Problems after bottle feeding.... Advice needed.

[hippy3]

ok so I am bottle feeding my Twins....EBM and formula....

Everytime I feed them, especially one of them. He seems to struggle. I dont think its wind as he will burp after a feed and sometimes possetts...

But they go BRIGHT red, and make a sound like they are really struggling. They also curl up into a ball (bring their legs up into their chest) and it lasts for AGES .

Every time I feed them I am nearly crying as I am dreading it....

I have tried infacol, and Dr Browns bottles we burp them for half hour, keeping them upright after a feed .....any suggestions as to what it could be? or is this typical of wind....??

They go so red they lok like a chameleon !! and the noise they make is awful..and its not crying, they dont cry....

I have an appointment with the HV next week but that seems like a long time away....

ANyone...........................?? I am using Aptamil formula.... Thanks,,,,

Sounds like reflux to me. I'm no expert though, just going through it now with my 10-week-old. There are lots of reflux veterans on here.

thanks...... is it hurting them it looks awfull......

Sounds very much like one of either two things to me - reflux or cow's milk protein intolerance. Or both at once (this is relatively common). For reflux, there are treatments available that neutralise stomach acid (e.g., ranitidine, omeprazole) so that when it refluxes it doesn't burn. There are also thickeners and products which form a 'raft' over the stomach contents (e.g., Gaviscon Infant) but I don't rate these very highly and they cannot be used if your twins are prem.

If it's a cow's milk protein issue, then you can be prescribed special formulas that have proteins broken down( e.g., Aptamil Pepti - IME the most palatable - or nutramigen), or are completely free of milk proteins (e.g. Nutramigen AA). Some doctors will try and prescribe or reccommend soy formula, but this is not appropriate as there are concerns about the level of oestrogen-like compounds and also the majority of those allergic to cow's milk will also be allergic to soy. The only way to work out if it's a cow's milk issue is by excluding cow's milk for at least 2 weeks. With reflux, a trial of medication is sometimes begun and if the condition improves markedly, then you have your answer!

Hope things get better for you soon. It's horrible seeing them in discomfort.