Is this Colic, reflux or CMPA?

[Teacake44]

I have a 3 week old who started having episodes of inconsolable crying at around 2 weeks old. Until today, it was predominantly in the evening for 4-6 hours. He would writhe around in lots of pain, knees scrunched up, be fussy to feed. Today, he’s been inconsolably crying all day. He’s also developed a really bad case of baby acne - or potentially a CMPA rash? He has lots of normal yellow poos and whilst he does vomit, I wouldn’t say it was loads and not every feed. He doesn’t burp loads, despite winding. A lot of his discomfort seems to be lower down in his tummy.

Does this sound like colic & baby acne, reflux or CMPA?

I forgot to say - baby is EBF.

Reflux is typically a symptom of another in issue not an issue in itself. Colic is just a term to cover a broad range of problems causing inconsolable crying and gut issues. It could well be cmpa causing reflux. You don't need to tick off all the symptom list to have cmpa, my DD only cried, my DS never cried with it but had 20 mucous and bloody nappies a day.

The only way to tell is to cut dairy out of your diet (and soya while you're at it) for a few weeks, see if things get better, eat a yogurt (see guidelines for the yogurt challenge) and see if symptoms return.

Have you been to the doctors for this to see if he can get tested although they are very reluctant to help. Does he scream when he farts ? I’ve been where you are, my one is 5 and half months old and only stopped doing this. He occasionally can get his wind stuck but I know how to get it up for him. Have you tried carrying the baby in your forearm, literally for 5 minutes so their tummy is pressed in your arm, literally for how ever long it takes keep swapping positions from forearm to knee then lean the tummy gently in to your arm whilst they sit there, so you relieve the pressure. My little boy got acne, but it can sometimes be normal as they need to get used to the milk. Don’t get me wrong I’ve sat there not knowing what to do, he used to cry between 10pm till 4am since birth. If I pick him up lay him on me on his side and tap him bum with a dummy in pressing his tummy on mine it relives him, maybe try that ? They say the cycling motion worked but I used to have to sit all day and it got like 1 fart out at most. They do colief and gripe water, have you tried anything like that ? See the wind has to come out one way or another and it does get stuck, it’s just like when we have indigestion. I think the newborn phase is so hard as they are so small and their digestive tracts are just developing. Does he sleep at all ? Have you tried swaddling him in a cellular blanket, just swaddle him if he gets out then it’s too lose. You can do it tight enough so that he can’t and the holes in the blanket will let air in with just a nappy on as the weather is hot at tho moment, then put the dummy in and walk and shhh at the same time until he goes off then put him down. Honestly if I didn’t have my mum teach me about any of these techniques I would have died of no sleep. How are you coping ?

I forgot to mention to me it sounds like colic, trapped wind can make them cry for hours on end. It’s the worst, as horrible as it sounds sometimes you can do oh so much. You can put them down to cry for 10
minutes you’ll need it after a while, But I would go to the doctors to see if they can rule stuff out.