Help please....colicky baby and night time noises

[Watty74]

I have a 5 week old baby who is extremely colicky, he cries from 7am till around 10.30am and then starts again around 7pm through till 11pm or more. Doctor says we just have an extreme case, none of the treatments seem to be working so we have resigned ourselves to another few months of this and just trying to keep him soothed when we can.

Last night after his nightime feed at around 3am he went back into his cot but didn´t settle well, he makes the weirdest noises, not quite crying more like a whimper and a few waa waa waa´s and then quiet and then starts again. Is this normal or am I just totally over sensitised due to his colic and constant crying? I do get him out an sooth him when he is screaming as I´ve said we are doing all we can to help him.

Any advice on night time noises?? I live in Lisbon and it is just me and my DH so not much support around us.

Is he lying on an incline to help air travel upwards?

Are you giving him infacol/ simeticone to help with the trapped air.

Has he been checked for reflux? My ds1 used to do this and had really horrendous reflux.

a friend of mine had a baby with dreadful colic, she used a liquid called colief - not sure if i have spelt it correctly! its from boots, you put it in the milk or in a drop of breast milk if you are breast feeding. its quite expensive at around £10 a bottle but she said it was amazing. or as suggested by ib it could be reflux, my daughter had that and her symptoms were similar to the ones you have discribed, dr gave her baby gaviscon which worked immediatly. hope this helps.... just noticed you live in lisbon so not sure if you have boots!!!?? sure you could buy online if you wanted to try it?

Have you considered reflux (not just spitting up, could be silent reflux)? Does he settle better on you?

After a feed, let him lay on your chest and wind him for a while (rubbing his back for 30 mins or so) - that might calm him down.

I'd also suggest carrying him in a sling for as much as possible, again this helps calm babies. And reduce stimulation - no toys, playing etc etc when awake as he;s so young, he wont need it. Make sure he's not awake for more than an hour (sounds ridiculous but little babies need a lot of sleep)

Also you say he's in a cot? I think cots are quite scary places for little babies given they've been in a cosy womb for nine months - have you got a moses basket? Also consider swaddling him and settling with background white noise.

My 7 month DS did not sleep in his cot until 3/4 months, spending most of his naps and night sleep either sleeping in a sling or on mine/DH's chest. We also swaddled and used a dummy. DS had silent reflux which was why he was so difficult to settle in the early weeks - once we got the medication, it became a lot easier.

Thank you for the replies. I´ve tried colief but ran out after 4 days and have just received more (ash cloud troubles!) and infacol and gripe water. I´d like to try the colief again but the doc says to try what he has given first.

Our doctor thinks it is colic not reflux and he has given me Motilium to give him which doesn´t seem to be working plus a probiotic. I have a telephone consultation next week with him. (being away from the NHS makes you appreciate what you get, in Portugal we get zero aftercare service!)

He does settle better on my chest and I carry him in a sling, but I will definately try keeping him up for longer after a feed and winding him for longer.

If no improvement by next week I suppose I just push to see if he can have tests for silent reflux, we have to have private care here so I don´t understand why the doctor dismissed it and was so quick to say colic!

Colic is really just a doctors way of saying they don't know (IMO). I'd push for infant gaviscon - reflux tests are pretty invasive. That's usually the first thing they try. Then ranitidine (which worked for us) then other drugs.
If I were you I'd look up reflux symptoms which might help argue your case if it is that?
Also have you tried a dummy? If you use it after a feed it helps keep things down.

Colief - life saver. I didn't discover it until ds was around 4 months. Takes a good few days to kick in but then we had a different child on our hands.... Good Luck it is awful to see them suffering x

Sorry about the colic, that's dreadful. I don't have any advice on that, but am v familiar with the nighttime noises ? all 3 of mine have made peculiar gurgling/grunting/whistling/whimpering noises in the early hours until, I seem to remember, about 10 weeks old. DC3 is 4 weeks old now and has just started this, so it's like "here we go again"! It does sound very alarming at times, and keeps me awake, and it's annoying that their daytime naps are so totally silent, but if your DS is doing the same as my DC, it shouldn't last that long! The things they don't tell you before you give birth, eh?!

my grandson suffered terribly and it was because he could not tolerate ordinary milk and had to go to soy, then a different child. also lay baby on his side angled back with a towel rolled up along his back this really does help. Somehow less pressure when on their side. After each feed lay on the other side that way he wont get lopsided. In america when 2nd son born put on soy immediately.. due to family history not a single problem.

good luck. also demand feed. that way the stomach acids dont get a hold.!!!!!