Chronic wind

[Ginnytonic82]

Any advice is welcome as we are getting desperate. Sorry for length.

Our beautiful little boy is approaching 6 weeks and is in constant pain from wind. He burps very well and after each ounce of food (he is mix fed). He farts constantly, but they seem to be his major problem as he is constantly screwing himself up and straining like mad. He then cries and screams. We have been to the dr who told us it is colic and prescribed colief, despite him already being on comfort formular.

Over the past few weeks we have tried infacol, dentinox, gripe water, comfort formular, colief, colic massage (as taught by health visitor), warm pads on stomach (advised by gp), all the burping positions we can research, raising the head of his Moses basket, holding him upright during and after feeds, bicycling his legs, warm bath, warm bottles. We were using tommy tippee but replaced them all with Dr Browns. We burp him for a minimum of 20 mins after feeding even though we burp him during too. I wear him in a sling but he hates it most of the time.

All this and my poor boy is still squirming, arching his back and crying out in pain. I'm at the stage where I don't know what to do. When I see my GP he assures me he is fine and to give it time, but we can't bear to see him suffering, it breaks our hearts. My health visitor is very supportive and is helping me with my pnd and also trying to help with ds but she really can't suggest anything else. He is only calm when he feeds and even then he cries and strains sometimes. He doesn't sleep much due to the pain.

Can anyone please, please suggest any other method to help my son? People keep saying he'll be better at 6 weeks, but he seems worse and now people are saying he'll be better at 8, 10, 12 weeks and so on. We feel like failures, please help.

I don't have much advice I'm afraid, just wanted to say you are not a failure. I have an 8 week old here who is just the same!! its horrible but I'm just trying to wait it out!! it does seem to be improving slightly. you are doing everything you can and your little man would be so grateful if he could understand!!

what are his poos like?

could it be silent reflux causing the pain?

Have you tried making up his bottle with a weak fennel infusion, instead of just water? In some European countries this is recommended by doctors and here where I live every old lady recommends it for trapped wind. It seems to be having some effect on my 10 week old.

When dd had bad wind as a baby a lovely woman in a health food shop told me to drink peppermint tea when I told her I was breastfeeding. It had worked for me post c section and was willing to try anything. Could have all been coincidence but after Five weeks of screaming and endless winding two days later she hardly needed to be winded at all!

Thanks for all the advice, just wanted to update. Since Sunday things seemed to escalate and yesterday poor Ds was absolutely screaming for the whole day. We were so concerned we rang our GP who referred him for assessment by a paediatrician at the hospital. We went in and Ds was observed for 2 hours and given a very thorough assessment by the paediatrician. For the most part Ds was calm but the Dr did see him screaming and writhing. Fortunately he said Ds is totally fine and told us it's colic. He then told us not to waste anymore time or money on 'cures' as nothing will make much difference, only time will help. So whilst we are incredibly relieved that he is well and nothing serious is underneath, we are just frustrated that we can't do anything.

I trying to remind myself that he is fit and well but trying to comfort him for hours on end while he screams non stop is soul destroying. My husband is amazing and despite working in a very high pressured job, he gets up on the night to do feeds, gives me breaks every evening and really supports me so well. My mum comes over regularly and is very supportive, my health visitor is lovely, but despite all the help I'm still struggling. I just feel like I'm not cut out to be a mum. I love Ds so much, but I'm crap at this.

You're not crap at it - my dd was a lite like that to begin with and she's now fine (15 weeks). It's brutal when you can't comfort them. Tomorrow's another day, a very wise friend once told me

Is there anything else? What are his poos like? His skin? Has no kne considered a milk intolerence or silent reflux?

Thy doesn't sound right at all. And colic is often a coo out. It basically means unexplained crying. It's a non diagnosis

Giles his poos are normal and regular, his skin is fine, he has no temperature. When he is settled (usually after a walk or car ride!) he is a very alert, happy boy. He is developing well, putting weight on, copying faces, responding to play etc. Our GP ruled out lactose intolerance and his symptoms do not replicate silent reflux (my Hv and Paediatrician said )as the crying doesn't follow a feed necessarily, but just incase we feed him upright, have raised the head on his Moses basket etc - no difference.

Trooper thanks for the encouragement. Tried a new strategy today breaking up the day into lots of walks and drives which mean he's been calmer today. I would like to start going to mum and baby groups, bit I'm too scared of him having a colic episode and crying and people thinking I'm useless. I'm even keeping friends at arms length at the minute, which I know is stupid, I just feel very anxious.

I am not surprised you feel anxious and knackered, it sounds very hard work.

Please do not think other mothers would judge you for having a crying baby at a baby group. ALL babies cry sometimes, every singe person in that room would feel sympathy for you. Honestly. My friend pointed out to me the other day when DS (eight weeks) was screaming that it really wasn't that loud, it is just that I am very tuned into it.

What about arranging to see a friend on a walk? I think going without ordinary social interaction makes things worse. It is sooo hard having a colicky baby.

Thank you, it's so nice to be able to get this out to such understanding people. Humphrey that's a good idea, I hadn't even thought, I know walking really soothes Ds. I am going to ask my Hv to recommend a group for me to have a go visiting. One of my friends has a 17 week old and she told me to try the things I'm worried about because eventually they become normal and everyday, I hope she's right. Thanks for letting me go on, not judging and your advice. I never expected motherhood to be like this, so I massively appreciate everyone's kindness.

motherhood came as rather a shock to me too, and my first baby wasn't particularly colicky either. Unlike this one

Do keep posting if it helps. I think your friend is absolutely right about getting used to doing things.

