Is this colic?

[Grace9090]

My DD is 4 weeks old on Tuesday. She’s bottle fed.

My DD seems to cry and be upset a lot. The majority of the time she’s awake, she seems unsettled.

She is very nasally and congested and despite using saline drops, often has a blocked nose. She’s grunts a lot and prefers to sleep upright.

Getting her to have her milk is becoming a struggle. She’s often arching her back and crying and taking only 60ml when she’s taken 120-150ml in the past.

She seems to struggle with trapped wind and will become hysterical over this. Real blood curdling screams where nothing will settle her.

She gets hiccups a lot.

The HV suggested silent reflux and said to call the GP. The GP said as she’s not sick that it’s colic and that some babies cry a lot.

Does this sound like colic or could
it be reflux?

Is she peeing/pooing as before? If she is taking drastically less milk, followed by less wet and dirty nappies, I'd push the GP for a second opinion as there is obviously something physical

I’d say they are the same. Her feeding has always been erratic - we think her congestion affects that she can take. For a while she’d only take the Aptamil ready made bottles where she’d drink more, she’s now on the Mam Anti Colic ones. For the last few days, a lot of her feeds have resulted in her pulling away and arching her back and getting upset. It just doesn’t seem right?

I'd put a wager on it being [silent] reflux being caused by an undiagnosed tongue tie. As expensive as they are, I'd find a way to finance seeing a private tongue tie practitioner to have a proper oral function assessment conducted. You could take her to see the GP but they are not trained to assess for oral ties; you will likely be prescribed Gavisgon or omeprazole and be sent on your way, which even in the medium term will not do your daughter any favours.

Sounds like silent reflux which is often caused by something else. I agree with PP to get a professional to check for tongue tie. We were told by GP, midwife, health visitor and breastfeeding support worker that there wasn’t a tongue tie. When he was checked by a private tongue tie practitioner and IBCLC he was found to have posterior tongue tie. It can be harder to diagnose than what you’d think.

Thank you for the replies. The GP did check for tongue tie but said she looked okay. I was basically told to stop Googling symptoms but it’s hard when your baby seems upset most of the time.

We have just had an hour of her trying to take a bottle but then pulling away and crying so it’s felt like force feeding her.

Sounds like silent reflux to me my little girl had the same and the doctors tried to fob me off by saying it was colic I spent every day for a whole week sat down the doctors till they listened to me and in the end I had a row with the last doctor I seen and she told me she couldn't give me the meds for it it was only the hospital so I said we'll ring them then and they gave me the meds u know ur baby best

Sounds like cow's milk allergy to me. Probably causing silent reflux.

Colic is a symptom, not a diagnosis. It just means excessive crying which is caused by something. Like others have mentioned, it could well be a tongue tie causing silent reflux. Look into getting a tongue tie assessment done privately and take it from there.

Not everyone can go private I must say

Thanks everyone. One of the main things I’ve noticed since she was born is how nasa she is - when lying on her back she sounds like a farm Yard avenue and often wakes herself up. A lot of the time in the day we’ve been holding her for naps which isn’t sustainable but otherwise she just wakes up in her Moses basket. She grunts a lot in her sleep and really thrashes around despite being in a gro bag. I think this affects her feeding as she sounds like she’s struggling to breathe a lot of the time.

Anyone who rules out a tongue tie based on visual alone is someone who cannot be trusted to assess for one, period. If I remember correctly, the tongue has four major functions and there is only one of which you could possibly judge based on looking.

And those people usually end up with children on long term PPIs because the NHS isn't interested in tongue ties if there is no obvious failure to thrive occurring. As expensive as ~£200 is (usually reduced to more like the £100 mark if no tie is found and thus no procedure necessary), I know very few parents that over the space of a child's first year can't say that amount doesn't get 'wasted' on toys and clothes they barely use and quickly grow out of. Finding a way to afford an assessment benefits a child for life if the procedure is necessary and successful.

My last post was to @kirsty2023

That's not the point at lot of people are having to choose between food and heating so they haven't got the money to get it done not everyone is rolling in money

And not all kids stay on them as I know

I'm sorry but if someone is sitting on their smartphone on MN forums in their spare time then I would struggle to believe they are so close to the breadline that investing in their child's long term health is a completely unreasonable assumption.

It's called being on mat leave that's what the NHS is for