Please help - at wits end with gassy baby

[Dizzzydaisy]

My 7-week-old DS is driving me up the wall he is EBF but is incredibly gassy - not so much burpy but farts like a carthorse! Day and night. Smelly wind too.

Unfortunately it seems to really distress him when he needs to fart, which seems to be constantly. He will sometimes go down in his next2me crib for an hour or so in the evenings when my partner and me go to bed (not late - whenever DS falls asleep really providing DDs are already in bed!) and then will wake up for a feed and then the problems begin. Even when he falls asleep on me or we get him off to sleep by rocking etc, within 20 mins he's woken himself and us up straining, whimpering, thrashing around and farting. He gets so distressed we need to take him out the crib and comfort him (sometimes feeding sometimes just a cuddle) and then will fall asleep... 20 mins later....

It goes on all night so he spends his mornings grumpy and overtired and will not nap. He eventually falls asleep in the afternoon and sleeps for hours, then will go down for the night... cue farts of fury again.

It's been going on for weeks. I'm so exhausted I can't think straight and my poor DDs are totally neglected (obviously fed and clothed etc but i don't have the mental reserves to be much fun at playing etc after an hour's sleep every night).

So far we have tried:
Dentinox - did nothing
Infacol - still trying this but doesn't seem to be doing much, he's been on it for a couple of weeks
Baby massage/cycling legs/pushing legs up to belly - can be effective at releasing farts but doesn't seem to soothe him and they build up again within 30 mins
Co sleeping - means I can doze while feeding but doesn't actually seem to comfort DS and leads to him vomiting most of the time
Cuddles and letting him sleep on us - doesn't really work, he's not a very cuddly baby and doesn't seem to get much comfort out of it

I'm now trying to cut out dairy to see if that helps but im struggling without cake or chocolates when Im feeling quite down and exhausted. Obviouslygiven up alcohol because I occasionally feed him lying down..

Any tips? People seem to think it's quite a funny problem but it's really getting me down, DP and me are knackered (DP helps but he's a HGV driver and I worry about him not getting enough sleep so I do the wakesups in the night) and DS seems exhausted and miserable. It's affecting how bonded and affectionate I feel towards him too although I know it's not his fault

Sorry for long post, needed to get it out. Thanks xxxxxxxxx

Just wanted to come back and update incase anyone sees this chat in the future when they're looking for help!

Things are much better now. DS finally sleeping better stretches (im still shattered but getting much more rest than before!) and now he's older he can get his wind up much more efficiently- still very farty though! That's boys for you I guess?!?

I looked into reflux and gave up dairy oeoperly but didn't make a difference. I just had to wait it out until he got older. Hoping he'll improve even more soon.

Thanks so much to everyone for their help xxx

Glad things are better for you... reading through the thread I was surprised no one suggested cutting out onions of your diet? Made a huge difference for my DC. The reflux might be a slightly separate issue...

One of mine was exactly like this. I cut out dairy and soya and within 2 days it has stopped completely. So I definitely recommend sticking to that and also cutting out soya.

Thanks for updating; I'm at my wits end as my 4 mo old suddenly can't get his wind up easily - I just can't seem to help him get it up when asleep. And it's fucking up his sleep. He was able to do 4-5 hours and then stints of 2 if winded properly; now it's every half hour or so.

Ds 1 got better as he got bigger beyond 4 months; this one seemed to get better as he got bigger after 6 weeks (he's actually now the size ds1 was at 10 months!) but now it's like he's too big for me to position him in a way that applies enough force to help it up.

I know there's the 4 mo thing but I could deal with that if we could just both go back to sleep sans wind. A cold hasn't helped and my let down is an issue. I've moved from biological nursing to lying down as he seems to get a slightly better latch but still manages to swallow wind.

might make a separate post but just in case anyone has any good winding tips?!

Try boots gripe water to get more burps.

There are loads of dairy free chocolate and cake available. Most dark chocolate is dairy free and angel cake is alway dairy freE

Winding tip for you @Dinodora:

Sit baby on your lap with one hand supporting the head and the other on their back. Rock back and forth 3 times, forwards and backwards 3 times, then anticlockwise 3 times and clockwise 3 times. Should get a good bit of wind up. Works even when they are sleeping as it's pretty gentle.

Sounds like hokum but it worked for me and countless others I've suggested it to. Actually, it was a tip given to my sister by a midwife when her prem twins were in the NICU. She said that it's all about movement rather than anything else.

Hope this helps. Let me know how you get on.

Thanks aaaa...

I did this for one fed to sleep nap; partial result (I think dribble had caused an earlier bout of wind that woke him up). Just now it didn't work but he was sort of fighting it. Came up in sling but I've tried that at night too and it was useless. I do think a key might be to not let him get to the fluttering stage of feeding and then trying it . It'll be cutting a feed short but ok if at night plus he's enormous anyway. Forgot to mention he's on ranitidine and may be due a rise actually.

@Dinodora just thought I'd check in to see how you're getting on? Is the wee one much better now?

Hi it's variable - very strong let down still seems to catch him and like his older sibling he is very gulpy anyway but your suggestion has definitely helped at times. Early mornings aren't good; I don't care what lactation consultants say, bf babies do need to burp or they wake up!

The biggest issue is that he's waking much more frequently due to the age/ stage so getting very windy and refluxy, I'm knackered so don't tackle it like I should!

I don't care what lactation consultants say, bf babies do need to burp or they wake up!

Wholeheartedly agree.

Yeah, there's a sleep regression at 4 months, isn't there, ach that won't be helping.

I remember those knackered days well It'll pass. Saying that my 19 month old still doesn't sleep through 🤦🏼‍♀️

It's ok aaaaa - I'm prepared.

Ds1 started reliably sleeping through 3 months before this one came along at 5 and a half...! (He was always appalling and I couldn't put him down, this one is ok being plonked in the sleepy head half awake if full and burped!)

See, how different they are. That gives me some comfort if I decide to do it again.... Nothing we've done. You've either got a sleeper or you haven't!

Oh you poor thing. I went through the same with my (now 19week old daughter). I tried everything just like you and took her to HV and doctors but nothing worked except for time. Everyone told me she would grow out of it and it's just her immature digestive system. A few weeks later it just stopped! Now at 19 weeks, she will shuffle, grunt and groan, fart, and go back to sleep again pretty quick! It's frustrating to hear, but if you've tried everything else, maybe it's just a wait it out situation?