3week old, getting angry when feeding

[SingToMeInFrench]

DS is 3.5 weeks old and is EBF (had a bottle of formula last night as I was exhausted)

Last few days DS isn't feeding as well as he was, pulling off the breast after a short time, getting angry, throwing his head back etc.

He's also started to vomit after every feed (and even during feeds) - should I've worried?

He's very farty and it seems as though he struggles to poo (goes bright red, strains, gets angry etc) but this rarely results in a poo. He will do a big poo every 1-2 days.

Does this sound normal? Could it be reflux?

Sounds very much like cmpa

My DS had something very similar and had a stay in hospital when he was a baby. They tested for infections (nothing found), intolerances etc and even though nothing confirmed, but when the dairy and formula was cut out of his diet it went away. ( he was mainly breast fed with the odd formula bottle). And I had to cut out dairy whilst breast feeding him.
As he's got older especially since school he absolutely loves milk, but we have to go for cravendale or similar and watch the amount he takes otherwise similar symptoms come back.

Thanks everyone. Got him weighed this morning and was 9lbs 3ozs, up 2lbs in two weeks. HV said it couldn't be an intolerance as he'd be losing weight....

No idea what to do. Hospital were less than helpful, said he just had an immature gut. All they wanted was for him to poo and they sent us away pretty sharpish. It was midnight, I hadn't eaten and on my own- I just wanted out of there, I should have asked more questions.

He's feeding much better today, but still sick and bringing up his legs/straining/crying. I do have a forceful letdown (often sprays him in the face).

Poor DS

Oh maybe try expressing a tiny bit before he latches on. My DS would get distressed by my forceful let down too and this helped. However he also has reflux and is now on meds for it. I think it sounds like reflux

Apparently feeding like lying down backwards helps a forceful letdown! Don't ask how it works cos I never figured it out but I'm sure there's YouTube videos he could be getting a lot of trapped wind maybe? Are his poos normal when he goes?

Mine never lost weight, she gained very well because I had a good supply but she has severe dairy and soya allergy so I had to cut them out of my diet. HV is talking rubbish I'm afraid

Love how did you get your LO diagnosed?

The only reason I'm thinking it's not reflux is that DS sleeps well (for a newborn) and is ok with lying flat. But to be honest I'm so bloody confused, who knows?!?

This won't solve all of what's going on but try leaning quite back when feeding. I have forceful let down.. didn't realise how bad until a week ago when he came off and my boob was like a tap! Wouldn't stop. I found expressing made it loads worse and he found it more difficult to feed.

I can't see how this would link with his trouble pooing but may make feeding easier.

Have you tried massage on his stomach? And massage to reflex points?

It sounds so much like CMPI. My boy had it and he never lost weight. The only way to diagnose it is for a total and utter elimination of dairy for a few weeks (watching out for ingredients like whey protein) and then reassess. If there's any doubt, reintroduce a little dairy and see if there's a reaction again.

Read this - I basically managed my son's CMPI myself as we are abroad with no support and this was my bible:
ctajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2045-7022-3-23

He is 4 now and still can't have dairy - it gives him horrific constipation and encopresis

Interesting how your LOs didn't lose weight...

CMPI means lactose free is off the cards? I've just purchased some Koko milk for my coffee and porridge.

What about soya?

I've also tried feeding lying back slightly and it's helping my fast let down

Another one here who's DS didn't lose weight but had cmpa. He wasn't gaining much though about 2oz every 3 weeks. He had really bad cradle cap or eczema and cried all the time. He was impossible to bf and I couldn't do it outside as he thrashed around so much. He had green mucusy poo aswell but that didn't start until 10-12 weeks.

Not every baby shows every single symptom of cmpa/cmpa so I'd keep up with the dairy free for now, some symptoms could come later on too. My DS got diagnosed at 4 months old and they also gave him medication for reflux as the two often go hand in hand. I decided to ff as I couldn't deal with the crying for another second than I had to, the difference in him after 3 days was amazing. I hope dairy free does the trick for you, it's blood hard going having a battle at every feed.

Sorry I didn't see your last post, soya can cause a reaction in people with cmpa/i, but if you struggle to find things to eat (especially bread!) then try see if dairy free helps first. Also completely avoid goats cheese etc as its the same proteins.

I would avoid soya as the proteins are a similar shape to those found in cows milk and can cause a similar reaction.

You also need to avoid 'lactose free' milk as that still has those evil milk proteins in it! You basically need to cut out everything of dairy origin, also goats milk etc for the same reasons.

Koko milk is fine by the way, my boy has it. They also make yoghurts which are quite nice and other stuff to replace dairy.

Thanks everyone- your knowledge is so helpful. I had a feeling that Soya would be no good, luckily didn't buy any.

So as of now I am dairy free. Fingers crossed