What Could Be Wrong with My Baby?

Hey K. -
Here are a few things that helped us out with similar stuff. First of all, Thrush can be from allergies to foods and not just dairy. So far I cut out the following foods from my diet and it has mad a huge difference in gas for my little one and eliminated stuff like thrush, deminished ecemia (sp?) and cradle cap.
1. No dairy (and I only did organic before so that wasn't the issue.
2. No corn or wheat.
3. No peanuts or soy (I'm allergic to soy)
4. No chocolate.

It's been a difficult diet to follow but it has done a ton for my little one and I've lost weight and felt better too.

My lactation consultant also had mentioned that sometimes little ones can get gas because they're not latching on correctly. Have you looked at that?

Lastly, baby stools change based on what you eat and based on what's going on in their body. Their intestinal tracks keep on developing which causes stools to change in consistency and frequency and gas can be heavier or lighter at times because of this as well. My doc told me at about 6 weeks that a lot of gas does come from their developing GI track. She said that way to many docs are just assuming it's a GI thing and that the baby needs antacids when there are other ways to deal with this. She also said that one way to know if it's an acid problem is if they cry more when you lay them down. What happens is the acids build up into their esophogus and it causes them more irritation. If this is the case, elevate the head of the bed mattress.

Best of luck and hang in there. It does get easier. My little one is 16 weeks now and she's doing much better and all without meds. If you do need meds by all means use them and if you need a specialist, go see one. I'm all for helping our little ones!

1 mom found this helpful

K.,

Poor baby! Poor mama! Its so hard to hear them cry when they are this little.

You didn't mention what your diet was like besides that you cut dairy. Do you eat a lot of gas causing foods like broccoli, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce? Some babies are very sensitive to these foods. You could try cutting those things.

Follow your insticts, no one knows your baby better than you. If you think something is wrong keep bringing him to the pediatrician. Write everything down, even questions to ask the doctor.

Until you get this figured out keep your baby close. Keep giving him warm baths and massages, bicycle legs, all those things you said you were doing were right on track. This will work itself out soon.

Good luck. Keep us all updated.

R.

1 mom found this helpful

We had some similar issues with my daughter now 8 mo. We did the precivid and that helped, but I also think she had a touch of colic as well as a bit of mild~ish reflux. I found COLIC CALM on line and tried it.....It all natural and it works so well to calm their tummies and let them sleep, cuddle or play. I highly recommend it. When my daughter gets fussy now from teething I use it and it always helps her feel better or go back to sleep. Also our ped. said that when they are that little 5 wks, pretty much everything they do results in 'gas' b/c when they tense up/move or get upset it affect their tummy/intestines and forces out gas...it isn't always a case of gas being the culprit for the discomfort/pain. Good luck, it is so stressful to have a crying baby that you can not soothe, just remember that the efforts you spend TRYING to soothe him count!! sometimes a baby just needs to cry ~it is the only communication they have. It is not the end of the world your or his if you need to lay him in the crib to cry while you take a shower or a 10 minute break to recharge. Take care of yourself so you can take care of him!!

Your baby sounds like my sister in law's three children. They had colic.

Hi K.,
I had the same issue a few weeks ago with my newborn. It broke my heart and I called my pediatrician 3 nights in a row crying!

This is what I did and I hope it can help you.
1. If your mom or any family lives near by, ask them for help. My mom came over and took over! Now remember, our family eats three meals a day, sleeps well and their patience is not worn, so the baby may calm down when they arrive,

2. I was breastfeeding and my ped told me to buy Alimentum (just as you have.) Can I tell you, it made a huge difference. I know it is super expensive, but I do not care.

3. My pediatrician recommended the following:
* Give 1/4 teaspoon of Maloxx with each feeding
* Give him 2 oz of chamomille tea before bedtime to calm his belly
* Warm baths before bedtime
* Boil fennel seed and give him 2 oz once a day (sweeten with a very small amount of Karo Syrup
* Give him mylicon drops with each feeding
* Purchase Dr. Brown Bottles

Ok, and here is the main problem that we had... My son was constipated! He did not poop for 5 days and we had to get a stool softener and a baby enema. You can buy this at the pharmacy, but ask your doctor first. I also had to take him to a pediatric surgeon to have his anus dilated... I know, poor guy... But, can I tell you, it worked and now he is happy and eating well and sleeping well. yes, he spits up and so on, but he is a totally different baby.

After my son screamed for 5 nights in a row, I was on a mission to help him. Between my mom, husband, pediatrician and pharmacy, it seems to have worked.

Good luck!
K.

Sounds to me a lot like your LO has colic, a lactose intolerance or both. My son (he's 5 now) had a lactose intolerance issue and colic. Whenever I'd eat a dairy product and try to nurse him, he'd pull off after a couple of minutes and scream much like you've described. It took us a long time to figure it out, he did a lot of pulling off and screaming, scrunching up his legs w/gas and spitting up. It took the wife of a friend of my husband's to come by (she was nursing her 8th child) to observe him and help us figure it out. It took a while, but once I stopped all dairy, he got a little better with nursing. We did notice that he would take pumped breastmilk from a bottle if I'd eaten dairy, but not from me. Don't know why, but give that a try and see if it helps.

Also the scrunching of his legs and gas, are the colic symptoms my son had. It's really tough with both at once, because you just can't figure out what's going on. Our pediatrician was able to diagnose the colic right away and gave us tips on making him more comfortable. My son liked constant motion, so to this day my husband and I will still instinctively bounce with any baby we hold (even our 2 month old daughter who doesn't have colic). You're doing well, just keep trying different things until you find what works. My son also liked the bathroom fan, no idea why, but the sound was soothing to him.

The good news is, this is a phase and it does pass. Know it feels like forever, but once my son got to 12 lbs. and approx. 12 weeks old, the colic symptoms faded away and passing gas wasn't an issue for him. Once he reached a year old, dairy products and milk were fine for him too. Ask your pediatrician about the colic and lactose and see if he has any ideas. If you stop drinking milk and eating dairy, it can take approx 1-2 weeks to see a difference. Know it's not an ideal solution, but might be worth a try. Hope this helps and good luck!

Dear K.,

First of all, you sound like an absolutely wonderful mom! Whatever your little guy has, I am deeply confident that he'll wind up being fine, because you're clearly so devoted and conscientious.

As many other moms have said, this sounds a LOT like a milk protein intolerance (which is NOT the same as lactose intolerance; that usually doesn't show up until about 6 years of age). However, if you've already eliminated dairy from your diet, you might consider eliminating the following as well:

* Soy
* Nuts
* Wheat
* Eggs
* Broccoli/cauliflower
* Beans
* Onions
* Chocolate

I know that's a lot to eliminate, but it *is* possible to eat healthily without these foods: I pretty much lived on oatmeal with Rice Dream for breakfast and grilled chicken salads for lunch and dinner when my son was a baby.

Best wishes,

Mira

First off, let me assure you, you are not alone and this too shall pass! I am a mother of four and it never ceases to amaze me that just when you think you conquer one issue, another one arises! My youngest son did the exact same thing and literally screamed whenever he was awake (ask my neighbor!!) for 8 weeks! I took him to the doctor several times and basically because his physical exam was normal and the fact that he was still thriving, he was "just fussy". But again, you know your baby better than anybody, so of course follow your instincts.

My advice to you, providing that your pediatrician has ruled out any g.i. issues, is to get all the help you can from your husband or family members to try and cope and relax because it is so mentally draining! Go out for a quick drive to re-group...and then come back and try and soothe him. He will soon sense that you are more relaxed and eventually, he will settle...even if it's for 15 minutes, anything helps!

I thought it was due to breastfeeding and perhaps he wasn't getting enough or maybe I was eating the wrong foods, but I tried everything you mentioned and more and nothing seemed to help. It just ended magically at 8 weeks :-) He is now 10 months old, VERY happy, almost never cries, and is still breastfeeding. He does, however, still need only me to soothe him and gets very intense when he IS upset.

Hang in there...it ends!

I had to eliminate all dairy and soy when breastfeeding my son. He was so sensitive I couldn't even have a cookie or pancake or ANYTHING with milk, casein, whey etc. listed anywhere in the ingredients. It also takes about a week for the diary to leave their systems. Maybe give it more time and be very diligent about reading labels on what you eat? I nursed him for 11 months. When he did go to formula he went to Elacare. It is non diary and non soy. It is amino acid based. His gastroenterologist put him on that formula. You have to special order it at a pharmacy or through the company website. good luck.

It sounds like its gas. Also, some babies like the milk to come out a little faster and get frustrated while feeding. Mylicon didn't work for my nephew, but my sister in law would give him Anise tea(WITHOUT HONEY OR SUGAR) in the bottle. This seemed to have alleviated his gas pain. Maybe you could try that since its more natural. They sell the Anise in big bottles. They almost look like stars. Boil one for a few minutes, let it cool and put that in the bottle. See if it helps! I know having a new little one is challenging. I'm sure you'll do great! Also, if it comes down to it, call La Leche League and see if they have any other suggestions. GOod luck!

Sounds like gas.
1. Try grip water.
2. Try the nipple shields so that he gets less gas into his mouth when breastfeeding. He may be filling up on gas.
3. Try burping him (3) times after feedings.
Over the shoulder - patting their back - your get a burp.
Across your legs with the baby on their belly - patting their back - they pass gas.
Over your other shoulder - patting the back - they pass gas or burp again.
Gas moves around and all does get out and this helps get it all out.
4. Also try baby message. Rub his little belly in a down ward motion.

Good luck.

Could it be an allergy to milk or some other food that is upsetting his tummy? Cut back on the milk in your diet and see if it helps. Does your baby have eczema? I am so sorry. I hope your baby gets better soon!

Hi K.,

I agree with some of the other mothers, you should start to eliminate some foods from your diet that cause gas. My son was allergic to milk so we had to give him soy milk, that is an option.

I would really suggest that you continue to take your baby to the doctor until you find out what's going on. He is a very young baby and this problem needs correction for your peace of mind and to alleviate any pain your baby is having.

All the best.

C.

It sounds like he has yeast, candida to be specific. And I bet he can't digest the alimentum.... Where do you live? I have an excellent contact who can help if you are interested. Your baby is definitely letting you know as best as he can that he is struggling. The challenge you'll have in the Medical community is that they only recognize yeast as "thrush". I healed myself and my son of yeast that settled in the digestive tract ie. small intestine and caused us both to have a "Leaky Gut" again, something the AMA doesn't recognize. You need to act fast because toxins will seep right into his bloodstream and have an adverse reaction to his brain and other organs. I know from first hand experience but caught it fast enough to turn it around for my son. R.

Hi K.,

This just my opinion, but I will have his stomach checked by a specialist. Just to clear out anything that maybe causing him pain like that. How is your diet, some foods are very gassy to children. Like chocolate,broccoli,onions,ect. This can cause them discomfort. I will definettly get a second opionion. Good Luck! :)

I have a couple of ideas, but one would be to contact your local La Leche League leader for advice. (llli.org) They are a great resource and will give free advice over the phone.

Here are my ideas:

With the thrush and what sounds like a couple of courses...maybe he is having sensitivity or a reaction to something you are eating. Dairy, soy and wheat are often foods that cause issue so I'd start with cutting out your dairy first. Hmmm I just reread that you did that already. Peanuts? Honey? I think getting him on some probiotics would probably be beneficial. If he had such a hard time with the thrush, there could be some yeast/candida still in his digestive system. It's not uncommon for babies to have gut issues that linger and it's hard to diagnose.

Also, just read about the yawning. Is his nose stuffy? Have they checked his ears? If there is any congestion in the nose or ears he could be having pain or discomfort and maybe scream over that. Ears especially. Does his jaw click? Or is it a tongue click?

That's my two cents and I hope that you do call La Leche League. They are a wealth of information and I can see you really want to continue your breastfeeding relationship. Congratulations!

I had very similar issues with my LO starting at about 2 months-he was okay during the day but in extreme pain in the evening/overnight. I went as far as to cut all veggies, including garlic and onions, RED SAUCE and DAIRY out of my diet-for nursing. And when he got a bottle it was 1/2 breastmilkd and 1/2 formula which I switched to similac SOY formula instead of the easy shield I had been using. I also switched him from mylecon to little tummy's gas drops and used it before and after each meal. All of these things made an incredicle difference!!!! He is now 7 months old and hasn't had many of these symtoms now in about 3 months. A friend had also suggested warming up olive oil in you palms and massage their bellies. At the first sign of gas that he can't pass easily, I still do the bicycle leg thing and massage his belly! Good luck.

I'm so sorry to hear that you and your baby are under so much stress. You should speak with a lactation consultant. Call the hospital where you delivered. They usually make house calls and your insurance may cover a couple of consultations.

My son was not nearly this extreme, but we discovered through a food journal that he was having painful gas associated with my food- garlic, spices, etc. He's fine now and will pretty much eat anything, but it was very tough on all of us for a few weeks.

Good luck-

My heart goes out to you. It is already challenging to be a first time mom, trying to figure things out, but to go through this...that's tough.

I am mom to 4 awesome children, all of whom I nursed. My second baby sounded a lot like your little one. I nursed him as well, and he cried almost non-stop, otherwise. It was overwhelming. But here is what we did. Take out not only dairy, but eggs, OJ, and tomatoes too. Those are pretty big culprits in making babies fussy (besides the well-known broccoli, cabbage, and beans).If the fussiness disappears, you know you have found the culprit! Just add the items back in one at a time, every six days or so. When the fussiness returns, the food item you most recently added is the problem. That is how I found my sons' allergy. He was bleeding in his diapers, and I used this method to narrow the allergen down to dairy. Turns out my little one also has a dairy allergy. It is quite common in infants.

Something else to think about. You said you are nursing. I realized in hindsight that the other part of my sons crying was a problem with me. I was hyperlactating (making too much breast milk), which causes the baby to get too much sugary "skim" milk and consequently makes them gassy and very fussy. Also, the "skim" milk won't fill them up, so they are hungry a lot, and want to nurse all the time. My son nursed at least every two hours, 24 hours a day. I discovered that now because it happened to my 16 week old. The first sign was that she had green diapers (well past the newborn green diaper stage), which should be yellow for a nursed baby. Then she started getting really fussy. It was also indicated by her body language: chugging the milk while crying because it was coming too fast, seeming to fight with my breast...lots of kicking and angry squirming of the body, and of course intermittent crying at the breast. The way to solve it is to drink some mint tea (it slows milk production down)and to nurse from one breast at least 3 times in a row before switching to the other. The result is less milk to chug, and consumption of the skim milk so they get to the good stuff - the hind milk, which is creamy and has plenty of caloriesso they stay full and happy. The result for the other breast? Since it is not being emptied as often, its production of skim will slow down, and you won't make as much! But you must keep up that pattern in order for it to work. It takes a couple hours to a couple days. (Nurse three times on right side, ignoring the left. Then nurse three times on left side, ignoring the right breast…this is called block feeding.) If your milk has slowed down since you have given him some formula, don't worry just start up with the pattern. Your breasts will follow your lead and meet the baby's demands. Also, during your block feedings, if your “ignored” breast becomes too uncomfortable, the baby may nurse on that side, just to relieve the discomfort. But not too much, so you do not stimulate the production of skim.

My little one also has reflux. The body language was similar. Scrunching up legs, fighting the breast, crying, and strange throat noises I had to imitate for the doctor:). Pediatirician put her on Prevacid and that made her belly aches worse (it increased her "leg scrunching" and crying). So we switched her to Pepcid and she is doing wonderfully! Pain is gone! She still spits up A LOT, but thats fine with me as long as she is not in pain.

I hope this helps. Try not to stress out, the baby will follow your lead. Sounds like you are doing a great job of being observant and investigating what’s going on. Follow your gut...mom's have a good sense about their babies. I have included a website that might be helpful to you if you think hyperlactation is the problem.

http://breastfeeding.hypermart.net/toomuchmilk.html

Best of luck to you! I will be thinking of you!

Hi, K..

Being in your shoes, I know how hard this is for you. My daughter went through the same thing. I started eliminating everything that I ate within a couple of days of coming home because of the screaming intervals to narrow down what was happening.

By now, the doctor has given the vitamin suppliment TriViSol. Stop giving your son the vitamin for a couple of days to see what happens. If the situation improves, he may be allergic to the coloring and/or flavoring that is in the vitamins. My daughter responsed within 24 hours after eliminating the vitamins. I tested it again two days later and had the identical screaming within hours. I have since learned that my daughter was allergic to the flavorings that they used in the vitamins. At the time, the pediatrician told me that the vitamins were not that critical if she was having that type of reaction. He also told me that I should keep trying to give it to her at monthly or every other month intervals. I eventually told him that I was no longer going to try giving her the vitamins. I found an alternative children's vitamin suppliment without all the garbage in it. She's been fine ever since. She, however, also has acid reflux that was not properly diagnosed for months. Another pediatrician from the practice found it by accident.
As long as you eat a fairly desent diet, you should be able to give him the vitamins and the nutrition that he needs. Thats not to say that the vitamins should not be used. I will take a look to see who makes the vitamins and send you a private response.

Please let us all know how you make out. Hang in there kiddo. Things will get better.

Good luck.

S. D

Sounds like my son - he seemed to scream constantly - about 15 minutes after feedings. Do you swaddle? Try it. Also a position my son seemed to like was for me to hold him in a sitting up position with his butt in my one palm and then my other hand supporting him - I'd hold him out in front of me then I would bounce him. Great arm exercises for you! I actually stopped breastfeeding COLD TURKEY after seeing my pediatrician b/c I was freaking out about milk allergies and intolerance - looking back not sure if it would have matterd - but me and my son were freaking out and I didn't kow what else to do. IT BROKE MY HEART - it was terrible but we switched him to soy formula. IT helped thank goodness but he still had some minor episodes. Mylicon was a life saver. I feel like the first 6 weeks was abosulte the most difficult, upsetting thing to handle ever. Thats when we switched. When I have a second child though I am going to try to continue breastfeeding though if this issue arises and try to work harder on MY diet. I admit I didn't b/c I freaked out quickly. I do not know if this is a link but I am going to watch it the second time - when breastfeeding I ate a lot of PBJ's and Luna Bars - lots of nuts...well my son is allergice to peanuts...I wonder if my diet was the cause of his agony b/c he was allergic or if my diet caused his allergy. I find no clear research to prove one way or the other. I was told my diet didn't matter so much when I was breastfeeding, but I've since heard and read otherwise, but with no solid evidence so personally my second time around I'm going to look at that harder, maybe you can take a look at that now since you are still breastfeeding. Good luck - hang in there! Its so hard!!!! and so heartbreaking I know! Feel free to contact me directly if you want to chat some more. I swear I didn't want a second child b/c it was so upsetting and hard - but I'm happy to say two years later I feel different about that and do want another - so you will figure this out. My son was labeled "colicky" WHATEVER that means. I'm a first time mom too!

I have almost never met a baby at that age who didn't have "terrible gas" and digestion issues, so it could be that he will grow out of it. All three of mine seemed so uncomfortable and gassy the first few weeks of their lives but ultimately got better.

Whenever someone posts, though, about excessive crying while eating, I feel compelled to mention the possibility of a heart problem. When one of my twins was 4 months old, he started screaming while I was feeding him. He'd be red in the face, sweating, and then finally fall asleep. I called the pediatrician several times over a two week time period telling him that something was wrong. The doctor poo-pooed it saying that he had just seen my son for a checkup and all was well, and that he probably just wasn't hungry.

Well, after this went on for about 3 weeks, one morning (Thanksgiving morning) when I fed him, he was breathing really heavily and his heart felt like it was pounding out of his chest. I would have immediately called the doctor, but that day, he actually drank ok and was smiling. So I waited until the next day (since it was Thanksgiving and I figured the doctor wouldn't have been in). Anyway... turns out that my son had an atrial flutter and was in heart failure. His lungs were filled with fluid and his heart was enlarged to twice his normal size. Had it been caught earlier, it would have been much easier to reverse. He wound up staying in the PICU for a week and took medication for 7 months. He is TOTALLY fine now.

Apparently, screaming when feeding is a classic sign of heart problems b/c it is so tiring for a child to suck when they are sick like that... Of course, crying when feeding is a sign of about 100 other things, most of which are nothing.

So I am obviously not trying to worry you and most likely, your son just has typical gas problems, but just keep the heart thing in mind. In a million years I wouldn't have thought that's what was wrong with him, especially b/c he had no heart defects at birth.... It was just an electrical stimulus gone awry....

Trust your instints and keep pushing the doctors for answers if this goes on much longer....

Hi K.-
The same thing happened to my son. When I brought him home from the hospital, he screamed all the time. It was Christmas Eve and I was at my wits end. The pediatrician I had was new to me since this was my first child. The pediatrician was of no help. He wanted me to take my 4 DAY old son to the emergency room on Christmas Eve(No Way) instead I gave him Mylecon drops which helped. He too seemed to be in pain and had alot of gas. I tried walking with him, burping him over my knees, nothing seemed to help.After tons of research, I finally changed his formula to soy and it made SUCH a difference. He was like a different child. Sometimes the iron in formula is too much for them to handle. I also changed pediatricians as well.
Hope this helps
K.

I've been through the same thing with my first child....DAIRY ALLERGY!
Skip the barium swallow. See if they'll do a colonoscopy. That's how they determined it was for my daughter. Her nodes were inflamed and there was evidence of bleeding.
In fact, just take it out of the diet and forget the invasive tests for now. If there isn't a change in a few weeks then continue with the tests.

poor things, i know how hard it can be. you got lots and lots of good advice here, im not going to repeat. i just didnt see, so wanted to mention :: chinese food was a problem for us, so was lots of citrus. also, for yeast infection, the only thing that helped us was lotrimin af, the nystatin just seemed to make it worse. and no baby wipes, use soft paper towels or cotton with water. also, i dont know why the nipple shields would help with the gas, but if you do use them, do so with extreme caution. at 5 weeks, it can really hurt your supply. also, maybe you are waiting too long to feed him? if he is rooting and screaming, maybe is already too hungry to settle down? i dont know, just throwing it out there. if you are confident that all medical issues are resolved (including the heart thing, i never heard of that before, how scary, i would certainly ask about it)... then he may just be colicy and it will soon pass. wont feel like soon, but it will. just be sure he is medically ok. best of luck to you, hang in there.

You could eliminate other things in your diet. From personal experience -- broccoli and other green veggies (stick to peaches and cantalope). All spices.

Usually they outgrow this after a few months. Also, does the baby have post nasal drip (maybe from allergies or a cold?) That will get them screaming as it burns down their throat --- but usually they feel better after nursing (but only briefly --- sip, wah, sip sip sip, wah, sip wah…).

If reflux, they feel better when held upright --- I thought they could only tell that if they went in with a camera down the throat – but they would not want to do that to a very young baby.

First of all K., I am so sorry. Have you taken your baby to the doctor? It sounds like you really need to take him in asap. The only thing I can offer is prayer. I prayed for you and your son as I read your concern. I pray for peace and understanding and a solution and healing. My son has had alot of issues with sleeping or not and etc I understand your worry and stress about it. OUr children are so precious and the biggest gifts we could ever get. Please go see a doctor if you havent and if you have and its not better see another one and another until it gets solved. Its not right or normal for him to be in pain like that. I will keep praying and please ley us know how he is doing. Being a mommy is a tough job and the best
God loves you and your little one
H.

You explained what's been going on very well here. I would print this out and bring it with you to your pediatrician and a pediatric GI specialist, so that you can describe to it them without forgetting anything. Keep track of everything before you go to a specialist, write it all down....when/how much he eats and what the symptoms are throughout the day. Also, keep track of weight gain to see if he is actually eating enough. They'll ask you to do all of this, so it'll speed the process up if you do it yourself.
Good luck. Call the pediatrician and make an appointment right away. Your pediatrician should be able to refer you to a specialist if they haven't already.