Ginny you could be describing my life right now. You are not alone. Soul destroying covers it pretty well

I am also scared to go to groups but have been a couple of times, both of which my DD (8wo today) slept or sat like an angel, making me sound like I'm complaining about nothing.

Also the mums there were like "colic is SO over diagnosed" implying that dd wasn't suffering from it at all

I've also moved to a new area and have no friends here so feel really lonely and isolated sometimes, although I do have family (in-laws) here.

Where abouts are you in the country?

Babies always behave better when out and about. I was once complaining to my HV that ds ONLY went to sleep on the boob and she looked at me funnily as I realised that the little bugger had gone to sleep on my lap whilst she was talking to me. This is the only time he ever did this.

Newmum, those other mums may not have been thinking of your situation at all, sorry they made you feel rubbish. They will have experienced how hard it is too, I can guarantee it. No one breezes through a new baby even if they look and sound like they are doing so, we only see the snapshot.

My heart goes out to both of you as I remember what it felt like in the beginning. But it does get better. Exercise really helps even when you are knackered which is all the time I am on my third baby so I must have thought the experience worth repeating.

Another one who feels your pain & I got sick of being told she'd grow out of it when I wanted to help her there and then! I also thought it was 6-weeks when they grow out of it but it really isn't! The 3-3-3 rule has been 6-7-6 (6hrs, 7 days a week for 6 weeks from week 2) with my DD!

Only other things I've tried are drinking both peppermint and also fennel tea myself, reducing (but not cutting out) dairy (to avoid future intolerances), prune juice to ensure she is regular as the worst days are days when she's not poo'ed for a while (avoids the writhing but also the explosions!)

However... (she says nervously) whist she's still suffering from wind, we've just had 5 days in a row without inconsolable crying at any point, just what I'd call normal wind so I'm starting to think the end is in sight - she's 11 weeks tomorrow. You'll definitely get there (but I know this is no consolation now sorry)

Ps newmum I've had exactly the same situation as you! So demoralising, until you meet other mums with colicy babies!

Thank you for all your encouraging words. It's good to know we're not alone! newmum I am in Lancashire and send you hugs of solidarity - I know it's not the traditional mumsnet way but this time is so tough! I hope things start to get easier for you soon.

Not read the whole thread but I totally sympathise as my DS was just like this. Has anyone suggested that it could be tongue tie?

Have a read of [http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/fussy-baby/coping-with-colic these articles on colic]] and this article on fussiness.

Nobody is going to judge you if your baby cries while you are out either, every baby cries and if people do look, well that's just human nature but you can't know what they are thinking, it's just as likely they are thinking, "oh poor love, I'm glad we are past that stage" or "I wish I knew her more so that I could offer to hold the baby for a bit"

Whoops, here's that first link again

Thanks for those links jilted. I mentioned tongue tie to my dr but she had a look and felt he is latching to his bottles fine. She's recommended trying the colief alongside infant gaviscon to help settle his tummy, hope it helps even a little. I feel a bit better, the support I've had irl and here has been great. I still need to work out how to get by on about 3 hrs sleep. Anyone have any tips. Ds only sleeps in extremely short episodes so sleeping when he does is a no go I'm afraid.

So sorry to hear this. Try a good cranial-sacro therapist who specialises in children xx

Did the doctor just take a quick look in Los mouth? If so, I'd get the tongue checked properly. Tt, especially posterior tt is notoriously easy to miss and very few HCPs know what to look for. There was a really long thread on here a while ago where the MNers had been told their Lo definitely didn't have tt only to find out later they did. I was completely exhausted, almost loosing the plot with tiredness and kept being told it was just my Los personality. If Lo does have tt it can interfere with weaning and speech too so the doctor dismissing it as "Lo can latch onto bottles fine" undermines the serious effect tt can have.

Sorry, rant over!

Thanks for the advice! I will ask for it to be checked again. Our GP is very good and a new mum too so I know she won't mind. Poor Ds is very unsettled and didn't sleep at all last night looks like we're heading for similar tonight sadly.

Hun I am in the same boat with my 5wk old,plus he's just stopped taking food,gone from 6oz every 4 to 2-3oz n throws most of it up,we tried all the things you have,but what we found is that giving him infocol etc that it was too much on his belly and making him worse,so we give him a dose every other day now and it's helped him loads,he doesn't scream in pain with it etc,maybe try giving it him every other feed or 2-3 times a day etc,you just need to fin the right balance for him x

mrsmusket it's a very good point about balance - they're so small and delicate. Ds is having a more settled day today, we even managed some sleep! My hubby read this thread last night and he was saying what a huge comfort it is to know it's not just us. Ds is 7 weeks tomorrow, I try to think that every Thursday he's a week older and a week closer to feeling happier.

I hadn't actually finished but pressed send! Sorry. mrsmuskett my Ds was the same - it was part of the reason we were so worried. I'd recommend just visiting a dr for a check. We were told it was part and parcel of this colicky phase and not to worry, and Ds did go back to his regular feeding pattern this week. Just get the dr to have a look at him I'm sure they will put your mind at ease.