2.5 week old - very painful wind

[wildflowersummermeadow]

Hi there, I'm wondering if anyone has got any advice! I've got a 2.5 year old DS2 who is really suffering from what seems like agonising wind. He seems to be completely unable to lie flat on his back, howling and grimacing and kicking up his legs.

He wants feeding (I think) about every 2.5 hours - although at the moment it is hard to tell if it is the tummy discomfort or hunger really - throughout the day and night. In between those feeding times he is impossible to settle or put down due to the wind problem. So I spend the whole time in between feeds patting him on the back, rubbing his tummy, walking around jiggling, and so on - and every now and then am rewarded with a tiny little burp or a lot of sick followed by a lot more howling and discomfort.

This is fast turning into a nightmare of epic proportions. We have a gorgeous, highly energetic and very physical 2 year old DS who gets up at about 6am on a good day and doesn't always sleep through the night himself. For the last couple of weeks I literally haven't slept at all - apart from accidentally falling asleep for a few mins sitting upright while back-patting and shusshing.

Anyone got ANY ideas? would it be safe to sleep sitting upright with DS1 in his sling? How long have I got before I go mad due to sleep depravation? When will this ever end?! The HV sort of hinted that "some people try gripe water before 4 weeks altho she couldn't of course recommend doing that herself" but I'm not sure whether that's safe?

Thank you.

Sorry (too tired to think straight!) DS2 is 2.5 WEEKS old - not years!

hi wildflower

my DD is now 17 weeks and was identical to your LO at that age. It was horrendous and i was convinced it was something much more sinister that just wind (even went to A&E on one particularly bad day!). She would make awful grunting noises during the night whilst trying to move the wind. I tried everything; dentinox, gripewater, osteopathy etc etc, and nothing worked. She would get some slight relief from cycling her legs around.

All the HP advised that it would pass but i couldn't believe it (that would be the sleep deprivation!), but by 12 weeks, the trauma was largely over. DD is still a windy baby (lots of enormous night time farts!), but copes very well now.

Its just one of those things that will pass!

Have you tried infacol?

Are you breastfeeding? Have you tried cutting certain things from your diet in a trial and error manner? (Dairy, spicy foods etc)

If youre bottle feeding have you tried \Dr Brown bottles?

If you are breastfeeding then phone one of the helplines to talk this through. I had similar problems with my son, and again with his sister who's just 3.5 weeks old. I was ready for it with her and got in touch with breastfeeding counsellors and changed the way I'm feeding her and it's helped lots, but you need proper advice before trying that. Reflux could also cause these symptoms. So you need more professional help before doing much more - maybe see your GP to start with?

In the meantime try using a sling to carry him upright and free your hands. It's not recommended but I've been letting DD sleep on her tummy for an hour or so in the daytime when I'm watchful of her and she farts loads when she wakes. She's happier in her carseat than flat on her back in the buggy. And at night she sleeps on her side propped with rolled towels. Against FSIDS advice but she can't sleep on her back full stop. Although some people have success with propping up the cot on books. Good luck and much sympathy.

Infacol really helped us, although time helped the most! You can use it from birth I think.

Hope it passes soon.

OK, I would say it doesn't sound like wind to me, but reflux. It's the stuff you said about him not liking to be on his back.
I would second the go to the GP recommendation, but you may have to be persistent. I would play up the fact that this is not your first baby and you think his behaviour is a bit unsettling.

Could possibly be lactose overload - his digestive system is too immature to make enough lactase to digest the milk, so some is fermenting in his gut causing the wind and discomfort. It's very common - about 65% of BF babies get it, apparently.

It does pass after a few weeks (about six in my DD's case) but apparently you can try feeding from one breast only for three hours before switching to help things.
There's advice online if you Google it.

Poor you - hope he settles down soon.

Oh, and congrats!!

Mine was just like that (now 4m) as a combination of wind and reflux. Best things (and I tried most) were infacol, masses of infacol, and baby massage on the tummy - amazing how it gets that wind out the bottom end! HV organised for baby massage nursery nurse to come out and teach me - I was hugely skeptical but it worked.

Oh and raise the head of the cot/basket a good few inches is a must if your baby is refluxy, and it does sound rather like it.

I'd definately consider seeing your GP. Baby Gaviscon can help a lot I believe but difficult to give if you are BF. Just ask if you can try it. They're often not keen to offer much if the baby is putting on weight but Gaviscon isn't absorbed and I suspect if you ask for it you'll get it.

Best of luck. It will pass, by 10wks my LO was a changed boy.

Gaviscon is not impossible to give if you are BF. You can mix if with some expressed milk and give it from a little spoon, or a syringe. Or, you can put it in a bottle mixed with cooled, boiled water.

Having said that, it often doesn't work that well and can cause constipation.

From the experience I had with my DD, and from that of friends, the reflux treatment protocol seems to be:

gaviscon first. If that doesn't work, try ranitidine and domperidone. If that fails, omeprazole or a simliar proton pump inhibitor medication. Some GPs are unwilling to prescribe anything other than gaviscon without guidance from a paed. But they can if they are so minded.

with hindsight, I really wish I had gone straight to the GP with my DD when she was suffering similar problems, and been far far more assertive. It might have made the first few months of her life less thoroughly miserable all round! In my experience, I have to say, Health Visitors are extremely ill-informed about reflux. Actually, the same goes for GPs I saw. I am sure there are some good ones somewhere...!

Thank you so much everyone! I'm going to go and talk to my GP. Infacol didn't work sadly and from what you're saying it does sound like reflux! I'm very grateful for the advice (and sympathy!) - it's so hard to know where to turn sometimes! xx

oh how ironic, wildflower... since i posted here i have had DS2 who is also showing all reflux signs like his sister did. we've had gaviscon already and he is only 2 weeks old - didn't work - now got domperidone but i am a bit reluctant to give a proper med to one so young.

how did you get on with your baby??