tummy pain, bad wind

hi all

I haven't posted here before but I'm so desperate I really need advice. My son is 4 weeks old and he is suffering from bad wind/tummy pains. When he's awake he is constanly straining,grunting and groaning, like he's trying to push out a poo. Usually he may push out some wind or a smal bowel motion. His poos are normal looking but he NEVER does BIG explosive ones.

I have tried Infant's friend, Infacol and boiled water. These all workd well to bring up wind after a feed but it doesn't stop the straining. I am slowly going mad because he is constantly waking himself by pulling up his legs and grunting til he cries. I have also tried the bicycle legs, massage, warm baths and walking the floor bouncing him about.
Is this just a normal digestive problem in newborns or could this possibly be a more serious issue.

Please help, I have been given more than enough advice from the MIL ( including 'structured feeding) and need some 'real' advice

Are you breastfeeding or bottle feeding? I'm not able to give much advice if the bottle is the way, but if you breastfeeding, perhaps its something in your diet? The main triggers are caffiene, chocolate, onions and there are a few other things that could be an issue, but perhaps there is just an intolerance to something you have eaten?
We had major problems with my daughter with colic and tummy pains, and it took me a while to figure out that chocolate and caffiene were completely out for me.
We used to do babymassage every day/night before bed, and would massage the tummy in an anti-clockwise direction (I think??) as this is the way the bowel works. We would often had to hold up her legs and pull them apart to help wiht a poo.

Ignore your MIL and maybe talk to your MCHN for a bit of help. SOme of them are useless, but you might be lucky and have a good one!

Sorry I'm not much more help - we spent hours of everyday rocking Jenna on our chest coping wiht all the pains and spew, so its all a little hazy to me now!

Thanks for your advice
I am breastfeeding

I do believe that my diet is having an impact on him and am eating the most boring things I can imagine. Although I do sneak a bit of chocolate every now and then.
When you realised that your diet was the cause, did the tummy aches disappear?
Is it true that BF babies don't need to poo every day? (MIL told me this) b/c my bubs hasn't had a poo for two days!! (although he manages to fluctuate reguarly)

Did you use a dummy in the early weeks? I'm not a big fan of them and the MIL wants to put it in bubs mouth ALL the time!! (Helps to extend feeding times from 2hrs to 4hrs, so she says!!) I don't want him to get dependent on the dummy and would prefer to only use it if absolutely neccessary.

Unfortunately MIL is at my house every day, she is a trained midwife (30 yrs ago!!) and I don't want to get her off side. And I have an absolutely useless MCHN (asked her exact question about tummy pains and she looked at me stupid!)

hummm. sounds like it could be the chocolate maybe?? my bub had very bad tummy pains is now 5 months and still sensitive to things i eat, but he screams in pain not just grunts..I have cut dairy out of my diet and had an improvement.. I give my little man the dummy because it is ment to help with his tummy pains. dont worry you can always break this habit if it helps bub now! I demand feed.. so maybe dont worry about structured feeding. I think this is perhaps a newer way of thinking. its hard when you have MIL telling what they think is best. Follow your instincts. I too had MIL telling me what to do and to put my son on formula.. as if this will help his sensitive tummy:confused:
also.. yes it is normal for breastfed babies not to poo every day. although mine does and are explosive.. its so hard to know isnt it! but there is great advice on here and i wish u all the best! get tough and do what u feel is best for you baby!:)
oh by the way i too have tried all the colic tonics and none seemed to work.. i think its mainly mummies diets..

Don't have any answers (all good advice already) but when you carry him do you carry him face down along your arm? IYKWIM. This seemed to help Mackenzie with her wind/tummy pains when she was a bub.

Coco had the same thing and it lasted a few weeks (maybe about 10 weeks...sorry) BUT I only realised towards the end, that it could've been chocolate causing it. I cut it out and it seemed to improve.
Coco woke herself (me as well) all night grunting. It was so stressful. But it does pass. I did what you've done, the infacol etc (have you tried Brauers wind medicine, it's good, prob best I used) and I did lots and lots of tummy massage. coco only pooed about once every 10 days, which is very normal!!! Infact her poo has only become regular since I started giving her neo care probiotics (fabulous stuff, not sure how old they can be to have it). Worth checking with natropath on that one.
I hope it all passes quickly for you,but hang in there. A couple of drs kept telling me it's normal because they are learning about their bodies and it's functions (that didn't make me feel alot better...) but I guess it's true.
good luck xoxo

DS used to be a grunter as well and wasnt good at bringing wind up. I used to eat a fair bit of chocolate and found it helped when i stopped. I have never offered my kids dummies so if you feel that strongly about not using one stand your ground, after all it is your bub not MIL.
I found if i layed DS down in my arms then slowly brought him up to my face then back down again this helped bring it up. I did this slowly cause he used to bring up his milk otherwise. Also if you rub his tummy in a clock wise motion he will poo that afternoon or the next day. Sounds weird but it does actually work. Be warned though, it can explode out, lol.
Or if that fails press slightly above his left hip bone and rub in small circle. This is for extreme wind. The tummy one i found soothed Ds and helped heaps.

Good luck, it does settle down. I no how unnerving the grunting is, its hard to listen to cause they sound so distressed.

Thank you all for your advice

I have cut out chocolate and it seems to be making a real difference. DS is now passing wind alot and he seems to react best to the 'bicycle legs' and tummy massage. He still has trouble burping and grunts quite a bit but now I'm OK with it because it's 'normal'. I always find I am second guessing everything I do instead of just going with the flow!! BOY parenthood is HARD!!