Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Need help from the bottle feed mummas please

27 replies

MummAlfi · 20/08/2022 20:35

Hey all,
Just wanted some advice or to check if I'm going crazy...
I have a 9 week old, only formula fed from birth as they are on prescribed milk for preemies. Im told that feeding is meant to be a happy bonding experience... it's far from it for us.
Every feed is full of constant jerking and writhing around, pulling away from the bottle, crying when the bottle is in the mouth, crying when it is taken out, needing to be burped 2/3 times during a feed and being sick each time.
Even if I keep them upright for a good 30 minutes after the feed, they throw up again when laid down to sleep and upto 2 hours later they will vomit again if picked up.
Bowel movements are loose and VERY smelly.

We have tried medication for reflux and colic which seemed to help for a day but now symptoms are back to the worst again. 80% of awake time is full of tears and high pitched screaming.

I'm tired and it's really getting me down... I feel like it could be a cows milk allergy, baby's dad has a lactose intolerance but GP is reluctant to test.

Am I going mad? Is this normal?

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 20/08/2022 20:43

Sorry that you're both struggling.
Was your baby born early? Have you found the Premature Birth Section yet?

lockdownbabyx · 20/08/2022 20:44

Doesn't sound normal OP, sounds like she's very uncomfortable 😔. Maybe the milk isn't agreeing with her anymore? I'd definitely get advice from a professional, maybe another brand they could try?

My son was on normal formula so a little different, but he reacted similar to aptamil, I eventually changed him to kendamil and he was a completely different baby!

Hope you get it sorted ☺️ x

pjmasksitsthepjmasks · 20/08/2022 20:46

Have you tried different bottles? I found the Mam one worked well for our 2nd DC as our Tommee Tippee bottles from our first DC just wouldn't do the job for him.

It might be worth trying a variety of bottles to see if there is one that they prefer. I've heard good things about Dr Brown's bottles too.

Good luck op. I hope it gets easier for you.

Original poster
MummAlfi · 20/08/2022 20:54

Hi, yes DC was 5 weeks early... no I didn't know there was a preemie space, I'm pretty new here,thanks for the tip!

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 20/08/2022 20:59

Hi, yes DC was 5 weeks early... no I didn't know there was a preemie space, I'm pretty new here,thanks for the tip

No problem, it's under "Being a Parent".

Congratulations on your LO abs I hope you find some answers on MN Flowers

TurquoiseDreamCatcher · 20/08/2022 21:16

My DD was 5 weeks early too. She struggled with the Tommy Tippee bottles and things improved massively once we moved to the MAM bottles. She had reflux and ended up with gaviscon and taking omaprazole.

Original poster
MummAlfi · 20/08/2022 21:17

pjmasksitsthepjmasks · 20/08/2022 20:46

Have you tried different bottles? I found the Mam one worked well for our 2nd DC as our Tommee Tippee bottles from our first DC just wouldn't do the job for him.

It might be worth trying a variety of bottles to see if there is one that they prefer. I've heard good things about Dr Brown's bottles too.

Good luck op. I hope it gets easier for you.

Thank you for the suggestion, we tried a few different teats and bottle styles when DC was in the hospital on a feeding tube and settled on MAM as they got the best latch.

I'll look into Dr Brown's, thanks

OP posts:
Socathe · 20/08/2022 21:25

Our DS suffered with reflux until he was 8 months and this was his exact response to feeding. He also spent a lot of time upset and sleep was awful as being on his back worsened the reflux, I spent the first 8 months which him attached to me for all day sleeps.

The GP tried a couple of medications before he reluctantly prescribed lansoprazole which immediately sorted the reflux. We weaned him off it at 8 months and after that he was fine.

If your instincts tell you it could be a lactose intolerance (can it be genetic? Don't know about these things) then keep pestering your GP to test. Trust your instincts and don't let them fob you off. Our GP prescribed months of eczema medication for what we now know is a very rare skin condition even though we repeatedly said we don't think it's eczema and it doesn't even look like eczema. Sometimes your parental instinct does know best.

Original poster
MummAlfi · 20/08/2022 21:40

Socathe · 20/08/2022 21:25

Our DS suffered with reflux until he was 8 months and this was his exact response to feeding. He also spent a lot of time upset and sleep was awful as being on his back worsened the reflux, I spent the first 8 months which him attached to me for all day sleeps.

The GP tried a couple of medications before he reluctantly prescribed lansoprazole which immediately sorted the reflux. We weaned him off it at 8 months and after that he was fine.

If your instincts tell you it could be a lactose intolerance (can it be genetic? Don't know about these things) then keep pestering your GP to test. Trust your instincts and don't let them fob you off. Our GP prescribed months of eczema medication for what we now know is a very rare skin condition even though we repeatedly said we don't think it's eczema and it doesn't even look like eczema. Sometimes your parental instinct does know best.

Thank you, that's really helpful. We have tried Gaviscon and Omeprazole for the reflux but nothing seems to be actually working long term.

