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).

[ButteryJam]

Thanks Veronica. My DD has been sleeping on her side since birth, as she doesn't settle on her back at all!

[TattyDevine]

Its been said but barely a quarter way through your post and REFLUX!!!! screamed itself at me x

[DragonMamma]

Another vote for reflux and/or some kind of intolerance.

My DC2 was a silent-ish refluxer (no projectile vomiting but it would just stream out of his mouth constantly), he also was lactose and cows milk protein intolerant.

He was a big baby because he used to comfort feed to help settle the acid, albeit temporarily. Luckily I got referred to a great, old school paed who understood that even if a baby is gaining wait, it doesn't mean there isn't something wrong with them especially when they were pretty much peeing watery poo out of their bum. I had to stop bf'ing because the lactose was still upsetting his.stomach and a combination of omaprazole, domperidone and nutramigen milk saw a massive difference in him.

He's slowly grown out of his allergies now he's 2.5 but he can't have a lot of dairy because it causes eczema but he can quite happily have cows milk on his cereal and a yogurt a day, with no ill effects.

You have my sympathies, it's a horrible place to be when nobody is listening but just push push push!

[twilight81]

Another one who before I even finished your post thought silent reflux... My ds had it really severely, later proved by various tests. The GPs and health visitors all fobbed me off, it was only my insistence that I knew something was wrong that got us the help he needed.

[Flappingandflying]

Try a cranial osteopath. It really works. Looks like woo but sorted my two out although they just had colic and not reflux.

Your baby sounds as if he has reflux. When you go to the DR, take your partner with you. Regretfully there are many professionals who treat any woman who has a baby as a dimwit and can be patronising gits. Interestingly their attitude changes when faced with a man. Somehow his mere presence adds vercity to the situation. Deeply, deeply annoying but needs must when you need to get a baby sorted out and sometimes it just helps to feel you have someone backing your corner. I hope things have changed over te past 18 years but seemingly not and any problem seems to be dismissed as 'oh it's just babies/childbirth effects/not enough sleep etc etc. Of course their are people who take their children with the slightest thing, but it's a shame that it is too easy to be tarred as 'over worrying' or 'neurotic'. Be quite 'brisk' and capable sounding when you go as well. Unfortunately you are going to have to find your inner tiger and get roaring!

[ButteryJam]

Hi,

Thanks everyone for your very supportive messages and help.

I thought I'd give an update:

I went to see a lovely paedetrician today who after listening to everything, went on to explain colic to me, and how it peaks around this time, and how it's a behavioural issue, and of course how hard it must be. I mentioned I thought it may be reflux and he prescribed lansoparazole to reduce the acid, but didnt seem entirely convinced (?). But I think I will try it and see how it goes.

I also mentioned to him that going dairy free didnt seem to much make difference except now that I am back on dairy she vomits 1-2 tsp after a feed, or an hour or so after a feed, and hardly used to do any before. He said if it was cow milk intolerance I would have seen an immediate difference! I'm just wondering whether I should still go dairy free? (It is a huge struggle for me no doubt, but I'm willing to do anything)

[RumAndBoak]

So glad someone listened to you !
How long ago did you introduce dairy again? If it was a few days ago I would stay dairy free to see what difference the lansoprazole makes - any change can then be attributed to the medicine rather than wondering if its dairy or meds.
Good luck and fingers crossed!

[ChilliJo]

How long did you remain dairy free and were you really, really careful (checking ingredients of everything)?

I say this as my DD (my 2nd DC) was just like your DD sounds and I knew she wasn't right and that she wasn't just a difficult baby after my easy first which was what EVERYONE was telling me .

When I tried cutting out dairy, I began to see a difference after a couple of days but it was closer to 5 days before she was cured. This was when she was 16 weeks old. On 2 subsequent occasions after that I accidentally ingested the tiniest amount of dairy and she was horribly uncomfortable and unsettled almost immediately. Thankfully I slowly introduced dairy back in to her diet from when she was 13 months old and she had no issues with it at all.

