Help needed what is wrong with my dd

[bumpsnowjustplump]

DD2 7 weeks was very poorly 4 weeks ago. Spent a week in High dependency unit after her lungs failed. During this time she was NBM and was fed minimal amounts via a tube. I expressed throughout to ensure I could continue bf when she was better. She has been out of hospital for 3 weeks now and things are going well she feeds every two hours and has gained all the weight she lost. However feeding is becoming unbearable for me.

She never feeds normally as she did before she is constantly squirming and thrashing at the breast. I am in so much pain as she will pull back sharply while feeding with my nipple clentched in her mouth and she will fuss so much coming off and going on throughout. Some feeds she will latch on feed for a few minutes then pull back and scream going ridged.

She has had green sludgy poos but a stool sample has come back negative. Although her poo is back to yellow now it is very watery and she poos very often. When she poo's she really forces it out and strains quiet hard.

Are the two related do you think? I really dont want to give up bf I worked so hard to ensure I could continue but I really am in pain when she feeds, need help please..

not an expert so hope someone else has some wise words. A couple of things that spring to mind is
I would be taking her into gp for a check up if your at all unsure of her health, with a history like hers it would pay to be on the safe side.

Could she perhaps be a bit refluxy at all?. My ds was nbm and tube fed for weeks. When he did transfer to breast he was like you describe and it turned out to be reflux. Ours was productive reflux and he vomitted a great deal with it too but some babies don't vomit.

I hope that you find the answers soon.

We have check ups with gp every friday and he didn't seem concerned at all. I hadn't thougt of reflux as she is not sick at all I didn't realise that you could have it without being sick. Can relux develop at 4 weeks as this is really when it all started she was fine before this?

DS had really bad reflux but he was very sick and had it from birth which is why I hadn't even thought about it!!

To my shame I can't remember when ds's reflux started as the first 8 weeks he had so much else going on. Reflux without being sick is called silent reflux basically the acid goes up without being expelled and then goes back down hurting them both ways if that makes sense.
It is good that the gps don't seem concerned.

Hi Bumps, I think DD1's reflux didn't start until she was about 6-8 weeks old but as you know it was the pukey sort like your DS's. I'm not sure but from memory I think green poo can be a sign of indigestion of any sort, so wind, reflux, colic etc. It might be worth a trip to the Dr to discuss silent reflux, especially with your family history of it, perhaps they'll see if a bit of Gaviscon might help settle her? I hope it's not reflux as we both know how much fun that isn't!

Oh no Moosy nooooooooooo. Thanks again both of you, even if it is not the best news. I will discuss it with gp on friday check up..

:( what a difficult situation, bumps

The poo texture, colour and frequency and straining could be normal - but coupled with the other symptoms you describe it could be part of a picture. Stool testing is not very revealing in infants, apparently, though.

What is not normal is this struggle at the breast and the clear discomfort.

I can't even guess what this might be, though reflux comes to mind of course as something worth considering. Maybe ask someone who knows what to look for to observe a feed from beginning to end?

I'd expect the GP to have found something really untoward with her health, and of course the weight gain is reassuring, but I agree with you, something is going on here :(

thank you tiktok, do you mean get the gp to observe a feed or someone at a bf clinic maybe? I get the impression that my gp is less concerned about me bf than he is to ensuring her lungs are well.

Unless the GP is one in a million, he/she will not have a clue what to look for :)

Someone like a breastfeeding counsellor or a very experienced peer supporter, or an HV or midwife with specialist training, or an IBCLC...whoever you can find. It's no good someone just watching. They have to know what they are observing - if it was me, I would look at how the baby gets on, what her posture is like, if milk is being transferred, and I would look and see if all was normal in her mouth; I'd help you experiment with different positions. I'd explore the possibility of over-supply by asking you questions and looking at the baby's behaviour....now I think of it, over supply could be a possibility.

Signs of this would be huge weight gain; spluttery, uncomfortable baby; breasts always/often full except immediately after a feed.

If you expressed massively when your dd was in hospital you might be over-producing as a result.

Does any of that help?

yes it really does i will call HV tomorrow and ask where my local bf counseller is.

DD has gained a lot of weight recently and I did express lots in hospital so over supply could be it, how would i resolve that if it is the case?

If you search over supply here on mumsnet there will be ideas you can use - basically it involves 'block feeding', but see what the bfc says first.

More I read your OP, the more I think over supply, though :)

Green poo means 'intestinal hurry' - not a problem when it isn't a problem, IYSWIM, but it is part of the over supply picture.

thank you so much tiktok I will get onto HV first thing in the morning.

hi bumps
sorry i cant help with the breast feeding
hope u find out the problem soon and get help

I have appointment with a bf counseller on Wednesday next week. thank you all x