Bottom burps and tummy rumblings

[Karen99]

Hope you can give me some ideas on this as DS is very uncomfortable and I really hate seeing him like this.

DS is 14.5wks and had colic from wk2. Still using Infacol, but doesn't seem to help him much anymore. Instead of him having problems burping (which he is alot better at but still has problems) he has gradually had increased bottom wind over the last four/five weeks. The poor little-man always looks uncomfortable, doing bottom burps all the time, particularly when I lay him down for a nap/sleep or half way through a bf (he lays on his side on a nursing pillow). We seem to have regressed to three/four night wakings and a couple of the times I feed (which seems to be the right cry) and a couple of the times I just soothe him in the cot - all I can hear is his tummy (guts) making sounds and his cry is a real heart-breaker. He must be in so much pain. Nappies aren't really that bad (not that I've got anything to compare them to), sometimes frothy, but mostly yellow with white bits in them, sometimes yellow/green. No matter how much I try to wind him he still takes in alot of air when feeding because of his tongue-tie, which definitely doesn't help matters(seeing consultant about this in 4wks, can't wait)

He suffered a merconium liquor birth and the colic in the first two months - my brother has suggested osteopothy (sp?) which he took my nephew to for eczema/sleeping problems.

Questions to you are - is there anything I can do myself to help ease his pain? do you think osteopothy would help this? What do you think?

All I can think of atm - is "bicycling" his legs while he lies on your lap after a feed - usually works for ds even now - spectacular trumpets.

There's also another (more expensive) brand of colic stuff called colief which I've seen advertised. Don't know if that helps - will keep pondering though. All the best

Hi Karen,
No specific experience I'm afraid, other than that lots of bottom burps are not uncommon, but poor DS sounds as though he's really suffering. Have had friends who swear by osteopathy for all sorts of problems following birth. Maybe you could ring an osteopath and see if they think it could help?. It can't hurt to try it, and may ease his pain - in all of the babies I know who've experienced it, they seem much looser and more comfortable afterwards... being born doesn't seem to be the easiest of things!

Yes, bicycling helped us too, I'd forgotten that!

Not us, DD!

Sounds like he might have gripe (where the air bubbles get stuck in the bowels. My dd has always had bad colic and Infacol worked well to start but stopped working after about 6 weeks. Since then we've been using Woodwards gripe water and that works really REALLY well. The only thing I've found is that I have to force dd to stop halfway through a feed (not appreciated) to give her the gripe water because it works much better then and she'll take it easily because she's still hungry. If I leave it until after the feed she just lets it dribble down her chin and so it does no good at all!

She's 3 months now and it's still working well. She usually gets a huge bubble that you can feel in her tummy and then after a couple of knee bounces she does a burp any bloke would be proud of and that's the end of it.

I'd try that first before cranial osteopathy (it's cheaper for a start), because a different 'winding medicine' can make a big change. But if that fails, I've heard loads of people talk about how cranial osteopathy works wonders for loads of things so I'd definitely go for that.

Karen99, baby massage worked well for us. The moves that helped the most were:
I Love You
The Paddle Wheel (described on this page)
bicycling, as people have mentioned
and bringing his knees to his chest, kind of scrunching him up

The book I used was Baby Massage by Peter Walker although I think any with decent illustrations is probably good. Hope it's as helpful for you as it was for me.

Thanks all for the suggestions. We do bicycle kicks but usually on his changing mat, hadn't thought to do it after a feed (thanks bobsmum)

Wobblyknicks, we tried gripe water when he was 1.5mo and it seemed to bring up quite severe burps, so we stuck to the infacol which seemed much gentler. However, now he's older I'll give it another go. The 5ml it suggests seems an awful lot - how much do you give your dd and is it by spoon or cup or what? Will def try this first.

Waterbaby - good idea about ringing, I'm near the OCC (which is a charity and you only pay what you can afford) so I'll see if they think it would benefit.

JJ, we do a very basic massage after bath-time only, when putting on his Oliveoil moisturiser. How often do you/did you do the routine? I'll take a look at the site.

Thanks again! I know how painful it is when I get an upset tum - can't imagine having it every night. I'll let you know what works!

Good luck! Can't believe how much I've forgotten over two years... I'd better start taking the fish oil tablets too I think!

karen - I tried the gripe water at about 4 weeks and it made her bring up a lot of food with her burps but when she was a bit older it worked perfectly, so it might be better with a stronger stomach or something. It started working better when she seemed to be able to help her burps come up (by sort of tensing her tummy) rather than when she was on Infacol, and the burps just forced their way out regardless!

It's silly the way they don't give you anything to give the dose with though, but I just use the plastic spoon that came with dd's bottle of Calpol. When I first started I sterilised the dropper from the Infacol and used that. I'm sure if you ask at the chemists they'd give you a syringe or a spoon you can use (depending on what your ds will take). The 5ml does sound a lot but it seems to do the job and it's never seemed too much for dd. The worst it can do is not help at all so it might be worth a try.

