Feeding and being sick all day

[harverina]

Dd2 is 15 weeks.

For the last few weeks all she has wanted to do during the day is feed. There are pretty much no gaps in between feeds.

She is also sick all day. Smelly curdled sick. We go through countless bibs.

I took her to the gp a few weeks ago and we were given gaviscon. I didn't persevere though as I felt it constipated her a bit and to be honest she didn't seem bothered by the sickness.

Since then though things have gotten worse. She had bronchiolitis at Xmas time and we had to hold her up a lot - I thought maybe she had just liked this and that she just wanted to be held all the time because it was nice but now I am not so sure. She has a lingering cough - dd1 (age 3) and dd2 have been passing coughs and colds back and forward to each other so I just assumed that the cough was a viral thing that would go in time. But now I am starting to wonder...

Is she feeding constantly because she is constantly hungry from being sick? Or is it comfort because she is sore? (She seems sore when she coughs) I have no latch issues and dd is gaining weight well.

Is she being sick because she is feeding constantly or is it reflux?

Is she not wanting to be put down because she enjoys cuddles or is it because she is sore?

She is such a smiley, happy baby when she is on my knee and she clearly loves bf.

I just want her to be happy and not cry so much. She cries no matter where we put her - on her mat, bouncy chair, cot, swing, high chair! Yet randomly she sometimes enjoys lying in her cot bed!

I don't know what's going on!

I have a lot of questions.

First, is she throwing up mucous? Or just milk?

Is she throwing up full feeds, or just small amounts?

Is she projectile vomiting, or is it dribbling?

Is she unhappy when she throws up? It sounds like she isn't? But you're saying she's crying quite a bit - is she just refusing to be put down? That's pretty normal at this age, a sling can make your life easier.

You're saying her weight gain is good?

Sicky babies tend to fall into one of two camps. One group is skinny, throws up full feeds, is miserable when the puke, and they projectile vomit - this group needs help (the scrawny screamers). Another group is nice and fat, throws up parts of feeds, isn't unhappy about it, and they dribble - this group, we can see as a laundry problem rather than a medical problem (the happy pukers).

Her sick is curdled and smelly. It is sometimes mucousy, yes...it's not a dribble but is not projectile, it's in between i would say. Her weight gain is good - she is between the 75th and 91st centile. No wonder though, she feeds constantly all day. I seriously mean constantly. Some days she would lie on me all day and feed.

She won't be put down at all and is constantly rooting for a feed. She didn't use to be like this - this started after she got bronchiolitis. She has always been sicky though.

I feel like all she does is cry if I try and do anything other than feed or sit on me.

We have a close caboo but neither of us are happy with it! Trying to persevere though

What I don't understand is that she sleeps well at night. 50% of the time she sleeps all night from 10/11pm. The rest of the time she wakens once.

That's odd - if she had reflux, you'd expect her to be sick in the night. Is she coughing and then throwing up from that? Could it be gag reflex from mucous at the back of the throat?

If that sling isn't working for you, is there a sling library nearby? Slings are a bit like bras - you need one that suits you and fits you just right.

There is a sling meet occasionally fairly near me which I should probably go to. I think I an just not a sling kind of person - I just feel uncomfy and a bit weird having her hanging on me. I almost feel like I should be holding her even when the sling is on if that makes sense!

I'm not sure what's causing it. She seems hungry all the time. At the weekend I was lucky if she was off my breast for any longer than 10 minutes at a time, except for during the night. The hv suggested that it may be because she isn't wakening at night a lot - so she is potentially missing two feeds in the night and has to make up for them in the day. But I don't agree as it's not an extra two feeds. It's all day.

I am going to give the gaviscon a go. I feel a bit reluctant about trying it as I hate trying medication without being sure. Plus I don't want her to end up constipated on top of being sick if it's not acid causing the problem.

I just don't want her to cry as soon as she is put down. It's proper hysterical crying - then randomly one time she will be fine! For example this morning she woke at 7, I fed her quickly at half past as she needed a poo so wasn't feeding well. I changed her and got her dressed and she was happy to sit in her bouncy chair for about 45 minutes while I got dd1 and I ready. Why was she happy then? Why then did she scream in her pram when we were out at the shops.

I know some of it is absolutely normal behaviour for a 3 month old baby but I just feel like there is more to it too.

No the cough doesn't seem to be making her sick anymore - it did a bit when she had the cold too and she was bringing up the phlegm and mucus etc but the cough makes her cry and seems sore. She doesn't cough all day though, mostly as a result of her getting herself into a state. Dd1 has a cough too.

I understand your thinking - it sounds like either mucous and/or reflux are bothering her - if you say she's ok in her bouncy chair (upright) but not in her pram - is that when she lays flat?

Either way raising the cot or her pram so she's at an angle should help (we used two big thick reference books under the feet of the cot).

Also, for DS's reflux (at the same age he fed every 1.5 hours apart from at night 4-5 hours) we found holding him upright after feeds for 15 mins really helped - it seemed to be enough time for the milk to "go down" so it wouldn't pop up again. Might be worth trying. Good luck.