Overwhelmed trying to figure out what's wrong with my baby

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I’m getting so worn out by the guessing game and just not knowing what’s going on with my baby. He was a bit early and he had a rocky start and was in high dependency for a week, but we came home and he was in good health. He stayed in the newborn stage for about 10 weeks, he did nothing but sleep and feed and was barely awake. When he was awake he was inconsolable and would cry a lot. He had reflux symptoms, eczema and loose stools so I cut out cows milk and soya on health visitors request. I thought I saw an improvement in his crying, but his skin was still sore and he was still having very loose (sometimes explosive) stools upwards of 10 times a day. I cut out eggs too, after a flare up almost immediately after eating them, and for a few days his skin looked a little bit better. This didn’t last, he became really unsettled again, his skin is still sore, he’s still having very runny brown/dark yellow stools. He has days where he is so unsettled and days where he seems happy. I’m now eating vegan, plus no soya. I’m starting to question everything. Is it wheat? If I cut that out too there’s barely anything left to eat. I’ve kept a food diary and it all seems so random, I can’t see any patterns apart from I probably do have wheat daily. I’m not convinced his symptoms have improved enough since cutting out dairy/soya that he is CMPA. He feeds relentlessly and I’m at the point I’d like him to have one or two formula feeds a day to give me a bit of a break but I’m too scared to introduce formula with all these potential and unconfirmed allergens. I’ve been referred to paediatrics and a dietitian but haven’t heard anything yet. I’m just feeling down with it all now and like I’m not getting anywhere. My GP disagreed with my health visitor and has told me I’ve cut out too much too quickly so now I don’t have a clue where I stand with it all. He’s now 3 months old. This is his skin, it’s all on his back, legs, arms and face too. I’m questioning everything. Does he have allergies? Which ones? Is it just eczema? Can he have formula? Which one do I trial him with? This is so stressful

Please ignore people suggesting you introduce formula.

Look up advice for breastfed babies on Kellymom and La Leche League websites.

You might be making yourself unwell with cutting out so many nutrients. Reading between the lines it sounds like your baby is high needs but not actually unwell or allergic to anything.

ah sorry didn’t read fully .. that sounds like it should help …
not sure what else to suggest .. i think go back yo your Gp and ask to see a paediatrician ( I am one but obv difficult to make proper assessment this way!)
really hope it gets sorted quickly ! Keep us updated !

Proper steroid cream needed for the ezcema you really to zap it. Then emollients too all the time. Cut the aveno, it's got oats in I think - you don't want any food ingredients in their skin as that also increases risk of allergies.

Better under control the ezcema the less risk of food allergies.
Do you have the money for a private apt for a dermatologist and allergy specialist?

You do need help as your diet could dwindle away without any need, are you taking multivits and calcium? Make sure you look after yourself. I found free to feed very useful if cant stretch to private doctors and had a very inexpensive online appointment with them, US based but very understanding

I’m pretty much the exact same situation. Mine is 6 months and waiting on allergist appointment. I’ve booked a private one as the NHS wait times are soo long and it’s causing me immense stress. I’ve also gone dairy free (she vomited and rash after a bottle of formula so I’m almost certain) but the eczema is still there so could be other allergies.
Looking at the nappy pics I think it could be an allergy, they tend to be loose and mucousy.
Have you got a referral for paediatric allergy?

CMPA was assumed as he had reflux, his face and body rashes would flare up bright red during feeds, he would have the diarrhoea during feeds. His skin is starting to settle a bit more and isn't flaring during feeds now but his pops are still the same. He is generally more settled too. I don't know if cutting out dairy and eggs has started to work a bit or if I've done too much too soon and it's just so hard to tell.

Pretty sure my babies' nappies looked like that too..... isn't that sort of normalish? Sorry, no advice on the allergies stuff.

Here is a study on normal poo and there are pictures, I have three kids and that looks normal to me for poo but this might reassure you?

https://aspenjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jpen.1468

I think you have done all the right things. If not improving though go back to your Gp and get a paediatric assessment.

It's been a while, but both my EBF babies had nappies like that at this stage.

So if the nappies seem normal does that mean I'm doing all this for no reason?!

This sounds how my third child was, exactly. In the end it was organic tallow that that healed his skin in less than a week and I switched from dairy-free/every thing-free diet to the Weston Price diet for pregnant and breastfeeding women (which couldn’t be more different from vegan so it felt counter-intuitive but it worked!)
It was a commitment but the best thing I ever did and we now still try to eat more that way as a family as we feel and are so much better for it. I stopped all of the eczema products as they weren’t helping and now I just think the ingredients etc are a bit worrisome. The worst thing you could do is introduce formula I think, it’s bound to make things so much worse and therefore far from making life easier it’s likely to make it more stressful. Keep going with the breast! There are some great breastfeeding groups on Facebook, I find it helps to surround yourself with likeminded mothers.

