I hope this is okay to post with pics but I’m getting really worried about my (almost) 6 week old baby. This is going to be really long because I don’t want to miss anything that could be important and I’m not sure if I’m just being overly anxious (I have suspected OCD).
When my little boy was 2 weeks old he started showing signs of reflux or silent reflux. He was sick quite a lot whenever we lay him down but otherwise would only spit up small amounts. He was arching his back and kind of squealing as if he was in pain. He was also turning bright red during feeds and choking and gagging atleast once each time. I took him to the doctors at 3 weeks old and they prescribed carobel, which stopped him vomiting as much when we lay him down but he still seemed uncomfortable. Around this time he also became very constipated and went nearly 24 hours with no dirty nappies and each poo he did have was solid (kind of like small pebbles all stuck together). Midwife said to give water which had no affect.
He was starting to seem more uncomfortable and then had mucous in his nappy (picture 1 and 2), so I took him back to the doctors. He’s also VERY noisy after eating, he breaths loudly and kind of snores and it sounds like wheezing. He also had a weird skin issue on his forehead which I now thing was possibly just cradle cap and is unrelated (picture 3). The doctor wasn’t concerned and said it was normal newborn behaviour. I was worried about the possibility of an allergy or intolerance as my dads side of the family are almost all dairy, lactose or gluten intolerant and I have stomach issues of my own which I haven’t ever had diagnosed but he also doesn’t really have a lot of the symptoms of CMPA. I am severely allergic to a number of legumes so I thought to maybe change formula brand to one that doesn’t contain soy to see if it has any impact (switched from SMA little steps to bonya).
In the last 2 weeks he’s started to vomit after every feed despite his milk being thickened however it’s a far smaller amount. He’s still constipated nearly every day and 95% of his dirty nappies are pebble like. His thickener wasn’t prescribed on repeat and we ran out a few days ago and he does definitely have reflux and it’s got 10x worse and has only being masked my the thickener. Without carobel he was refusing bottles, being sick after less than an oz and having half the amount he usually does. This week his poo has also turned green which I’m unsure on as I know it can be normal. It has been solid with green parts in it and he had one more normal consistency one which was a very dark green colour (picture 4). Cooled boiled water was having no impact on his constipation so I have switched to comfort formula. I switched him to Kendamil comfort for colic and constipation as I didn’t want to use a thicker formula and mess with his carobel since it’s saving him a lot more discomfort, and kendamil doesn’t contain soy and I’m still unsure on whether or not that makes any difference. We did a straight swap onto the comfort formula as he now screams nearly all day and I really want to get his constipation under control. It hasn’t been long enough to really judge if it’s working but this morning he does seem happier than he has done. However this morning I’ve changed his nappy and he’s still constipated (slightly less solid than it has been previously) but it’s also very pale in colour (picture 5) I’m not sure whether this is normal since I’ve changed his formula or whether to be concerned.
For a bit of a summary, my main concerns are his constipation and if anyone has any ideas on helping him with that, whether or not mucous and green poo are concerning or just normal, whether his symptoms suggest something deeper than reflux and constipation and whether or not this pale poo is a major cause for concern or just a part of changing formula quickly. I also have been told, and do agree that he doesn’t seem unhappy enough to suggest cmpa, he DOES usually settle when he’s being held and comforted however this last week there have been hours at a time where it hasn’t been possible. He also gains weight really well, doesn’t have diarrhoea and eats well more than what he should for his age. Please tell me if it’s just my anxiety or if there is an actual issue as I don’t want to keep going to the doctors to be told it’s just normal and I’m being paranoid because admittedly I do suffer with health anxiety and really struggled during pregnancy and postpartum with anxiety around his health. Thank you :)