I really hope you get to the bottom of what's bothering her soon, I remember those days all too well

[HeyUGuys]

I'd say definatly silent reflux, you have discribed my 11wo ds perfectly, he has infant gaviscon.

[IfNotNowThenWhen]

My reflux baby only started sleeping at 8 mon ths when he could roll onto his tummy.
He was diagnosed because, like you, I knew something was wrong, and I took him to the a and e. The Paediatrician there diagnosed reflux and gaviscon.
I also realised he was retaining wind, or was very difficult to wind properly, and the paed showed me a method which they use, where you run your hand firmly up the baby's right side (I think-check this!) which is where the large intestine is, and that would bring up the trapped wind.
That helped enourmously.

[muchadoaboutsomething]

I just want to say I am glad someone listened but I do get fed up with Paeds not listening to parents saying their children have reflux. With prems they know because it shows in their sats. They can test blood sats and if they dip when a child feeds it's reflux. I do wonder whether this is true for slightly older children as it does make it very clear cut when a baby needs something

[HeyUGuys]

Some drs dont believe silent reflux exists, my ds1 was diagnosed as he was in ICU so was drip feed, when the pulled up the milk they could see a problem. Ds2 was bf until 3 weeks when he totally stopped feeding an all the other symptoms OP has discribed. Dr sent me away saying it was colic, i went back the nxt day to a different dr, walked in and said my ds has silent reflux, i need infant gaviscon, domperidone etc. she didnt question me at all.

[ButteryJam]

Thanks everyone!

Rumandboak, I introduced dairy 4 days ago.

ChilliJo, I was completely dairy free (everything - I used the kellymom guide) for 2 weeks and I didn't see a difference, in fact she got worse. When re-introduced, she definitely brings up more milk but doesn't seem more unsettled by it.

[SHarri13]

Dairy takes 3 weeks to clear from the body iirc x

[SHarri13]

kellymom.com/health/baby-health/food-sensitivity/

See 'What if a specific food appears to be a problem' section here, hope it helps.

[SHarri13]

Also this re reflux,

kellymom.com/health/baby-health/reflux/

I'll stop now sorry if you've already seen them.

[appletarts]

Dairy does not take 3 weeks to clear from your breast milk. The impact should be withing 24 hours.

[trixymalixy]

I saw a change in DS within 24 hours after eliminating dairy. Unfortunately I then replaced it with soya and was back to square one....

[OHforDUCKScake]

Snap trixy when my baby was like yours OP, I stopped dairy and replaced it with soya and I had no change. I did it for 2-3 weeks, and then figured it wasnt dairy so went back to it.

Then I gave him a yoghurt at 5 months and he went into anaphylactic shock.

I instantly stopped weaning him (he was only 5 months anyway) and stopped dairy and soya, since I was told most dairy allergic babies are so with soya.

Within 2 days the reflux, pain and waking stopped.

As 2.3 year old now, he is still very allergic to dairy and soya.

Did you replace your dairy with soya?

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Glad you did take little one back to dr and they've given you something for the reflux. I spoke to Hv 3 times and had 2 trips to dr before they finally gave me infant gaviscon for my dd it worked so well reflux must have really been hurting her before we got that she never seemed comfortable.

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Meant to add hope treatment makes a difference.

[ButteryJam]

Hi,

I came back to thank everyone who offered me support and advice on this thread, mumsnet really rocks! And hopefully the update may help someone else going through a similar thing too.

We started treatment for silent reflux just over two weeks ago despite the paedetrician not being too keen on it (suggesting its probably colic), but he did prescribe it. It took two weeks of being on medication for us to see a major difference, and my LO is so so much happier now, and this is how it is to have a baby! :) Gosh, the relief (!) and it is just so so nice to see my baby happy! :) :) I am so glad I didn't listen to HV and pushed for referral, I just wish I had done it earlier!

Thanks once again everyone and yes, do follow your instinct!

[trixymalixy]

That's great to hear Buttery!!

[Catsize]

Another vote for cranial osteopathy here. Make sure the person specialises in treating babies.

[ButteryJam]

And I must add she now feeds whilst awake