Baby being sick all the time - what's normal?

[BreeVDKamp]

DS is 4.5 months old and lately (well I'd estimate for about a month) has been being sick after all his feeds, sometimes quite a lot. I'm not sure what is normal 'possetting' and what counts as vomiting? And what is a cause for concern?

He doesn't seem too fazed by it but I am sick of being sicked on

It does coincide with him switching over completely to formula, he didn't spew at all when BFing but I did have supply problems.

DS has been constipated forever, even when BFd, so have been advised to water down his feeds - 5 scoops instead of 6 for a 6 oz feed, for example, however that seems to make him more sick. I've read that for reflux they give a thicker formula, but don't want to do that as worried it will make him more constipated. I don't think he has reflux.

We had a small, firm, green poo this morning :(

Also I feed him after each nap and he absolutely chugs a 5oz or 6oz, but lately his naps have been crap, only half an hour ish, so then he's only awake sort of an hour between naps, so then he's not hungry when he wakes up from a nap. And by the time I feel safe lying him down either on back or tummy after a feed, it's time for a sleep again, so he doesn't get much playtime unless he's sitting up with me. And whenever I put him down anyway he is sick.

He coughs, sneezes, chokes a lot, just for info.

Have bought some variflow teats this week after he was getting distracted with a slow flow but drowned with a medium. He is still flooded with milk and leaking out of his mouth though.

Im happy to carry on as we are if all sounds normal but just wondering if that does all sound fine?

Off to change DS into second outfit and put him down for 2nd nap of the day! Already!

Also has hiccups ALLLLL the time!

It doesn't sound completely normal tbh, I'm no expert but hopefully somebody will be along soon to give some ideas. The green poo was something we had when DS2 was very little and ill - it was a sign that he wasn't getting enough nutrients from his milk. If it is was me I think I would be taking him to the GP or health visitor. You might need to be persistent though - when DS2 was ill at 3 weeks we had to go to the GPs three times before they agreed that something was wrong and admitted him to hospital.

Perhaps it is some form of intolerance if it coincides with being watched on formula milk? A friend's DS has a dairy intolerance and had terrible digestive issues when fed normal formula milk. Could be something similar perhaps.

How many feeds a day does your ds have?
I ask because my dd if ff and on 5 feeds of 6oz a day.
Ff from the start and she was a puker for a long time. A lot of the time it was related to wind. So she would burp then be sick.

Things we did: gradually space feeds out to 3hrly. We did feed on demand but I think we read the signals wrong so she brought up what she didn't need.
Wind after about 3oz screams the house down now if we take bottle of her so just wind at the end
We tried infacol, gripe water but more recently have used dentinox for the wind. (Some epic burps happening now)
Changed bottles - we were using Dr brown and avent ones. Moved to NUK bottles and teats. And I can honestly say she very rarely is sick after a feed.

Sat up in her bouncy chair for at least 30mins after a feed. We got a play gym thing that can be moved across her so can still play
And a towel on her play mat to absorb the sick. She was never upset by it coming back up.

You say he chokes? Is that when you are feeding him? I would go back to your HV or GP as well tbh even if it's just to talk it all through.

Hope some of that helps

Thanks both of you.

He probably has 7 feeds over 24 hours on a typical day, some 4oz, some 5, some 6, some full-strength and some watered down. There is no rhyme or reason I'm afraid, just trying different things.

I realised when I was putting DS down that feeding him after every nap is not feeding on demand duh! We had a glorious week a few weeks ago where he napped at 9, 12 and 3 every day for an hour and a half each, so then was hungry after every nap, so our day was very neat and I think I carried that on even when his naps changed.

Anyway. Yes I think I'll book a GP appt. I think I'll try 4-5oz full strength on-demand, maybe with sips of water in between to help the constipation, until we can get to the GP.

Yes he will be happily playing or whatever and then suddenly choke, cough, and do these horrid gasping-foar-air noises.

Typically whenever we go to see any HCP he is perfectly fine and doesn't perform any of his chokey coughy tricks.

We have used infacol and gripe water in the past, and use Tommee Tippee anti-colic bottles with variflow teats. Did use Dr Browns but the shape of the teat didn't work for him.

Could it be that he has a lot of saliva? I mean if the coughing/choking happens outwith feeding time.

I've noticed that my dd is constantly drooling producing more and has a wee coughing fit now and then.

Hope you get the gp appointment quickly
And my dd always behaves perfectly for hv/gp! Typical

Waiting for GP to call me back to discuss. DS currently screaming in the baby carrier, I have never heard this cry before, he sounds so distressed :( very high and waily. Hopefully it's the pain of doing a poo and not another issue on top of that. Hope he does one soon!!! Poor thing.

I have noticed lately that he has been gargling on his saliva when laid down or when babbling. He is sooooo drooly so maybe that explains the choking, although the drooling is recent.

Have you tried baby massage? shows some of the moves to try. (There may be better videos)
Sorry of its something you've tried already. Hopefully it's him trying to pass a stool.

Our dds cries when constipated were awful

and & for you

Yes I have, furiously all day thanks

He's fallen asleep on me now

My 21 week DS (14 weeks corrected) was sick when I first gave him formula as I was giving him too much. Bottle fed babies have a knack of carrying on sucking/drinking so you may be inadvertently over-feeding him hence the sickness!

It does sound like he might be a little poorly this week (because of the screaming and green poo).

But my DS sicked every feed he had (all formula) until he went on cows milk at 12mo. He also choked/gasped a lot and still does (he's 20mo now) especially in the month or so after a cold. But no sick since he stopped formula.

I did find it mildly better on ready-mix instead of powder, but think it was just easier to clear up (but ££s) rather than stopping the sick.

He also always had lots of small feeds until he was 12mo, rarely more than 5oz and 6-7 of them. I asked the HV loads of times but they told me as long as he was happy it was "normal". Definitely not a lactose intolerance as he's fine with cows milk and yoghurt/cheese etc. just didn't get on with formula (and we tried a few brands).

So probably at the extreme end of normal in terms of sickness. But similar to my experience.

Sorry just read your update hope he feels better soon!

Ah thanks all. Spoke to doc on the phone yesterday and she thought it might be reflux, we're going in on Monday although she said reflux is not a medical issue. So don't think it's too much to worry about. Don't fancy putting him in gaviscon in case it makes him even more constipated as it did my friend's baby.
I've looked at comfort milk and it says it's good for reflux and constipation, although HV said it wouldn't help his constipation when u asked previously.
Anyway, he did a huge poo in the night and seems much better sick-wise on 4oz at a time :)
Thanks for all the advice.

Docs yesterday - she said he was fine and it sounded like possetting and over-feeding so that was embarrassing! He was a failure to thrive and is on laxatives though so I wanted to check it wasn't all connected.
Anyway yay! She also said he's MASSIVE and couldn't believe he was a failure to thrive.... He is only 25th centile for weight and 50th for height though. But someone guessed he was 9 months the other day!!! Weird.

Don't be embarrassed! Can't be too careful with babies.

I'm glad all ok