Lactose intolerance?

[rizzlepig]

Morning all,

We have a 6 week old baby who has been supremely fussy and gassy his whole life so far... He was born 2 weeks early and though latched on OK for boob, once the colostrum went my milk didn't come in. I saw countless midwives, breastfeeding consultants and tried everything I could to encourage supply but couldn't (my 38K boobs also have a lot of loose skin from weight fluctuation). Anyway started on Kendamil and he'd want 4oz feeds from about 10 days old every 3 hours which has increased to 6oz and he almost always finishes a bottle. He has had awful trapped wind (burps and farts), takes hours to get them free despite multiple winding positions, massage and bicycle legs. He fit the signs for colic and reflux so switched to the thicker C+G anti colic milk, was slightly better for a couple of days but still arching his back, tight fists, bloated and mostly very loose bowels as well as gassy. Tried Infacol drops, no real change. Tried Dentinox colic drops, no real change. Tried infant Gaviscon and that's made him constipated. Tried Co Lactase drops, was a bit more settled for a few feeds but still very gassy. He still wants feeds every 3/4 hours! Husband and I split the night feeds but he rarely settles lying down so we're forced to stay awake holding him. We've also tried the Aptamil lactose free milk and can't day we've seen a big change.

I just dont know what to do? I'm not exaggerating when i say he is gassy for 3/4 of the time between feeds, if were lucky we'll get 20 mins during the day when hes calm. During the early morning shift hell lastblonger bwtween feeds if hes held (ive done 4am-half 7 holding him). I've had a diagnosis of PND again so don't know if I'm being overly sensitive but it's breaking me seeing our rainbow baby so uncomfortable but at a loss. Plus the blinking milk is so expensive £14 a go for the thicker one and the new lactose free one at £9 will genuinely last us 2 days. Feel so dejected, I can't help him. Any advice or experience, would be great.

He sounds very much like my DS. With him it was undiagnosed Tongue Tie.

Do his symptoms sound like these?

How is baby’s skin and stools?

It could be reflux , colic or CMPA which is
more common in babies/children as opposed to lactose intolerance . So the lactose milk won’t help.

If any skin issues are present as well, you could ask the GP to prescribe some CMPA suitable formula, some mums on here have had trouble getting this but my GP was fine so could be worth trying?

Hi, thanks for the comment. He does tick quite a few of the symptoms but he's been checked by HV and a few midwives. He can stick his tongue out quite far and it doesn't look tied, might have to make an appointment with the GP again.

Hi, his skin seems normal. He has a bit of cradle cap but no eczema that I can see. He was a tad blotchy and has had a bit of milk rash but not for a couple of weeks.

Poos were very loose and multiple times a day (5/6 a day) prior to trying the gaviscon but since has been more infrequent. Last weekend he seemed more constipated and it has been probably once every day or so which was the same as my first child. Since adding the Co Lactase drops and changing to lactose free milk it's been more solid and infrequent I mean.

We've tried treating for reflux and colic so were looking as to what else it could be. The GP wlsuggested trying to treat an intolerance before looking at CMPA. In my naivety I thought they were the same! Since my post he does seem to have been more settled, husband had him in the moses basket from 8ish to half 11 and was OK as long as he had a dummy in.

Thanks, as above the GP suggested trying the lactose free milk first but was open to looking at CMPA. I'll persist in asking for the milk, we can't afford to be buying the amount we do. Honestly, we've spent £150 on milk and additives and he's only been on formula 5ish weeks! I can afford some but not the 3 small tins of the special milk he might need every week.

My boy was very similar, although from the sounds of it not as tough as yours.

we we’re better in the night but once he had his feed around 3/4am he wouldn’t get into a deep sleep, scrunching up, kicking legs, banging legs, wriggling grunting etc it kept me awake from then onwards. Daytime he cried non stop and like you I spent a fortune on different milks, things to help like Infacol, colief and bottles too!

I found a love to dream swaddle helped, sticking to the same milk and giving it chance to work. I remember at the time people telling me to give it time but I didn’t have time I wanted a fix straight away it is so frustrating. We stuck it out on the cow and gate comfort milk, then used colief on advice of HV which I think helped and a probiotic. Mainly though from my experience it was time.. when my boy learnt to use the correct muscles to poo and fart rather than spending all day straining and crying trying.

keep going, the first 12 weeks are awful in my experience. I did not enjoy it and I think I had some PND. I am just now starting to enjoy it a bit and things are settling down!

id speak to your GP again and ask for a hydrolysed formula not a lactose free formula. Lactose free won’t help a baby with CMPA as it’s the proteins in the milk they are allergic to not the sugars x

I’m just wondering if you got anywhere with settling your baby? My little one is the exact same and is 10 weeks now.