Calling the mum who's child had the stomach virus in the UK!!!

[* Paula *]

Huge hugs hun,

Sorry I have not been around for a few days, things have been pretty hectic on my side, we are haivng some major sleeping issues at the moment 

I am pleased that the formula seems to be helping, what it does it as it hits their tummy it goes into a more solid form and makes it harder for it to come back up.

We used infacol when DD was still small, but sometimes found that she would spit up more, as she would burp that well that the whole bottle would come back up.  But you can definitley try it and see how she does with it.  Otherwise I would keep using the gripe water.

My DD took about a week or so before she started taking bigger feeds and by the time she was about 14/15 weeks she was on 4 x 9 oz bottles.

If it is reflux and the formula is helping, fantastic, you will soon start to see an improvement in her feeding and her moods too.

Can you post what your days / nights look like with

E
A
S etc, so that w can try and help you get back on track.

Huge huge hugs hun 

Oh and to stop the formula from clogging in the teats, we went through this problem too, we found that the best thing to do was make up her bottles in advance, so would make them up for the day with boiled water that had cooled down completely.  Enusre that the water is not warm at all.  Put the formula into the bottle with the water and then close the lid and roll the bottle between the palm of your hands untile the bottle is completely dissolved.  Once this has been done, you can give a few good hard shakes, and then put in the fridge for the day.  The powder tends to dissolve a lot easier and does not clump when it is in colder water.  HTH's

[Adaias mom]

Hi All,

Well i finally got a decent night last night!  I gave her a DF at 1030 and she took 5oz then didn't even stir until 4  5.5 hours of unbroken sleep...bliss! Then i gave her 2oz of formula, as i am trying to abolish NW's now, she took it then i gave her a dummy and she went back to sleep. She escaped her swaddle about 5  so i went in, re-wrapped her, gave her her dummy and she went back to sleep and we got up at 7! Brills. She didn't want feeding until 7.45 so i waited until she 'asked' for food, and she took 3oz. But she never eats well in the morning.

As for a routine, i haven't really got one at the moment. I am sticking to 4 hourly feeding, as she won't take hardly any at 3 hours, and the only thing i am being strict with is that she wakes at 5 after her nap, then i bath her and feed her at 7.30 then put her to bed. I know that 2hrs 45 is massively long for her age, but i have found it really works to get her to bed at a decent hour without her waking every 5 mins for 2 hours trying to get her to sleep!

Shes not sleeping great in the day, but i got about 5 45 min naps yesterday and she went to bed easily after me keeping her up, and i know she is tired when she goes to bed but she woke really happy this morning, went back down after 1hr 20 A time, and settled fine.

She got 15 hours sleep, so i think this is enough???

I was really worried yesterday as she had a hard poo, so thought the new formula was making her constipated, but it was only a little bit then the rest was fine, so maybe she is ok. I have just ordered 3 tins of Enfamil so will pick them up tom, then if she continues to feed better, (she had 22oz again yesterday, that 3 days on the run now) i will go back the docs and see about a prescription. Only problem now is i am running out, so am having to put some Cow and Gate comfort in too only 1 day though. This won't hurt her will it??

Sorry its long,

xxx

[* Paula *]

Great news on your night.  Sounds like she is settling well on the new formula.

The 45 minute naps could mean that it is time for a routine change.  If you can keep track of what your day is looking like, then post it for us, we can have a look at the routine.

The formula can be constipating for some lo's so I would keep an eye out on it.  My DD her stools were not hard, but were a lot more formed, like a paste and sometimes like putty.  Just keep an eye out for it as with reflux babies, the can tend to get constipated easily.  We found that if DD was battling we would give her some lactulose - this can be given to young lo's and helps relieve them.

I would try and get her formula ASAP.  We ran out and gave our DD her normal formula and she really did suffer.  Is there no pharmacy that is open round you?

We are lucky that our ASDA has a pharmacy, and we can get ours from there.  My DD is still on the formula at night as I could hear her refluxing while sleeping and we were having bad sleep issues.

[Adaias mom]

Paula,

I know what you mean about suffering! I have been giving a bottle of mostly Enfamil and then topped up with normal formula so to try and have some in all bottles. She is already starting with hiccups, smelly breath etc!!! But at least i definately know that i am write in the diagnosis so can tell the doc.

My ASDA didn't have any in, so had to order it, i rang every pharmacy i could find, none had any!!! I am getting some tom, and have ordered 3 tins, but am going to make an appt with the doc anyway in the week to get a prescription, as the difference has been evident almost immediately! Plus she has now reduced her 2nd to last feed to 3oz which has been 6 for the last 2 days! Its really annoyed me that i couldn't get any. Bad night for me then!
Poor little lamb.

I'll make a note of our routine over the next few days and post it.

The lack of formula is really annoying as she fed well today, now its going backwards.

xxx

[* Paula *]

Hugs hun,

It really does sound like reflux, but it sounds like the Enfamil is really helping her.

When I got mine from the docs, I always asked for a months supply and they would give us 12 tins.  It saved us having to go to the docs every week.

We have run out too, and our prescription won't be ready until Wednesday, I am going to go and bed the pharmacy to give us a tin until we wait for our prescription.  They usually do that.  Fingers crossed.

Keep us posted on how things go 

[Adaias mom]

Well the difference in her from a few bottles is unreal! I can hear her refluxing, she is now waking every 10 mins and can't get to sleep, something that seemed to stop the last 2 nights, its just so horrible to watch and witness, but there is absolutely nothing i can do!

I can't wait to get the fomula tom, but i know i have at least 3 feeds left to do and none left! I have got 3 oz in her 1030 feed, and thats it all gone, so night feed and 1st feed will have to be Cow and gate comfort...bugger.

I feel so sorry for her, its not til the symptoms are relieving that i can realise how obvious they were before, i was just so used to them i didn't notice!

I don't think i'll bother getting back on track for another few days to let her feeding come back on again, and sort itself.

I'm not having the best day today either, having my first period afetr childbirth and with a coil fitted, and i'm in alot of pain and very heavy!!! Makes me want to cry even more than the ppd!!!

Hope things are good for you, paula and liz.
xx

[* Paula *]

Huge hugs hun, I am sorry she is not doing well.  I would ring the doctor and ask for a prescription for the formula, so at least you can have the prescription in before your next lot of tins run out.

I would do as much AP as you need to help her through the night, let her sleep on you rock etc, so that you can at least get through the night, and then get back on track when she is feeling better.

Huge hugs hun.  Sorry about the AF.   

[Adaias mom]

Hi

Well i got 3 tubs of the formula yesterday so she is back on it. Wasn't too good yesterday as obviously the changes in formula have messed with her tummy so lots of wind, spit up etc today, and she has also been a bit sick this morning, but i'm guessing she'll take a few days to settle again.

Didn;t have the greatest of nights, lots of little wakings, but i think the heat played a hugs part! Its so bloody hot! Only had to feed her once though.

I'm off to the docs today to get a prescription, but even if they won't give me one, i've ordered 12 tubs from ASDA so will just pay for it.

Oh listen to this!!! I went to LLoyds pharmacy and they charged me £13.81 for a tub 400g! I thought it was expensive but i knew no different. I then went to ASDA and they charged me £3.78!!! Over 10 pound difference. Disgusting eh!

Anyway, hopefully she'll start to improve again over the next few days, as she has cut her feeds again to 2oz.

[*Liz*]

Gish - what I real pain. I can't believe the price difference in the formula  .

I really hope your lo settles quickly again. I have always found that a formula change 'for the better' seems to settle quite quickly.

[cazzieclarity]

Hiya,
I was the lady who posted about a virus in the UK.....I've not been online for a while as the virus realy knocked our routine out of sinc and we've had dummy issues, i.e., I've cold turkeyed her!

It sounds like you've got a lot of advice on here and that it's probably not the virus, but for the sake of anyone else reading this I thought I'd post the symptoms. Eden was ill for about 1wk. She was totally off her food just like your LO - she's on solids aswell and wouldn't entertain those either. She was VERY sleepy......she could only manage about 1/2hr - 1hr before needing to go back to bed (she's 6mths). She had a temperature on one of the nights but was otherwise ok. She was vomiting abit but nothing major, just more sicking up than usual. She did have abit of diorrhea though. Again nothing major but my girl is like clockwork - one poo a day in the morning, instead we were getting 2 or 3 and they were softer than usual. She was shocking at night, waking regularly, then getting overtired and making it hard to put her down. But once she was down for naps she was sleeping for over 2hrs a time (unheard of for us).

I took her to the docs after 5 days. I think they were concerned due to the nappies so they asked for a stool sample. They said that if a stomach bug continues for 5 days+ they have to send in a sample, even though most bugs take 7 days to get through a babies system and event tho they suspected she was ok they still did it. They were great realy - they also gave some soluble sachets to add to water to try to balance her system.

In the end it worked through her system and the stool sample came back fine.

Now we are battling with a cold!

Hope that helps to anyone reading.

