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Unsettled baby with tummy troubles. Tried everything. How many of you FINALLY got to the bottom of it?

6 replies

pevie · 04/02/2008 21:08

Have been on here so many times I should have shares in it. Anyway, am still at wits end. DD2 is now 9 mths old and has been unsettled since outset. Diagnosed as reflux initially and treated with gaviscon, ranitidine and omeprazole. None of these were miracle cure we hoped for, although the reflux symptoms (vomiting, screaming after feed, etc.) did lessen a little. However, she has had various other symptoms that have caused varying levels of discomfort including constipation, excessive wind, stomach cramping, sleep problems which are ongoing. They can lessen for a few days at at time and come back with a vengeance. Have tried dairy free on two occasions (including present time) as am bf but again no miraculous difference. Last time I was a bit hit or miss but this time round I have been fairly vigilant (apart from 1 or 2 minor chocolate lapses) for the past 6 weeks or so, unless I have unwittingly ate the odd thing. She got a little better initially but then it deteriorated again (although she was sick and hospitalised in the middle of this so not sure if it true reflection). My question to you is, did you have these troubles and did someone eventually find out what was wrong and help you or did you just have to wait it out (I know a few of you did) And before I finish, yes we have tried cranial osteopathy cos I know many of you swear by this, but after at least 3 attempts it did not help and in fact made it worse initially. Help please we feel so desperate.

OP posts:
pevie · 04/02/2008 21:30

Bumping this in the hope that some of you will respond.

OP posts:
mcnoodle · 04/02/2008 21:46

Oh pevie - this could have been me posting 2 years ago. Everything you have said was true for us, and we tried EVERYTHING. DS is now 2.7 years. The first year was a complete nightmare - we had a screaming, unhappy, windy, non-sleeping baby, who seemed to be in pain for much of the time. I was desperate for most of his first year - not helped by severe PND (which may or may not have happened if I had had a dream baby - who knows).

I don't have any answers for you I'm afraid. Except to say that it gets better/easier as your baby learns how to communicate their needs. I bf DS until a month ago, and gave up trying to moderate my diet, eliminate certain foods etc - nothing helped for any length of time.

DS has been getting better and better since he turned 1. He still gets bouts of horrible wind/distended tummy/pain - but they are short lived and he/we know how to help him expel it.

I guess I wish we had pursued the GP more - but I got so tired of going there and being fobbed off. He was on gaviscon and ranitidine for a while, and although they helped they didn't 'cure' him. DH and I were talking about it the other day and we both said we should have gone for a private consultation for our peace of mind. Could you afford that?

Try to relax - he will grow out of it. I pursued a daytime sleep routine because we both needed it so badly.

Really feel for you...

mcnoodle · 04/02/2008 21:54

The most important thing is that you and your partner look after yourselves and each other. It is so draining and stressful looking after a demanding, unsettled baby.

Make sure you get time out. Are you working? Do you have family to support you? Do you split the stressful bouts of wind/pain?

When she is crying and you can't settle her, it is very very hard on you. Please remember that she is comforted by you being there.

pevie · 05/02/2008 21:34

Thank you mcnoodle. There does seem to be a gang of you who have been there and it does help as I've never met anyone who has had this experience. It seems to get a bit better for most people at about a year so heres hoping. Did you ever get a referral to a paediatrician or were you just seen by GP? We have had a number of tests at hospital and one did show her intestine moved really slowly but didnt bring us any closer to knowing what to do? We do try a daytime sleep routine which lets her get anything from about an hour to few hours a day broken up. Part of problem is she'll only really be comforted by me so I am up most of the time, although DH gets up most mornings and lets me catch up. At moment my back is incredibly sore from holding her all the time!!!!!!!

OP posts:
pevie · 05/02/2008 21:36

How do you now expel wind by the way?

OP posts:
Daisy777 · 06/02/2008 14:37

Oh my god it is not just me with the screaming uncomfortable child from hell! If it helps at all my daughter (now 4) was exactly the same. Like you we went down the reflux route, had all the different medications etc but nothing seemed to make much difference and i ended up with PND which i am sure was bought on by the sheer stress of looking after a screaming unhappy baby. Like others when she got to a year and began walking and talking she became the most wonderful little girl ever and is now a very bright, bubbly and well behaved 4 year old who always sleeps 7-7 and we never have any problems with her at all so it will get better, i promise although it doesn't help at all when you still have quite a bit of time to go to get to that point i know.
Stupidly i thought i could never be so unlucky to have another baby like it and after 4 years had forgotton the horrors and decided to have another one and low and behold he is like her twin! We have today been to Water Babies as i am trying to get out and about and not just hide indoors with him screaming but it was not great. He did 20 mins ok then started screaming, tried to feed him he screamed more but then after about 10 mins i laid him on the floor and he started smiling - either he is possessed or he had some pain but no-one seems to know what and as he is putting on weight fine the Dr's etc just say "it is a matter of riding it out" which is fine for them as they are not the ones dealing with it whilst also trying to entertain a 4 year old!
Not much i can suggest as if i knew the answers i wouldn't be here again but if you ever need to vent, chat or feel that you are not the only one please e-mail me. I think most mums with unsettled babies don't go out so that's why you don't see them!! We can;t be the only ones and as my daughter proves perhaps the worst babies turn into the best children and they are children for a lot longer - that's what i hold onto on my gloomy days anyway!

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