5 month old back arching has me in tears!

[Apples6544]

Hi everyone, looking for advice or maybe similar experiences.. my little girl is just 5 months, for the last 3 weeks or so she’s been arching her back really frequently throughout the day- quite violently, chin on chest, sort of straining until she’s red/ blue in the face, back right off the surface. She’s doing it occasionally when being held/ lying down but most often in her pram and the bath is terrible. Bath times are bringing me to tears because I can barely hang on to her and we used to have such a lovely time playing and splashing before bedtime and now it’s just stressful with us both crying! Has anyone experienced similar or any ideas why she’s started doing this?! 😔 spoke to GP when it first started, he said she’s just doing it because she’s learnt she can but I really don’t think she would ruin bath time/ being in the pram when she’s never shown signs she didn’t like them before. Today I met my friend for a walk, baby was in pram for 5/10 minutes before she was constantly arching her back then started crying so I picked her up and then I tried to put her back in the pram every 10 minutes and she would just be hysterical/ arching back again. Bath time she was on the support and splashing then started again, crying, arching her back until she slides off the support and I end up cutting it short because I can barely hold onto her. I’m going to call HV tomorrow and see what they think but it’s really getting to me now!

Could it be wind /colic? Does it happen after feeds?

Is she constipated? Is she feeding ok? Those seem the obvious. Good idea to speak to HV.

@Suzi888 I don’t think so! She was fussy during feeds so I made an effort with more upright positions thinking it may be fast let down but she seems to have got over that now and have to be honest I’ve gone back to cradle hold. Today I fed around an hour before bath time and she was winded after. I do leg exercises like bicycle legs etc as part of playing with her.

@pjani she does seem to strain a lot to poo but have had 3 dirty nappies today so don’t think constipated, feeding well.

If she's 5 months you can run a very shallow bath and ditch the support. Mine used to love being wooshed up and down the bath at that age. She's not going to want to sit still on the support if she's learned how to arch her back.

In the pushchair is it possible you've still got her that when she wants to be a bit upright? Or are the straps too tight?

*flat in the pushchair, sorry

It's an odd way of thinking that's she's ruining something she liked before. She's a young baby, they don't have any concept of that stuff.

Do your you mean she's leaning forward on herself? Arching her back is the other direction. She might simply be exercising her muscles and realise she can move now.

She might just be showing you that she doesn’t like the pram any more and has had enough of her bath. Babies go through phases of liking/not liking things, it’s normal. I would try her in a sling for a while and just listen to what she is ‘telling’ you. If she keeps arching her back etc when you stop doing whatever thing she’s complaining about, there’s your answer. If she doesn’t, by all means investigate health problems.

I meant that the other way round but hopefully you are less dim than I am and saw what I meant...

Definitely speak to midwife again. Film her doing it so you can show people. My daughter did this due to reflux

@ThePlantsitter I will try ditching the support, I normally do a mixture of her being on it so I can wash her and then lying her back/ forward in the water without. Pushchair is on middle setting so not flat but not upright, I haven’t dared to strap her in because I know she wouldn’t like that!

@gamerchick i of course know she is not purposely ruining things what I mean is that before she’s never shown signs of wanting to get out of the bath for example, she liked splashing and playing but because I’m finding it basically unsafe I have to take her out earlier, and I’m thinking she wouldn’t carry on arching her back when it ends up in bath time being cut short.

@TheProvincialLady I’ve ordered a new carrier which is coming tomorrow and went out in the sling this afternoon, think I will just revisit in a week or so.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I guess I’m more worried there’s something wrong/ she’s in discomfort rather than just not wanting to do things anymore. Will ditch the pushchair and bath support for a while and see how we go 😬

Could be reflux but IME babies do this when they’re frustrated with lying down and getting ready to move.
At 5 months she may well just be sick of lying on her back!

Are you giving her lots of time supported upright/ on her tummy etc?

@UniversalHadIt she can sit unsupported so does that most of the day when we are playing, has some lying flat time on her back and tummy time as and when as she can be quite sickly, although multiple GPs have told me she doesn’t have reflux.

@blissfulllife do you mind me asking if your baby always did this? It’s just for us it only seems to have started recently but I have always thought she may have reflux, GPs have never been interested as she gained weight well.

She probably just doesn't want to lie flat now that she knows that sitting up gets her a better and more interesting view. Is she in a lie flat pram?

@doctorhamster pram is probably 45 degree angle, it does go more upright so I will try that but needed to take the headrest cushion off so I haven’t so far. I think will have a break from the pram for a few days then revisit it in an upright sitting position!

Yes I agree, film it and speak to the HV. Keep a diary of feeding times and the arching/crying times, you may see a pattern. Hope she settles for you.

My DD had this. She had cows milk protein allergy. No weight loss. See the GP again.

Any vomiting?

Bath times are bringing me to tears because I can barely hang on to her and we used to have such a lovely time playing and splashing before bedtime and now it’s just stressful with us both crying!

Can you not just sit her up?

I have shown GP a video who said she was doing it because she knew she could but I feel it’s got worse so will try and catch some more and keep a diary.

@Tobebythesea yes she is sick a couple of times a day, always has been.

@premiumhob I bought a sit up bath seat, she did the same in that and I was concerned she would hurt herself so feel the reclined one is ‘better’. If I try to sit her in the bath without a support she slides over/ along the bath

@doctorhamster

She probably just doesn't want to lie flat now that she knows that sitting up gets her a better and more interesting view. Is she in a lie flat pram?

Yeah, the 5 monthlys when more of their lights come on and they take more notice of the surrounding world.

If I try to sit her in the bath without a support she slides over/ along the bath

You are her support.

Sounds like she has reflux. Dd was just like this. Put on loads of weight, are well, but was forever posseting and puking. Only improved when she was walking.