2 week old with griping pain?

[musthavecoffee]

My 2 week old DD spends all night grunting and straining in her sleep. Is this what they call 'griping pain'?
I've looked into the various colic/wind relieving medicines but she doesn't really seem to fit most of the colic symptoms.
We manage to get a good burp out after feeds (FF) and she will then settle in her Moses basket for maybe half an hour before she starts wriggling round, legs up and grunting. If we leave her alone then this just carries on until she is wide awake. DD sleeps fine when on one of us, in the bouncer chair and also in the daytime in her basket.
She poos once a day and these are soft, but she really cries as she passes them as though its hurting? I just don't know what to do, DP and I are exhausted and can't see the wood for the trees at the minute. It's awful to see her so unsettled.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Congrats :)

Well it doesn't sound like she's constipated so that's good and I think you'd know about it if it was colic. Have you tried bicycle legs to help her pass wind the other end. Lots of baby massage techniques for that you could have a go with (just Google).

I will say babies have to get used to the sensation of pooing so that might explain her getting upset, possibly. Also doesn't surprise me she'll sleep on you and not in the basket at night at only two wks. My advice:

• Look at co-sleeping at night, she might be more settled and you'll get more rest. Doesn't mean forever
• make sure you nap in the day when she is. You're lucky if she goes in the basket :)
• bicycle legs for wind
• if still getting griping pains, try Infacol. Not as string as Colief but some people think it works

GL gets easier :)

Thanks for the advice Lois
Baby massage and co sleeping hadn't occurred to me, I'll have a read into them today. She's sound asleep now though and totally settled!
I had wondered if she cried when she pooed because it would feel strange to her, I can keep an eye on that one.
I really like the perspective of considering ourselves lucky if she sleeps in the basket too...I'll be keeping that one in mind tonight!

Our baby made lots of straining and grunting noises when in her basket up til around 3/4 weeks if I recall. Unless she seems unhappy, leave it and see if she grows out of it.

Ah, poor wee thing. I second doing the bicycle legs, or pushing her knees gently into her tummy. Both help with any low down wind. Also, massage her tummy above her tummy button from 10pm position to 2pm position....does that make sense? Ie. don't massage in a complete circle, just in a small arc over her tum button.

The good news is that she will grow out of it. Their digestive systems are immature and adjusting to the big wide world. Hard when you're up all night but it does get better honest.

Congratulations btw!!

Thanks so much for your replies. We have been trying massage and sitting her up for a while after a feed and it's made a big difference. Last night she seemed a lot more comfortable and in turn we both got a bit more sleep Fingers crossed this will be enough to help her feel comfortable!

OP, I have a 2 week old exactly as you describe. We have been using Infacol for 2 days and while she's still a bit grunty and restless, she is sleeping much better in the nights and doesn't wake herself up. Worth a try!

musthavecoffee, a baby grunting and straining in her sleep is not in pain or discomfort.

A new baby waking up and wriggling and grunting with legs up is just a baby waking up - that's how they wake up :) She probably prefers to be close to someone who loves her rather than being separated - most babies are like this.

A baby who cries when having a poo needs to be checked out - but it could be her reaction to the bodily sensation, rather than distress.

Speak to your HV, but nothing you say here sounds like a baby with griping pain. At all :)

My DS was the same and so noisy I thought about putting him in his own room. Turns out he has a cows milk protein intolerance and so I gave up all dairy products. Now he sleeps so quietly, I have to check he's still breathing.

Try propping up one end of the cot as well, that helps.

Tiktok, couldn't a sleeping baby still be in discomfort - just not enough to rouse? My little one does a very good impression of discomfort while asleep - grimacing, backbending, knees up to stomach, occasional crying that doesn't escalate. I'm not too fussed what to call it, but she definitely doesn't look like a comfortable baby (especially compared with daytime sleeps, when she sleeps like the proverbial baby - quiet, still and peaceful).

MaMaPo - m pain and discomfort would always rouse a healthy baby, and that this is a basic, hard-wired human behaviour. I am not sure what you mean by 'not enough to rouse the baby'.....babies are not 'stoical' unless they are very sick indeed and unable to 'call' for help, and if something is not rousing the baby ie they are still asleep then it cannot feel uncomfortable for them.

Infants wriggle and squirm and grimace and twist and turn in REM sleep - their bodies are reacting to the weird and new mechanisms of their guts. Babies have more REM sleep when they are very young - which is why we notice this behaviour in a newborn.

www.parentingscience.com/baby-sleep-patterns.html has something on this.

Excuse dodgy syntax of first sentence - you know what I mean I think :)

Ooh, tiktok, thanks - I love some science based parenting stuff. Now I have plenty to read during the sleepless early hours. :)