Author Topic: 8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!  (Read 5209 times)

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Offline charleyuk

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« on: August 15, 2005, 21:39:23 pm »
Hi,

He will take the first 25-30mls beautifully, but then will cry, arch his back, and splutters. Then he'll cry when I present him with the teat again. Although if I stand up and rock him/bounce him around/walk around with him, he'll stop crying and keep the teat in his mouth and "nibble" like he would a pacifier (I do give him a pacifier as I read that he could be using the bottle teat to compensate for lack of sucking opportunity).

I've been getting so stressed. I don't think it's Dysphagia as he's not congested or have respiratory problems.  I don't think the milk is flowing too quickly or too slowly - he takes it from a number 1 Avent teat. The formula I'm using is "Aptamil"

He doesn't cry after a feed and after seeing no improvement with Gaviscon, don't think it's reflux.

I've been trying to feed him 4oz every 3 hours, as Tracy recommends, but he often gets hungry before 3 hours and cries for food.  Nevertheless I do my best to keep to the 3 hours.

He eats great on a night (though he won't leave it longer than 3 hours between feeds). Cluster feeding is impossible. If he's not hungry, he won't eat at all.

Offline NKmommy

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2005, 22:14:36 pm »
Hi!  I am sorry that things are so rough right now!  With the symptoms you described, I would definitely look into either reflux or milk allergy more.  My son had terrible reflux, and only fussed during feeds.  He would take 1-2 ounces at the most, then either pull off or "fake suck" on the nipple.  In our situation, he was fine after feeds, though I could tell he was still hungry.  The antacids only helped him a bit. 

Can you try feeding him in front of the doctor, or videotape the feedings and show the doc?  It took several formula and med changes for this to improve for us.

Let us know how things go!  Hope that he feels better....
Sheila
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Offline Seona1973

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2005, 13:31:43 pm »
Are you sure that the teats arent too slow? The number 1 teats are the newborn teats whereas the number 2 teats are suitable from around 1 month. There is no harm in trying a faster flow as you will probably need them some time in the future anyway.

p.s. my dd didnt like avent teats at all and we ended up using tommee tippee Nuby teats on the avent bottles instead



Offline MariaK

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in the same boat, more or less
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2005, 19:16:02 pm »
Hi, I'm with you, sister!  I also thought "dysphagia" because my 3 mo. old daughter fit all the symptoms.  Ate half her bottle then screamed when I tried to give her more, but happy between feeds.  Switched formulas several times (started w/similac powder, then similac rtf, then good start, then isomil powder, now isomil rtf).  She had done well for about six days on the isomil rtf, but I can see her going back to her "old ways!"  Her doctor just thinks she's "picky."  Well, that may be, but I can't keep changing formulas... I'm out of options.  Besides, changing formulas so often can't be good for her system.
I had an upper gi done yesterday for her.  The doctor didn't see anything abnormal on it, including aspiration, a big sign of the dysphagia.
So I'll give her a couple more days.  If she doesn't improve, I'll take her back to the doctor... AGAIN. 
Videotaping the feed was a great idea!  I think I might try that.  I think the pediatrician looks at me like I'm nuts when I try to describe what's happening with my little one.
Anyway, good luck!  Let me know what your doctor says!

Offline charleyuk

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2005, 22:11:47 pm »
Hi,

He will take the first 25-30mls beautifully, but then will cry, arch his back, and splutters. Then he'll cry when I present him with the teat again. Although if I stand up and rock him/bounce him around/walk around with him, he'll stop crying and keep the teat in his mouth and "nibble" like he would a pacifier (I do give him a pacifier as I read that he could be using the bottle teat to compensate for lack of sucking opportunity).

I've been getting so stressed. I don't think it's Dysphagia as he's not congested or have respiratory problems.  I don't think the milk is flowing too quickly or too slowly - he takes it from a number 1 Avent teat. The formula I'm using is "Aptamil"

He doesn't cry after a feed and after seeing no improvement with Gaviscon, don't think it's reflux.

I've been trying to feed him 4oz every 3 hours, as Tracy recommends, but he often gets hungry before 3 hours and cries for food.  Nevertheless I do my best to keep to the 3 hours.

He eats great on a night (though he won't leave it longer than 3 hours between feeds). Cluster feeding is impossible. If he's not hungry, he won't eat at all.

Offline charleyuk

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2005, 10:19:11 am »
Oh dear - sorry about that - don't know what happened...javascript:emoticon(':oops:')

Thanks for all your replies! 

Well I took him to the clinic today after he'd had no more than 270ml in 16 hours.  Ended up in the doctor's sugery. He said he has two daughters both of whom had reflux as babies. He said Arlo seemed like a typical reflux baby and prescribed me more Gaviscon to try again and to tilt his cot and maybe try a different formula.  So that is where I am tonight....

Sheila, which formula did you end up with?  I know you're in USA (I'm in the UK), but I guess I could look for the equivalent over here.  Did the problem resolve itself eventually? When?

Seona - the Health Visitors at my clinic today suggested trying a faster flowing teat too, so I'll try that tomorrow, I think he'll need it now especially as I'm now using Gaviscon which seems to thicken it up.  I'll look out for the Nuby teats too.