The only thing is that the bottle says to throw the bottle away after it's been open for 14 days, which I suppose would be a waste if you only used it now and then but if you use it every feed you'll through most of the bottle easily.

Hope it works!

At the baby massage class I went to we were told that to help with wind you massage their tummy in a clockwise direction. Start with your hand just above the left hip, rub up until you reach the rib cage, then accross to the right, then down towards the right hip. Its sort of an upside down U shape. Press firmly and try to do it in one continuous motion. You do it this way as it is the direction the large bowel moves food in, and it helps to shift along any wind. Ds was windy, not colicky luckily but often seemed uncomfortable, and this used to make him fart like a trooper (much to dd's hilarity!) but by golly it worked!

Fennel tea is super for bottom burps (also in adults ) The best make I've found is Dr Stuarts Botanicals. I used it by pouring boiling water on a bag in a baby bottle and leaving it to stew overnight. The following day I gave some to the baby and drink the rest myself. (Come to think of it, I think I got this tip off Mumsnet myself!) For a newborn a teaspoonful with each feed, so I imagine that for a 3mo you could give it as a drink as often as you like. Do you burp him midway through the feed? My no1 was phenomenally windy, and was definitely helped by burping before, during and after feeds, and often in between feeds too.

Wobbly, used the Infacol dropper last time we tried it (great minds!) I've also tried a syringe but he didn't take it too well. Will get a small spoon or something.

Susanmt, sounds similar to the I Love You JJ posted. Will give it a go.

B&G, my DH's aunt from Germany has sent over a pack of fennel tea after seeing DS at the end of Aug. Haven't tried it as I couldn't read the instructions! (how sad!) I can only read 200ml on the side, so I'll try what you suggested and give it to him as a drink. If this works I'll be kicking myself that I didn't try it sooner (I hate fennel and you naturally avoid things you don't like for your d )

My dd had the same and the two most effective things were putting her to sleep on her tummy (a no-no I know, but there are no other cot death factors in my household and it was the only position that she was comfortable in) and when she was awake holding her draped horizontally over my arm with her tummy facing the floor. The effect is the same as tummy sleeping...it put pressure on the tummy and helps force the air out. (I used to have terrible gas problems myself as a result of stress and lying on my tummy really helped.)

sorry to mention it but have you checked your positioning? may be the tougue tie doesn't help but a friend was sorted out with similar problems by a bf guru (from john radcliffe, oxford) she was getting loads of foremilk but her attachment wasn't simulating hindmilk. apparently foremilk ferments in the gut to cause the gurgling, gripey pain, flattulance(sp?) and frothy greeny poo. also frequent feeds as digested quicker. no amount of "winding" would get gas formed in the gut burped up! I suppose the t-tie stops him scooping enough breast into his mouth? a bf councelor may be able to give handy tips for t-tie? you could phone sally or chloe at the radcliffe they will always help anyone! HTH i know my friend was amazed at how a small adjustment to her positioning made such a big difference.

We did the routine for a while (can't remember how long) but it was about 5 years ago, so my memory is fading. I can remember doing it during nappy changes and whenever he seemed to need it. We also did a little routine, like a bicycle motion, but with his knees and pushing them to his chest, then pushing both his knees in a clockwise motion over his chest to the chant of:
1-Get 2-those 3-farties 4-out (back and forth with the knees)
1-Get those 2-farties 3-out 4-(beat) (clockwise with the knees over the chest)

because it really really matters on what you say and when you say it. That did work well, though.

His doctor prescribed weak chamomile tea and I've also heard that fennel is good too.

Good luck and may the farts be with you.

Thanks again for the thoughts.

DS is a tummy sleeper for his naps and his first put-down at night. I put him back in his cot on his back after his first wake up in the night, however, the most grumbling rumbling time is about 4am after he's been on his back for a few hours. Maybe we'll try for the whole night on his tummy and see what happens. Everytime he goes into his cot on his tummy a few bot burpies make their way out - can't help but make you smile every time

I'm sure positioning and the t-tie has something to do with it,even though he's gaining 8-10oz a week. As we're not seeing the tt consultant for four more weeks I may give the local bfc a ring.

JJ, totally agree - the words are SO important should get a few smiles if no results!

Karen99

Definitely try the fennel tea. If you are worried about misunderstanding the instructions (yes I know that feeling all too well ! )just make it weaker than you think and see. dd had it from time to time as a baby and still does when she has a tummy upset and ds liked fennel in purees when he was teething. Milupa make granules that you dissolve in water perhaps that is available in the UK too ?

This interesting as my dd is now 10 weeks and suffering with windy tummy infacol does little and gripe water no better but she too has a T-tie. Maybe it is the breast feeding but not sure what to try as I suffered at the beginning and have found a good position I thought for both of us but I will try the fennel tea!!