DD (5mo) is worrying me..

[Darkmere]

Can anyone help/reassure me that my DD (5 months) is ok? I have a doctors appointment tomorrow but until then I hoped somebody might let me know if their DC had been through anything similar.

Last week she seemed generally unsettled- crying more than usual, not sleeping well at night and had a nasty sounding dry cough. I put this down to a growth spurt or a bit of a cold. But since Monday these things have got worse and are accompanied with her being sick a lot of the time... not after every feed (BF) but after most and then sometimes long after a feed for apparently no reason. She has also been doing these horrendous shrieks. They come out of the blue and she doesn't seem in pain but will continue to shriek even if I try to comfort her or distract her. The only way to stop her is to feed her again.

I do feed on demand but more and more I feel like I'm feeding her to keep her from shrieking, when she isn't hungry as she is just suckling rather than drinking.

Another thing which started over the last few days is when I feed her on my left breast she uses her left hand to bash her head. She has never done this before and she stops if I hold her hand down.

Her weight is fine, no temperature and nappies same as always. I go from worrying myself silly over this to just putting it down to teething or a cold.

I suppose with quite so many different things this could be a few different problems. Hopefully the doctor will have some ideas tomorrow but in the meantime anybody out there been through something similar?

My dd went through something similar and it turned out to be gastric reflux which eased with medication and she also turned out to have a severe dairy allergy. I'm not saying that's it however, just a thought.
My gp wasn't very helpful to start with and kept sending me home... When it didn't improve i insisted on a referral to a paediatrician who sorted her immediately. Dd was 3 months when it all started.

Is she still coughing? DS used to throw up after feeds when he had a bad cold. He had reflux too.

Get the doc to check her ears too, she might have an ear infection, that would make her shriek.

She is still coughing. Its a dry raspy cough. I asked the HV if it could be reflux a couple of weeks ago but she thought not as the symptoms had only recently arrived...

DP has a cold so it could be that.

Will make sure doc checks her ears as that might also explain the head bashing?

I am really hating this not knowing what will make her better.

Darkmere... sympathies. It's so hard when they are sick and we can't find a way to make them feel better. My hv and gp were totally anti relux for my dd as she was gaining weight etc..
Thinking back when my dd had an ear infection she was head bashing and throwing herself back a lot too, so good advice from tussauds...
I hope things go well at the docs.
Does her shrieking get worse when she is laid down? This was the case with dd and her reflux and i found elevating the head of her cot eased her slightly.

Shreiking sounds like reflux. Hitting her head could be ear infection, which may tie in if she's had a bit of a cold. I wish they could tell us what's wrong, don't you?

Thanks BB.

No her shrieking is pretty constant whether lying down, sitting up, being held... positions don't appear to make a difference.

We have elevated the head of her cot after a spell in hospital with jaundice when she was a week old and the nurses showed us how to with a cushion.

DP has her now and is talking to her at the window... this distraction is keeping her quiet at the moment.

FBB I have been imploring her to tell me whats wrong! Trying to reason with a 5 month old gets you nowhere though!

Does the shrieking get worse after a feed and then settle a little before the next feed? If not then sounds more like an ear infection. Are you giving her regular calpol and Brufen? You can give the 2 together as long as you don't go over maximum dose for each. many people are reluctant to give it regular but it's the regular use at this acute stage when you need to give them background pain relief. Only giving it when they seem to be in pain means you have to wait for it to work etc and the pain then creeps back up. Regular dosgae means that they get background relief so the acute pain doesn't take hold. Am i making sense???
So id ds or dd have something like an ear inf i would give:
7am Calpol
10am Brufen
1pm Calpol
4pm brufen
7pm calpol
And reserve a dose then should i need it in the night.

The shrieking is pretty erratic so I think you are right is sounds more like an ear infection than reflux. I do understand what you are saying about the regular pain relief. I had been scared about using it (only previous need to was after her first jab) but she seems so unhappy that I will definitely give it a go if doc thinks it will help. Thanks BB. x

Let us know how you get on at the docs. x

Well DD had a good night- she woke up two or three times (I forget when Im in that sleepy haze!), and fed without being sick.

This morn she was drooling like crazy and ramming her fists in her mouth while still doing the occasional shrieks. Some of that magic teething powder and bonjela seemed to do the trick with the drool.

By the time we got to the docs she was as good as gold- smiling at EVERYONE without a shriek to be heard or head bashing to be seen

The doc checked her ears amongst everything else but couldn't find anything and reckoned it was probably a cold on top of teething so was not too concerned. She prescribed calpol just in case.

Of course now I've got used to the shrieking she worries me now she has gone quiet ....

... I had no idea how exhausting this would be!

Aw bless her. I'm glad she's OK.
I had that annoying habbit of being fine for the dr when I was young.
Took 4 visits to diagnose whooping cough! would be up all night coughing myself sick and smiley and lovely for the Dr.
DS is a complete angel too. Lovely, quiet, smiley for all visitors and his many doctors - like a bloody lunatic for me!
Who'd ave em, eh?
Hope she's completely over it soon x

Hey darkmere my DD is 5mo + 2wks and does exactly everything you have described your DD does!

It is definitely teething, poor thing . Luckily my DH has a DC from his first marriage and spotted it right away. DD has two lovely bottom teeth and apart from nipping me twice in a non hungry playful mood I have had no biting issues at all

Try giving her some cold teething toys out of the fridge rather than feed every time, sometimes this works just as well unless they are hungry!

I think the coughing is due to them creating too much saliva that they choke on it every now and then I just give her back a pat to try and help cough it up. Try not to worry the shrieking it comes and goes I think it is just a new way of them expressing there frustration. Teething makes their tummies upset and they may get nappy rash and sick up drool alot too but it does come and go.

The head banging looks disturbing but it is just because they don't have the arm/hand control to just rub their sore face and they probably don't understand why it hurts so just hit in the general direction.

I just let her get on with it and give her lots of cuddles and kisses. Although go to the doctor if she gets a high temperature you never can be too sure. Hope it gets better for you.