"Violent" Motions During Feeding and Cranky Time....

Hey L.,

It sounds like something is causing him discomfort. My son was colic and the evenings were always the worst. What you could try is letting him have his feeding sitting upright in his infant seat and hold or prop the bottle. Sometimes an upright position when feeding helps and they are more comfortable. It could be reflux and even with the colic sometimes a formula change is needed. My daughter took Neutramagin and was a different baby after that. I would call the doctor. When my son was little I remember them listening to his belly and it sounded like a band was playing inside he had so much gas he needed soy formula. I own a childcare center and so many moms are using Gripe water to mix the formula and it really helps. Good luck

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Hi L.
Congrats on your new little one.
Sounds to me like perhaps he is not getting the formula quick enough. nipple clogs, or the stream is too slow, which can also cause the colic because babies suck air when that happens. It is worth a try.
However, mention it to your doctor. Perhaps you are dealing with an allergy, we did!! Ours would be the happiest 4-5 hours after feeding and would not cry to eat. There are other stomach issues, and the MD needs to know your struggles to care for your new son best.
God bless
K. SAHM married 38 years== adult children 38,33, and twins 19

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I just got done reading your last request and I'm wondering if perhaps he is too hungry and not getting formula fast enough. Try a larger holed nipple, but be sure and feed him upright. We eat sitting up for a reason, the air tends to rise because the food is heavier, so gradually leaves out stomachs. If you feed a baby prone the air gets trapped causing gas, reflux and also a feeling of fullness when he isnt really full.
However it might just be his way of exercising his little limbs. Is he crying while kicking about or just enjoying his bottle? If he isnt fussing and you take the bottle out, he will be sucking air and get gassy. Just feed him a couple of ounces in an upright position and let him kick. Then burp him and feed again.

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Widen the hole in the nipple of the bottle. My oldest so did the same thing. He wasn't getting enough formula ...got to the point when he got teeth, he would bite the top of the nipple off and would "chug" the formula.

Nanc

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Hi! It sounds like your little guy has reflux. My son did the exact same thing. Our pediatrician gave him baby previcid and we used it for about 8 weeks or so until his digestive system was more developed and it helped immediately. Apparently sometimes the little flap in the esophagus does not close all the way in newborns and causes the stomach acid to come up into their throats. Also be sure that when you are feeding him that he is propped up and not leaning back and is held for at least 20 minutes after he is finished eating. You could elevate the head end of the crib/bassinet also. All these things should help. Take care:)

My oldest daughter would do that especially when she ate b/c the liquid is mixing in w/what is already in the stomach (most likely gas bubbles) - one way we helped her w/that was to lay her face down on the palm of our hand w/her arms & legs over the sides of our arms (her stomach down our arm) - that would help her relieve some of the gas - just be sure your little one has an empty stomach when doing this though - u can sit down w/him while doing this & just rub his back in a downward motion. Colic is a hard thing - my daughter had it for 9 months which the pediatrician couldn't believe, but if you need any other suggestions, let me know. Good luck!

You should definately mention this to his doctor. He may have acid reflux and it's hurting him to drink. You may have to just switch formulas. My daughter had reflux and when I had to start supplementing with formula, the only one that worked was Similac sensitive. She was also on meds for the reflux and it helped sooo much. Good luck

is it possible this is because his belly is hurting? Maybe it is something he feels before he gets colicy? food for thought

I'm no expert, but sounds like it's gas. My daughter does the exact same thing at times (though she is breastfed(, and it's gas with her. I usually stop the feeding, and try different positions to try to help her work it out. Sometimes I'll hold her upright and it's a burp (or several). Mostly it's intestinal--there is an abdominal massage that is supposed to help...

http://www.parenting.com/article/Pregnancy/Health/Ask-Dr-...

Anyway, if after getting the gas out my baby is still hungry, then I resume the feeding.

I'm also wondering if switching formulas may help, if it's happening a lot (me neighbor did this and it helped).

Good luck.

try the Du-Du (down up down up)swaddling technique by Doctor Carp(sp?) It worked for my daughter. It is a secure way to swaddle your baby. It helps them feel secure. If it is done correctly they can't get out of it. Good luck.

Dear MOM,

I was wondering how long in between feedings, Could he be very hungry. Or is this after a long nap, or bowel movement?

I know my boys used to do something similar if they were very active and hungry.It was like they were starved, And oddly enough my husband would actually act like a wild bear when he was hungry, and now that the boys are older 3 and 4 years old, they are very similar, and need to snack all day long. If not they get cranky.
And to this day they act like they have never been fed right after a poo, its like it empties them out.

Gas usually makes them cry not desire to eat, But if you bicycle his legs, or lift him up in the air under his arms, and then lower him, to his legs in your lap it should help him pass wind, and relieve the pain, For more severe gas there is always mylicon drops found in any pharmacy.

I see you mentioned colic , perhaps your laying him flat on his back when he is feeding. Make sure your keeping him at an angle with his head being held up,

and continue to keep him in an upright position for atleast 25 minutes after a feeding to help him from getting reflux, and allowing the food to digest. And don't forget to burp him because this could be whats irritating him aswell.

what usually helped my boys relax after a long day was
a baby massage. I would usually wash them with a nice warm wash cloth. then massage some lotion all over their bodies, helping their little bodies to relax, they didn't like to be bathed but loved getting the rub down.

