Help, unsure what is wrong. 8 week old crying all the time and not sleeping

[Dolphin27]

Hi all, looking for some advice. My son is 8 weeks old but arrived 4 weeks early. He has always had the following problems, helath advisor always said they were developmental..

Straining for hours before doing a soft poo
Squirming and bringing legs up sometimes to do a little pump
Hiccuping all the time
Not liking being put down and only sleeping for a couple of hours max

I have since been ill in hospital and had to take fluid through a drip, anti boitics through a drip and then when home a course of oral anti biotics. I am also on warfarin for a suspect lung blood clot.

Since being home although my antibiotics is out of my system his symptoms have got worse, he now...

Won't sleep for more than 45 minutes and wakes up crying in pain
Cries unless feeding and barely anything consoles him
When feeding cries on the boob, pulls off and instantly goes mad trying to find it again
Sounds congested at night only
Had watery poos while i was on medication, now they are mostly back to normal with one watery and one just looked like strings

I do have a doctors appointment but they've been useless before so want to go equipped if anyone has any ideas

Thanks

Sounds like reflux lovey. It's very difficult. However the poo sounds like an intolerance. My bubs is on prescribed milk as she has mucuouy, watery poo, bad skin, couldn't put her down and done what yours done. Hope you both are ok

The crying went on for hours btw so i can sympathise

I would say reflux too - google "silent reflux", very common in premature babies especially.

Ask your GP if they can prescribe ranitidine (the same as Zantac) - they'll likely want to try Gaviscon first, though it's not thought to be as helpful.

Ranitidine worked wonders for my son - and all of our sanity!

Hang on in there!

It sounds like you've had a really tough time with your own health, plus awful sleep, so you're doing a good job sounding coherent here!

This reminds me very much of my two DC. It may not be, but I'd be investigating a posterior tongue tie and/or cows milk protein allergy (CMPA).

It certainly sounds like reflux (hiccups, pulling off whilst feeding but being desperate to feed still, poor sleep, crying unless feeding, not liking laying down). Reflux can be caused by tongue tie, CMPA or reacting to medication you are taking.

There is a Facebook group called Reflux CMPA Support that might be useful, or another called Breastfeeding CMPA Support where people should be able to offer you advice when they've been through the same issues.

Thanks everyone. It has been a difficult time but just hate seeing him so upset and not knowing. I have joined that CMPA group on Facebook thank you. Everyone seems to have different reactions. I have cut diary out as of yesterday so will see if that starts to improve anything.

I did wonder about reflux, I didn't know it could be this bad, however he's not really ever sick so silent reflux may make more sense. He always sounds congested on a night too?

I don't want to thicken my breastmilk as he has a stomach hernia and fear him wetting constipated.. Has anyone experienced this?

I may ask doctors for ranitidine if they do think. It is reflux.

So want him to start to feel better and be happy :(

Thanks for the support everyone!! Pryaing it gets better

The night congestion is typical with reflux/silent reflux as the stomach acid is affecting their airways. I have recordings of my DS sounding like a shuffling, grunting piglet, much more than is 'normal' for a baby.

Doctor agreed they think it's silent reflux.. Given me ranitidine however last night was the worst yet the ranitidine seems to have made symptoms 10 times worse. Not sure what to do