Every day is getting harder to face because I can rarely put our DD down unless she is in a deep sleep already.

OP posts:
thingsarestrange · 20/08/2022 21:47

Do you think you need a GP review? Have u tried a different brand of milk?

zebra80 · 20/08/2022 21:54

Doesn't sound normal to me- my son was 4 1/2 weeks premature & also suffered with reflux (way more common in prem babies in case nobody's told you!) but also had CMPA aswell as soy & egg (we breastfed but he still reacted to the traces in my milk). Cows milk protein allergy & lactose intolerance are 2 different things, much more likely to be the former and there is basically no test for it except trying prescription formula (or cutting it out of mum's diet if BF)- it already has the protein predigested so doesn't trigger the allergy. Once we got the allergy sorted my wee one still had reflux but he wasn't really bothered by it- it became a laundry problem not a medical one.

kellymom.com/health/baby-health/lactose-intolerance/ this is a good explanation of lactose vs protein issues

Good luck and keep pushing xx

Original poster
MummAlfi · 20/08/2022 21:55

thingsarestrange · 20/08/2022 21:47

Do you think you need a GP review? Have u tried a different brand of milk?

I'm planning to contact the GP on Monday.

Because DD is on prescription milk already, I don't feel safe just changing her milk without checking with the GP first.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 20/08/2022 22:01

Lactose intolerance is extremely rare in babies, it does happen but it is rare. If there's a reaction to the milk it's much more likely to be CMPA.

Timeforsinging81 · 20/08/2022 22:19

CMPA sounds likely.

I've had two reflux, colicky CMPA babies and it's hard work. If you have a decent HV I've always found them more knowledgeable than GPs for these things. Good luck x

PritiPatelsMaker · 21/08/2022 12:18

How are you both today @MummAlfi?

ReeseWitherfork · 21/08/2022 12:23

Lactose Intolerance more common in premature babies… google development lactose intolerance.

ReeseWitherfork · 21/08/2022 12:25

ReeseWitherfork · 21/08/2022 12:23

Lactose Intolerance more common in premature babies… google development lactose intolerance.

Developmental lactose intolerance, sorry

PritiPatelsMaker · 21/08/2022 12:25

Lactose Intolerance more common in premature babies… google development lactose intolerance

Ah see now I didn't know this. I know that things can be different for early babies that's why I'd signposted the OP to the Premature Birth Section Wink

Fleur405 · 21/08/2022 12:29

Have you tried paced feeding? Might be a bit easier for baby to feed at a slower pace?

the not being able to put them down part is very hard but very normal - my baby was full term, no reflux and fed well but still didn’t want to go down until she was about 12 weeks old!

ReeseWitherfork · 21/08/2022 13:24

PritiPatelsMaker · 21/08/2022 12:25

Lactose Intolerance more common in premature babies… google development lactose intolerance

Ah see now I didn't know this. I know that things can be different for early babies that's why I'd signposted the OP to the Premature Birth Section Wink

I was sure mine were lactose intolerant and was infuriated that hours of googling told me it was unlikely. Until I came across this little tidbit!

Truthseeker456 · 21/08/2022 13:30

I didn't look through all replies so sorry if this has been mentioned before. How are you sterilising the bottles. The reason I ask if that the only time my daughter was sick was when I cold water sterilised presuming due to the solution which I mixed as per instruction

Original poster
MummAlfi · 22/08/2022 07:15

ReeseWitherfork · 21/08/2022 12:25

Developmental lactose intolerance, sorry

Show quote history

Thank you this is very helpful

OP posts:
Original poster
MummAlfi · 22/08/2022 07:18

Fleur405 · 21/08/2022 12:29

Have you tried paced feeding? Might be a bit easier for baby to feed at a slower pace?

the not being able to put them down part is very hard but very normal - my baby was full term, no reflux and fed well but still didn’t want to go down until she was about 12 weeks old!

She has been pace fed from the get go as she had to be on a feeding tube for the first few weeks of her life.
Unfortunately even that doesn't alleviate the discomfort.

OP posts:
doggiemum247 · 22/08/2022 07:21

My little girl did the same and it was a cows milk allergy in the end. Everyone kept telling me "babies vomit!" and "it's just colic!" but when she started pooping bloody (not until about 14 weeks) is when someone would finally take me seriously and we got a diagnosis. Turned out all the fussing and vomiting was due to the allergy. She was on expressed milk at the time (but now is a boobie girl) and as soon as I cut out dairy, our life completely changed for the better.

Good luck. Please know it's not normal what you're experiencing and don't let them tell you it is, you and your baby deserve help with this. That was a huge regret of mine, not insisting more that something wasn't right.

Original poster
MummAlfi · 30/08/2022 18:20

Update for all of you lovely helpful lot.

Dr finally agreed to let us try formula for cma, she is like a different baby during feeds now. We are still a bit grizzly from the reflux but so much less wriggling about and constant crying.

Really appreciate all the advice and tips from you all 😘

OP posts: