Colic ruining our lives

[peonies1988]

Please don’t judge me but I am so miserable. My baby is 9.5 weeks old and never ever stops crying. She has diagnosed CMPA (dietician and paediatrician) and is on neocate and carobel. She has omeprazole 13mg per day and I give her biogaia probiotics and yet she remains inconsolable. I thought my first baby was hard but this baby gives inconsolable a whole new meaning.

I have support but I am such an anxious person by nature and the constant crying is driving me to the brink. I had terrible PPD/PPA with my first and was admitted to a mother and baby unit. I honestly don’t feel I need that this time because on the rare occasions she stops crying, I feel fine; it is just the sheer relentlessness of the crying.

I’ve tried everything and I’m at my wits end. Have also trained osteopathy fwiw. I don’t know why I’m writing this but does anyone have any ideas whatsoever? I’ve tried carrying her in a sling all day, she’s propped when she sleeps. I’ve tried various bottles. I thought I’d see improvements by almost 10 weeks but so far nothing. I’m drowning.

Are you giving her a dummy? Because sucking a dummy is very soothing for a distressed baby.

Have you tried daytime naps in a bouncy chair?

the relentlessness is awful.

When DD1 had colic the only thing which seemed to give her any relief was constant movement and absolutely chomping on a dummy.

DD1 started to turn a corner at around 12 weeks.

But this was 25 years ago. The only thing available to us was infacol and gripe water. Gripe water didn't make a lot of difference but did mean that when she posseted (which she did at every feed and in huge volume) it didn't smell as bad!

As I said, 25 years ago. Not forgotten but it did end.

Thanks @GnomeDePlume yes she chomps down on the dummy really hard. Praying we turn a corner soon, it’s so hard.

What about a different formula? Neocate is derived from coconut and it could still be a problem for a CMPA baby. Try alfamino?

My CMPA baby was totally different once we had sorted all the allergies. He was breastfeeding so we had a different journey. But no need for omeprazole etc once he was not being exposed to things he was allergic to.

I'd go back to your GP.

As pp said try another formula. My baby has cmpa, so the first 7 weeks were horrendous until we tried a new formula. We got similac allumentum prescribed by doctor. It's a hypoallergenic formula based on Soy milk. Within 24hrs she was like a new baby, so much calmer, not constantly crying. I think before she was just in discomfort all the time from the formula, it must have been really uncomfortable for her. Speak with your health visitor or doctor as soon as you can. I hope you get it sorted x

Just to add my HV kept telling us that the baby had colic/reflux and 'all new borns cry a lot'. As this was firing 1st lock down we were just speaking via text or quick phone call. It wasn't until we had a WhatsApp video chat for an hour that she saw how much the baby was crying. She then spoke woth a dietitian who diagnosed cmpa.

You poor things
To be fair Neocate is one of the best (least allergenic) formulas for babies with CMPA, but as a PP said it's made from coconut and there's a chance baby might have an issue with that too.
If you can afford it, I've heard very good things about a paediatrician called Dr Shah.

Thank you all. I will try and speak with dietician in the morning. I wonder if there’s anyway I could fully relactate? It’s been 3 weeks so I’m guessing not.

This one finder.bupa.co.uk/Consultant/view/31529/professor_neil_shah

Sympathies OP, I went through very similar with my second baby (after a very ‘high needs’ first baby) and it almost broke me. There is crying and then there is CRYING, and I think unless you have experienced it it can be hard to comprehend what an impact it can have on every aspect of daily life to have a baby who is so rarely content. I felt like everyone knew us as the family with the screaming baby, and it made me very antisocial and self conscious as a result. People were always full of ‘helpful’ comments like ‘ooh someone is hungry’ or ‘someone isn’t happy’ and at the time it felt like they thought I was totally inadequate.

All that is to say I understand totally, and although I didnt develop the PNA / PND I had with my first, I found a few months of sertraline really helped get me through the worst of the colic and gave me the buffer I needed to face the day.

It sounds as if you are doing everything you could be and have explored lots of avenues in advocating for your child. No-one could ask more of you. I would possibly talk to the GP about adding some ranitidine into the picture as the omeprazole alone may not be enough to take the edge off potential reflux. Never be afraid of going back to the doctor to seek further help if there is no improvement. I found taking videos (and keeping a diary of the crying) really helped as it allowed me to track progress, and it made the GP / Paediatrician take me more seriously when I could demonstrate that it wasn’t just ‘normal’ crying.

Really hope things improve for you soon.

This was me this time last year. He finally settled at 16weeks. My heart goes out to you. We tried neocate and it did not work. Went on nanny care and it changed him over night x

Mine was allergic to carobel. Finally settled on alfamino and omeprazole and became a different baby. Sounds like the current combo isn’t working so ask to try something else. I really feel for you, the first 3 months of my youngest’s life damn near broke me. He’s a total delight now.

They don't give ranitidine any more due to issues with it.

Thanks @Babysharksmom I didn’t think nanny care was suitable for CMPA babies? Thank you so, so much @NameChange30 do you know approximate cost of seeing a Paediatrician? Xx

Thanks @welshweasel. Did you little one try neocate or straight to alfamino? X

Have you thought about one of these? I know it won't solve all your problems but it might help a but ?

Ds2 the crying, screaming, off-and-on all night, every night, bought me to my knees. Literally. I fell to my knees. And sobbed. I knew that this was just too much for anyone to cope with.

HV's and GP's were useless, made things worse, by referring me to SS saying I was depressed. But in actual fact I had a very very low Edinburgh score, because I was fine, in every other way.

I just want you to know that many HCP's are ignorant and useless. But you will get sympathy at least on MN.

@peonies1988 we tried similac alimentum first. Then straight to alfamino as it’s the least allergenic formula you can get

Can you try colief? No exaggeration when I say it saved my life with DD. I could see no way out before we started her on it.

Thanks @mummyh2016 but her milk doesn’t have lactose in.

Just popping in to say I understand. My son cried incessantly. He was so miserable. He also had eczema and the most horrific bowels. At 9 months I had his stools analysed privately and he had some pretty significant bacterial growth in his gut. After a battle, I managed to get a GP to prescribe antibiotics for it which made a huge difference. When he wasn't in constant pain, he had a cracking sense of humour. It was very very hard and it nearly broke me. I carried him in a sling, walked around at night with him, and my worst moment was standing outside with him in a sling, in the dark and the pouring rain trying to watch TV through the window.

Regular visits to the osteopath, lots of tummy massage, lots of time spent outside which seemed to help him.

I would say, 3 weeks into the new formula may not be long enough ... I think they say 21 days, I am hoping for you that it happens in the next few days but it can take time for the gut to heal.

I don't have any suggestions but just wanted to say you are not alone.

My baby also screamed constantly for the first 5 months. I tried everything although we had no official diagnosis of an underlying problem. I read about 'purple crying'which seemed to fit with what we experienced. He changed gradually as he got older and became a totally different baby who smiles, laughs, sleeps through the night and hardly ever cries. I wouldnt have believed it was ever possible in those first months. Hope it passes soon for you.

Thank you both @ChateauMargaux and @Cdl84. Regarding the bacterial infection, do you know what it was called? X

Some of this ideas in this article are really good and explains colic from a neurobiological perspective. Lots of people I know can relate to it.
CMPA is really tough but classic colic does lessen as their brains develop

www.babydoc.com.au/faq/colic-bore-your-baby-to-sleep/

I haven't used Dr Shah myself but apparently he charges £260