# 1 month old baby - contradicting advice from own HV & Midwife so worried



## PinknBlue (Feb 25, 2007)

I really hope you can help us....

O am combination feeding due to my baby having a tongue tie and splitting my nipples - its too painful to do every feed from breast even tho they seem to have healed and the tongue tie has been clipped.

Since Brody has been born we have had feeding issues, everytime he takes a feed regardless of if its directly from the breast, expressed breast milk in a bottle or formula when he feeds you can hear it hitting his stomach like an empty barrell (similar to a banging sound or the sound of an adults tummy when they are hungry) this happens even if he takes a feed when he isn't due so its not a hunger sound or even and empty tummy sound since it happens even after he has had some milk.

He gets EXTREMELY gassy and finds it difficult to burp or fart. Then the screaming starts and nothing we can do can ease it. We have tried all the products that relieve gas in babies and nothing works, we are at our wits end. He wakes himself up crying straining to fart. Also he only poo's once in 2 to 3 days but its soft and we usually have to change him as it over spills the nappy - again the docs said this could be his normal rythem and it doesnt mean there is anything wrong.

He does guzzle his food so we initially thought he was taking in too much air during a feed but as its gone on the amount of gas far exceeds anything he could possibly swollow during a feed.

He is in so much distress & discomfort and all the doctors and midwives can say is that he is a gassy baby and we have to live through it. Tonight has been a terrible night - the reason for me emailing at 3.40am he took a feed (he usually feeds every 2 hours) then it took us over an hour to stop the crying, he finally went back to sleep then woke himself trying to push a fart out and so started screaming again, then another feed was due and here we are at 3.40am still without any sleep and Brody still not settled and comfortable.

I am starting to think that there is something that he is allergic to in his feeds because of the reaction it has when it hits his little tummy BUT when we give him water we hear the same sound and I am worried its something anatomical rather than an allergy. We were thinking along the lines of Lactose intolerance? What do you think? My midwife said there isnt lactose in breast milk bit from what I have read there is I dont know if I am coming or going.

Our HV told us to try another milk C&G comfort but when the on call midwife came out (again due to feeding issues) she told is we had done more harm than good and should NEVER change a babies milk and to immediately change back.

We would really appreciate your professional opinion because we really dont know what to do!

Thank you in advance
Becky
xxx


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## verity c (Oct 23, 2006)

Hi Becky,

Sorry for the delay in my reply   but i was just wondering how you were getting on with Brody??

Please let me know

Luv V xxx


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## PinknBlue (Feb 25, 2007)

Hi V

Well we thought we were getting somewhere but Brody got a cold and the GP put him on Anti biotics as he had a mild temp and his chest was rattly.

We changed onto Cow & Gate comfort and for 3 whole days (which coinsided with the cold & anti biotics)we had no belly ache, no screaming, lengthy sleeps and when he was awake he was very contented. We thought we had cracked it!

Then yesterday I gave Brody a short (10 mins max) breast feed and withing an hour ALL the symptoms were back so I called the health visitor who said it looked very much like Brody had lactose intolerance. Not to b/f unless I completely cut out all dairy etc.

BUT that was yesterday at 5am and he still isnt settled and now I wonder if the breast feed and symptoms was a complete coinsidence and we still havent found the cause of Brodys discmfort & reason for being unsettled. Maybe the cold made him sleep longer and now the anti biotics are upsetting him

We are booked in with an oesteopath this afternoon see if they can help

Love
Becky
xxx


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## verity c (Oct 23, 2006)

Hi Becky,

Sorry to hear things still aren't  right with Brody  

Is Brody on any medications at all?? Just wondering if he has ever been treated for reflux at all?? 

My reasoning for asking this is the cow and gate comfort you gave him when he was ill was thicker than normal milks. 

What are his symptoms when he has a breast feed?? does he arch his back? does he possit? is he better being fed in a more upright position and left that way after?

He may well be lactose intolerant but i wonder whether a trip to see your gp would help confirm this diagnosis (unless you have already seen him or her)

Sorry if reflux has already been ruled out, just a thought when i read your post

Please let me know

Luv V xxxxx


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## PinknBlue (Feb 25, 2007)

Hi V

Thanks for your speedy reply

I did go to my docs last friday at my wits end and almost in tears - she asked me (after I had explained all the symptoms and problems we had had) why did you bring him to see me? I know nothing about feeding you need to call your HV but its too late now you will have to manage over the week end and call her Monday morning.... I was furious!

The HV suggested comfort last monday and he has been on it all week the first 3 days were amazing - like a different baby so content then yesterday it all started up again.

Brody does arch his back (big style) and pulls uphis knees, he is irritable while feeding, often poking himself in his eyes as I dont have enough hands to hold his arms out of harms way!

You can hear each feed hit his tummy like an empty barrell and you can feel the gas and hear it rumbling around but its almost impossible tog et it out - DH and I get so excited if we get a burp - its so trapped. He used to projectile vomit with each burp a few weeks ago as the gas would make the milk come out when it was making its exit but that seems to have stopped this past couple of weeks

He get hic ups all the time too.

I lost my rag this monring and called the HV who has prescribed somehting called nutimigon milk presciption only which is compltely lactose free and we are going to an osteopath this afternoon too.

Do you think I should call her back and ask about silen reflux?? Or does the gas in his tummy rule this out?

Thanks again
Becky
xxx


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