screaming during feeds and in between aswell!

[bramstow]

I am new to this message board but I was recommended it by a friend. I am at my wits end with my 5 month old. He struggles to take his milk with the average bottle feed taking an hour or so. He takes the milk - say 40ml-and then streteches out and screams- he will then refuse to take anymore until he has had a respite from drinking for a time - calming down takes the form of his dummy being inserted. He will then sometimes respond well and drink more but many times he will scream again and refuse to take his milk. I have taken him to the doctors who gave him infant gaviscon which made no difference at all. I was referred to the paediatrician who could find nothing wrong with him- and would you believe my boy was as good as gold for the entire visit?! His screaming is not exclusive to milk times-he has such a high pitched squeal that it hurts your ears. He will not stop and this results in much heartache for me and him! I have wondered if it is because he doesnt eat enough milk at one go that he gets tired and irritable as on the occasions when he has drank fairly well a full feed- few and far between-he has seemed happier. He never sleeps much in the day either and has only half hour sleeps perhaps 3 times a day. You can tell he is tired when he wakes up but he refuses to sleep anymore - again this can result in screaming. I have started him on solids which he takes fairly well but he has begun waking agian regularly in the night. I am sorry this has beena bit rambling but I have tried to give as much infor as possible. Is there anyone out ther with these problems? I am am so sick and tired of meeting other mums whose babies are great and eat and sleep well. Please can anyone help?! Thanks.

I am sorry I can offer no advice to you, other than to reassure you that there are so so many mothers who have similar issues to you here on MN, and that hopefully some-one will come along soon and offer some real advice from their own experiences.

I just did not want this post to go unanswered.

I hope things get easier soon x

My son was similar to this although mostly at night. we saw pediatritians dietitians you name it and no one could help me. He was waking eight times a night and crying for hours so we got no sleep. We finally sorted it when a friend recommended we take him for cranial ostepoathy which cured him within 6 weeks! I am not saying this will work for you but is often effective with this kind of thing especially if you had a difficult birth?
A friend of mine had a similar problem to you and hers was cured by switching her son entirely to soya milk and having no milk products at all.
hoping to help but if nothing else I sympathise whole heartedly as it effects everyone in your family and drives you slowly insane.
x

Thanks for the support. It is good to know that I am not alone. I did have a difficult birth and a friend of mine said this may have affected him in some way too. I am wonderig whether or not to go back to the doctors with him. I am so scared to go out with him in public as I guess i am embarrased when he squeals and I will be seen not to know how to help him.

I woudl double check thigns out with a Doctor, DS used to do this and it was horrible. In the end (at the age of 2!!!) he was diagnosed with lactose intolerance and we switched to soya milk. He was actually in pain from stomach cramps and nausea due to inability to digest cows milk formula.

Try getting a soya based or Lactose free formula and giving it a try for 2 or 3 weeks. Personally I'd cut out the solids, if it is diet based its easier to sort out when you only have one factor, solids will just confuse the issue and he's a little young yet for solids.

bramstow you could be describing my son!!

Same as yours, was fine until he hit 10 weeks then instead of taking a 6oz bottle he would only manage 2 -3 ozs, he would scream, writhe around and take ages to feed.

He had no sleep in the day really and then slept loads at night from sheer exhaustion.

He was diagnosed with reflux (he did spit back clear liquid with white specks in it over the paediatrician which shows that hours after his last feed he was still refluxing) he was given infant gavsicon but that did nothing he was then put on a special formula called Enfamil AR which we got on prescription.

You can get the equivalent thing, I believe it is SMA staydown - it is the formula you HAVE to mix with COLD water. You could try that to see if it makes any difference.

FILM your son screaming the place down and what he does so that you can take that with you to the doctors because it is not normal.

My HV didn't really care that I was feeding my son small amounts 10 - 12 times a day because he was gaining weight

Is he happier when propped up and screams when he lies down?

I agree that there could be a lactose intolerance issue also.

What are his nappies like? Does he do normal poos?

Will check back on this later

Sounds like silent reflux to me. DT1 had it. He used to stretch out and squeal. The stretching is to elongate the throat as the stomach acid passes back up and burns. Google reflux. Not all reflux babies throw up. Just have excruciating (SP) heart burn. You can raise the end of the cot so he sleeps on a small incline.

My Ds was like this, turned out it was a dairy allergy.

Docs said it was reflux but gaviscon made no difference.

I was bfing so what worked for me was cutting out dairy. It was so horrible and frustrating until we worked out what was wrong so i really feel for you going through this.

my son is 6 weeks old and has all the syptoms you guys are describing. He will drink 2 oz then stretch out screaming like he has wind then cry cos he wants more milk but after one gulp screams again. in the end i have to give up and then of course he is hungry again after a couple of hours so we have no routine. I cant go out any where with him in case he screams and i have a very fed up two year old. Any suggestions as HV just tells me not to change his milk as he is so young but i am going mad. I did not think it was reflux as he sleeps fine lying down and sometimes sitting up does nothing.

ang22 - you might want to post on bottle/breast feeding to ask about changing formula to see what the more experienced MNetters recommend.

