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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

Week old baby arching back, stiffening body and crying in what sounds like pain...

14 replies

sloathy · 04/05/2011 11:13

Hello

My DS is a week old. He is my first child so it is a very steep learning curve. I am mix feeding at the moment with mostly expressed breast milk during the day and formula for the night feeds (his birth was quite traumatic and we have been unsucessful with latching on so far but expressing is going quite well and I am trying to build it up gradually). Anyway, he is very placid 99% of the time, eats well, sleeps well but when it comes to the night feeds he is hungry for them and takes it fine but then can't settle back down - he suddenly arches his back and stiffens his body and cries inconsolably in a way that makes me think he's got a bad case of wind or possibly mucous ( he brought up a lot of mucous in the first few days after birth but hasn't brought any up in the last couple of days). It doesn't seem to be relieved by burping him and seems worse if we lie him flat. Last night we propped him up slightly with a pillow under the moses basket mattress and that seemed to help.

I am worried he may have reflux or something like that. We've checked his temperature and it is normal but I am on the verge of taking him to the doctor because these episodes seem to cause him lots of pain. Thought I might try infacol first though.

He was only 5lb 15oz at birth but seems very hungry and is taking around 3 1/2 - 4oz of either breastmilk or formula at each feed. Is that too much?

Any advice gratefully received!

Thanks

OP posts:

Munkiii · 04/05/2011 13:45

Get thee to the docs, sounds like reflux.

There are lots of things that can help, my baby is on ranitidine.

Good luck!

Deliaskis · 04/05/2011 14:06

Sounds like reflux to me, probably the silent kind, which is the acid causing pain, rather the the vomity kind.

Get to the Drs, there are lots of options for you and DS, but don't 'wait and see' as it can take some time to get the right balance of feeds/treatment etc.

FYI, from memory, 3.5-4oz in one feed for a small baby like yours sounds like quite a lot (we were put on a feeding plan of 55 ml, less than 2oz, every 3 hours when DD had weight gain issues, at 6lb). Until you get to the docs, your DS might do better with more frequent smaller feeds as it doesn't create as much acid.

My DD is 11 weeks old and we're to-ing and fro-ing with meds at the moment. Hopefully we will start to see an improvement soon.

mouseanon · 04/05/2011 14:09

Sounds like reflux to me as well. Try and keep him upright for a while after a feed, 30 mins or so. If you lay him down too soon it can make it worse. Def get to the Drs though he will need meds. IME it gets worse through the early weeks so the sooner you get on top of it the better.

sdotg · 04/05/2011 14:27

Another one suspecting silent reflux, same with my premie DS, similar weight.

Agree on the smaller feeds, keep him upright after feeding, I spent most of the early days with DS in a 'close' sling like this
www.fill-your-pants.com/baby-carriers/close-baby-carrier.html
A slight wedge under his sheet to raise his head up will help.

We also got some free osteopathy that our HV referred us for, wasn't sure I believed the principle but it helped, he was a much happier baby after each treatment, it took 5/6 over a 3 month period.
Hope dr's are helpful

notbothered · 04/05/2011 15:50

sounds like reflux to me... my DD is 5 weeks old and has reflux :(.
try to keep him upright for 20-30 mins after each feed. do not change the nappy or position, rub his back when trying to wind(pls do not pat as it makes worse).
we bought special wedge reflux pillow at an angle of 15 degrees. pls google it an you will find a lot of options. great thing to have with a reflux baby.
i went to see gp and we got ranitidine. we only used for 1 days and it looks like its getting better. (touch wood) hope you baby get better soon!

Original poster

sloathy · 04/05/2011 18:30

Thank you for the advice. Ill take him to the docs. Is it odd that if it is reflux it only strikes at night? He is fine during the day.

I asked the midwife about the amount he was eating and she said it was fine as he was probably 'catching up' . He doesn't struggle to finish a 4oz feed and seems to be really hungry within a couple of hours if we give him less. He is being weighed on Friday so will discuss with mw again then.

OP posts:

munkiii · 04/05/2011 18:51

Good luck- FWIW My wee one gets her reflux attacks only once or twice a day too, with this type if reflux that tends to happen.

With the feeding we were told to give 3 fl oz every three hours day and night and this was adjusted as she got bigger so you MAY be told to change what you are doing.

The turning point for us was when she was diagnosed with a milk allergy!

PM me if you need any more support.

Original poster

sloathy · 07/05/2011 14:52

Hello again, just a quick update.

The doctor, health visitor and midwife have all concluded that he is a bit colicky and doesn't have reflux - mainly because it only happends once a day and not at every feed. He has put on quite a bit of weight so everyone seems happy that he is thriving. He has improved a little over the last couple of days and the attacks seem to be getting shorter (last night it only lasted 30 mins after the 6pm feed and he slept soundly between his night feeds). I'm still keeping a close eye on him though and thank you again for the advice.

OP posts:

Cazzr · 07/05/2011 15:15

We thought our ds had reflux when he was little, he had classic colic at night but was a bit on off fussy in the day. He used to bring his milk up A LOT!!! We did end up on gaviscon at one point and considered all sorts of remedies, but just thought I'd share what worked for us...

Turning point for us was using Dr Brown's bottles and also changing to Cow and Gate comfort (low, not 'no', lactose milk). Wow what a difference from the first feed with both.

I found health visitors and gp's sat on the fence with suggestions and it was another mum who lent us the Dr Brown's bottles which worked for a couple of weeks but noticed the fussyness creeping back, so took a punt on changing the milk, again WOW from first feed. Both rememdies together returned our chilled out baby to us. :)

Also, you say you are using formula for night feeds but breast for the day. Could you turn this round so that you are using breast milk at night?

Cazzr · 07/05/2011 15:18

Just to add, our DS used to scream for 3-4 hours solid every night till we found the solution. Only thing that used to settle him for a bit was carrying him on a walk, as soon as we would try to stop he would start.
Normal colic remedies were useless for us.
It was hell at the time and very frustrating not to have any constructive help from medical staff.

KellyC06 · 27/04/2019 22:22

Hi! Please help!

My 6 week old baby doesn’t like being put down, he’s very unsettled between feeds. He has been diagnosed with silent reflux and is on gaviscon however in between feeds he’s crying, arching his back, stiffens his legs and no matter what we do we can’t pacify him when he gets like this! He seems very uncomfortable know matter what we do with him. He also has a baby acne rash in his face :(

He’s on aptimil 1, (changed from cow and gate 1) We found he was a lot worse on cow and gate! He’s gaining weight really well, 8 lb 4 born now 11lb 7 😳 he also feeds 2/3 ounces every 2 hours (at a push) have tried to make him go longer but he just won’t stop screaming til he gets it! He also is a cat napper which is very difficult as I have a 6 + 3 year old also! It’s so heart breaking! I feel so bad for him! I’ve also googled it and now have scared myself to death about cebral palsy etc!

Please I need advice! I don’t know what else to do?! 😞

KellyC06 · 27/04/2019 22:29

Hi! Please help!

Please I need advice! I don’t know what else to do?! 😞

snoopy18 · 29/04/2019 11:20

Try taking baby to cranial osteopath - has helped my baby lots - he’s currently 7 weeks.

Nickylove19 · 29/09/2019 14:20

KellyC06 can you give me an update on you baby? Mine is doing exactly the same and when i googled it scared me to death.

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