Basically think DD has the dreaded colic, for which I guess the only cure is time, and have scoured the mn archives for advice, think I have exhausted all avenues - but just wondering if anyone out there can shed any more light on the issues we are having with DD, 5 weeks old. She is lovely, and came home from hospital very calm and chilled for the first few days - hardly ever cried, went 2-3hrs between feeds, even at night...we thought someone would be along any minute to give us the real baby, the one that cried all night!
A week or two in, it all started - she makes horrible groaning, almost straining noises, very loudly after every feed, which we think is wind. There are burps, sometimes really loud, and farts, but they don't seem to releive the groaning much - she just seems in so much discomfort. If left this turn into cries, with legs and arms kicking, writhing, the whole lot. She also seems to feed every hour or so in the morning, and in the evening - yesterday I couldn't leave the sofa for a shower until 2pm - and then around 5pm the hourly feeding starts again - she feeds, groans for a bit, burps, then wants more again -sleeps about 2-3 hrs at a stint at night, but can take a good 2 - 3 hrs to settle again after a feed - by which time she is hungry again - I know this is all normal newborn behaviour, and I know we just have to wait it out - but have a few questions if anyone has any advice?
I'm not sure if I am making this worse, by feeding her every time she starts sucking her hand etc, even though it is the only thing that comforts her, all the groaning crying etc starts again a little while later? I am exclusively breastfeeding her, and I do have a lot of milk, it gushes out, so am feeding her lying down, co-sleeping after she wakes first time in the night, and feeding her sitting up during the day. I am also now on the second day of tying one sided feeding, which is ok, but getting very engorged on other side..she feeds quickly, and sometimes we are both lazy about the latch, although mostly its good - have had it checked. She often 'falls off' the nipple and seems to find it difficult to latch, and also pulls away and also headbutts me, for want of a better word, when she is on - which hurts! I think this is all to do with high milk supply?
We try everything to get the wind up - bicycling legs, tummy rubs, laying her on her tummy and rubbing back, infacol first, now gripe water, gallons of fennel tea (for me, and a little for her)and osteopath, (second appointment tomorrow) - but nothing seems to make any major difference.
is there anything left? have some coleif, was going to try that next, but wary of loading more stuff on top of what we are already doing, as will have no idea what is working if it improves!
we are getting some sleep, so I know its not as bad as it could be, but it doesn't seem to be getting better, just worse - am beginning to really lose patience, and DH has been getting no more than 2 hrs a night, and can hardly function.
I thought of trying bottles at night for the feeds that seem to cause her the most discomfort, as she seems to burp better with a bottle, but I have no idea when I would express! going to get a sling, and attempt feeding on the move, and am co-sleeping...is it just a case of waiting it out now? is there any point in me giving up dairy, or seeing the doc about it?
I hate the fact that I am getting so fed up with her, when he is like this and not enjoying her as much as I should be..I know its not her fault, just soooo tired!