DD keeps screaming - help!

[Flatwhite32]

Hi everyone. First time mum here, and looking for advice. My DD will be 5 weeks old tomorrow. She was a very content baby for the first 2-3 weeks, but is now screaming a lot. It is mainly in the evenings, but yesterday we had screaming all day, and that is carrying on today. I am finding it so hard, as I just don't know what to do to help her. I've also got mastitis, so feeling rubbish myself. She is BF, including expressed milk. She only poos once every 4 days or so, and is extremely gassy. As the days go on building up to a poo, she gets more and more uncomfortable. I have been to the GP about this who said it was normal.
She is also much happier upright, which I've been told suggests reflux. She has been prescribed infant gaviscon, but it just made her scream even more, so I stopped giving it to her. I can't bear seeing her so uncomfortable all the time. We have tried a number of wind remedies including gripe water and infacol, but none of them help. We have also tried colief to no avail. Do you think it would be worth me going dairy free for a while? I just can't bear seeing her so visibly uncomfortable.

My sympathies OP. f you’ve got Mastitis have you got someone who can take DD for a walk while you have a rest?

As for the dairy, have a read of what Kellymom has to say here.

If she’s really unsettled have you tried tummy massage (hard to do when they’re crying I know), a bath, maybe with her, wearing her in a sling (maybe DH could do this), swaddling, whilst noise or the Tiger in the Tree hold?

Ask Dr Sears has some stops that might help here too

Forgot to say, all of this could be completely normal but given the fact you have Mastitis, itvmight be worth reading up on tongue tie

Have you got a BFing Support Group nearby? Don’t forget too that the Bfing Helplines are open. They might have some more information on Mastitis and will offer you support

Thank you so much @JiltedJohnsJulie, that's all so helpful! I'm going to try the Tiger in the tree hold. Nobody that I know of has checked her for tongue tie. I do have the details of a local breastfeeding group, so will go along and see if they can help. Thankfully my mastitis is settling down now. I felt SO awful, and it's not an experience I would like to repeat!

I had it once, it’s bloody seagulls isn’t it?

If the symptoms of tongue tie sound familiar, there are some details here of tongue tie practioners, but yes, definitely go to the BFing Support Group

My DS was the same. Gaviscon was rubbish. He ended up on Ranitidine which was a life saver. I went dairy free too and bought anti reflux mattresses for cot and pram. Get back to the GP. Mine was fantastic and would call me to check
How my DS was and was very clear it was not normal for a little one to be screaming non stop. Ranitidine was a life saver

As for a tongue tie my little one had one and it was spotted at birth. He got it snipped at 4weeks and the reflux started at 5 weeks. Horrendous. Midwife would spot a tongue tie during the visits after your birth. My breasts were blistered and they dealt with the tongue tie quickly. You can ask the GP to check when you go back.

Also I used to lay my little one on his back and do bicycle legs. That boy passed so much gas it was shocking he had so much! Good luck with it all as I know it’s exhausting!

You can ask the GP to check when you go back. yes you can, and you might be lucky in that they know what they’re looking for but it’s a sad fact that most don’t. I wish I had a £1 for every MNer that had been told by MWs, HVs and GPs that their LO didn’t have tt, only to discover later that they did

Poor little thing. Go back to the GP. You need to try Ranitidine.

It is also worth trying dairy-free, but you will need to wait at least two weeks before it is completely out of your milk.

She also needs Lactulose if she is having the Gaviscon, as it causes constipation, which will only increase her discomfort. Can't believe how many GPS prescribe it without the Lactulose, TBH.

Try holding her up for 30 mins post feed, if that isn't long enough, though, you may need to extend it to 45 mins (I know, I know...). Also, make sure she isn't over feeding, if possible. Reflux babies often do this to soothe their throat, but it makes things worse as their tummies then get too full and it makes the reflux worse.

@JiltedJohnsJulie the links you have provided are great! Thank you so so much. Xx

Thank you also to everyone else who has replied. I'm pretty sure she has reflux, as the minute we put her upright, the fussing calms down loads or stops altogether.

Her six week check is a week tomorrow. It's with my GP who is really, really good, so hopefully she'll prescribe it! Have bought some dairy replacements today as an experiment, but it's useful to know that I'll have to try it for at least 2 weeks. I am not relishing the idea as I love dairy, but I'd do anything to make my DD more comfortable. Her gas problem has also been extremely evident today! She rivals DH's farts!