4 month baby switches sides feeding every 30 sec to 1.5 min (breastfeeding)

[climbershell]

My baby has reflux which has improved with omeprazole but still there. She's been a very unhappy, colicy baby since 6 weeks. Absolutely awful upset crying most the day from 11 weeks, improved at around 13 weeks for maybe a couple of weeks and its not as bad, but still very unhappy once she's been awake around half an hour.

She's been difficult to feed since around 6 weeks and the last few weeks (now 17 weeks), she latches for 30-90seconds one side before crying and only stopping when she goes on the other side. She's switching maybe 4-5 times in her 6-8 min feeds... the only time she'll do a full feed on one side is when we're I'm bed & she doesn't fully wake for the feed. She also doesn't want to feed often, some going 4-5 hours in the day, getting angry if I offer sooner. Other times I know she's hungry but won't feed for aaaaages. Sometimes I resort to a pace fed bottle, which she accepts. Other times I can start her on a bottle and then she'll feed off me.

I saw the health visitor yesterday, she's dropped from 50th to 25th centile on weight. We go away on Monday for 3 weeks, but have been referred to breastfeeding support team.

In the day & night she needs to be in the carrier walking, with white noise to settle and sleep (Other than 20-40 min ok after waking)

She went through a stage of having green poos (so presumably too much foremilk), but the last couple of weeks they're normal colour.

I don't think cmpa as she's ok through the night & is now seldom sick in the night. Speaking to HV, if still this unsettled and refluxy in another month I might start early weaning at 5 months with a couple tsp of non acidic food puree a day

I've just started gripe water on recommendation of hv, that although has no scientific evidence it works, it does work for some. Started that last night. 20 month sibling has been v jealous of baby getting the syringe today!

My feet are hurting sooo much from being on my feet with her basically 80% of my waking day! And tbh a lot of life is pretty miserable. We nearly cancelled our trip because of her. But figured, shes just as difficult staying home so sod it let's go.

Any words of wisdom?

This sounds tough. Can only speak from my experience, my DD would bob on and off, cry between, stopped gaining weight green poos (with tiny spots of bloody) preferred carrier, slept poorly, screamed murder in her pram etc.... was alway fine during night time feeds, but her days were awful.

Started with just the morning one she cried during and was clearly uncomfortable with- this was peaking around 4 to 5 months, then it slowly crept into every day feed until we were both in tears. I filmed her doing it and luckily had a paediatric professional in the family who watched her feed. Said she should absolutely not cry during feeds, should be the favourite thing they do etc. She had a CMPA, she went onto CMPA formula and was like a different child from the first day of changing. Transformed her feeding, sleep, mood, nappies.

Don't rule out as it is ok at night time. I felt no one believed it was bad and kept getting told colicky, a hospital paediatric said 'too much foremilk' which other professionals then said was a load of twaddle, tried gaviscon, the medicine you are using, nothing changed. It was like they didn't know what to suggest, so when the GP said what do you want to do? I said give me prescription formula and they wrote it there and then. They are GENERAL practitioners, I saw a few and they were out of their depth. Push for alternatives and film them feeding then show it to professionals. I asked, would you be happy if your babg was feeding like this? Sorry, big rant but I had to do it for DD.

P.S When I was told 'too much foremilk', she had blood in her stools, but they still told me to change how I was feeding as it was green and they didn't recognise the seriousness of what was happening to her gut lining.

She takes a bottle of expressed milk (& has had 2 bottles of formula) ok, no fussing so not sure it could be cmpa? She's not crying when actually feeding, it's her needing to switch different sides every 30 sec or so, so I presumed lazy and wants my fast let down and not to have to work for the milk.

We're away for 3 weeks starting Mon and it will be incredibly difficult to omit all dairy from my diet to check if its that and I think dairy protein can take 3 weeks to leave my breastmilk. Argh. Am I selfish for not being keen to try that. Dairy is in soooo much stuff

Has she been checked for tongue tie?

Sorry I thought the fussing was during the feeding. Yes, as above then. Check tongue tie and I've been told of cheek tie too. Once my DS got a taste of a bottle with expressed milk in, he loved feeding for comfort but was lazy for content so wanted the easier bottle. So like you said, maybe wanting the faster fix.

Said possible tt when born, when properly checked I mentioned and said no. Midwife at 5 day check said wasn't one. She was also feeding reasonably ok the first maybe 6 weeks, never been any pain for me eithee

Tongue tie needs to be diagnosed by a specialist.

Midwives aren't qualified, although they can often see an on obvious tongue tie, it's how so many get missed.

Gp wasn't concerned at 9 weeks check as then she was feeding ok and was nicely on her curve. So she said even if she did have one, it didn't matter as wasn't affecting deeeing or weight.

Mentioned to health visitor this week, she said she's past the cut off for infant feeding team and tt are cut by around 10 weeks. She's referred to breastfeeding support team but that's all she could do. We also know she can feed properly as she was for several weeks and still is overnight 🤔

Update: tried nipple shield just now for the first time. She did a 10min feed, all on one side... that's incredible. See what happens next feed