anyone ever have a baby like this?

imokay

Sun, Jan 04 2009, 9:57 pm

anyone ever experience this with an infant? I fell like I'm losing my mind!
my 4 month old does not sleep normally. I was thinking reflux, and the dr. says ok, if u say so, I can treat it, but does any one have another idea of what may be the problem? or did anyone have a baby with similar symptoms and how did you deal with it?
history:
- he is nursed exlusively, frequently and on demand
-he is gaining weight appropriately. developmentally, he is doing fine b"h.
-he naps for apx. 1/2 hour and wakes up screaming. usually, he then burps or makes swalling noises like something is coming back up.
-when he eats, he swallows noisily and gulps a lot. I hear slosjing sounds in his stomache afterwards and things moving around.
-he poops like every 3 days, with an explosive sound embarrassed

-at night, at the start he'll give maybe 3 hours and then as the night wears on it's like every hour and a half or less. he does not sleep in my room. he cries. I pick him up. he fussews a bit. sometimes burps. I rock him and shhh him and he falls asleep. I put him back down (on his side, he seems to liek that best. and on an inclined baby pillow to aid digestion) and the cycle repeats.
arggggggg! I am so tired from constantly waking up and not sleeping.

I put him to sleep the same time every night and have a night time ritual. this does not help.

my dh says we shud let him cry it out, but I feel bad. but I need to sleep.

please, somebody, anybody! do u have any ideas?

ShakleeMom

Sun, Jan 04 2009, 11:13 pm

He is a very gassy baby. My baby is extremely fussy too – UNLESS – I burp her after every ounce. luckily, with formula I can visibly see that. with nursing, I would see that he must burp 3 loud burps, 4 times during a meal. Sorry, but that’s the only way she will be calm by me. also, frequent feedings are terrible for babies. See if you can stretch it to a very prompt schedule of three hours.

baschabad

Sun, Jan 04 2009, 11:23 pm

I'm sorry I have no experience, and I wish you much hatzlacha! However I've read that the Amby Baby hammock is a good place for babies with colic and reflux to sleep. It's recommended by Dr. Sears. Maybe you could give it a try?

www.ambybaby.com

TzenaRena

Sun, Jan 04 2009, 11:50 pm

I had one colicky baby, maybe it was reflux. I too was at my wits end, but he found his thumb at three months, and it calmed him considerably. Maybe try a pacifier. I would also hold him over my arm alot, to put pressure on his stomach.

I don't think crying it out is for such young babies.

greenfire

Sun, Jan 04 2009, 11:54 pm

one of the hardest parts of motherhood is lack of sleep because babies do not sleep through the night ...

do you make sure he burps before you put him down ???

make sure to sleep whenever he does ...

one of my babies slept better in a swing ...

RichWithNachas

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 1:04 am

I had a colicky baby. I was recommended cammomile tea that could actually be given directly to the baby, a teaspoon at a time. It did help him considerably.

Also check to see if some of the foods that you are eating might be disagreeing with him. I did considerable testing and alleviated those foods. Was a major help!!

GOOD-LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

e1234

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 2:07 am

I can't help you but I'm going through something similar with my baby.
Without the burping issues - but he has stomach aches that I can feel and makes a lot of dirty diapers.

I took him to the dr. yesterday but he found no reason for his crying. (nights are the worst - all he wants is to be rocked in my arms (and then to nurse every 15 min) and all I want is to get a little sleep)

GAMZu

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 9:47 am

I had almost the same exact thing. Loud slurping, infrequent poopies, swallowing noises, etc.

I wouldn't nurse her to sleep, because it was imperative for her to burp after each meal. So she'd wake up from the burping, and I'd give her a paci to help fall asleep.

