Reflux? Gas? Am i just doing something wrong?

[User24689]

Hello, really hope someone can help.

DD is 2.5 weeks old. I've had probs with feeding since day 1 but I am still breastfeeding using a nipple shield most of the time (all the time on the left, 50% of the time on the right as she often latches then let's go repeatedly which hurts a a lot).

The past 4 days she has been inconsolable between about 9pm and 1am. She cries after and sometimes during feeds and often detaches and looks like she's finished only to be hungry again 5 mins later so feeds are taking up to an hour. Between feeds she cries frantically whatever position she is in and flails her legs and arms. And spits up after most feeds. Also, she has started making a kind of grunting/ throat clearing noise randomly throughout the day but mainly while feeding.

I have started detaching her every 5 mins and burping her and usually get some air up each time, also bicycling her legs and massaging her tummy, neither seem to do anything. Have tried giving her infants friend on advice of pharmacist, did nothing.

We have tried expressing and feeding from a bottle as I was concerned the nipple shield was allowing her to take air on but it made no difference.

Is this normal newborn fussiness or could there be a medical issue? Have I caused this problem somehow?

At wits end, it is so hard when I cant comfort her and I am getting barely any sleep at all :(

You have my sympathies. It is tough going! My LO does similar so although I don't have answers as such, I'm not using nipple shields so doubt it is that. But as far as I can tell, fussiness usually is just one of those things, albeit gas can exacerbate it. My DS is a month old and doesn't do that all the time but when he starts it can go for hours. I am linking it to being over tired, in part. He will be ravenously hungry, but throwing himself on and off the boob, screaming blue murder. I can only really break the cycle if I get him to properly sleep. Usually I manage this best by side lying feeding in bed then letting him sleep in the same position. By the time he's at this stage he's very sensitive to noise and movement so I don't try to put him down until he's slept for a while.

Other suggestions. Distraction might work. Change feeding positions. Take him for a walk around the garden. Play music. Try a bath. The tummy tub is meant to help with discomfort and gas. Give him to someone else to hold, who doesn't smell of milk. You could also keep a food diary to see if there's a pattern but I believe it's rare for the food you are eating to affect them. Have you tried colic holds? Also I assume you are feeding as soon as the cues start?

Good luck. I hope you get more sleep soon.

A useful read I think

My 6 week dd is similar. I tend to find that it is tiredness and/or wind. If she comes off the breast I wind her. Sometimes I just keep swapping between breasts if she comes off until she decides which isbest.

Also second pp, if I think it is tiredness I feed her lying down in bed as she tends to drift off and I can just leave her there to actually get some sleep (I co-sleep and she rarely naps)

Could be reflux, sounds similar to what my 3 week old suffers from, hospital prescribed gaviscon and something beginning with R that neutralises the pH of the stomache just this morn - haven't had chance to fully test out yet. reflux burns so even if no wind they will be in pain :(

Thanks so much all! I hsdbt thought about overtiredness but she has started having a wide awake period in early evening that lasts a couple of hours and it's quite hard going cause she needs constant jiggling around, stimulating otherwise she seems to get bored/ frustrated and fusses. Could be this wakeful period is wearing her out.

Yes I do feed at first hunger cues except at night when I let her wake me but I wake at first grizzle!

Thanks for all the info (and the link) I will give the lying down a try and try not too let her get over tired and if no improvement by next week I'll go to doc and see about reflux.