3 week old seems distressed- should I stop antibiotics?

[BraveLilBear]

I've been breastfeeding my 3 week old DS almost exclusively (barring a couple of bottle feeds in the first 10 days due to desperation) and I have had to really battle to get this far with DP suggesting formula every time I say I'm tired or struggling with the emotional pressure of being on demand 24/7.

Last Friday I was put on antibiotics for infected stitches (had forceps and episiotomy) that aren't healing.

The GP said it wouldn't affect breastfeeding as only a tiny amount gets through to DS. However, over the last two days he's been shiwing signs of stomach problems- is feeding a lot but throwing up loads, isn't settling well, occasionally crying out in pain and there's been a couple of grim nappies.

Could this be due to the antibiotics? I'm just starting to experience the usual tummy trouble side effects myself so it seems to have taken a while to get in my system.

Should I stop the tablets? Stop breastfeeding? Grin and bear it? Any help much appreciated!

I don't think it's the antibiotics but I'm not medically trained. This sounds like reflux. That's basically stomach acid coming up the gullet. There's a valve halfway up which can take a long while to grow.

We gave dd2 ranitidine (antacid) and domperidone (anti vomit) since same time frame because weight went down. You might find one or both helpful. We give by syringe. Both are by weight for dosage, given by GP.

If its 'just' a laundry issue and you can cope great. For us she could vomit across the room. We are still taking it 7mths later. Although food stays down better milk comes back like a fountain/exorcist. Quite surprising!

I got quite depressed about it at one point. It's hard, assuming this is what it is. Hope you get some help. Angling her mattress and keeping at 45 degree angle helped lots.

Please finish the course of AB's. To stop now just means you have killed the weak bugs, and the stronger ones will still be there, so any infection will come back harder and tougher.

It needs to be your decision on feeding. How much longer have you got on the AB's? Must be near the end of the course now?

Consider taking a probiotic or eating live yoghurt yourself.

Keep an eye out for thrush in you and your LO - common after AB's. If thrush does rear its head, BOTH of you need treating.

Thanks - I'm mainly worried that he's in pain and is spitting up so much... and then demanding more food and repeating.

My nipples are getting sore from the increased demand plus he isn't latching as well when he's in discomfort so that's a double whammy.

I have no idea about current weight situation - he was discharged by community midwives at 10 days old when he'd gained 10 oz in 4 days (having lost just 2 oz since birth). The red book says he shouldn't be weighedmmore than once a month so I was thinking of getting him checked next week.

Will keep an eye out for thrush but he's spitting up so much it's impossible to tell (mouth usually has milky residue).

Will keep taking antibiotics for now - it's a battle to take them as it is as they need to be taken before food and I'm lucky to eat twice a day at the moment so I'd hate tohave to ttake more :(

The tummy pain etc still to me sounds like reflux. Every feed? If you pick him up? Change direction? Constant sucking can be because it relieves tummy/wind pain.

You need to finish the course of antibiotics. If you don't then you're risking a recurrence of the infection that is harder to cure and will just mean more antibiotics.

People not finishing courses of antibiotics is one of the things that causes bacteria to develop resistance to some antibiotics and get harder to treat.

Sorry I can't offer any advice about your baby, I hope feeding becomes easier again soon.

The spitting up has been like the usual overfeeding, except increased in volume and often even if he's not been fed for a while tho he's been ok for a couple of hours (fell asleep on me and I've not attempted to put him down this time).

The pain comes randomly- sometimes when he's asleep, sometimes after fussing around a feed. It doesn't last long and appears to ease off after 30 secs or so- a close cuddle may or may not help but he generally calms down when cuddling.

Will do some research and raise reflux with midwife on Friday. Thanks for the advice.

You mustn't stop the antibiotics - really don't. You've only got a couple of days left even if it is them, so it's worth persisting. As Madratlady says, you leave yourself open to recurrence that will end up with more ABs.

It could well be thrush - I end up with it every time I take ABs to the point where I get my GP to prescribe canesten at the same time
so keep an eye out for that.

What symptoms would suggest thrush? I used to get thrush from ABs pre pregnancy but have had no downstairs symptoms...

I feel so guilty that I'm causing my baby pain because of something I can't control.

have you got any pain in your breast? Thrush felt like needles stabbing me when it really took hold.

Here you go
Doesn't actually look like he's got the symptoms tbh.

it might not be, but think it's worth looking out for anyway. How many days left do you have with the antibiotics.

This sounds very very similar to what happened to us when DD was born. I had a ventouse delivery, episiotomy and multiple stitches. The first lot of AB's I went on for infection sent both of us over the edge! I was absolutely bonkers and DD presented very much as you are describing your DS. I went back to docs who prescribed a different type of antibiotic. Please don't just stop taking them - that'll make you feel far worse in the long run! If you want to carry on breastfeeding (I did) then do so, but don't beat yourself up about it. At three weeks old I was given the best advice by my midwife (still under her care until day 28) and that was to get DH to feed a bottle at nighttime - I went to bed around 8pm, he gave a bottle when next needed and brought DD up for the next feed at around midnight - gave me a good old chunk of sleep and didn't interfere with the feeding - in fact DD is 19 months and I have only just stopped feeding her now as expecting DC2!
So, get back to the docs and I hope you feel better very soon.

Thanks oneslice - vaguely comforted by knowing I'm possibly not imagining this!

We had been doing that - DP would give the bedtime feed of either expressed milk or formula so I could have a couple of hours of sleep. But since he's gone back to work he's not willing to help with night feeds as he has a 65mile each way commute.

I'm keen to get expressing again but he's on so often at the moment that I don't want to risk leaving him short.

I think a trip to the doctor may be on the cards if this carries on!