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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

What would you do? I'm at a loss

9 replies

OutNumberedByBlue2 · 17/12/2013 18:46

DS2 is 9 months old & still ebf with solids. He's never taken a bottle & now I don't see any point in trying.

He's had silent reflux on & off since birth (more on than off!) & constipation since weaning. Sleep as such has been something of a challenge for him & me. Night feeds increase when he's been refluxy or had tummy ache from constipation.

3 weeks ago we had a bit of 'crisis' meeting with the hv as he started having a period of horrendous sleep waking up within 45 minutes of being put down, screaming blue murder, only mummy & boob would do. This would go on literally all night. If we'd co slept he literally hung off me all night. Once again reflux had struck. Hv advised to make sure he's not waking through pain so get meds sorted for reflux & constipation & try going dairy free. He went back on ranitidine for reflux & movicol for the constipation. Over the course of a week we had a huge improvement in sleep (no idea if it was the dairy or the meds) & went 7 hours with a quick feed then another 2 or 3 hours.

Then he got a stinking cold & chest infection so all understandably went tits up & we were back to all night feeding which is where I'm still stuck. The cold & chest infection are 95% better, we've been back to see Gp to increase the ranitidine dosage as I know illness makes it worse & given calpol in case of teething pain.

Last night he was awake again within an hour, co slept feeding from 10pm until 1.30am when he'd finally unlatched, went in his cot until just after 3am, fed for I think around 45 minutes

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OutNumberedByBlue2 · 17/12/2013 18:50

Posted too soon sorry!

Went back in his cot then back in with me from 6am (dh had cuddled him at some point & he cried as soon as he tried to put him down) for more hanging off mummy.

I'm exhausted, don't know what to do to help him anymore, don't know what's wrong & don't want to create a situation where the only way he'll sleep is being attached to me.

Help! & Thank you for reading!

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DeckTheHallsWithBoughsOfHorry · 17/12/2013 18:51

Sounds like hell.

That said, I'd continue to co-sleep and feed on demand until the medical issues are resolved or at least improved. You (and he) need sleep to function. He probably also fears pain when he wakes, as much as he experiences it.

Brew in the meantime.

PurplePidjin · 17/12/2013 19:02

Are you dairy free or just him? Try to eliminate it from both of you, and read labels - milk powder is in lots of stuff like bread. Soy molecule are quite similar so try cutting that too (sorry)

GinGinGin · 17/12/2013 19:13

The fact that he has got worse after this cold is ringing bells for me - my dd got Secondary Lactose Intolerance when she was 3 mo following a very bad cold. It lasted for a few months and during those months she slept 30-40 mins at a time (only on me) & fed hourly day and night. She was writhing in pain and discomfort a lot too & very farty. If that sounds like what yours is going through then carry on with the dairy free (you and him - check labels and cut out anything related to dairy or lactose) and hopefully you'll be able to ride it out.

I sympathise though, sounds like hell Hmm

OutNumberedByBlue2 · 17/12/2013 19:53

Thanks for the replies. It really is hell & we've had periods like this on & off all his life. Just as he starts to settle something else comes along be it teething, a cold & it then causes the reflux to flair & round we go again. I know why sleep deprivation is a form of torture, I'd sing like a bloody canary for a decent nights sleep! Grin

We both went dairy free, for me probably not completely but dramatically reduced. Then he got his cold & we hit the next horrendous bout of night feeding & to be honest although I'm still much reduced I haven't been as strict.

I'm not sure it is dairy as he's been like this his whole life - periods where he settles then everything flairs & off we go. If it v wad dairy wouldn't he be consistently unsettled? My diet hasn't changed, except the last few weeks & he wad ebf until 6 months & had bad phases or can the dairy flair too?

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PurplePidjin · 17/12/2013 20:23

Have you cut soy too? Might also be egg, tomato, all kinds of things. Ours was caffeine (still have to avoid during the day at 13 months but can now have a little chocolate after bedtime!)

GinGinGin · 18/12/2013 05:40

The Secondary Lactose thing can flare up, but I see what you mean about the dairy, but it might be worth just going completely dairy free (it takes 2 weeks to completely get it out of both your systems) & see how that goes. I guess at this stage anything is worth a try rightSad

GinGinGin · 18/12/2013 05:40

Have you been referred to a paed at all & what are his poos like?

OutNumberedByBlue2 · 18/12/2013 09:38

We did also cut of soy.

His poo's now he's on movicol are normal, before it was like stones that made him scream when he went to the toilet Sad

I just want him to be happy & settled.

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