Comfort milk causing screaming and unsettled baby? Please help

[raininginbaltimore]

Sorry started new thread as need help. Please be gentle I've had less than 4 hours sleep.

I switched dd to comfort milk yesterday evening. She has some symptoms of silent reflux and has been a bit unsettled. Ironically yesterday she was on normal milk and pretty chilled.

Last night she screamed from 10-midnight and then would only sleep if I held her. She is still very unsettled this morning and has been screaming already.

I am wondering if it could be the comfort milk? I am tried that she was just being a normal newborn and there was no need for comfort milk. It smells rank, and my instinct is that it is a bad idea.

Could it be making her worse? Should I try it a bit longer?

If she has silent reflux then thickened milk can make it worse - basically the milk is slower to come back up, therefore has more time in the oesophagus and burns for longer. Comfort milk is really only good fog mild cases. What are her symptoms otherwise?

Her symptoms are uncomfortable during feeds, random screaming (sometimes waking up with a painful yell and scream), gagging (followed by screaming), some over feeding due to sucking (she has a dummy now), arching back and pushing her legs out, really angry crying clawing at me and her face, hiccups all the time (and often seem to be painful), coughing and gagging lots. Oh and she will only sleep on her stomach.

But she isn't anywhere near as bad as ds was (diagnosed reflux) and I wonder whether she is just being a normal newborn and I am being paranoid because things were so awful with ds.

Has she ever been checked for tongue tie? Contrary to popular belief it can effect bottle fed babies as well as breast fed.

this is a really good article about it - there is a list of symptoms further down.

It's really easily missed by midwives, HVs etc. if you think it's a problem then the clinic on the blog will be able to help.

If you think it's a problem do be aware you might have to go private as the NHS seems to be chronically bad at diagnosing/treating.

I was in a similar situation to you - DT1 had reflux and DS3 had all these problems - in my gut I didn't think it was reflux but no one could work out what is was. Took me three bloody months to find that blog.

Your dd's symptoms sound very very similar, especially the gagging.

It did not suit my lo as I said. It separates out and I think the thin watery bit comes back too readily. Either try anti reflux or get the gaviscon as if it is not as bad your other ds then it may be sufficient. Even done improvement would indicate that you are right re reflux. It does sound like it symptom wide though x

Meant say even some improvement sorry ... Typing on phone :-/

Right, have gone with very unscientific instinct and back to normal milk.

Thanks for thatThisisyoursong. Interesting what you sy about knowing something is wrong, but not reflux. The is how I feel. Lots of people have suggested reflux. But hadn't considered tongue tie. I think I have to accept normal newborn stuff as well.

For the 5 days I fed her she latched really well, although I did get scabby nipples.

Did it feel a bit like sandpaper?

If you want an indication, next time you are at the drs ask if they can see any palate abnormalities, eg high palate or bubble palate. If so its probable there is a tongue tie. They might tell you differently but if there is a TT it will make a huge difference having it snipped. Literally cured my Ds's hiccups overnight.

Please do let me know if you want any further info.