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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

straning, grunting and crying esp at night

15 replies

kellytizzy · 09/03/2008 17:12

hi, can anyone help?

my son, oliver, 7 weeks, strains and grunts a lot, its as if he's straining for a big poo or fart! sometimes he seems in pain as he often cries with it as well.

he does it in his sleep as well as when he's awake

its really noisy at night and tonight we're going to try him in his own room as we're getting no sleep at all!

his feeding is fine, and his poo's are normal (korma!!)

does anyone know if this sounds normal, or if there's anyway of helping him!? i dont thinkits trapped wind or constipation.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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meep · 09/03/2008 17:14

My dd was incredibly noisy at that age - she sounded like a little grunty creature in her moses basket!! She's much quieter now - and still in our room at 8mo!!!

Meandmyjoe · 09/03/2008 17:40

My ds was (still can be the same at 7 months!). It was particularly bad after night feeds which thankfully he stopped needing at 10 weeks.

He used to grunt his way back to sleep. I used to really panic and be constantly getting up to him to burp him over and over again. I think it was wind but I'm still not 100% sure as he has just started doing it during day feeds again now, even though he is on solids and only has 4 bottles a day! It sounds like he's pushing and straining but he isn't constipated. Think he's just a wind bag!

It could be in your case that his digestive system has only been fuctioning for 7 weeks and is still fairly immature so he's probably feeling a bit bloated or just getting used to the feeling of having milk in his tummy and intestines. I think it's fairly common but if you're worried I'd ask your Health Visitor. Does he seem unsettled or cry a lot? If not I wouldn't worry about it too much!

SHEENA1 · 09/03/2008 21:12

Hi was ur son a cesarian section baby ??

I have a 2 week old and he grunts been told this is because when he was born by section the fluid never got pushed out of his lungs and now its still disapeering if he was a normal vaginal birth the fluid would have got squeezed out when he was comin out lol sorry this must sound silly

BigBadMouse · 09/03/2008 21:31

My DD1 was like this and we moved her into her own room at 2 weeks old as a result. We all got more sleep! I kept picking her up to see what was wrong which just made things worse and when she was asleep and making all the noises I couldn't sleep at all (mainly from worrying what was wrong). She has never been a colicky baby or had any other digestive problems (nearly 4 yo now). DD2, on the other hand was quite quiet in comparison yet ended up with colic that seemed to last forever .

If he was in pain he'd be crying a lot so I would say all is fine and try not to worry

Looby34 · 09/03/2008 21:34

I have warned all my friends about this as our dd was exactly the same. Like a little pig snuffling about !! Friends have been glad I mentioned it as it can be a little alarming. We slept much better when she went in her own room (only next door - and we had a monitor) at 10 weeks...

Original poster

kellytizzy · 10/03/2008 17:33

thanks everyone!

oliver's went in his own room last night and i didn't s;eep well! constantly getting up to check he was ok! did'nt hear as much straining during the night but he woke up at 6 this morning crying with it!

i think im going to ask the health visitor again, last time i asked she said it's normal and he doesn't realise that he doesn't need to make so much effort to fart, but the last week or so he still seems to be in pain with it as the strains often turn into cries. he's really arching his back and stretching his legs out too!

bigbadmouse... i had a normal vaginal birth, thanks anyways!

OP posts:

BigBadMouse · 10/03/2008 21:00

Doing a cycling motion with the legs can help a lot - he is at the colicky age too I guess

ladymoo · 11/03/2008 08:53

Our ds was exactly the same! It's so horrible cos they sound like they are in so much pain and about to burst a blood vessel sometimes! There wasn't anything we could do to make it better - didn't really seem to be related to wind or pooing as like yours he had normal poo. Are you breast feeding? It seemed to make a difference what I ate - I cut down on dairy & citrus fruits which seemed to help a bit. Basically though he just got better at around 10 weeks (he was 2 1/2 weeks before due date though which might have made a difference - Oliver might improve quicker).

Hope that helps! x

liv01 · 11/03/2008 09:10

Our dd was exactly the same- she used to grunt and cry out and throw herself round the moses basket. I kept thinking she was awake or asleep in pain. The health visitor was no use and said 'maybe she is hungry but just not waking up'- what was I supposed to do about that!? She then developed terrible wind- you could feel it grumbling through her. There is nothing you can do about it- it is just part of their immature gut settling down. Eventually she just grew out of it at about ten weeks.

ladymoo · 11/03/2008 09:20

Forgot to say! We also went to a cranial osteopath to see if he could do anything - he said it was just immature digestive system & not much you can do, & will generally be better by 3 months, which ours definately was. Also he didn't like apples or garlic when i ate them.

Forgotten how horrid it was and how much I obsessed about it - especially as none of my friends seem to have the same thing or even really understand what I was talking about!

For getting him to sleep at night too we eventually used a dummy as it would take ages for him to settle after a night feed cos of all the straining & thrashing. He was exactly the same with arching & stretching too, it's just so horrid to see but I promise you it just gets better with time.

MoominMum · 12/03/2008 01:32

Yep - we have this too with our 10 wk old, right from day one. I've noticed that as well as the obviously windy episodes there is a regular phase of sleep between 4 and 6 in the morning when he just snortles and gruntles away, really loudly like a walrus barking or something (my DP can sleep thru' it but he could sleep thru' the house falling down!) but is perfectly happy and completely asleep. He doesn't usually cry out much during this phase so I'm pretty sure he's in no discomfort, it just seems to be something he does. I just let him get on with it and come and check out the latest Mumsnet news as there's no way I can sleep thru' it!

Original poster

kellytizzy · 13/03/2008 20:52

thanks i feel much better now! might just speak to the doc just in case as got 8 week check on monday anyway. looking forward to oliver just growing out of it then by the sounds of it!

OP posts:

mmmMomma · 13/03/2008 20:57

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blondiep14 · 14/03/2008 13:08

Phew, i am so glad our son isn't alone in his grunting and straining!

HV said he's propbably straining because he likes poohing & so is trying to always pooh ! But it is good to know he'll hopefully grow out of it soon.

We're due our 6 week check next week so will check with Dr that it's nothing else and rest easy in the meantime!

Van123 · 17/03/2008 11:00

My 7 weeks old sounds the same - like a little piggy in his moses basket (well rather a big piggy as he put on 1lb7oz last week!!!).

It all happens in the early hours (3am on wards) and not with his day naps. In the night he grunts himself awake only an hour and a half after his last feed and I have real trouble settling him back to sleep and end up letting him sleep on me while I watch telly on the sofa - not a good habit so if anyone has any tips for resettling that would be appriecaited.

Been really helpful to read the messages and know I am not alone. Moving DS into his own room soon and will ask at the 8 week check.

Let me know how you get on!!

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