Struggling to continue breastfeeding

[Lbee123]

I have been EBF my 4 week old DS with the occasional expressed feed during the earlier weeks.

We really struggled at first with exceptionally painful feeds...He had a tongue tie that was missed at birth and privately separated at 2 weeks. I also received advice from the hospital feeding team mainly around latch for the tongue tie but also different positions etc.

The last week he has become quite fussy, screaming during and after feeds, arching his back, vomiting, hiccups constantly (had them frequently anyway), has been really snorty/sniffly since birth and latches on and off. I took him to the GP who diagnosed reflux and prescribed infant gaviscon.

I was giving it to him 6 times a day with water from a syringe but he hated it so then I tried a small amount of expressed milk from a bottle. He also seemed really constipated from it (would scream and grunt but then relax immediately after a bowel movement) so I then tried it 3 times a day instead.

He's still sick occasionally and still shows all of the above symptoms just maybe to a slightly lesser degree. His dirty nappies have reduced to only one a day now (but it's always a big one and the consistency is a lot thicker so maybe due to the gaviscon?) but has plenty of wet ones still.

My main issue now is that the fussiness has become unbearable in the last 24 hours. He has been feeding hourly since midnight, won't settle after a feed, latches on for around 2 minutes at most and then cries and fusses. He still takes the gaviscon in the bottle fine though

He is definitely seems hungry as he roots and chews his hands but just won't feed properly. I think I might have an overactive/forceful letdown but I don't understand why feeding has gotten so much worse.

I've tried skin to skin, just feeding from one side in case it's the letdown, feeding from both, feeding standing up and nothing seems to work.

I'm so close to buying formula for him as in worried about him being hungry and/or not being able to express enough to feed him fully and him still being hungry.

If you've made it this far thank you for reading, I didn't expect it to be quite this long!

Has anyone got any suggestions? I've just cried all day and I can't carry on like this. Am I better off just giving up and buying formula?

Unfortunately if reflux is to blame formula won't make any difference. It could even make it worse as some babies find it hard to digest.

Sometimes reflux babies like a dummy as sucking can ease the symptoms. I found breastfeeding sidelying made my reflux better as it slowed the flow and she could take a deeper latch. Also using a sling really helped.

Hope you have some joy. If it continues try going back to the GP as different meds may help. It may also be worth considering cows milk intollerance as this can present as a grotty hard work baby.

Best of luck to you. It does get easier. 4-6 weeks is a big growth spurt so that may be a factor xx

Forgot to say get the baby weighed to check that is fine if you are worried about hunger xx

Your post could have been me with DD. If the gaviscon is making your DS constipated please go back to your GP. It made my DD horribly constipated and we gave up on it because the constipation was worse than the reflux. The GP then prescribed something else (ranitidine?) and that was hard to get into her, but really did help.

Both my DCs were refluxy, having them in the sling really helped, I had a moby wrap and figured out how to feed whilst wearing it, which was a godsend.

Keep feeding your DS, I spent days and days on end (or at least it felt like that) with DD attached, she didn't really settle in between feeds and liked to nap whilst suckling. If he's happy / settled whilst feeding then keep doing it! You sound like you're doing everything right. It will get easier

I'm going to go back to the GP tomorrow and ask for different meds to see if it helps.

The only reason I've debated formula is because he takes the expressed milk out of the bottle fine... In fact he guzzles it down which makes me wonder whether it's to do with my letdown or if he has decided he doesn't like the breast anymore?

I have got a sling but haven't figured out how to feed in it yet so I'll have a go at that.

He was happy feeding and often fell asleep at the breast but the last 24 hours he won't go near me... He feeds for a few minutes happily and then throws himself off crying and arching. Then starts rooting again so I offer him more and he cries. And we go back and forth for about 20 minutes and then I end up rocking him to sleep. An hour later we start all over.

Thanks for your help both... Just knowing I'm not alone helps too!

I found letting the DCs sleep in our bouncer chair during the day time helped. We had a cosatto one that would recline but still be slightly tilted.