town

Hi there, it could be the sugar in the calpol that soothes her rather than the paracetamol. Sucrose solution can help with colicky wind, why not try making up a sugar syrup and giving her a little syringe of it instead of calpol.

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your lovely baby, but I do understand how you are feeling.

Go at about 9/10am tomorrow. Sunday mornings should be quiet and the registrars shd have had some kip and be in a relatively good mood. Early rugby practice starts tomorrow morning so don't leave it too late. Not medicl for parent to chronic asthmatic as a baby who's now a rugby player so got used to the a&e routine. Get it sorted and at least a trip to ane will be reported to your HV so they might start taking you seriously although ime they were hopeless and I would never recommend any mother takes much notice of them.

married, I'm not in my home town today, is it still worth going?

Have you had a bad night?

I'm not an expert but I don't see what you have to lose - they will write to your GP/HV and get the thing moving for you. It may even be that in year home town year GP/HV are dealing with a consultant paed who has a particular ethos.

I wish they would give you bloody ranitadine!

Thanks everyone! Took my LO to A&E yesterday, and after a 3 hour wait and much screaming from her, the sleepy doctor wasn't sure and suggested it may be colic. He said it was unlikely to be silent reflux as babies with reflux he said feed more for comfort, not less. He advised me to keep a diary and the good thing is he has referred us to a peadiatrician and we should be seen within a week. I'm not sure whether I should have a 'silent reflux consultation' with the sleep lady (www.thesleeplady.co.uk/silent-reflux-tips/) or just wait for what the consultant has to say?

And oh yes, he also advised us to give her infacol ...

You've a referral to a consultant paed in a week. Thatks brilliant. Come back and let us all knoW how it goes.

Well done, paed referral is awesome work, well worth the wait in A&E.

Thanks married and lostinwales, I will keep you updated! :)

Another vote for silent reflux here. And F off to the doc who said they feed more for comfort when they have reflux, complete bollocks! My son bobbed on and off the boob inbetween screams until we moved to the bottle because i could chase his mouth around with it! my daughter now only feeds if we are walking and rocking - same as your child, it makes her sleepy so she actually takes some milk. My back is shot!

Ped referral will hopefully be quick, did they say how long? Personally I would try the Gaviscon now anyway. You have it to hand (you can buy the stuff off prescription anyway) and will only be told to try it next anyway so if you find you need something with more umph you will have to wait longer for the next appointment which could be weeks. I think it is kinder to the body than calpol, but go slow on introducing it. We started adding it to one bottle per day until they were all gavisconed starting with the first feed of the day because that was the one they both had most trouble with. Have some glycerine suppositories to hand just encase, it does bung them up and it can take a bit of time to get used to passing a thicker motion. Only use a bit the size of a pea though.

With both of mine were refluxers with cmpi and ended up on 20mg omeprazole, carobel and nutramigen aa and we definitely found the 3 month growth spurt to be the worst time, it eases I promise! My youngest is just over it so we are now counting down with dread to the 4 month spurt.

Good luck!

Ps when you see the ped it might be worth asking about your lo sleeping on her front. We didn't with my son even though the consultant had said it was ok but have with my daughter and it has made such a difference to her sleep. She is able to self settle and sleeps as long as she needs. We use an angel care monitor (not flawless but a bit of reassurance) and have a fan going to keep the air moving. If not the definitely get a cot wedge, it gives a much better angle than putting books under the end of the cot and because their bottoms are on the flat they don't slide down.