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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

BF baby seems so uncomfortable

14 replies

bumb1ebeesknees · 09/03/2015 22:41

My ebf baby is coming up to four months old and we just always seem to be battling with digestive problems.

He really struggled when little with holding onto his burps, now as he's holding himself up more that is much better.

However, he still really struggles with wind from the bottom end, and now he's not pooing as often and it seems to be really upsetting him.

When feeding he will start twisting and turning his head, crying and curling up as though in pain as well as making straining noises. His light sleep is disturbed by curling up as though in pain too.

I was already dairy free before he arrived, although did cheat a bit two weeks ago with croissant and cheese. We also tried to introduce some formula and he took 50m. ... I'm wondering if this has upset his stomach?

He's on ranitidine for silent reflux but the gp doesn't want to up the dose (1.3 ml three times a day and he's about 16 lbs).

The gp gave us some lactulose but it doesn't seen that effective.

I'm wondering if he might just be happier on formula :(

OP posts:

CultureSucksDownWords · 09/03/2015 22:48

Sorry for the potentially dim question but why would formula help? It's based on cow's milk so if dairy is a problem then won't formula be worse?

Original poster

bumb1ebeesknees · 09/03/2015 22:56

I don't know if dairy is a problem. He was mix fed aptamil in hospital for his first week and didn't have any obvious reaction then. But there are dairy free formulas we could try too.

OP posts:

CultureSucksDownWords · 09/03/2015 23:01

Won't the writhing when feeding be the silent reflux?

Have you tried different (maybe more upright) feeding positions? I think biological nurturing is meant to help with reflux.

Original poster

bumb1ebeesknees · 10/03/2015 07:17

He was up straining many, many times last night. I saw every hour on the clock.

Will he get used to this new poo schedule or is there something wrong?

OP posts:

tiktok · 10/03/2015 09:19

Are you sure he is uncomfortabke?

If he is asleep when all this is going on, even light sleep, you can be sure he's ok.

monkeymamma · 10/03/2015 10:30

My eldest was similar at 4months and I think it's a really tricky time digestively! I don't know any science to back this up but I assume their little tummies are developing ready for solids in a couple months time.
With my eldest things reached a head because he was having blood in his stools very frequently. We saw the pediatrician but because he was gaining weight etc couldn't get them to take much action. So I cut out dairy and nothing happened. Then I cut out dairy, soya, beef and egg and reintroduced them very gradually under the care of a dietician. (reintroduction was mainly to DS's diet as He was weaning by then!). I had to push for dietician referral but you mustn't cut out food groups without professional help. Ds got better as he got bigger and is now a strapping 3year old with no allergies.
I remember feeling exactly as you are now - that my milk was the problem and he'd be better off on dairy free formula. But I had good support around me and stayed with the breastfeeding which I was so so glad about. Breastfeeding him as an older baby was so much easier and less nerve-wracking and I really enjoyed it. So please don't feel that horrible (and entirely misplaced) guilt and worry about your milk! It's a tricky age for tummies and he will grow out of it, whatever the cause. Keep going back to gp and pushing for the right help, have faith in yourself and your milk :-)

Original poster

bumb1ebeesknees · 11/03/2015 00:25

He keeps waking up crying, so I do think this is uncomfortable for him. I've been up with him four times already tonight.

OP posts:

tiktok · 11/03/2015 09:02

What happens if you just bf him when he is like this, bumble?

Original poster

bumb1ebeesknees · 11/03/2015 09:15

I am feeding him back to sleep, Tiktok. At night it works as he's sleepy and usually just goes back to sleep. But if it was just hunger or comfort he wanted, why all the straining? Maybe it's just a new noise he's found?

I've noticed that it's mostly when I lay him across me to feed from the left breast that he starts crying and scrunching up. The gp checked his ears, but perhaps I'll have them looked at again? Maybe it's frustration and overtiredness? Or he's not hungry but needs the breast to fall asleep on? I've tried so many dummies and it's just not happening.

OP posts:

tiktok · 11/03/2015 12:02

Nothing you have said even hints at something wrong sounds to me like a squirmy grunty baby who's basically fine and just getting used to new sensations. Feeding 'stabilises' and soothes babies going through these little episodes and the episodes themselves disappear as babies grow .

tiktok · 11/03/2015 12:02

Original poster

bumb1ebeesknees · 11/03/2015 21:00

Thank you for the reassurance,I hope it's just a fussy phase then. How should I cope with the on/off feeding, and especially the biting and head twisting?

OP posts:

tiktok · 11/03/2015 21:30

Hard to say what you could do. Try experimenting with different positions. Or taking him off. Babies of this age sometimes take what they need in a very short time and he may be indicating he is finished. Perhaps a breastfeeding counsellor could observe a feed?

Original poster

bumb1ebeesknees · 12/03/2015 07:44

Another night of waking every hour or so. He wakes up straining and farting then crying. He fed to sleep in the night but this morning he's crying on the boob again until he's fallen asleep from exhaustion I imagine.

OP posts:

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