Bub won't sleep much...7wks old. Is it reflux, colic or cranky bub?

Hello,

Ok some ladies will know me from all the breastfeeding questions I have been posting.

I thought I had bfing issues but now we seem to be coping with the feeding side of things and we now have issues with sleep and settling.

Things I have worked out/observed so far.

- Bub hates to be put down for anything longerthan 5/10 mins
- Bub likes to suck constantly (loves the dummy)
-She is very fidgety
-She cat naps through the day (may sleep up to 1 hour max at a time)
- Evening are very unsettled (I usually can't get her to sleep until midnight)
- Her longest sleep is from midnight till 3/4 am.
- It takes ages for me to settle her to sleep. i often restort to putting her into a sling.
- Bub possets for up to 2 hours after a feed. She screams when she brings up stuff.
- Bub screams after a feed and seems to be in pain.
- We can't put her down after a feed.
- She hicups all the time
- Her nose rattles like there is fluid in her nasal passage.
- During feeding bub feeds ok for a while and then starts bobing her head at the breast.

I have tried to a sleep routine, but she is just so fidgety it is impossible to comfort whilst she is lying down. Her crying sounds like she is in pain.

Anyone got any ideas? I think she may have reflux but this could all be in my head!!!!

Felix has a mild form of reflux which caused lots of problems for us before we figured it out. He was also a big 'sucker' and did lots of mini vomits after a feed...to the point that I thought he wasn't taking anything in (although his weight gains were fine)

Things we did to help...

raised his basinette (and later cot) mattress up so it was on an incline...just put a folded towel underneath where his head would lie

burped him halfway through a feed rather than waiting til the end...especially when he started to fuss at the breast

used a dummy (this apparently helps with reflux)

used a sling (again, keeps bub upright)

started using a reflux medication made by a local pharmacist which contains an anti-spasmodic and an antacid...this has really helped!

If you want the name of the pharmacy, just pm me...

Hope that helps...and your little one settles soon!

It sounds like reflux to me, along with some self settling issues.
I dont know much about reflex, none of my girls have suffered it. Is there a nurse, doc you could talk to further about this?
In relation to the sleep, my 18 week old has 2 x 45 min naps a day - if im lucky- and will sleep from 7-7 am with 2 feeds during the night (usually 1am and 5am). Somedays she goes ALL day with no sleep, just catnaps here and there usually in the car when im running around picking up DD#1 from kindy. It sounds like the midnight to 3/4am sleep is due to pure exhaustion...poor little thing...(and poor you !!) . I have noticed if i dont wrap her, she takes longer to go to sleep.
I think bubs wanting to suck constantly is a pretty normal thing. I wish my DD would take a dummy. SHe wont, but sucks her bottom lip.....she too always wants to suck...
I think maybe a lot of the sleep issues your little one has may be due to refulx...do you think??

Hi,

I think that it might be reflux. My DS has mild reflux and is on medication for it... He is a totally different baby after being on medication. He was the same as your bub and now he sleeps through the night, don't have an issue with pain. I think the most important thing is to burp 1/2 way through a feed, you may find that if she burbs 1/2 way through that she might settle a bit more for the second 1/2 of her feed. I find when DS is overtired he bobs around on my chest, it's just a matter of finding what works for you.... we have a rocking chair and this really helps to settle him to feed properly. My DS seems to only be napping during the day at the moment but he sleeps through the night usually 6pm to 5-6am so I am no too worried if he isn't giving me hours during the day. Good LUck with it and if you aren't sure - I would see your GP...

xxoo

I would get some help, Bek. I know a lot of people here are not into sleep school (possibly yourself included) but they wouldn't CC at this early age, they would just help out with suggestions for settling, and may help with a reflux diagnosis. A friend from MG took her boy (though he was older, prob about 5-6 months) to a day-stay sleep school and they told her he had reflux issues - she had no idea! She thought he was just unsettled.
I'm not trying to say your baby is a 'trouble' sleeper, only that sometimes it can be nice to have someone who isn't family to offer some advice, help and support.
In any case, I hope you find some help soon, and some rest. It sounds like you are doing marvellously - particularly when you must be so exhausted!

Hi Ladies,

Thanks for your replies. Last night Loren was just so distressed till midnight poor little sausage. Today I decided to really observe her and I think she does have some sort of reflux problem. Although she slept almost all day today....I think she is exhausted from the last week.

I have elevated her bed now and she seems to enjoy it more. I took her to the chemist and they gave me Stomach Calm by Brauers. They also suggested putting her on a probiotic for the colic. So I am now doing that.

Snacks - I was thinking about trying to get into a day sleep centre. I think we need to have her observed too.

Best go Loren is screaming again...Hug a Bub time I think

My doc told me that she would not consider meds until Loren is 12weeks old. Should I get a second opinion?

it sounds pretty much EXACTLY the same as my DD. my DD had silent reflux which is when they vomit and then swallow it again. so it burns on the way up and back. we tried mylanta but then got a script from GP for something called ZOTON. worked wonders. she grew out of it which was great. you should see a GP.

Bek, I probably would get a second opinion. Or go for the day-stay somewhere and see what they think. If she is getting so little sleep, (and you too are getting so little sleep) I think you should be helped out more than that (ie, "I won't do anything til she's 12 weeks old"... If she's got reflux, she's got reflux, y'know?) What about a paed?
Have you considered taking Loren to see a Chiro or Osteo that specialises in babies? I never got around to taking Natalie, but I have heard great things about them in helping unsettled babies.

Hey Bec, sorry to hear that your little one is suffering. It's hard isn't when they seem to be in so much pain, especially when all you do seems to not help. Hugs to you babe, I know how you feel :(. I hope she has started to improve since giving her the natural medication.
I agree with hollo, it sounds like silent reflux to me, but I'm no doc. Just a quick question, does she burp well? My son got diagnosed with SR at 8 weeks, and I was very annoyed for not trusting myself earlier than that. I had seen a handful of MCHN who all told me he was a little colicky. But I didn't really believe this as he was a good burper. So I persued the issue further and went and saw a paed, who diagnosed it straight away as silent reflux and a lactose intolerance because of the SR. My son had pretty much everything you discribed. He is now the happiest little baby ever. His stomach has recovered from the lactose intolerance (yey no more soy for me) and he just has 1ml of losec each night now. I just wish I had seen the paed earlier, to avoid him the pain. So that is my advice, go see a paed, it can't do any harm (except hurt the wallet ;) yey for insurance)
I hope she gets much better. Good luck.

Mummy Mel - Loren burps really well.

So did Jack, I really think you should see a paed. How has she been since she started the stomach calm?

A little better through the day, but still terrible at night