Maria- I'll look out for Isomil, it rings a bell with me, so it might be available over here.  I'll see how we get on with the new formula I bought today - SMA Gold.  I wish you all the best with your little one and hope you find the solution soon. Nightmare isn't it.

I'll certainly let you know how we get along! x

Offline ciaran's mum

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2005, 21:24:21 pm »
hi there
if it's any consolation - I have an 10 week old who had the same symptoms and i changed his milk ( under the advice of the health visitor - i'm in the uk) - to SMA lactose free -

it appears that ciaran has infant lactose intolerance which was causing his upset - after 5 weeks on it he's doing really well - a different baby!

also we get it on perscription - Would really be worth asking about - we had to buy the first couple of tins and once we knew that it was helping we now get it free.

it's very similar to SMA Gold and so it was an easy transition to make
hope that helps

take care
eileen

Offline NKmommy

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2005, 03:48:20 am »
Quote from: charleyuk
Sheila, which formula did you end up with?  I know you're in USA (I'm in the UK), but I guess I could look for the equivalent over here.  Did the problem resolve itself eventually? When?

Oh, gosh.  We tried just about every formula out there.  When things got really desperate, we switched to a hypoallergenic formula (Similac Alimentum or Enfamil Nutramgigen in the US), and we also used Good Start thickened with cereal (1 tsp/oz).  The thickening really helped...

Nathan was a silent refluxer (not a lot of spit up), and he would fuss a lot, but his major symptom was refusal to eat.  He would drink 1-2 oz and then refuse (to the point of having to have IV fluids in the ER  :( ).  He had an Upper GI.  We tried antacids, Zantac, Reglan, propping, etc, and those things really didn't help him.  Switching to Prevacid (similar to Losec in the UK) was what made a world of difference for him.  He is 9 mos, still on Prevacid, and is doing much better, even though bottles are still not his favorite thing.  If you need more info, check out infantrefluxdisease.com 

Let us know how things go!
Sheila
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Offline charleyuk

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2005, 13:05:00 pm »
Hi Eileen! How long was it until you saw a difference with the lactose free milk? Was it a matter of a few days would you say or more like weeks?

oh poor you sheila - sounds like you've really been through it!  I'm going to the clinic on Monday and will mention Losec.  My doctor might have mentioned trying that if the Gaviscon doesn't help. It was something beginning with "L" anyway. Should've written it down.

Offline cliffrose

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2005, 16:56:08 pm »
I had a similar problem-

but i switched bottles- to a wide mouth system (playtex nurser- don't know if you have them) and that seemed to do the trick- he had trouble 'latching on' to the thin nipple...

you might try some other bottles to see if that helps-

good luck.

eliz

Offline MariaK

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2005, 17:46:31 pm »
that's interesting... I had trouble getting my daughter to take a wide mouth nipple (tommee tippee variable flow, which is a great concept, alas, my little one wouldn't take it)  So I'm still on the cheapie Gerber nipple stage one, I just have to be really careful of the flow.  Sometimes I go through three nipples before I find one that flows slow enough.   Oh well, sometimes we have to be creative with our babies!

Offline charleyuk

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2005, 15:32:53 pm »
Finally I think I've cracked it!  I've been making sure there is Gaviscon in *every* feed and switched to Dr Brown's bottles with No 2 nipples and so far (touch wood) have been very successful  :D

Sadly, he's still a long way off even the 3 hour EASY. Ah well, at least he's eating  :?

Offline cliacorbhin

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2005, 19:54:37 pm »
Hi darling, my son and daughter both suffered from the same symtons, as your son, we went through every single formula on the market spent a fortune on every type of bottle there was.  The doctors insisted at the start, that it was colic, then they progressed on to a reflux before they accepted that my little angels were actually intolerant to cows milk. My advice would be to try a dairy free formula,  your son will still arch his back for the first  couple of days, this is due to the acid he has built up in his stomach if he is anything like my two.  Our doctor gave us zantac syrup which worked for us and allowed us to feed the poor angels who were starving.

Both are now on Goats milk which Tesco sales, and are now thriving.

Take care and wishing you every luck.
_______________________________________

Maria

Corbhin & Clia's Greatful Mother of two Spirted little souls. xx

Offline Shine

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2005, 12:47:56 pm »
Hi

I had the same problems with dd.  We are now on SMA LF and gaviscon too.

Check out this NHS website and look under
Infant colic, which advises which formulas you should try in what order.

http://www.prodigy.nhs.uk 

It took 1 feed to solve the problem with dd!

NB Babies who are cows milk protein allergy tend to react during the feed, so SMA Lf will not work, so you'll need one of the hydrolysed ones.  Lactose intolerant babies tend to get upset a couple of hours after a feed.

good luck.

Offline charleyuk

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8wk baby takes 20ml great then cries/arches Please Help!
« Reply #14 on: September 04, 2005, 17:38:54 pm »
Great - thanks for the further advice.  I'll have to go on a formula shop by the looks of it as he could definitely still be eating better.

He's become a terrible at nights - wanting to be fed every HOUR  :shock:

I'm going to have to post a thread about it  :cry: