Colic or Issue with Breastfeeding?

Those are not symptoms of colic... At all. It sounds a lot more like reflux. What medicine did you try and for how long? I was able to continue breastfeeding my daughter who had reflux just by eliminating dairy. I'd advise you to try that plus Prevacid or Prilosec.

If this is reflux, soy formula won't help.

Hmmm...who told you changing your diet does not help? They are wrong.
It does help, immensely!
Start w/ dairy-it is the most common irritant. Simply cutting out my evening glass of milk helped my son.
I love milk-I got over it.

Chances are if you were to switch him to formula (and as Cheryl said-soy is not good) he would still have this problem.
Then what? You damage your supply and still have issues.
My DD had lots of tummy issues-but she grew out of it.

He sounds gassy to me. To help him pass gas you can bicycle his legs and/or sweep down w/ your whole hand on his tummy.

Hyland's makes Colic tablets-they help w/ gas.

Also wearing your baby close to your chest in a upright position helps a lot! It worked wonders for my DD when she was in the thick of it.

And yes! Contact a LC or the LLL! They can help!

It is gas.
My daughter had a bad time with gas... she RARELY farted or burped as a baby. Though I tried.

Remember, their internal organs are not fully developed yet.
Either.
Thus, they get gas.

Use Mylicon Infant Gas Drops.
It helped my daughter a ton.

Also, don't eat things that cause gas. It will get in the breastmilk.

And, make sure he is latching on properly.
If not, he will not be getting proper intake.
The ENTIRE areola, should be in his mouth. The baby should not just be on the tip of the nipple.

CONTINUE nursing him.
Use Mylicon Infant Gas Drops.
My daughter was like that... and I nursed her until she self-weaned at about 2.5 years old and she grew like a weed.

This is not colic.
Because, it is only happening when he is at breast.

Also, it could be that he is not latching on properly or he does not know how to suck to get the let-down going. Or if you have a slow or too-fast, let down. A baby will fuss due to those reasons too.

See a Lactation Consultant.
This should be your 1st, person to check with.

As you said, after he farts... he feels better.
He has Gas.
My daughter was JUST like that.
I still nursed.
We gave her the infant gas drops.
My daughter, had a hard time passing gas as an infant.
This lasted for about her 1st 3-4 months.
Until her organs, matured.

And you said, the reflux meds did NOT help.
Don't give him stuff... all kinds of stuff. He is only 7 weeks.
Try the infant gas drops, first and/or see a Lactation Consultant... to make sure it is not ALSO...gas AND a poor latch, too. Or a poor let-down or too fast, let-down of milk.

And, are you producing enough milk?
If not, infants get fussy for that reason too.

The arched back and clenched fists and straight legs...are ALL classic symptoms, of Gas. Pain.
My daughter did that as a baby.
She had BAD gas.
NOT reflux.

Gently massage his tummy in circular motions as well and bicycle his legs and burp him often.

My baby did the same thing, but she was having screaming thrashing fits that would last hours. It wasn't colic...she was allergic to dairy (not lactose intolerant...literally, allergic) and what little I was eating on my cereal or the rare ice cream was making her so sick. It may be worth trying...you won't go crazy taking dairy out of your diet. I didn't have to go dairy free, necessarily...I still eat things that have milk in them (cooked), and hard cheese that's been cooked, but I cannot do milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc. She's now 14 months old, and still can't have any of those things.

Also, I would give up caffeine if you're drinking it...I had a cup of real coffee one afternoon, just because I thought I really wanted it, and she got so upset! I've been caffeine free, essentially, from the day she was born. It was a lot easier than I though, honestly, and I used to drink a TON of caffeine.

Anyhow, it doesn't sound like colic. If he's only fussing while he's eating and arching his back, it honestly sounds like gas...now I forget what it's called, but there are "gas drops" for babies that really help them pass gas quickly. My brother in law said they used them with both their daughters and relief was almost instantaneous. You may check that out. If that doesn't help, I'd take dairy out of your diet first. You'll see an improvement almost immediately...within days...if he's got a sensitivity to it.

A friend of mine had to eliminate diary, wheat, soy, and chocolate from her diet, but her baby is now the happiest, smiliest little guy! She also found that she was producing too much foremilk and that by her baby getting a full belly of that, it was making his tummy worse. So what she did is nurse for 2 hours on one side, then 2 on the other - meaning, anytime her baby would nurse within that two hour window it would be from the same side. This way her baby was getting more hindmilk. She started at 2 hour blocks and is now up to 6 hour blocks. It has reduced the amount of breastmilk she's producing, BUT has increased the *quality* of milk her baby's getting.

Definitely consult a LC before you switch to formula. It's a slippery slope that often ends with baby being on formula full time because it's easier for baby to drink from a bottle which makes him not want to nurse which decreases mom's supply. Just saying that if you WANT to breastfeed, exhaust your other options before supplementing. If you're wanting to switch to formula, don't try soy first.

