41 answers

Help with 4 Month Old Feeding Issues

Hey mamas! I need some major help here. I have a four month old baby that, not be mean, has been a MAJOR challenge since she was born. I have a 2 year old also so i am not a first-time mom so i don't think i am over-reacting but i need advice. We have had major feeding issues since she was born- although i tried to breastfeed- i couldn't - and now she has been on almost every formula out there. We have tried regular Enfamil, Enfmail A.R., Enfamil Gentilease, Enfamil ProSobee (soy formula), and now we are on Nutramigen. My question is this- she has done nothing but cry, cry, cry like crazy almost since she was born. She has always spit up a ton- like at least half her bottles- i literally go through 10-12 burpcloths a day because she saturates them. She is on Zantac although i am not sure how much it really helps. Everytime we switch a formula- she gets a little better for about a week and then we end up right back to where we were before. Every single formula seems to constipate her except for Nutramigen- so we were always putting Karo in her bottles (like every single bottle) just to get her to go- and then Nutramigen literally runs right through her and she will have 6-8 dirty diapers a day- causing her butt to be flaming red with diaper rash. I am so stressed out and feel like there must be something else wrong with her- i literally cried all morning today to my husband because i am not sure i can do this much longer. She will start to eat a bottle then arches her back and gets stiff- i know she wants to eat but every single time i feed her- she always stiffens up and cries. I can always feel her little tummy rumbling all the time too! She si so uncomfortable all the time- but the crying si driving my hubby and i nuts and i feel so bad like i am neglecting my two year old because my 4 month old requires so much of my attention. Any suggestions are welcome if anyone else has gone thru this. I just don't know what else to do since we have tried all the formulas- and even Nutramagin- which is supposed to be as gentle as it gets- doesn't seem to help. My dr. told me at first it was just a combination of colic and acid reflux but i have this weird feeling that maybe there is something else going on but i don't know what else to do except maybe try organic formula! I just need some sleep and some quietness in my house. My husband is a fireman so he is gone for 24 hours at a time- and those days are SO long and miserable for me because i get no relief from a crying baby for 24 hours. I am going to try to take her in to the dr this week-i am not an uptight mom- i just don't know if i am over reacting. I don't think i am but my first baby was so easy- this is the worst ever! PLEASE HELP!

What can I do next?

Featured Answers

Have you tried goats milk? I knew of a lady who had a daughter that was allergic to all formula's and the only thing she could tolerate was the goat's milk. You may think about taking her to a gastrologist for her tummy problems that she's having. I really hope something works for you. I myself had a very easy baby and the only formula that he could tolerate was SMA as his bowels would get seedy from Similac and other he would just throw it up. I am sorry that you are going throught this and I wouldn't wish this on any mother.

1 mom found this helpful

You might look in to a chiropractor. I never took my babies but I did take my 5 year old for tic disorder and it helped a great deal. Since that was recommended to me at this site, I hae seen other instances where chiropractors have helped infants.

1 mom found this helpful

Sounds like you need some help from the pediatrician. I know I have heard of babies having severe cases of acid reflux. I think they can do more than the Zantac. Talk to the doctor and them what you are going through. That is what they are there for. If they tell you to just keep doing what you are doing, go to another doctor. Good luck, and walk away and take a deep breath when you get frustrated. I know the screaming and crying can be like nails on a chalkboard sometimes. Just remember before you know it they will be 18 and going to college!

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

My second baby screamed for about the first 3 months of life. I really feel your pain. I would set her down and walk away just to keep myself from shaking her or hurting her. The doctor said that there was nothing wrong, but I was convinced that there was. To make a long story short, I ended up finding a chiropractor who treated infants. After the first treatment, my daughter was different. She had to go many times to fully correct the problem, but the change was so dramatic. The chiropractor said that when the mid-back is out of alignment it compresses the nerves that control the digestive tract and causes a lot of spitting up and pain. I really hope that this or something that someone else suggests helps. I know how much the entire family suffers when a baby is unhappy.

2 moms found this helpful

I feel for you. That sounds just like the issues we had with our 2nd child. We were on Nutramigin and it did help some. But sometimes you have to really push the doctor's to try different stuff. I finally switched doctor's when she was 6 months old and the new doc gave her zantac which I think helped alot. If that's not working for you you can also try Prevacid. I've heard that works much better for alot of babies. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hello L.,

I watched a program on babies with this same issue. Go to your doctor and if he/ she doesn't try to help resolve your babies issue go to another one. It sounds as if your baby is allergic to her formula. Have you tried pumping your breast milk and feeding her with a special bottle that helps with gas. She sounds like shes miserable and YOU to. I wish you luck!

