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Original poster

Fobbed off repeatedly ..or am I being paranoid?

21 replies

LuchaGarcia · 15/10/2020 19:26

Hi all,

Please tell me if it's all in my head...I'm at my wit's end. I have a 4 week old who I'm combination feeding due to having a low milk supply. Since week 1 when we introduced the formula, she has suffered from a lot of trapped wind, which has gotten progressively worse since. She is straining, grunting, crying bringing her knees up to her chest and arching her back almost all day and night- in her sleep, whilst feeding. She will not fall asleep on her back, only on her front when being held. Sometimes she is so distressed she pulls herself off the breast mid feed. There are maybe a total 2 hours in the day when she is settled and 'a happy baby'. Her abdomen is rock hard.

I have mentioned this to the midwives and health visitors who keep telling me it's very common and her digestive system is maturing. One midwife even told me it wasn't gas but rather hunger, because of my low milk supply. I am sick of being told to do the bicycle exercises with her, warm baths, tummy massage, infacol, winding her regularly, keeping her upright, you name it- I have tried it ALL.

It's difficult to see her suffer like this. Is this 'normal' and common as I keep being told? Am I over worrying? I suspect a cow's milk protein allergy. She has broken out in spots on her face which I've been told is just baby acne which will go away. I really don't know what else to do, but my instincts tell me this is more than just trapped wind.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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Feminist10101 · 15/10/2020 19:29

I have a 4 week old who I'm combination feeding due to having a low milk supply.

Milk supply takes about 6-8 weeks to establish. Baby being hungry and feeding regularly stimulates production, which won’t be happening as you’re replacing your milk with formula. If establishing BF is important to you you need to do more feeding and less formula now.

8MinutesToSunrise · 15/10/2020 19:30

I'd say trust your instincts but also sounds very familiar, my boy was ebf but had loads of the symptoms you describe, nothing every diagnosed. Spent hours dancing around the room to one particular album that seemed to settle him. Hope things get easier soon.

Sunnydaysstillhere · 15/10/2020 19:31

Ill advised to use formula this early ime..
Lots of skin to skin. Get cosy with snacks and drinks and lots of bf.

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Diverseduvet · 15/10/2020 19:32

Change the formula to a different type?

Original poster
LuchaGarcia · 15/10/2020 19:32

@Feminist10101
I am BFing and pumping in order to increase supply- this is what I was advised by the midwives and HV as baby was losing weight. She couldn't feed effectively due to her tongue tie which has now been corrected.

OP posts:
caw159pw · 15/10/2020 19:36

My daughter was like this. It was lactose intolerance. I changed my diet to dairy free, continued bf her and 48 hours later had a new bubba who slept. She's still dairy free age 6.... but so much happier. Try dairy free diet and lactose free formula.... it worked miracles for us. Big hugs and keep going. You got this x

IntentIntel · 15/10/2020 19:37

How many times do you think you are BF in 24 hours?

Can you express inbetween, is that easier?

I'm not judging the mixed feeding at all (I mix fed, but later on) , but like previous poster said, you need to get the supply up.

Flowers
Original poster
LuchaGarcia · 15/10/2020 19:39

@IntentIntel the formula knocks her out so I am BFing roughly every 3 hours and expressing straight after while she has her top up

OP posts:
IntentIntel · 15/10/2020 19:39

Sorry, just seen your update.

How about comfortable positions for both of you?

I could only feed by us both laying on the bed, or the rugby hold.

IntentIntel · 15/10/2020 19:44

Wonder if she will dream feed as well?

DD used to feed for hours on me, not proper feeding but every now & again, maybe it was every 15 mins, Im trying to recall.

Maybe someone can advise on this idea?

Its only been 7 years, but my memory isn't great, I did manage to continue BF for 2 years, but the first few months were excruciating & very very hard.

My DD did actually have a cows milk allergy, as diagnosed by the hospital, so lots of screaming when we first tried formula, until we found one that worked.

zaffa · 15/10/2020 19:50

@LuchaGarcia

Hi all,

Please tell me if it's all in my head...I'm at my wit's end. I have a 4 week old who I'm combination feeding due to having a low milk supply. Since week 1 when we introduced the formula, she has suffered from a lot of trapped wind, which has gotten progressively worse since. She is straining, grunting, crying bringing her knees up to her chest and arching her back almost all day and night- in her sleep, whilst feeding. She will not fall asleep on her back, only on her front when being held. Sometimes she is so distressed she pulls herself off the breast mid feed. There are maybe a total 2 hours in the day when she is settled and 'a happy baby'. Her abdomen is rock hard.