This is normal fussy gassy baby behavior. Very normal at this age. The baby will grow and his gi track will develop and the fussiness will stop. It will stop if you keep nursing or if you switch to differnt formulas.

6 weeks is the peak of crying, it will gradually decline and most babies are done with this by 12 weeks.

My duaghter fussed and cried for hours a day. mostly in the evening we walked and rocked.. like magic at 3 months she stopped screaming and was a happier baby.. just hang in there it will get better.

do not try soy formula - please...

You might be OVER medicating him with the gripe water and the reflux meds...

Talk with a lactation consultant to see if you have him at the right angle for nursing...sometimes babies need to be a tad higher up - yes, makes it more uncomfortable for the mommy - but the right nursing pillow will help with that...

The fussing, stretching of the legs and clenching of the fists is a typical reflux reaction...watch your diet and what you are eating...too much broccoli, cauliflower and other gassy things go directly to your breast milk and cause gas....

I know changing my diet helped IMMENSELY with my second son...you need to knock one thing out at a time to see what's causing it...

GOOD LUCK!

What do his diapers look like? Is it a mustardy yellow (normal) or is there any indication of allergy/oversupply like mucous, green or strangely colored poop? That could be signs of allergy, it would be worth it to try an elimination diet, dairy is the biggest culprit. Is there any diaper rash or other skin breakouts? Also, it could be an imbalance of foremilk/hindmilk, too much foremilk can result in an upset stomach. Block nursing is recommended in this situation, staying on one breast for a longer period of time (3 or 4 hours) and then nursing on the other side for a block of time. Check out this link on fussy baby: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussybaby.html

E.

I had this with my son. A VERY LONG story short... Found out he had a hard time with dairy AND soy! Stopped nursing and gave him Alimentum formula which does not contain dairy or soy(found the already mixed version worked best for him). He was a new baby after that! Good Luck! It can be very frustrating!

Eliminating dairy from your diet will most likely help your little one AND help you in being healthier and losing weight. You have to eliminate regular milk, ice creams and soft cheeses, but organic yogurt, sherberts, and hard cheeses should be alright. It takes 3 weeks for dairy to leave your system, before you'll notice a difference in the baby.

Also, you could have a fast let down, causing baby to gulp in lots of air to try and keep up with the milk flow. Try pumping for a few minutes on the breast you will use to feed your son, then allow him to feed. Do NOT switch breasts during a feeding. Foremilk is the main part of let down, it is a thirst quencher, but it is the nutrient rich hind milk they really need and if all he's getting is foremilk, that can cause gassiness too.

If he's simply an unhappy baby - try getting a Moby or other type of wrap and wear him most of the time. This tends to help a lot with high maintenance babies... as does co-sleeping.

going through the same thing right now. thanks for the post! Using gas drops but not really helping...he will be 8 wks next week and I pray this will past once older than 2 months. gripe water did not work with him. if you find any other tricks...do let me know! I do not plan on cutting dairy out of my diet but I will not have rice/beans for a while..learned that the hard way. do not stop breastfeeding..formula may be no different and the liquid gold is SO MUCH BETTER. I went through this with my first and I am glad I did not stop nursing.

Same thing happened with my son, who is also exclusively breastfed. I cut out dairy for awhile and it helped, but I also used gas drops, made sure I bounced him in a sitting forward position after, and sometimes even curled his legs up and bounced him gently while nursing.
He's been fine for quite a while now (he's four months old) and I've even been able to introduce some dairy and even cheese (yay!!) back in my diet again and he's been able to handle it.
Keep nursing! :) I am really happy I didn't give up because the nursing is going so well now.

My daughter was showing a lot of symptoms that sound like what you are describing; the fussiness, stiffness, difficulty nursing; so I took her to a pediatric chiropractor. It worked wonders. It was a lot of time commitment at first, three times a week, but that tapered off after a few weeks and now she's at a maintenance level of every six-eight weeks or so. It wasn't covered by our insurance (although some do cover it) so it was expensive for us, but it really helped our baby's demeanor, nursing, and body rigidity.

I too had a colicy baby and I exclusively breastfed. The only thing that I did do that seemed to help was lay her flat on her back on the floor and pump her legs in to her chest and back out. This seemed to relieve some of the painful symptoms. Otherwise, I will just give you the best advice I can...don't stop breastfeeding just because of this, it will pass eventually and your bond with baby will be strong as ever. My daughter is now a happy 4 year old and I feel has benefited greatly because of her breastfeeding. I also have never heard that switching to a formula will fix that colic, it seems nothing will! Just make sure he is getting enough to eat and hang in there, it will get better!

You should check with your nearest pediatric chiropractor to see if something is bothering your child. I am in Oak Park, but I think you should be able to find someone closer in Chicago. Check www.icpa4kids.org to find one near you. I know I have great results with babies with similar descriptions to yours, its worth the check-up for the peace of mind. Feel free to PM with questions about local chiros.

I have been through this with both of my kids and they are both allergic to bm and I had to put them on the Alimentum. I couldn't eat any dairy when I was pregnant either, and my pedi said that soy can act just like dairy in the tummy if they are sensitive to it. One of my kids was, one wasn't. My 12 week old is doing much better after his zantac, mylanta, and alimentum. We also use filtered water to make sure he doesn't get any impurities. Try a probiotic as well. I know that as moms we want to bf as long as possible, but its just not worth putting our kids through pain and discomfort, and my pedi really had to reinforce that for me. Try the alimentum for a day or two and see if you see a difference. If you don't after 3 days, then you know thats not the problem, or at least not all of it. Also, you can try hyland's colic pills (fred meyer/qfc health food dept and target pharmacy), they work wonders. Good luck!! It should pass and he should be better about a year or so.

I know it's hard, but personally I'd try everything to stick with the nursing. I don't know your individual situation - only you can decide if that will work for you and your son. With both my kids I had to go on a strict no-cow's-milk diet for the first four months. That meant nothing cooked with cream, milk, or butter. If you buy any packaged foods look on the ingredient list. It seems really limiting at first, but it gets easier and it's totally worth trying because it is a very common cause of colic in babies. Here are some tips - it is usually just a cow's milk sensitivity, so you can still do goat milk. That leaves open goat milk, goat milk yogurt, and goat cheeses like feta. I started putting feta on everything! Cook with olive oil instead of butter. Get "Earth's Balance" from Trader Joe's as a butter substitute for toast and stuff like that. Try drinking almond milk. Trader Joe's sells the most amazing coconut milk ice cream!! Try the dairy-free diet for two or three weeks and you might be amazed! Usually right around four months old you can start eating dairy again without a problem. Good luck!

Keep nursing!! However, yes, cut out the gassy foods. If it gives you gas, it'll give him gas, too. And their little bodies deal with it differently--which is why the gas drops are really useful, too. Also, you might want to trim out the dairy. A friend of mine's son had some pretty bad colic issues and as soon as she cut dairy, he turned into a happy, content baby! My boy had really bad acid reflux, but the medication and gas drops helped enough to get through the first few months (ok, his issues lasted until after he was on solids...).

I've been babysitting my niece daily since she was 5 weeks old and my sis went back to work--though she is pumping and nursing. My niece has had many days like what you're describing. My sister would say "Oh, I had cauliflower last night." To which I respond "STOP!" And she says "But I need my veggies!" And I respond "There are other vegetables." All that aside, my niece is 5 months old now and has significantly fewer days like she used to . She'll still get super-uncomfortable and grumpy sometimes with her back arched, but as she's getting older, she's outgrowing it and her bowels are catching up.

Good luck to you! It's not easy, but it will get better. Your little boy was inside you for longer than he's been out and it takes a while for their little bodies to be ready and able to process what's coming at them.

If it seems like the main problem is that he has a lot of gas, then either Mylicon or Little Tummies, generic is simethicone, 0.3 ml, which can be given multiple times a day, should considerably help. It might also help to burp him halfway through a feed, like do one breast, burp, do the other. It also can't hurt to continue the antireflux measures. Hope things get better, it is so hard to watch them be miserable and not be able to do much to help. It doesn't work for everyone, because it might not be what's causing the problem, but eliminating the gas producing foods and dairy from your diet for a couple of weeks as a trial might help, can't hurt to try it at any rate.

Hang in there. My second daughter is almost 6 months old, and did exactly what your son is doing when she was little. It started at about 2 weeks old. She was so miserable that we would sleep with her on our chest so she could sleep. She would also spit so much after feedings that it seemed like she couldn't possibly be keeping anything down. I decided to cut all of the common allergens out of my diet to see if it would help. It took about a week to see a change, but she was absolutely a changed baby. Dairy it turns out was her problem. (Dairy protein can apparently take up to a couple of weeks to totally leave your system, so hang in there.) Now she spits up a typical amount and sleeps like a dream flat on her back. If I slip up and have something with dairy in it, I pay for it as she starts spitting again. She will also start arching and screaming if I really messed up. It's definitely challenging to change your diet so drastically, at least it was for me, but for me it was worth it to have a happy baby and be able to continue nursing. If you google Dr. Sears Elimination Diet you can find more info about what to eliminate. There is also good info on kellymom.com about elimination diets. Good luck. Feel free to send me a message if you have questions. You can totally do this.
PS I second using Earths Balance as a butter substitute and Almond Milk.

I had an issue with, of all things, a strong let down that made my daughter have a hard time with the force of the milk pressure itself. We were able to slow things down with a nipple shield, which is weird but worked for us until her palate matured a bit. We would go on the nipple, then break to a pacifier so she could swallow basically.
You could also see a speech therapist and/or lactation consultant to check all the other things involved. Hanging out with a group of moms who nurse sometimes can give the best advice--Be By Baby has moms groups or your local La Leche.
Good luck!!