Worried sick - please help ASAP

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 3:45 pm

Baby is a month old. She hasn't been calm the entire day- needed to be put asleep constantly in y hands etc.
Earlier she ate a bit (BF) and started having these crying fits where she is calm for 2 minutes then screams hysterically for 30 secs or so... We tried and tried to calm her down but nothing worked so I gave her a bath and again tried to all her afterwards - then she finally made in her diaper. I changed her and she was more calm for a little while. I thought that was it .
But for the last couple of hours it's even worse! She breast fed and since then is really suffering it seems. She made again (both times it was very liquid) and had some gas (I'm cycling with her legs) but she is still completely calm for a min and screeching (her whole body tenses up) for a few seconds.
I'm worried sick - is something wrong ? Is it regular gas/ stomach issues ? Can it last all day with no relief (almost) ? Even after she made ?

Please please help !
(Btw she had a bottle today. Once. Yesterday she had two).

chani8

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 3:49 pm

Did she just get her vaccination? If so, watch her like crazy. Do you have a baby sense monitor in her crib?

ETA - Oh wait. She had a bottle but is usually BF'ed?

She could just simply be having lactose intolerance. Don't give another bottle anytime soon. Just nurse her.

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:06 pm

Op here . Miraculously baby fell asleep 2 mins after posting this and she's still asleep . Bh.
So it's not ASAP anymore but id love advice anyway in case this starts again soon Sad

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:09 pm

Op again.
Thanks so much for theadoes that replied !

I'm in Israel - no dr to call at these hours Sad

I have given her bottles here and there before ... Can it still be related to that ?

And I haven't eaten anything weird . Pea soup maybe ?

smss

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:13 pm

amother wrote:

Op again.
Thanks so much for theadoes that replied !

I'm in Israel - no dr to call at these hours Sad

I have given her bottles here and there before ... Can it still be related to that ?

And I haven't eaten anything weird . Pea soup maybe ?

it can. allergies/sensitivities can develop over time.

JoyInTheMorning

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:14 pm

It sounds to me like colic.

See if you can stop bottle feeding. In my experience, when trying to "supplement" with formula, each new brand/type seemed to make things better for the first day, but overall, things were worse with bottle feeding than with breastfeeding.

When breastfeeding, certain foods --- like cruciferous vegetables, onions, spicy foods --- that you eat may affect your baby: the only way to know this is by trial and error.

The other issue is the relative amounts of foremilk (higher in sugar, lower in fat) and hindmilk (lower in sugar, higher in fat) that your baby is getting. Sometimes a colicky baby gets calmer when having more hindmilk. The way to get more hindmilk is to leave the baby on your breast for a while as opposed to switching her back and forth.

I hope things improve. Colic is very, very hard. It's hard to keep in mind when your baby is screaming for 12 hours a day, but it goes away, and then your sweet baby reappears!

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:23 pm

Op here . Won't give baby a bottle for a couple of days and see how it goes. Should I also cut milk from my own diet? Only milk or all dairy?

I hope this isn't going to be a case of colic. This baby has been pretty calm and good so far. I hate to see my babies suffer. I cried hysterically just from seeing her in pain.

I'm going to try and sleep now as long as baby sleeps .
Thanks everyone !!!

manhattanmom

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:23 pm

I had to take dairy out of my diet when my kids reached about 1 month of age--when they became sensitive and I was breastfeeding....
Definitely speak to your pediatrician about it.

the world's best mom

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:29 pm

Colic often starts at one month old. Cutting the bottles out may help, and if not, then cutting dairy out of your diet and giving her soy formula is very likely to help.

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:43 pm

I would definitely cut out dairy for a few days it can't hurt but truthfully if it doesn't work it can take up to 2 weeks for it to fix the problem so I wouldn't start back on it right away.

MommytoB

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:43 pm

I'm going to disagree with previous poster. Do not switch from breast feeding to soy formula. Many babies with dairy intolerance or allergies also have issues with soy as well and that formula could also be problematic. I had to cut out dairy and soy from my diet while nursing, but I still nursed without formula.

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 4:48 pm

Talk with your pediatrician tomorrow and ask him if he thinks baby Zantac would help her. I have seen this recently with 2 of my grandchildren. Also ask him about "gentle" baby formula. Good luck and Mazel Tov! Smile

tweety1

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 5:05 pm

A few points here:
A. If your baby is a nursing baby rule of thumb is whatever u eat goes to your baby. Whatever makes u gasy will make her too.
B. Try to c if u c a pattern. Does she cry like this before a bottle too? Then its prob not the formula.
C. Newborns can be very constipated, gasy and reflux. My baby screached for the first 2 mnths of her life. My dr didx think it was reflux although Im still positive it is.

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 5:12 pm

sometimes babies will scream because they are really hungry and everyone says it's gas .. I keep feeding as long as baby wants to eat.

Some babies do better with a special formula called "alumentim". I'm sure there is an equivalent to that in Israel. The enzymes are broken down so it is much easier on the baby's stomach. Here there is no hechsher on that formula but it is allowed.

There is another formula which has partially broken down enzymes. This has worked very well for some of my babies. It is called "gentlease" and does have a hechsher.

Of course there is also soy formula ... which has it's pros and cons. My children couldn't tolerate that at all aside for 1 baby who thrived on it.

Basically , first speak to the dr. and see what he suggests. He will ask you about the crying, spit up , diapers ....

amother

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 5:13 pm

oh - and babies cry. Some cry very, very much. Do not worry that something is very wrong. It's part of being a baby. We just do the best we can to take care of them.

5*Mom

Tue, Apr 29 2014, 5:23 pm

A few thoughts:

1. This is the age when sensitivities - either to formula or to foods that you are eating - tend to show up.
2. Newborn, mostly-breastfed babies' diapers are liquidy. That's normal.
3. What color are her diapers? They should be a mustardy-yellow color. If they are green that could indicate a foremilk-hindmilk imbalance which can be easily remedied by nursing on one side only per feed.
4. Does she have any mucus in her stool? That's a sure sign of allergy.

You should call the doctor in the morning, firstly for reassurance, and second, to learn all you can about babies.