I have mentioned this to the midwives and health visitors who keep telling me it's very common and her digestive system is maturing. One midwife even told me it wasn't gas but rather hunger, because of my low milk supply. I am sick of being told to do the bicycle exercises with her, warm baths, tummy massage, infacol, winding her regularly, keeping her upright, you name it- I have tried it ALL.

It's difficult to see her suffer like this. Is this 'normal' and common as I keep being told? Am I over worrying? I suspect a cow's milk protein allergy. She has broken out in spots on her face which I've been told is just baby acne which will go away. I really don't know what else to do, but my instincts tell me this is more than just trapped wind.

I can only tell you my experience, which is that DD suffered horribly with gas and tummy pains after about six weeks of combination feeding (I was sent back into hospital and put on tramadol so I couldn't take the risk and my milk supply couldn't match DDs needs). She arched her back, cried and would lift her legs up and slam them onto the bed over and over. I went back and forth to the doctors and they kept telling me it was colic or to try baby massage etc. Shortly after six months I weaned her and during dairy week she ended up with blood in her nappy. I thought she had a UTI and I was so worried - I got an emergency appointment and finally saw a doctor who listened to all her symptoms and ran a trial to check for CMPA. amazingly her dry skin cleared up and so did her 'dribble rash' around her face. Her tummy got so much better and the pain finally eased for her. I was so angry at myself for not pushing the issue more; but colief helped her with the pain a bit and lockdown meant that I didn't want to keep raising things with the doctors when I wasn't sure if I was just being silly. I won't make that mistake again. She's also a very spitty baby, spits up every bottle. She has a thickener for the milk as it's very thin but she doesn't like it so we just live with the spit. It doesn't seem to bother her and I'm hoping once we are done with milk it will trail off. pS - baby massage did actually help, it helped with the gas and also to relax her.
perfume577943 · 15/10/2020 19:53

If you are going to use formula use comfort milk. It's thicker so less air bubbles= less air infested and less wind problems. It has other properties which make it easier to digest for undeveloped digestive systems

IHaveAGreyLamp · 15/10/2020 19:53

Hi Op, definitely look into dairy and soya intolerance. You might need to cut dairy/soya from your diet and also have a look at the type of formula you use.

perfume577943 · 15/10/2020 19:54

*ingested

perfume577943 · 15/10/2020 19:56

Ps my boy was exactly the same as your dd but he was exclusively FF and this milk made life for him so much easier, we used aptamil comfort and still are at 5mo

Thatwentbadly · 15/10/2020 19:56

If you can afford it then see a private lactation consultant. Midwives and HV have very little training in breast feeding.

PatchworkElmer · 15/10/2020 19:57

Sounds like DS (dairy allergic). Do not be fobbed off!

ApplestheHare · 15/10/2020 20:30

My DD was ebf and just like this. She was NEVER happy. I think in her case it was due to reflux, which eventually went at about 6 months old and she was a much happier baby. I feel for you, it's so hard having a tiny baby Flowers

Babyblues12 · 15/10/2020 22:10

I'm in the same boat. My 6 week old ds shows the same symptoms and I too feel like I have been fobbed off because he is gaining weight well.
I will take some of this advice on board and try lactose free milk and see if that makes a difference and speak to the doctor again.

PollyPocket245 · 17/10/2020 08:49

This sounds like my little one two weeks ago, both me and my partner suffered from cows milk protein allergy when we were babies so made the case to the doctor to prescribe cows milk free formula and I cut out dairy from my diet (combi feeding), she’s like a different baby now.
My only advice is trust your instinct and don’t take no for an answer. Call your GP and explain your suspicions, they have to support you. I went to the hospital with my little one and it wasn’t picked up or suspected... trust your gut :).

Just to mention about lactose free milk, don’t do this without speaking to your Gp. I think cows milk free formula and lactose free formula are different. Again I could be wrong! But please check! I know the cows milk free formula you can only get on prescription. My HV said lactose intolerance in babies is very rare

doireallyneedaname · 17/10/2020 12:14

Are you sure it’s trapped wind & not a reflux issue?

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