1 month old feeding less, unsettled, screaming

[JadeT2]

My 4 week old has only had 10oz of milk today and yesterday, compared to her usual 20oz. She is screaming during and after feeds, and mostly whenever she is awake! She's pulling her legs up and her tummy is hard but shes had two dirty nappies today, compared to her usual one, so I assume it's not constipation, and she's very windy.

I've made three bottles in the past 5 hours as she showed signs of hunger but she only took an ounce from each compared to her usual 3-4. She then pulled away and screamed. She's been sick three times today, not just a bit of spit up but a large quantity of what I assume is undigested milk.

She's not settling at all, I've rocked her and sung to her which normally gets her to sleep but not this time. I've also tried sitting and standing with her, and lying her down on her tummy and her back.

She had a few nights like this just after birth and we started using infacol which helped but seems to have stopped working tonight...

Does this sound like just normal colic or reflux? Or could it be something like a bug or illness? I don't even know who I can call, I'm generally a bit shit at the parenting stuff. My husband is in work til late so that's not helping and she's been screaming for about 4 hours now.

Any advice would be appreciated!

It sounds like reflux/trapped wind. Have you tried rubbing her belly clockwise? Also laying her down and moving her legs in cirlcle/cycling motions?
You could speak to your health visitor who may suggest using a gaviscon powder if they feel it's reflux.
Sorry it's not that helpful, and I sympathise hugely. Hope she settles down soon for you.

That sounds very much Like the symptoms my dd had at the same age.

She also had severe constipation and sick which smelled vile and looked like cottage cheese.

She had reflux and cmpi. Def see your hv or GP

Look up the tiger in a tree hold - sort of lying baby on your arm with their face on your palm. Very reassuring and soothing for a baby.

Try tummy massages and leg cycling as mentioned above. A bath can also help.

When dd was really having a hard time I put her in her car seat and swung that back and forwards. That seemed to work as well.

You have my sympathy

Could she have cows milk allergy or intolerance and or reflux? My granddaughter had the same symptoms. She was diagnosed with reflux at two days old but the cmpi took longer, she only improved after she was prescribed omeprazole and neocate formula. See your gp

Thank you so much for your helpful replies. I do the massages and cycling but it doesn't seem to alleviate anything. She does always seem calmer in the tiger in the tree hold but it's still only for a few minutes before the crying starts again. I will try the car seat!

I really appreciate your sympathies, it's awful when they're little and can't tell you isn't it.

I thought allergies were normally associated with diarrhea rather than constipation so hadn't really looked into it. We switched to Hipp from Aptamil in the first few days as she was regularly projectile vomiting, and it stopped completely following the switch.

My HV is due on Monday so I will speak to her and see what she can suggest. My husband has just got home but is back in work in 6 hours so not much of a break sadly. He's taken her off me for now though so I can try to get an hours sleep in!

Occasionally intolerances can present with constipation. Intolerance and allergy are different so the symptom present differently