Hi
I have a 7 month old DS. He has had stomach issues and been very unsettled since birth. He was born by planned section but I went into labour the day before so laboured for 14 hours beforehand. He was transverse and the consultant used forceps to get him out as he was very tightly wedged.
After birth I gave him probiotics for a week and smeared my own 'fluids' in his mouth and nose to try to overcome any issues with a lack of friendly bacteria and C section. He has been exclusively breastfed from birth.
He had colic for the first 4 months, regularly being awake for hours every evening and during the night screaming and nothing helped. He was sick to some degree after every feed - sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. He had disgusting smelling wind every day. He has had a bright red ring around his bottom from 1 week old. It's not a skin irritation or nappy rash ie it's not surface irritation. He only does a poo around once a week. The poos are thick, pasty and smell awful (not like breastfed baby poo should smell). There are no green, frothy poos that would indicate intolerance.
The colic has now passed and he is not often sick. The poos are still infrequent and horrid. I have now tried introducing a little solids - baby led weaning style so he helps himself to what he wants. Things like brocolli, greeen beans, thick soups, pasta etc.
He is a very unsettled baby and spends a good proportion of each day screaming - not crying, actual screaming. He is fussy all evening and finally conks out around 11pm. He doesn't sleep well at night. We cosleep and he wakes every 2 hours or more for a feed. He sometimes settles after a feed and sometimes not. I have noticed that since introducing food, it he eats any solids he seems to be in pain with his stomach during the night and is even more unsettled. He screams the instant I put him in the car seat and car journeys are screaming from start to finish. The sling used to help with fussiness but he even screams in that now too.
He was 9lbs at birth and he is short - 25th centile for height and around 90th for weight and this has stayed pretty much the same. So despite all the throwing up etc, he is quite a chunky boy.
I've mentioned all the above to HV and GP. HV was sympathetic but said that docs would just prescribe antacids etc which would bung him up more. GP was dismissive - of course he cries, he's a baby etc... I feel that I know the difference as I have a 2 year old DD who cried of course but didn't scream like this and although difficult (as all children are to a degree) didn't seem distressed like this. He is actually a really cheerful, sunny child aside from all this - always smiling and wanting to be involved in family life when he's not distressed. This isn't right is it?
I am now thinking of asking for a referral to a specialist for potential tests and diagnosis. Would I be unreasonable to do so? Is this normal for a baby? If I was going to ask for referral who would it be to? A paediatrician? A gastroenerologist? What tests would be useful? Or should I just accept as normal baby stuff?
Thanks