Need urgent help!

[AqsaM]

Hi really sorry if this is a long post but I need some urgent advice in regard to my baby.

She is now nearly 12 weeks old and I’ve had issues with her feeding ever since she was born. She was a little early by 3 weeks so very sleepy and constantly fell asleep at my breast and so I started mix feeding. She would do the same with bottle. As she grew her milk intake didn’t even now after about an ounce she will fall asleep and then wake up crying and hungry for more milk. She is now having about 3 ounces every 3 hours and this hasn’t increased for about a month. Her weight gain is also very very slow.

The feeding part itself is a complete nightmare. After one ounce she hates the bottle and completely refuses to feed she screams and cries as if the milk has caused her some sort of pain. She doesn’t cry at any other time during the day other than feeding. She did show all the signs of reflux and would spit up milk but since being prescribed gaviscon by gp those symptoms seem to have eased and I am not only just struggling to get any milk in her. She sleeps for very long stretches like 8 hours through the night refusing feeds if I wake her up. During feeding although she’s screaming I can tell she’s still very hungry and does want milk however is unable to do so. I’ve seen my gp several times with no help.
They did say she has thrush in her tongue but after 3 weeks of using medicine for it the white tongue didn’t disappear and they said oh probably it’s just milk residue so why on earth was I giving my baby medicine for it??
Honestly I’m in a extremely hard situation I have to force feed her the milk in every feed. I’m not sure whether she is intolerant or something to the milk I’m using Aptamil or what is going on.

Please if anyone has gone through a similar situation to mine or has had these symptoms in their baby please comment and let me know what I should do. First time mum here absolutely breaking down 😭

A few quick things: has she been seen for a tongue or lip tie? Have you considered a different teat/type of bottle. Some babies may do better with a vari-flow. But most importantly - have the doctors not even considered CMPA? I think you need an urgent (!) consult to see if a dairy, soy, or fish allergy is on the cards (as common allergens are in most formulas - e.g. pretty sure that Aptamil has both dairy and fish).

My DD screamed every feed for close to 6 months. Terrible reflux, gaviscon and something else prescribed, thought it was CMPA - but turned out not to be by the time we weaned, and she got a bit older (e.g. she outgrew whatever reflux/issues were causing the screaming). That said, don't let up on the doctors. I had to REALLY press them to make them relise it was serious and get the hypoallergenic formula prescribed.

Have you tried a faster teat? My DD would fall asleep, drink maybe 1-2oz then refuse anymore so I tried a faster teat and it worked wonders.

You need to go back to go. When there is feeding aversion it is usually CMPI or silent reflux. They right medication could be transformative.

Check for cmpa. Is her weight gain ok and how are her nappies? You can google for pictures of babies poo and it helps diagnose the problem.

I would suspect an allergy to milk, esp with the coating on the tongue.
It sounds very similar to dc1.

FWIW no one wanted to believe me as he was still somehow putting weight on.
I would try and be referred to a paed or see one privately.

Like a PP I would try the next size test, my DD was 4 weeks early and we had the same problem she would only drink a few oz then wriggle and cry so we moved up a teat size and it worked, same again just before she was 6 months, it's worth a try.

Sounds very much like it could be an allergy to the milk although I agree that it's probably worth getting tongue tie ruled out as well.

Thanks for the responses guys. I have eliminated the teat size or bottle or tongue tie issue it’s neither.
I suspect an allergy also and have had a referral to pediatrician but god knows when I’ll have an appointment. In the mean time I’m thinking to just buy a hypoallergenic milk to try it coz gp won’t prescribe

Did the change of formula help and if so how long did it take to help with feeding?

So sorry you’re going through this 🤗💐

As you say she’s the same at night I wouldn’t think it’s a behavioural feeding aversion.

But I did want to say that a large number of people in the feeding aversion support group on Fb started out with problems like these and pressure and force led to an aversion that lasts longer than the medical issues once they are properly diagnosed and treated x

I know it’s absolutely awful and you’re between a rock and a hard place but please don’t force her or you might still be struggling to feed her months from now xxx

I hope you get proper medical help very soon xx