8 week old only taking 3oz max

[Freyfreysmum]

at any feed. I have tried everything. At the end of this amount (often less) she just screams and screams until she is asleep, wakes then feeds, and the pattern continues, round the clock. Am finding things so hard as also have a toddler.
Has anyone experienced this?
She is not lactose intolerent, does not have reflux (or silent reflux), has mild wind but nothing severe, and has been given the complete all clear by 4 doctors, 2 health visitors, and a paediatrician, who all say just to bear with it. DD1 by 2 months was guzzling 7oz every 3 to 4 hours and was a very contented little girl. DD2 basically, if she is awake she is screaming.
(Also posted in Behav&Dev). x

BUMP......what makes you so sure she hasn't got reflux?

sounds like reflux

has she had the tests? I know they are invasive but an 8 week old screaming all the time is not "normal"

screaming is not the same as crying or being colicy of an evening

She was prescribed ranitadine & then losec, and infant gaviscon from the outset, but nothing made any difference so both GPs said it wouldnt be reflux. We are seeing a paediatrition again on the 12th Jan so I could ask them then?

Freyfreysmum, one of the side-effects of losec (omeprezole) is projectile vomitting and diarrhea. This can take around 2-4 weeks before it calms down and you actually see an improvement from the drug.

Has your lo also been tested for cows milk protein allergy? This is very different from lactose intolerance but can start off as a refusal to feed, apparent pain on feeding, possible vomiting (so can be mistaken for reflux).

TBH, I wouldn't want until 12th January as that is a very long time with an unhappy baby. Call your paediatrician directly and get an earlier appointment, or if you are still waiting for your first appointment then go back to your GP and make a fuss until they refer you as an urgent case.

Good luck.

My second boy ate very little during the day and cried heaps. (3 ozs would have been good) All I can say is that he ate well at night(5 - 6 ozs) and gained weight well, even though he ate less than half of what he needed. He didn't cry at night though.

Things were heaps better when solids were established. He stopped drinking at night at 8 months and stopped drinking milk at 11 months. I had to be a bit creative to make sure he got plenty of calcium. He is now 9 and still doesn't drink milk! Likes ice cream and thick shakes though.

Sometimes things just don't make sense. My mum said he just didn't like milk.

Hi there, I've not posted on mumsnet for over 3 years but am always lurking. I've just had my second child who is almost 4 weeks old, I'm a GP, and my first child had the most awful silent reflux I've ever encountered, not diagnosed until she was 12 weeks old, when we had to be admitted just so I could get some sleep. She cried day and night and nothing helped. Needless to say, I'm a bit of an expert on reflux, having read lots and seen consultants. My ds showed the same signs at 4 days old, and by 8 days old, when he was crying after every feed and unable to sleep for 12 solid hours due to cramping pains which were keeping him awake, I got him started on ranitidine and carobel.

Unfortunately I was unable to breast feed this time, as he screamed during feeds from day 4, and the trauma I recalled from feeding my daughter day and night and being unable to comfort her at all was taking its toll on my mental health. I got carobel to thicken his feeds and used Dr Brown bottles for his feeds which I schedule regularly, waking him up to feed during the day. He settled quite quickly with these measures, but at 15 days he started cramping and crying again between feeds so I requested nutramigen formula from my GP.

1/3 of babies with reflux have a cow's milk protein intolerance, so respond to a hydrolysed formula, or cutting out dairy in the diet if breast feeding. You don't need a test for this, you can just ask your GP for a trial of nutramigen or neocate if ff. It's worth a go. Personally I don't believe in colic as such and think most babies who don't settle well probably have some degree of reflux. Apparently it affects 1/3 of all babies anyway, although most are fine and don't need any treatment. I hope this is helpful for you. My ds has settled considerably since I started on the nutramigen, although the last 3 nights he has been v hard to settle after his 4 am feed, but has had some v runny nappies and I'm hoping this is just a bit of a bug. We're booked in with the chiropracter on Wed anyway as she worked wonders with my daughter. Good luck to you and go and see your gp next week.

Hi, I really feel for you. I think every baby is very different and you need to keep going back to your G.P and trying different things. One thing I have learnt is that you need to stick with one thing and try is for at least two wks to see if it works. Its so frustrating when your baby wont take milk especially when thats all they do at this stage. I now have had two babies who have been a struggle to feed and it is such a test on your patience and mental health! Good luck