10 week old in pain at night

[NewMumRichmond]

Hi - My 10 week old baby is waking from 4am (sometimes 2am) writhing in pain and screaming, he is arching his back and bringing his legs up at right angles. He does seem to have bad wind and will pass wind a lot, he is not sick but does get hic hups and seems to be in pain after a feed. The doctor said it is colic and will pass but I thought colic was in the evening and my baby would cry. Has anyone had anything similar with their baby and did they find a cure or if it cleared up what age was their baby? Thanks so much I am really worried about him and hate seeing him in pain

My dd used to get colic early hours of the morning and scream in pain. She was never sick with it but arching back and bringing up legs. It used to help a bit to lie her on her back and move her legs up and down kind of if you were riding a bike with her legs.

If you are concerned I would speak to your health visitor.

Also Dr Brown bottles helped, these are a special bottle with a stem up the middle so the air goes into the bottle not into your baby. They are quite expensive though around £12 for 2 x Good luck

Is he FF or BF? Could it be reflux?

Hi - he is BF. I was thinking it could be reflux but wasn't sure as he isn't sick the GP said he would be losing weight and being sick if it was reflux.

Not true - reflux can be of the silent variety, so no huge vomiting. Weight gain can be normal or even huge - weight loss is not necessarily an indicator. Both of my children have/ had SR, as does my DP of 36. For some reason GPs often don't 'believe in it'... If it is silent reflux you will probably hear 'glunk'-type re-swallowing noises and I would expect the pain and discomfort to be confined just to middle-of-the-night feeds...

Alternatively, I wonder whether the issue could be foreceful letdown or temporary oversupply? I think there are some good links on the Kellymom website about 'fussy nursing' and some possible causes.

Would not expect the pain and discomfort to just be confined to middle-of-the-night feeds that should read!

Thanks so much for your advice. Funnily enough he has just started showing discomfort after his day time feeds and is actually writhing in pain, going red in the face and crying. Can I please ask how I treat silent reflux and how long it will last?

The first thing I would do is try and see a qualified lactation consultant - unfortunately there aren't too many NHS ones around, but if you could afford to see one privately I would do it. I think I paid about £70 for a 1h 30 consultation. You could look at the LCBGwebsite:

www.lcgb.org/consultants_local.html

to find one local to you. They should be able to give you an idea of what might be causing the issue. I know i mentioned reflux but a feeding expert might have some other useful ideas - e.g., over-supply, under-supply..... they can assess the whole picture and help you hopefully.

If it is reflux, treatment can include 'home' remedies like altering nursing positions, propping cot at an inclined angle, or where that doesn't work, medication ranging from simple reflux supressants like gaviscon infant to medicines like omeprazole which decrease stomach accid production and help any erosion heal -it really depends on severity. Many Gps are not keen to prescribe anything at all, I have to warn you. Sometimes you need to be quite persistent.

Another possible culprit is sensitivity to dairy proteins passed through your milk. Should have said that before. But I am just guessing - really, give an LC a go - I think it could be really useful.

You asked how long reflux lasts - the pat answer is that it usually peaks at around 4 months when milk intake is highest, and lessens somewhat as the digestive system matures thereafter and the baby spends more time upright - in practice, some cases resolve early-ish - with my DD she stopped being bothered by it at around 5-6 months. Sometimes it lasts longer - and I have a feeling that is going to be the case with my DS, as he has it much worse than she ever did.

Narmada I really want to thank you for taking the time to respond it means a lot and has been incredibly helpful. The doctor has now prescribed Rantidine so if it is silent reflux this should hopefully help. Good luck with your DS

Wow, it's unusual for a GP to prescribe that straight off. You must have a listening one! I hope it solves your issues, I really do. But if it doesn't, try a lactation consultant - they are usually brilliant...