1 mom found this helpful

OMG I so fell your pain! I went throught the same thing with my second son. Have you tried Mylecon? Drs. will tell you there is no evidence that it should work, but any mom with a colicky baby will tell you it is a miracle. Also when you change formula it takes about a week or so for the baby's tummy to adjust. I found out the hard way they changing formula too much makes things worse. If there is nothing phyically wrong then the baby will grow out of it. But listen to your gut. If you thing there is something else wrong don't let the doctor pat you on the head and send you home.

Also remember if you get frustrated with the crying, put the baby in the crib and walk away for a 10 minutes. It won't hurt the baby and it will make you feel better.

Good Luck.

1 mom found this helpful

Is she gaining weight and growing? Make sure the doctor checks that she is absorbing the nutrients. If she isn't, then she is literally starving even though she is eating. That could be making her cry all the time.

Have you tried feeding her maybe one ounce every 30 minutes instead of a whole bottle every few hours?

Make sure you give yourself a break. Take her to a friend or daycare provider, even if for just a couple hours. You need it!

1 mom found this helpful

I suggest a low iron formula.

Some infants are more sensitive to iron than others. Research "symptoms of iron overdose in infants." Of course your child NEEDS iron for normal development, but if her body is not properly processing it and an abnormal amount is building up in her body, many problems can occur.

Start with the low iron formula like Enfamil LIPIL Low. If the symptoms don't abate, get to the doctor for some bloodwork before making any further changes.

If your child is iron sensitive be aware that she may also be sensitive to aspirin when she gets older.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi L.,

I know this is kind of late but I just read your request and the other responses. I remember when my oldest son was so colicky and it was terrible! I agree that it sounds like your little one is lactose intolerant and hopefully going to a different doctor will help.

This is a little thing that helped a lot with our third child -- I didn't know about it on the first so I didn't try it with him. I would sit in our rocker recliner with our daughter, she was totally nude (I just had a towel handy!) and I would just wear my big old bathrobe. I would lay her bare tummy to my bare tummy and hold her as upright as I could. She could nurse for a minute if she wanted and it seemed like the bare skin contact and breast helped to comfort her. I think the warmth and pressure on her tummy helped a lot.

I know this won't be practical if you don't have anyone else to help with your older baby and housework but I was so relieved that it really seemed to help stop the crying with our daughter.

God bless you,
A.

1 mom found this helpful

Your issue is one I am familiar with. My 2nd daughter had projectile vomiting the first year of her life. We didn't even get the chance to use burp clothes. We needed towels, great big towels, lots of carpet cleaning and we changed our own clothes as often as hers. The only thing I can say is she never cried. I am so sorry you are going through that. She finally grew out of it.

Have you tried burping your little one before each feeding and often even when not eating? All that crying is going to fill her tummy with a lot of air.

I don't know if anyone else has said this, but my daughter did some research before AJ was born and she said that Similac does not cause constipation but that all enfamil products do. It's one ingredient that is in the enfamil products that is not in Similac.

That aside, someone probably mentioned the Dr Brown bottles. I can not say enough good about these bottles. I bought them the day my grandson came home from the hospital and he never once spit up until yesterday. Then it was a volcanic reaction! I am not sure what that is about. But we have tried other bottles and he spits with all of them, not the Dr. Browns.

About his volcanic spew yesterday... I think we had been offering too much food. We had gotten into the habit of coaxing him to finish the last few sips in each bottle and we had been feeding him the minute he squirms instead of waiting for him to be hungry. That's probably going to handle our issue.

I know you are tired and stressed. Babies pick up on all of that. I think you need to pull out all the stops to just keep trying different things. I would not use this Nutramagin formula since it's causing her the diaper rash. That's only going to add to her discomfort and make more work and more crying. Try to darken the windows, light some candles, put on some relaxing music and get you and her both into the best restful mood you possibly can. Do that as often as possible. Burp her constantly. Have you tried the herbal fussy drops that are sold everywhere?

S.

1 mom found this helpful

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