My DD’s eczema was a lot worse than this and I tried all the creams prescribed by the GP. Her whole body was covered and her creases were cracked and bleeding. In the end I used cerave moisturising cream, and it made the most dramatic difference in just one day. I used it all over her body every time I changed her nappy and by the end of the day she looked like a different baby. She is three now and we still use it every day after her bath. It keeps her skin calm and hydrated and we use a bit of steroid if she ever gets a patch of eczema. I’ve had two kids and the nappies look fairly normal to me. DD2 did ten poos a day when she was new, but obviously listen to your instincts.

Well there was also the rash and ? Reflux which has improved so I think you are doing the right thing. If the baby is growing on centiles and otherwise well and there is no blood in the poo I wouldn’t worry too much about the yellow watery poo ..

The poo looks a normal colour but fairly runny, rather than the seedy look that is commonly mentioned. So maybe not quite right. Does it give him nappy rash?

The CeraVe baby moisturising cream looks like a decent product, might be worth a try. It's accepted by the National Eczema Association, no fragrances, parabens, etc.

That stool is not diarrhoea, it’s a variant of normal baby stool

it doesn’t sound like CMPA. As some above posters have said. He is a high needs baby, this is NOT allergy.

The skin looks dry and likely eczema. You’re doing the right thing to bathe in an emollient, make sure you use an emollient on him at least 3 times per day. Bathe max once per week.

Try eating what you want again and see what happens, I suspect not very much. But the deprivation of nutrients will be doing you (and your milk) no favours.

have you had your latch assessed? It is normal for babies to poo when feeding, this is not diarrhoea. If he is sucking lots of air in this will not help with tummy ache. I suggest checking latch is good and feeding fully offering both breasts each time.

why do you think he has reflux? Does he vomit a lot? Is he gaining weight?

Not sure when you cut out dairy, but it apparently takes 6 weeks for cows milk protein to leave your breast milk. Not suggesting that you should move to formula, but if you do, your GP can prescribe a suitable one for cmpa.

Hi OP, sorry you’re having such a stressful time I know that horrible anxious feeling that there’s something wrong with your baby well, we had a very rough first few months.

It’s good news you’ve been referred to a paediatrician and dietician so hopefully any potential medical issues will be addressed. I’d also really urge you to get a feeding assessment from a lactation consultant, a suboptimal latch can lead to air swallowing which can mimic symptoms of reflux and lead to a very unsettled baby. Search La leche league website for an article called ‘the unhappy breastfed baby’ sums up the possible issues including intolerances/allergy.

I was told it was reflux because he was screaming, arching his back during feeds and had a persistent cough, he seemed to be almost constantly in pain. This aspect seems to of improved and his skin although still dry and red at times isn't red and angry like it was. This was what his skin was like all over a couple of weeks ago

He spits up normal amounts but was doing projectiles quite often just a week ago and actually that has settled a bit too

That certainly sounds like reflux. Was he prescribed anything for it?

Hi OP, my DS basically had everything you described - I also cut out dairy on the advice of the HV and GP and this improved the skin flare-ups and the reflux but he continued with the eczema and runny frequent poos. He's 5 months now and things are starting to even out - I treat the eczema with an emollient and am still EBF and dairy free, and the poos are starting to improve (and the sleep). I think there probably is/was a dairy allergy but he's maybe growing out of it or his digestive system is improving or something, but just wanted to pop on and say that it started to improve here around 4 months so you might just need to keep on doing what you're doing for the time being! It's so hard I know, but you're doing so well and it will be sorted in the end

Omeprazole but then the skin flaring during feeds and the loose stools were also an issue so I was advised to hang fire medicating his reflux until we'd trialled being dairy free, I've not started him on it still as I do think it might be helping to an extent, unless it just happened to settle at the same time.. he isn't acting like he's in pain all the time anymore and is generally more settled and happy, he coughs occasionally but not like he did and the back arching will maybe happen for a few minutes in an evening but that's it, it was pretty relentless

It can take months for dairy to get out of your system if you've cut it out.

Can you go for a private allergy test?

Newborn babies can be very unsettled, cry and feed frequently. Being premature this period of being unsettled tends to develop a bit later once they are closer to their term date. It could well be reflux, in which case medication from the GP and keepng a bit upright after a feed may help. His nappy does not look too unusual, they can be quite loose at times, often if feeding frequently. It is difficult to be sure he has CPMA. Stools with CPMA can be stringy and foul smelling, or streaks of blood.
With the eczema, you need to find the right emollient, some work better for some than others. Use the cream at least 5-6 times a day in downward strokes in direction of hair growth. If no improvement try a different emollient in same way. Ask pharmacist advice
Does he like being in a sling so he is close to you
Seeing a breastfeeding support worker may be helpful
This time will pass, but can feel never ending

You could always feed a hydrolyzed formula, which he'd tolerate regardless of any allergies.

I had similar issues and unfortunately my DS has many allergies including dairy, egg, fish, nust and legumes.