PLEASE help!!! 7 week old baby feeding & crying problems!

[LaceyLou42]

I am feeling like a complete failure right now. I don’t understand his cries. He cries pretty much all of the time he’s awake. Doctors have told me it’s colic and possible reflux or silent reflux and told he will “grow out of it”. I’ve tried infacol and gaviscon with no success. I’ve now started him on a comfort milk as advised by my HV. Basically... He cries when I take the bottle out of his mouth to burp him and cries when he’s had the full bottle. He straightens himself out and tenses up like he’s in pain. Is he still hungry?! He’s currently 9lb 8oz and has 5oz every 4 hours, which apparently is already a lot. Or is it silent reflux (babies with silent reflux drink and drink because it soothes their throats). How do I tell?! I’m scared to give him more in case he does have silent reflux because over feeding can make him worse (if he even has it?!?). He also cries between feeds and can be inconsolable. Whatever it is I think it started when he was 1 day old. His stools have also always been infrequent and vary from normal to hard. Does anybody have any suggestions... should I try giving him an extra ounce?

Hi, I'd play about with his feeds, maybe keep on with Gaviscon as it can take a while to work. Maybe offer him less milk but more often, sometimes reflux babies take on too much milk to try and soothe themselves but end up with wind from taking on too much all at once. Does he seem to gulp as he drinks?

I honestly remember how hard this stage was with my two boys. They were both big criers and with the eldest we never did get to the bottom of it. The youngest turned out to be intolerant to milk so he was in a lot of tummy pain. Maybe ask your doctor about this if things don't improve. But on the whole, whatever the reason, it won't last forever. I hated this tiny baby stage with both of mine, makes me feel very guilty now but it was just hard work. They cried every waking moment. Just to gove you some perspective though, they are 8 and 11 now and just lovely. They were both very calm and lovely toddlers too. Just angry little babies for some reason! Hang in there, you will get through this.

I'd try feeding him less but more frequently, and keeping him upright for a good 30mins after a feed to prevent acid from rising in his throat (assuming its reflux). Gaviscon can make them more constipated (hard poos you reference) so this could also be causing him some tummy trouble. Try gently massaging his tummy in a clockwise direction and cycling his legs to help with pooing but if he's still doing hard poos and the pain after feeding isn't reduced by feeding him little and often I'd speak to the gp about getting him on omeprazole. My DS has been on it since 8 weeks and he's a different baby as the pain from the reflux is gone. It is a big step to go for medication but only you know if your baby is still in pain or not. Good luck and hope things improve soon x

Hi, my sisters little one had this. We couldn’t figure out a single remedy to help and so we ended up changing everything at once as it was a nightmare. She’d cry 23/24 hours of the day, it made it very difficult for bonding and adapting to the new life!
They changed their bottles, the mam ones are anticolic and you can literally hear the air escaping, they also gave her gripe water a few times a day, changed their formula brand and found she was a lot less sick and used dentinox. She used to cluster feed a lot too and all of this stopped within weeks of making changes, she’s now such a happy 5 month old who takes 9oz every 4 hours 4 times a day😂

Sorry there’s a lot of changes so I don’t know if it helps!

Feeding every 4 hours seems a long gap when so little, so I think giving a smaller feed more often might help and building it up. He might just be hungry and need more.

It's tricky to keep them up right especially if they poo after a feed. I saw something about rolling them to the side not lifting legs to clean their bums.

Thanks all. I use Mam bottles and always try keeping him upright. I’ve stopped the gaviscon since switching to comfort milk. Tried the bicycle legs thing but he hates it. He can be a gulper and there’s just no slowing him down sometimes, even tried size 0 teats! I am yet to try gripe water, I’m a bit scared too, if it’s anything like infacol it seemed to make him worse! I think I’ll try giving him 4oz every 3 hours today and see how that goes. I’ll give the comfort milk chance to work but I’m not getting my hopes up. If no improvement I’ll just have to keep on at the doctors. Just wish a baby expert could have him for a day and tell me exactly what’s wrong with him instead of just guessing! I want him better NOW I don’t want to wait for him to grow out of it because he’s definitely not happy and it’s not nice for any of us. I hate trial and error I feel like I’m messing him about but I guess it’s probably the only way... :(