First time mother - no idea what's wrong with 3 week old - fussing, vomiting, really hungry ...

[kittyz]

Hi all

Have a newborn daughter, 3 weeks old. Up to the last few days it's like she's completely changed. She has started fussing, mostly around feeding times, especially when we try to wind her she loses the plot. It's also quite difficult to wind her and not much comes up. She's being combination fed between expressed milk, boob (when nipples aren't sore), and she also gets Aptimel formula. Gave her boob there an hour ago, went really well, then she just puked it all up

Nighttimes are also getting so difficult, she won't settle on her own, and will only really get comfy when she's in bed with me, preferably lying on my chest. I can put up with this to be honest, and don't really mind her in bed with me, but even when she does sleep with me she's sort of grunting and crying in her sleep which makes it difficult for me to sleep!

Please tell me this difficult stage will pass ...

Any tips/advice/reassurance greatly appreciated

She may have reflux and colic. Make a doctors app to be on the safe side as she is very small.

They all get a growth spurt at 3 weeks so could be that?

Be careful about falling asleep with her on your chest!

It may be reflux. Can you try lifting the head of the cot so she's on a small slant?

Oh it sounds very much like my DD who has cow's milk protein allergy. You'll need to cut dairy (not just lactose but all dairy and hidden dairy) and soya out of your diet for a week or so and then drink some milk to see if the symptoms disappear and then reappear upon consuming the dairy. You'll also need to stop formula or go to the gp and ask for some dairy free formula.

Thanks guys. I'll try and get a doc appointment to check it out. Also have a paediatrician's appointment in a few weeks so will check with him too. I have lifted the head of the cot at a slant, hasn't seemed to make a difference.

If it was a lactose intolerance would this not have been noticed much earlier than now?? She's been on the same feed from birth? Nappies are normal, explosive, but normal.

I will try and eat healthier, as have been eating a lot of crap food, chocolate etc, comfort eating from the lack of sleep.

Maybe it is a growth spurt - anyone know how long they last??

I know it may seem like she’s spitting up the whole feed because oh how much comes out but she will definitely still have enough milk in her, my dd used to do this and it made me obsessed with weighing her because I was certain she was spitting up whole feeds, she was fine. They start digesting as soon as it hits the stomach. She could have reflux like pp have said, I would definitely say you’re going through a growth spurt as well as these throw everything into chaos. It will pass just hang on in there.

thank you @Berrylove - hope you're right xxx

CMPA usually starts to show from 2 weeks so I'd say it's about right for that timeline. It's not lactose intolerance though, it's an allergy to the protein. You'll only know by cutting out dairy unfortunately as there are no tests at this age for it. It could be a growth spurt but it's easy to cut out dairy for a few days just to see. Oat milk is your friend

Would it be really selfish of me to say that it would kill me to cut out dairy from my diet!!! I love butter and milk and eggs .

Jesus, this parenting thing is a bloody minefield

Eggs don't have cow's milk protein in so they're fine. there are loads of good replacements, oatly barista is lovely and creamy for a milk replacement, flora buttery isn't the same as butter but it's not bad. you'd only need to do it for a week to see if there was a difference, which might save you having to worry for months about whether it could be cmpa.

I have a 4 week old and was going through this a week ago! Growth spurt! Fingers crossed this is the same for you it only lasted a couple of days. My son gets trapped wind really badly and tend to find if he is fussing when I know he has tired that is the reason. Keep persevering you will get through it!

3 weeks is the worst for cluster feeding but it’s one of the most vital weeks in terms of establishing your supply.

Bunker down in front of the TV or in bed with snacks and feed, feed, feed.