3 week old grunting & straining, colic or reflux?

[alliet916]

I'm a first time mommy of a beautiful 3 week old little girl. Since she's been a week old she seems to do this intense grunting noise like she's straining to have a BM and she arches her back while grunting. She tends to do this while she's eating (I'm exclusively BFing, no formula at all), as well as when she's laying down. I thought at first it might be her trying to pass gas or pass a BM, but the result of her grunting isn't always a BM. Sometimes she'll be fine after eating and she always burps pretty good afterwards. She'll seem so peaceful for an hour or so, but then the grunting will start and occasionally she'll burp a few more times, but other times nothing happens.
She doesn't cry non stop and if she's picked up and held the grunting seems to go away, but only when she's being held. As soon as I put her down it starts again. I feel so bad for her because she seems to be in pain and there's nothing I can do to relieve her. My pedi said it was reflux and prescribed her Zantac 0.3ml twice daily, but that has done nothing for her. We've had a lot of sleepless nights because of this grunting thing. She doesn't get good sleep because her constant grunting and straining and I of course get no sleep because I'm worried and trying to figure out what I can do to soothe her uncomfortableness. I've heard babies with colic are inconsolable and cry constantly for hours on end but she doesn't really cry and again all noises pretty much subside when she's being held. She spits up like a normal baby so that's why I'm not sure if it's reflux either.
Please help! I need some major sleep ASAP and want to do whatever I can to help her out. All comments and advice are much appreciated! Thx!

Hello, I could have written this post myself! I also have a 3 week old baby girl and it sounds like she does exactly as yours does with the grunting and straining and sometimes not wanting to lie on her back etc which resolves on picking her up. She also makes funny little squeaky noises and in the early hours sounds both mucousy but also a little hoarse like she has a sore throat.

I have been trying to research reflux and colic etc and she does seem to have some of the symptoms like hiccuping fits twice daily, coughing now and then, bubbling at the mouth etc but she has only projectile vomited 3 times since birth and also, luckily, does not have periods of inconsolable crying. I do feel like she is in pain at times though. I think the problem with me is that I tend to be a bit neurotic and everything I read I can easily imagine her having iykwim. I spoke to the health visitor about all the noises and he just said its normal for babies to make funny noises and sound snuffly etc as their tubes are all narrow and air resistance greater. He also thought the vomiting was down to gas.

I'm sorry this is not much help but just wanted you to know there are others in the same boat. Let me know how it goes xx

Hi all.

I have a similar problem. My 7 week old son is being sick a lot and has lots if reflux symptoms so has been on baby gaviscon which made his straining much worse and started ranitidine a few days ago. Each seem to have worked for a day or 2 where he seems much happier and almost like a new baby and then he goes back to straining regularly and seeming in pain. It occurs throughout the day but is particularly bad in the mornings. It's so tough to see them in pain. My lo is still pooing but only a tiny bit each time bless him. I am going to my GP for more advice tomorrow so will let you know if I get any useful info. I know the baby gaviscon can make then constipated but not sure about the ranitadine. I am not sure whether or not the straining is related to the reflux or a separate issue? So frustrating and horrible though! X

Both my babies did this until around 12/14 weeks, it's just their digestive systems maturing, it does get better but is noisy at the time, used to keep me awake!!

Gaviscon does make them constipated as it thickens everything. You can get lactulose from the GP or stop it and stick with the ranitidine which won't make her constipated. I found ranitidine worked really well for my dc.

They do a lot of grunting and straining at the beginning while their systems ge up and running. if they're in pain they cry- I would just leave it for a bit. It will almost certainly sort itself out.

And the grunting probably disturbs you much more than it disturbs her!

I was surprised by how noisy my dd was she would grunt and strain, I'm sure it bothered me rather than her. As a PP has said if they are in pain at that age they will cry.

I agree with the pps..

My dd is almost 7 now but I remember her doing this. Sometimes it was like she was growling!

My sister was convinced she was constipated but no her BM were fine and she didn't have colic or reflux.

I moved dd into her own room at 18 weeks because although the grunting and straining had stopped she started walking up at 3 am and would bang her legs off the mattress for over an hour!! Then she would sing and chat to herself. I was exhausted but dd wasn't

Sorry for rambling

I know this is a supe old post
But I'm going through this exact thing now grunting straining squeezing and sounds like she has a strained voice. She's almost 4 weeks old.
Did it resolve itself or was there something wrong xx