Possible CMPA?

[Vimto1991]

Hi guys, my dd is four weeks old on Tuesday. She’s combi fed due to my milk supply being low following an EMCS, she’s always been quite a windy baby, and looks like she’s struggling to either pass gas or poo. She also suffers with the hiccups, and recently has coughed a few times after feeds and sounds wheezy.
Since Wednesday she has been doing a lot of explosive poos (7 was the max!). She will pass gas and it will end up as a loud poo, which is yellow but mucousy and thin. The only thing that changed last week was going from Aptamil to cow and gate, so could it be caused by that? In the worry it was I changed to SMA Pro (although I wish I changed to HIPP organic after reading some threads on here), as I was worried it was from cow and gate although I am worried changing formula might make her worse.
after reading some threads on here I’m worried she may have CMPA but not sure why these poos have only just started? I’m going to speak to my GP tomorrow in hopes they can shed light but I am worried I will be fobbed off like many have before and that my baby will be undiagnosed and get worse. Someone in the local area is giving away six tins of the prescription dairy free formula, but without a diagnosis I’m not sure I want to switch again?

her symptoms are:
lots of mucousy poo
bringing knees up and scrunching up face
wind + bubbly belly
seems like she’s in discomfort
hiccups
Coughs
sounds like she’s wheezing after the bottle

If it takes awhile for a GP to diagnose, what can I do in the interim if the above isn’t normal for a newborn? I’m terrified she will get worse and we’d be sitting ducks. 😭 I could try EBF and cut out soya and dairy (I’m lactose intolerant myself), but I’d be worried I won’t have the supply for her demand.

I've got CMPA and from what you've described it definitely sounds like a possibility.

Have a read of this from Allergy UK. It should help you to get the best from your GP's appointment

My DD is four weeks old today and very similar to yours... she's also wheezy and sneezes loads but doesn't really have explosive poos. She's constantly fidgety/agitated and cries a lot. I've tried baby gaviscon as I initially thought it was reflux but she's not much better.

My son has CMPA and was fine with my milk (also dairy free) but reacted to formula.

Is she fine with just your milk?

Chat to a breastfeeding group about increasing your supply. Pumping between can help supply.

How is her weight?

@PritiPatelsMaker thanks for the link! We used it when speaking with the GP but they are just thinking reflux/colic. I am hoping it’s that and we aren’t being fobbed off, so will see how we go. 😩

@DaimDillyDoo hey fellow June thread momma 👋 gp prescribed us baby Gaviscon and told us to use infacol as well. Really hoping it does work 😞 but I know babies need to mature their digestive system so maybe they will get better on their own.

@Twizbe im not sure if she’s okay with just breast milk as we’ve been topping up with formula at each feed. I think I’m going to go EBF and go dairy/soy free for a month and see if she improves along with the colic/reflux relief. Going to keep pumping between (baby loves sleeping on me which makes it difficult) and hopefully have enough supply to go exclusive! It was my plan all along but an EMCS battered me supply.

@Twizbe she lost 13% birth weight, and has put on about 20g a day since which is what the hospital expected so hit birth weight Friday, we have another weigh in tomorrow so hopefully the right direction. :)

It could be CMPA, sounds very much like it.

Good plan to see the GP but beware that GPs often have next to no training on this sadly. Dilan and Me website is a great resource, as is the Breastfeeding with CMPA Facebook group.

I could try EBF and cut out soya and dairy (I’m lactose intolerant myself), but I’d be worried I won’t have the supply for her demand.

Have you had any support with BF? There shouldn’t be any reason why you can’t increase your supply very quickly. Skin to skin, offering the breast often, safe bed sharing, compressions and ‘power pumping’ can all help increase supply. Some face to face support at a local group would probably be v. helpful, and/or a call to the national breastfeeding helpline. Breast milk is the best thing for CMPA babies and can really help heal their gut.

Kathryn Stagg and Lucy Webber insta/Facebook/website have some good resources on dropping top ups gradually.

You sound very well informed and like you’re pursuing all the right things. You’ve got this ❤️

I’m sure you have already but do some research about giving infacol/gaviscon, these can exacerbate CMPA symptoms and cause constipation.

We survived CMPA by feeding all night long in the side lying position while safe bedsharing, as BF is pain relief and the only thing which stopped him from screaming soothed him.

It might be worth moving from top ups to 1 full bottle a day and see what happens.

It was when we did this that his symptoms became really clear.

After a breastfeed he was fine and settled. After a bottle he'd scream for about 20 mins before being violently sick.

It didn't help his weight issues tbh.

He would cry and be totally inconsolable every night between 7 and 9pm. That was his normal witching hour though. His sister who isn't CMPA did the same.

@Manamala thank you for the info!! I’ll look at joining a local BF group, I know I can cut out dairy and soy and that way don’t need to wait and argue for a prescription from a GP as they don’t think it’s an allergy due to no rash on her bum 🤦‍♀️ I’ve currently had DD on the breast for two hours straight. I know it’s witching hour but I wonder if I am soothing her belly at the moment.

@Twizbe if she’s had a full feed she does settle and go to sleep, although can writhe around and wake herself up. She’s super fussy in the evening and doesn’t settle but figure it’s cluster feeding during witching hour.

also - just attaching her poo from earlier that got everywhere. I am sure this consistency is not right at all. It used to be way more pasty. :( comes out loud, too.

I’ve currently had DD on the breast for two hours straight. I know it’s witching hour but I wonder if I am soothing her belly at the moment.

Not great for you, I know…. But great for increasing your supply!

When you say 2 hours - is that 2 solid hours of active feeding or with little breaks/flutter sucks? Even if they only pause for 2 minutes and then feed for another 20mins (x 100 😖) that’s totally normal cluster feeding. However, if they regularly feed for longer than 45 mins solid without a pause, it’s worth doing some investigating with a BF specialist to make sure there’s nothing preventing milk from transferring efficiently.

Theres a great page on this Cluster feeding…when is it normal? When is it not?