Hello,
Just was hoping to share my feelings and wanted to hear from other parents/carers with similar issues. I just feel so down and hopeless. I will try to keep this brief. I have already spoken to health visitor and my GP.
I have a daughter who is 8 years old and she has autism. She is verbal and quite independent, but does struggle with behavior and emotions. I had a baby who will be turning 4 weeks old this week. She was born via C-section as I had a low lying posterior placenta.
As soon as she was born via C-section her oxygen levels were low and she has mucus. she was taken to special neonatal ward and I did not hold her for 6 days. She had pneuthorax of the right lung. After speaking to 3 consultants they all said the latest X-ray is fine and the small leak has resolved and she can go home.
The newborn baby stage is very hard and I am clearly struggling with looking after the newborn baby. My older daughter feels left out as I am unable to spend much time with her. The baby has projectile vomited twice a few days back I went to A&E due to her previous history and they measured her oxygen levels said she is fine and only to come back if she is projectile vomiting every feed/ fewer wet nappies etc.
However, it does seem she has really bad reflux or something going on she is coughing after feeding or when waking up from a nap after 2 hours since the last feed she will gag and she does bring out thick mucus milk. She will swallow and look in pain. I can hear fluid in her throat. I keep her upright for 20 minutes every feed before laying her down in her cot, but she will vomit once or twice a day.
When burping her she will bring up a lot of milk in her mouth quite forcefully as soon as she has burped. She is pooping after 2 days whereas before she was pooping quite often. I been told this is normal with formula fed babies as her digestion system is settling she may not poop every day. However, when passing out wind she cries and is quite obvious from her face that she is in pain.
I am awake at the moment I can't fall asleep as i am worried she will projectile vomit in her sleep and so my husband is in the same room with the baby. I am with my older daughter in the other room. I do the nappy changing and feeds. I have asked my mum who lives close by and she is in good health to help me out as I am really struggling on my own l, husband has gone back to work. Baby is not sleeping well during the night and is waking up quite often and is feeding small amounts as she falls asleep when on my shoulder. I am burping her during the feed but this upsets her and it's very difficult to understand or guess when she is full or when she needs to burp. I am gently rubbing her back and keeping her upright as being quite adamant with the burping causes her to projectile vomit the milk. It's been more than 8 years since my last pregnancy which was also very difficult as my older daughter had very bad reflux and lost a lot of weight and was dehydrated I was in and out of A&E, when turned 4 months and she was able to hold her neck up things slightly improved. I do suffer from severe anxiety and since having the baby it has become so bad I keep thinking she has really bad reflux or stenosis. I am not able to sleep in the same room with her most of the time as I am terrified she will vomit and it looks really scary when it happens as she chokes and coughs. It's like I have gone backwards as this reminding me of my older daughter and I am just so sad and feel trapped as I am unable to eat or do anything as the baby wakes up randomly and is quite unsettled. She doesn't like the dummy and is quite small to be in a bouncer or mamroo swing. I am hoping this time passes quick and when she is 3/4 months old hopefully things will improve. However, my mind is telling me that it could last longer, she may have a serious allergy, stenosis or severe reflux. My husband is helping me, but has to go work and I feel so lonely and terrified to be home alone with my lovely baby even feeding her I am terrified. She is formula fed with cow and gate first ready made milk. Just feels like I am trapped and that this is how my life is going to be with the constant feeding issues and crying. I have been crying on and off every day.