Carrie
x

[Adaias mom]

Hi girls,

Well i went the docs today for a prescription for Enfamil, and he said no, as why should they prescribe me that milk when they wouldn't prescibe me normal milk!!! I think i have put their noses out by self diagnosing!  ::)I'm not that bothered anyway, i just got 12 tins from ASDA and will order more from them as and when. Its not that much dearer than normal formula there anyway!

He also gave me some infant Gaviscon, but after reading the leaflet it says not to give it if using any other thickened formula, so i'm not going to give it to her unless i think she really needs it. Which after feeding 5oz last feed, and only bringing a minute amount back i don't think she does!!! She is getting loads better. Only problem is now that she is a bit constipated, poo is not very firm, but has shape. i.e. can be squidged in fingers, but keeps shape on way out, and is not nice for her passing it. I don't know if this was because of the weekends change in formula, so will wait for next poo, and if she is still the same i'll try prune juice very diluted. Do you think this will be ok

To be honest i didn't want to ask for lactose as the docs think i'm some naurotic mum i'm sure!

Oh i have decided to go cold turkey on the swaddle, as she just keeps waking in the night, all over the place, arms half out, trapped etc. She is too strong now for even the tightest of swaddles with the miracle blanket, and also its too hot to keep wrapping it around, so i have put her in a vest and lightweight sleeping bag, and see how she gets on. She has gone down ok for the last 2 naps. Not slept for long, but hey whats new!!! Have to just see how tonight goes!

Will let you know xxx

[Adaias mom]

Just thought i'd give a quick update.

She has eaten really well today, 3oz, 5oz, 4oz then 5oz which is loads better than yesterdays 2oz, 2oz, 4oz, 3oz! 

I have also managed to get her down for 2 naps without the swaddle and she has gone to bed now. Not sure how long she'll last, but she is knackered so hopefully she'll sleep. I'm expecting a really rubbish few nights whilst i stop swaddling, but then hopefully it'll improve. 

I did have her in a sleeping bag, but its just too hot so have put her down in a vest and covered with a sheet.

Hopefully she'll keep upping her feeds, but i'm happy with 5oz for now. You never know, she may be sttn by 10 months ha ha.

I can't believe how much this heat is taking out of me though. I am having something to eat, then i'm off to bed!

xxx

[*Liz*]

Goodness your doctor is determined, aren't they  ?!

Is the enfamil a lot more expensive than normal formula? I always thought it was acceptable to get 'special' milk on script. Infant ganviscon is essentially a thickening agent so I guess that is why you wouldn't want to use them together. See how you get on with just the enfamil, but Zantac would be a better option to try otherwise.

I agree with no swaddling in this heat. My DS took very well to being unswaddled - made no difference at all to his sleep.

I would just try a little cooled boiled water to ease your los bowels. I think she is likely too young for prune juice. You can actually buy lactulose over the counter with no prescription if you think she needs it.

This heat is exhausting isn't it?

[* Paula *]

Hugs hun,

I am sorry that the doctor is being such an idiot.  That is not fair at all.  I would be persistent on getting a script, even if you try the HV's it is not on that he is refusing to give you a script.  How many doctors are there in your doctors surgery?  Can you try a different doctor?

I cannot believe that Lloyds charged you £13 that is extortion.  I would take your ASDA slip back to them and ask them how they can get away with charging that.  It is awful.

With regards to going cold turkey with the swaddle, we had to do the same thing as we were flying to SA and it was the height of their summer.  We introduced a blanket (knitted one) as a lovey, and lay her on her side and she would snuggle the blanket.  Might be worth a try.

Great news that the feeds are going so much better keep us posted.

With regards to the poops.  Yes, they are a lot more formed, but your lo's tummy will adjust to it.  If you find that your lo is straining and battling to go poop, I would not give prune juice at this age, but would give lacutlose.  It helps soften the stool and makes it easier to pass.  It is safe to use from birth I think (check with the pharmacist).

[cazzieclarity]

Hiya,
I've had to pretty much go cold turkey on the swaddle as well because of the heat. I did start the weaning process with Aussie swaddle and sometime one arm out but because of the blasted heat wave here in the UK I've had to just sack it off. She is now wrapped in a cotton sheet from her waist down and a sleep suit (for some reason she hates having her feet out so I have to put her in a sleep suit!) We've got on fine with it and she goes down no problem (although she now has a lovey with a dummy stitched on to it so she can find it....so much for the dummy cold turkey eh?!) Only thing that I'm having problems with is that she will sleep no problems for 10hrs but then wakes up playing. I'm starting to wonder if that is all the sleep she needs as we only recently dropped the DF so this is the first time she's ever slept unitterupted.

Good luck with no swaddling, and the feeding issues.
Carrie