Also are you cooking the family dinner at this time?
and not playing with him. Perhaps you could pre cut the veggies, or salad, in advance and only cook the meat making it a shorter time for him to be alone, OR have this become daddy's time with baby, and ask daddy to read baby a story.

Last little suggestion would be to remind you to stick to a routine, any little deviation confuses and upsets them,

Keeping things at the same time everyday helps you child to thrive, to know what to expect, and to feel comfortable.
And the last thing we wanna do is make our babies feel unsafe or comfortable in their own home.

I wish you the very best, good luck and congratulations.

M

Hi L., Sounds like your little one is real hungry and/or also has gas issues. The "violent" actions you describe are not uncomon for a baby who is used to the nourishment just coming to him without him having to do anything. Sounds like you are doing fine. He will be fine also. Grandma Mary

Is your son otherwise breastfed? My (breastfed) daughter started to refuse to accept bottles of expressed milk around 6 weeks old. It took me several days to realize what was going on. My lactation consultant told me that the flow of most bottle nipples is actually TOO FAST for breastfed newborns (if the bottle drips when it is held upside down, then they feel like they are drowning/gagging in milk because they are not in control of the flow). The Playtex Naturalatch nipples in slow flow helped to solve this problem with us. She used them until about 5 months old, when we switched to medium flow. When she got older (7 or 8 months old), then she wanted the fastest flow we could find, and then very soon switched to sippy cups.

He just sounds hungry. My six-week old daughter does this to my boob when she's feeding sometimes. She'll pound her little fists on my chest or try to grab my breast with both hands so as to mash it against her face. I think these little ones just get frantic with food lust until they settle down and the supply regulates. Is it accompanied by back and forth head-wagging and snorting? We call my daughter the 'truffle pig' ...

Don't go cutting the bottle nipples with kitchen knives or switching to gross"special" formula preparations whose first ingredients are water and corn syrup without talking to a doctor. My guess is he is crying because you take the bottle AWAY from him. Just let him spazz on it. Or if it bothers you, drape him across your lap in a way that his arms are alongside his body

I'm so sorry for both of you! It sounds as though the little guy is in pain. If it's happening while he's eating then there would be a direct connection to what he's eating. Are you using breast milk? If so, you need to be aware of what you're ingesting, because it could be causing gas. If it's formula, my guess is that it needs to be changed to something that's not got those components in it, ie soy or whey, because he could be allergic to it. Check with your son's doctor.

Hang in there! Being a first time mom is the most amazing journey of your lifetime! You're doing a great job and keep searching for answers and don't let anyone put you off. There's no reason your son should put up with your son being in pain.

Lots of luck! Enjoy the journey~
M.

sounds like reflux???? ask the doctor and if it is they will give some ideas to alleviate hgis discomfort! good luck!

Hi,

He might be allergic to the formula or lactose intolerant. Is he gassy or have runny stool after. I would talk to the pediatrician and perhaps change formula ASAP.

My older daughter used soy formula when she stopped nursing at 6 months, she self weaaned. My younger daughter nursed till she was 4 years old and never drank formula.

Good Luck!!!!

For a few weeks my newborn would do the same thing... seemed like he was punching and kicking at the evening feedings.
I asked the doc, and she said that as long as he was actually eating, it was normal and to just go along with it. I tried to swaddle him, and that helped a bit, but eventually he just grew out of it.

Good luck!

This may sound silly but check the nipples on the bottles. Sometimes the holes are way to small to get anything out of them. I usually check them my sucking them myself. Then I take a small kithen knife and puncture it slightly and test it again. I hope that helps a lil. But if not I hope someone else can shed some light for you. Good luck!

It sounds like gas. Have you tried gas drops? I got into the habit of putting the drops directly into each bottle. I also tried my grandmother's advice of boiling water with a bay leaf and sugar for about 10-15 minutes and letting it cool to room temp (remove bay leaf and poor into bottle). Doing the bicycle with their legs seems to help also. Good luck.

It sounds like GERD. I went through this w/ my son when he was a baby and taking formula. I remember being a nervous wreck about it.
I learned from a friend - and it helped- that he was potentially reacting to the solid milk proteins in the formula which he could not digest or breakdown. I tried Alimentum- more costly - but did it for my child when I had to have him on formula. It is already broken down milk solids so more digestible for their undeveloped digestive systems. Formula really is not so good for them-- I added probiotics powder for infants - 1/8 of a teaspoon for 8 0z bottle. I used Natren's Life Start powder in the refrigerator section of good health food stores.
I also when breast feeding really cut back on the aggravating foods that seemed to upset him; such a the caffeine; cheese; tomato sauce; garlic.
Read up on GERD and see if it is helpful to you. It could be an allergic reaction to the formulas. BEST TO YOUR LITTLE GUY & YOU

I think you sent two questions - so I thought I would respond to both within this one response. First - if your son is a healthy weight, eats well and continues to gain weight - then I would let him sleep. The other thing though is that you may find if he sleeps too much during the day - you may not get as much sleep at night! I just don't know if there is a concern regarding his weight or health that the pediatrician is concerned about.
Secondly - maybe you need to look at the amount or level of flow from the nipple you are using on the bottle. Maybe it is too hard for him to suck it out of the bottle and he is getting immediately frustrated. For example - Dr Browns has like 3 or 4 different "flows" for their nipples. Maybe you need to increase the flow. I don't know what bottle you are using.

Good luck.