I think the issue for us was an imperfect latch. B"H it's mostly corrected. She is not a spitter at all, so I don't even think about reflux. She doesn't ever spit up.

manhattanmom

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 11:03 am

GAMZu wrote:

For the record: I'm not diagnosing anyone here--just something to think about in general. In "silent reflux" there are some symptoms present but NOT the spitting up--and the baby is still suffering terribly.

justmom

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 11:44 am

My baby screamed non stop for months-- even when held it was just temporary quiet. Nursed alot, never spit up-- finally, at the dr.'s suggestion started Mylanta by dropper-- the relief was instantaneous-- we always knew when it was time for more bcz. he started getting kvetchy. When that stopped working it was prescription strength Zantac liquid-- after a year we weaned him off it-- we still call it baby Prozac-- the medicine let him be himself-- sweet and smiley-- Chin up-- he's six now and brilliant, funny, sweet and adorable.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 11:57 am

I would first look into overactive letdown.
If your milk comes out fast or there is an excess of foremilk (they usually go hand in hand), it makes for a fussy baby, explosive poops, lots of spitting up, etc.

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/sup......html

amother

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 12:08 pm

I am a HUGE fan of "SECRETS OF THE BABY WHISPERER" - the EASY method...its an enjoyable book to read with lots of stories and examples. theres also a 2nd book incase ure having issues cuz u started a few months (its best to start at birth like I did :) but its never too late! theres even a third book for toddlers which I bought also!

u can get the books at any local public library or just order it for about $7 on amazon or just google it.
I started giving it as a baby present to some friends cuz its pretty useful!

best of luck!

chaylizi

Mon, Jan 05 2009, 3:32 pm

my baby is a gassy child who spends 90% of his day screaming & eating. I never put him down. I carry him all day & sleep with him at night.

my toddler dd also screamed daily & had the poopy thing you described, only she only went once a week. her rectal opening was too narrow & the GI loosened the sphincter everyday for 10 days & that got better. the rest was colic. she also only slept with me.

the baby before that had reflux & projectile vomited everywhere.

they get more personable. honest.

ra_mom

Tue, Jan 06 2009, 2:14 pm

manhattanmom wrote:

GAMZu wrote:

My daughter has silent symptoms to reflux and she wasn't diagnosed until 2 and a half years old! By that point, her poor eating and poor digestion were way out of hand.
Only a gastroenterologist can diagnose the silent reflux, and other digestion issues, so you might want to visit one.
Much Hatzlacha.

supermommy

Tue, Jan 06 2009, 2:28 pm

My ds does the same thing. He has a dirty diaper every other day and on the day he needs to "go" he is super fussy, wants to nurse for comfort, swallows air during feeding because he starts to cry because he needs to make. At that point I sometimes help him make and his normal sleeping pattern resumes. If the making and burping isn't the issue def. check with your dr.

imokay

Tue, Jan 06 2009, 3:23 pm

ok, to respond to some siggestions (and thanks for those) he hates the pacifier, loves to eat, I always sleep when he does, dr said he can't sleep in swing/car seat bc b"h he's a big baby so its not good for his neck muscles, I always burp him before putting him down and will hold him upright for sone time to aid digestion.
that being said, dr said we should try prevacid for 2 weeks to see if that will help.
I had tried zantac a while but he didnt improve and at that time, the waking was tolerable. now it's not. also, I did try the mylanta and it helped a bit but I didnt want to give it to him every night.
thanks everyone. ill try the prevacid 2night, hopefully it will work (please)

imokay

Tue, Jan 06 2009, 3:27 pm

oh, and hashem yaazor, interesting idea. bc I do have a lot of milk. I only nurse from one side each feeding, but I still bh have a lot. but in terms of letting the let down milk go into a towel, it doesnt work, bc I dont always feel a letdown, and unless my baby is sucking, nothing ever comes out.

mamacita

Tue, Jan 06 2009, 6:19 pm

Something that helped me with having B"H a large milk supply is repeating the same side at the next feeding. For example, first thing in the morning we start with Left, next feeding we start with left then switch to right with left is empty. Next feeding start with Right, switch to left if right empties, etc. This way each side is emptied completely and the baby gets to the thicker hindmilk instead of gorging on foremilk.

We also got colic tablets from Walmart/Walgreens that worked a miracle on my gassy baby. All this plus me not eating dairy while nursing, burping a few times during feedings, keeping them upright for 15-30mins after a feeding did the trick. Sometimes a pain, but better than having a baby in pain! And screaming babies drive me batty!