We were advised to change the milk, this was with ds2 who was originally having mixed feeds as I was still expressing breast milk so he had formula then breastmilk, when I stopped expressing then we had problems!

Both my sons had reflux, ds1 threw up and never bothered, ds2 did a little bit of sick and screamed the place down.

Always bypass the HV is they aren't giving you great advice and go to your GP.

trixymalixy - what exactly did you cut out from your diet to exclude dairy? Did you cut out cheese / butter/ chocolate / all milk (inc that in tea) or did you switch to goats milk or something else?

My DS is the same as all the DCs described on here - gaviscon has not helped.

Bramstow when you said 'I am so scared to go out with him in public as I guess i am embarrased when he squeals and I will be seen not to know how to help him'. That made me feel very for you. Please do go out - ignore any negative remarks or looks you think you might get. Sometimes it is really hard to calm a baby and I'd say sometimes you just can't (esp with colic type symptoms) but please don't think anyone will think you a bad parent - we have all been there. You may even find a change of scenery helps your DS relax and you certainly deserve a break.

ang22 - go out and let him scream if you have to. Its not fair on you to stay in in case he screams. I did this with DD2 and regret it terribly now but at the time it felt as thought I really shouldn't inflict her (extreme) noise on others. Now I take her out (aged 2.5) and let her scream away (tantrums) wherever she decides to - it's hard to do but in the end it's better than staying in and listening to it...

A big thanks to everyone who has been giving me advice. I think I will take him back to the doctors- maybe I will film these spisodes to let others see waht it is like when he 'goes off on one'. I know it is not right what he is going through, he looks like he is in absolute agony. He was on SMA when first born but did not thrive on it, we put him onto apatamil and he has gained weight ever since. We did try aptamil easy digest formula for a while but that relly didnt do much either. I get so anxious now whenever he screams taht it is making me a bit of a nervous wreck. People keep telling me it will get better as he gets older but they have been saying that since he was a few weeks old. My HV is also teh same as some of you describe. SHe says things like-he might be teething or he might be ready for solids. No use at all. It was good to her(though not in a good way) that other mums are going through similar things. It sounds like it may be a lactose intolerace thing or reflux from you comments. should that be what I suggest to the doctor? I ahve been left with an open appointment for the paediatrician too. May make an appointment there instead. Will begin to gather video evidence. ANy other coments woul dbe gratefully recieved! Thanks.

go back to paediatrician if you have an open appointment, I did the whole videoing and taking photos of stuff because of course when you take them to the docs they never do what you want them to

SMA staydown is available from Boots, I don't think the supermarkets sell it as it isn't main stream.

I love the "it will get better when they get older" line, I was told that both my ds's would grow out of reflux! Ds1 did it when he could stand up and walk around (not when weaned as I was told) ds2 was 14 months when he came off prescription formula. He doesn't drink any milk, we tried cows milk and he threw it back up on so many occasions we gave up.

They can only actually diagnose reflux properly with some serious tests, both my sons showed very obvious signs so there was no need for the tests.

I think as parents we do tend to put up with a lot especially when doctors or HVs tell us oh it may be this/that/the other but when it continues it is best to keep pushing until you are happy. You know your baby better than anyone.

I will begin to gather evidence for a visit to teh doctor. I was speaking to someone with a baby who has reflux and their symptoms sound just like my boys. They pushed for a diagnosis. Fizzylemonade you are right to say that they are always seem on best behaviour at the doctors! I have always known he had something wrong with him but as a first time mum you do listen to the HV or Drs advice as you assume they know what they are talking about. I didnt take him to the doctors until about 3 weeks ago anyway as I had been told it was a phase and he would 'grow out of it'. I don't think you can appreciate how hard it is unless you have been there yourself. The other thing with it is that there are still the odd occasions when he will take his feed quite well - does this fit in with any patterns people know about? I am grateful to have found other people with similar issues to my sons. It has helped me to begin to see their may be some hope out there for him and me!

BBm,

I started by cutting out all dairy. Cheese, butter yoghurt, milk, cream etc. i even avoided it in chocolate and biscuits etc.

I would sometimes slip up and it didn't seem like he was reacting to it in chocolate etc so I started eating those again and eventually as he was taking less milk from me and eating more solids it was only really milk and cream I was avoiding.

BRAMSTOW my son is the same he will drink 6oz one feed and then the next feed he will scream the place down. I have been told it is just severe colic!!! Not sure what to believe or do so going to leave it for a week and then take him back to the doctors!!

ANG22 you seemto be expereincing what I have gone through for what seems like ages. Yes I would see how he goes on and then take him back to the doctors and see what else they have to say. I will be doing the same thing. He has had a better time this last 2 days after 2 terrible days earlier onin the week. My friend whose baby has reflux says to try giving him smaller split feeds, this is ok but yu then seem to be feeding all day! or thats how I feel. I can't remember teh last time he had a feed in 15 minutes-if ever really!