Is this normal?

[ElmtreeMama]

My DD is 7.5 weeks old and we are very much in the trenches.
She rarely goes more than an hour before wanting to be fed (exclusively breastfed), she sleeps 12 hours out of 24 but never more than 2 hours at a time.
When not feeding or sleeping she inconsolable crying.

I should say she is on omeprazole and we give gripe water and infacol as well.

She has had a session with osteopath

I feel like she's an unhappy baby and maybe we're going wrong somewhere.

So, is this the norm or if not what can we do to extend feeding window and sleeping times?

Has she been diagnosed with reflux? How and when are you giving her the omeprazole?

The infacol will most likely be making the reflux worse.

Have you had latch/tongue etc checked by a qualified lactation consultant? That would be my first step.

@itshappened

The doctor said silent reflux and he prescribed tablets which we dissolve in a couple of ml of water and give it the evening in the syringe

@Pinkflipflop85 thats interesting, I felt like it was helping her burp easier but it's worth considering

@Pinkflipflop85 I've had it checked by health visitor and midwife but thats all
Shes also gaining lots of weight, she's gone from 50th centile to 80th in 4 weeks, I don't know if thats significant

My daughter who had silent reflux would comfort eat constantly to relieve the pain, but then of course that would ultimately make it worse. As a previous poster said, you need to stop the infacol as this exacerbates reflux. Then make sure you give your baby the omeprazole 15mins before a feed. I used to divide the dose in half to give it twice a day rather than all in one go. Then after she feeds you need to keep her upright and keep winding her. The other thing I found with both my children was moving them to neocate made a massive difference as they were both intolerant to dairy. If your gp hasn't discussed this with you, go back and ask for a prescription. Babies aren't unhappy by nature. She is telling you she is in discomfort and once you get the right medications and formula, it really is remarkable how much a baby with reflux can change.

Oh and don't be afraid to ask them to increase the omeprazole dose. Your baby is growing constantly and the prescription changes according to weight. Also it may mean she needs a higher dose to get it to work. Reflux babies are so tough, but you can get on top of it and then both you and your baby will be able to get some sleep.

Don't move to formula if you're happy breastfeeding. If you are concerned about cow's milk protein allergy then you need to ask your GP for a referral to a paediatrician/allergy clinic and under GP advice cut out dairy and possibly soya from your diet. There's loads of support groups on Facebook, I've had quite few friends with children with CMPA.

[quote ElmtreeMama]@Pinkflipflop85 I've had it checked by health visitor and midwife but thats all
Shes also gaining lots of weight, she's gone from 50th centile to 80th in 4 weeks, I don't know if thats significant[/quote]
My dd put on loads of weight. She fed constantly. She had a tongue tie that was missed (because midwives and hvs are not trained to diagnose them). The change after it was snipped was huge.

Thank you all
At least a few things to think about then

@Pinkflipflop85 how do I get it checked by the right person?

@FusciasBright21 @itshappened I will be phoning GP again on Monday

Shes always very happy and settled and smiley in the bath which makes me think it is some kind of discomfort thats the problem

Firstly, feeding that regularly is biologically normal for a bf baby. So don't worry there. Breast milk is her food, water, comfort. It's not the same as formula that can be monitored more easily. But the crying and discomfort is not normal. I would look in to a cows milk protein allergy. Remove all dairy and soy from your diet which is easier than it sounds. There are some great FB groups. If it is that, you should notice a difference in a week or 2. It should really help with reflux.
It's hard and relentless but a lot of us have been there. Just keep up the cuddles, get a good sling for walks, take up as much help as possible from friends and family and it will get better.

Sorry I should prob add that I breast fed my first for nearly 6 months whilst trying to get on top of my daughter's reflux, so I'm not saying give up breast feeding without discussing it with the experts as obviously it's a great comfort to your baby and we all know the benefits of breast milk. But for me whilst I removed over that time dairy, soya, wheat, caffeine etc from my diet... basically anything that seemed to exacerbate her reflux... it only helped a bit with her crying, discomfort and sleep. But when I moved her to neocate it had such a positive effect practically over night, that I did wish I had been less stubborn and tried it sooner. So I guess I'm just saying don't be afraid to consider it as an option. I saved my son months of screaming and discomfort by formula feeding him neocate much sooner. His intolerance with dairy is actually much worse than my daughters now he is 2 (following the milk ladder), but he has been a much calmer baby and a better sleeper overall as I was able to see the signs and get on top of the silent reflux much quicker. But I confess I had a good cry both times about giving up breast feeding earlier than I wanted to, so it isn't a decision to be made lightly. I found the gp was not that helpful so ended up paying for a private paediatrician and gastro specialist to get what I needed. I also consulted a sleep and reflux specialist (Alison Scott wright) who basically told me what to say to the doctors and how to manage the reflux symptoms with medication. My daughter had no idea how to sleep longer than 40mins and would cry solidly for hours before falling asleep again for 40 mins max, and I wish I had seen the experts sooner instead of putting up with a 'colicky' baby. I believe she was quite an extreme case with her reflux, but we got there in the end and it made the world of difference to the whole family.