Breast to bottle - adjustment issues or silent reflux or other....

[dinky1975]

Hi - I have a healthy 6 weeks old boy. He has been breastfed with formula (Aptimil) bottles at night (10pm onwards) since day one. At about 2 weeks old his 2pm feed was also a bottle. All fine,no problems.
I want to give up breastfeeding (for my own personal reasons) and have slowly been trying to increase the number of bottles, starting with the 10am feed, every time we do this he becomes constipated (now on brown sugar and water) and very cry'y and unsettled during the night (leading to lots of daytime sleeping). Every time this happens I go back to breast and the problem resolves. My HV says that he just needs to get used to the formula and ride it out. We had a maternity nurse last night and she thinks he has silent reflux - recommending either going back to breast or to the paediatrician.

Sorry - I didn't finish the message.
I feel like I dont know what the problem is and am starting to get confused by all the advice.
I do want to try to give up breastfeeding so no super-pro breastfeeding responses, I will go back to breastfeeding - but want to at least understand what all the options are.
Thanks for your help!

Well I am very pro BF, but I also respect that your reasons for giving up are your own and none of my business. There is a substance in BM which has a laxative effect, and obviously this substance is not in formula, which is why many FF babies do get constipated. If the brown sugar and water isnt helping the constipation, you could try asking your GP for lactulose. The crying and unsettledness may well be from the sugar - it can cause colicky and windy symptoms in small babies. I would also consider maybe trying a different formula - definately stick to the newborn ones, not the number 2 milks for hungry babies, because they are heavier and do tend to cause constipation.
If you do think your baby has silent reflux, then I would try sleeping him on an incline in his moses basket, so put books under the head end to keep him upright may keep him more comfortable. If this does seem to help, you can try asking your GP if there is any medication available to help.

Hope things get better for you soon.