Help! Like she's in pain when feeding

[Teeki]

Where has my happy little baby gone?? She used to feed so easily and sleep 5 hours during the day. Now she won't sleep during the day at all. She used to at least nap on me while feeding, but not today.

Changes I'm noticing are:
- Lots of crying for no apparent reason. Nothing fixes it, except sometimes walking around holding her facing out. She never used to cry and this has been happening since Monday.
- Very fussy during day feeds. She's showing plenty of hunger signs so I try feeding her and she'll go on for half a minute before coming off crying. She goes back on again and repeats until she either gets worn out and feeds to sleep, or she gets so worked up she can't do anything. This has also been happening since Monday. The cry and look on her face is as if she's in pain when she's trying to feed.
- Night feeds used to be great. Starting with a bath, then settling in for a long feed and she'd fall asleep at about 7:30. Tonight it forever to calm her down enough to actually take any milk. I started with a kind of football hold with her sitting up, but even that doesn't always work. Once she got drowsy I switched her and now she's lying down and falling asleep.
- She's slept through a few times before but the last three nights she's slept 9-10 hours. The first feed of the day isn't too bad but it's all down hill from there.

So I was worried maybe she wasn't getting enough. We just weighed her and she's gained 250g in 3 weeks. She's still getting plenty of wet nappies but the poop has really slowed down.

Geeze I don't even know what I'm asking! It seems like maybe reflux seeing as she prefers to be upright but this is all new. Also seems like extreme wind pain so I'm really trying to get it up but she rarely burps.

Has anyone got any ideas or is this a ride it out type thing? I can't stand the crying and not being able to fix it for her

[Arimeh]

I'd suggest getting her checked out for silent reflux

[Teeki]

That's what we thought Is it normal for that to start this late? She's 11 weeks today.

[Babyluv]

Mmm sounds like silent reflux. My dd had it for the first 6 months. Can you get in to see a pediatrician? or take her to a gp? Zantac was our lifesaver, without it bub was in a world of pain.

[onthefly]

It could be the vicious overtired cycle. Unfortunately the more tired thtey are the harder it is to sleep
This is also a common age for developmental 'stuff'

It's very normal for poos to have slowed down by now, so they're not a great indicator anymore. But plenty of wet nappies and good weight gain suggests she's getting plenty.
Any illness around at the moment? She may be unwell.

[Teeki]

MadB, I did wonder if she could've been coming down with something but no-one around us is sick and her temp is fine. She does sneeze a fair bit but that's it.

I think you're onto something with being overtired, but getting her to sleep lately is horrible! I've tried having days where we do nothing but stay home and I'd try feeding/rocking her to sleep as soon as she shows tired signs but she really seems to fight sleep. She just won't nap anymore I'll try again tomorrow and see how we go.

If it was silent reflux, how would that even be diagnosed?

[onthefly]

Is she snuffly? Does she swallow a lot?

It's hard when they just won't sleep. You have a carrier/wrap?
THye change. a lot. especially in the first 6 months. She may have slept through before, that doesn't mean she can now. Some babies do it for a bit when they're little and not again for a long time. It's very variable. Same with day sleeps and everything else. Usually by the time we think we might have figured out what's going on, they're on to the next thing.

[HotI]

taking bub out for a drive or for a walk in a pram or baby carrier can help them get some sleep (sometimes).

take care

[Teeki]

I put her upright in the sling when my arms are worn out, she's ok in there but still won't sleep. She won't tolerate a walk in the pram for very long unless she's already asleep when we leave - she won't fall asleep in there. And if she wakes up half way she gets cranky quite quickly. Unfortunately the car is the worst. Same with the pram - ok if she's asleep when we put her in, otherwise she just can't get to sleep and she screams. Last night had me in tears in the back seat with her on a drive home from picking up DH. She just couldn't get to sleep and wouldn't stop screaming.

The sleeping through at night thing is what worried me about her maybe not getting enough milk, sleeping 9-10 hours seems so long for such a small baby! To be honest I'm kind of happier when she wakes at 2:30.

So would the rotten day sleeping be what's affecting her feeding during the day? I feel like all I've done the last three days is comfort, try to feed and try to get her to sleep. I'm feeling quite useless at it all right now

[onthefly]

yes. no sleep can defnitely affect feeding (and everything else).
Maybe try not trying so hard. Just let it be if she's resisting sleep - it might not help anything but your state of mind, but that's still something.
Might also be worthwhile getting her checked out by your nurse or GP, just in case there's something else up.

[Teeki]

She's actually doing it! She's sleeping! And not on me, so the dishes can actually get done

She still seems to fight it. She was yawning a lot so I wrapped her and started rocking her. She started sticking her tongue out and rooting around so I offered her the breast. She had a quick go but it was the same thing again - lots of fussing and coming off. So I just left it, holding her, and after a bit she decided she did want it, had a feed and fell asleep. Hooray!

I guess I just need to let her take her time figuring out what she wants and when.

Thanks for all your advice everyone

[Teeki]

Ok, so now I'm not sure about all this again. She only slept this morning for 40 minutes. Fed her again before we went shopping, where she still seemed hungry for most of the trip.

I just spent 3 1/2 hours pinned to the couch with her feeding and sleeping. She'd stir as sion as I moved. She used to be much more awake when feeding, and fall asleep after.

This is worrying me though as I feel like she's not attached well enough to get a lot and it's tiring her out - hence always seeming hungry and tired, and the longer night sleeps. It doesn't hurt and attachment looks good to me, but should I get this looked at by an LC?

[Novella]

I was wondering if she might have a viral sore throught or oral thrush? Either could be affecting her ability to feed and making it difficult to sleep poor buba, hope you are geting some rest too. Mabye getting the GP to give her a once over? I hope she feels better soon

[Arcadia]

Sounds like the 12 week wonder week to me. Google wonder weeks and have a read...especially since it's come on suddenly.

Otherwise I think silent reflux is possible too.

Thinking of you.

[Teeki]

Sounds like the 12 week wonder week to me. Google wonder weeks and have a read...especially since it's come on suddenly.

There's another one at 12 weeks?? Far out lol. For some reason I wasn't expecting the next one til week 18 but I'll look it up. It would make sense as she was similar with the last two wonder weeks.

If she gets worse I might go to the gp for a check. What would oral thrush look like?