3 Month Old Son Acting Strange

My twin girls have always been on a great schedule so here's the advice I can give. I don't think it's the formula. But next month you are going to be starting rice cereal and that's when my girls definitely slept thru the night. Once you give them milk after the rice cereal, the cereal expands in their stomach. And the mistake I made was trying to make it thin for them to get used to swallowing. The key is to make it pretty thick. I promise it will get better. The drooling may be a key to teething so maybe he is waking up with gum pain. When mine wake up in the middle of the night I usually just give them a bottle and then they go right back to sleep. And sometimes you just need to let him cry it out. That's not so easy with two because I'm afraid one will wake up the other but you could definitely try that. Hope that is helpful.

S.

Hi! I thought maybe I can help a little. Have you tried switching to soy formula, I did that with my son when he was throwing up a lot and with in a couple of days he was better, also its sounds like he might be having gas pains at night. Have you tried the infant gas drops (mylicon) just a couple drops on the tounge does wonders!! Hope I was able to help a little!

It sounds like he may just be teething early. Both my children mostly complained at night when they were teething, and we saw the "symptoms" mostly in disrupted sleep (naps and nighttime) and drooling. Teething can also cause congestion, and it seems to me with my oldest we had bowel changes when she was teething. And she was very young - she cut her first tooth at barely 4 months.

M.

formula poop is icky sticky, breastmilk poop is yellow runny.

Sounds like he's getting lots of gas with his formula; try changing how you're giving it (solid bottle to bags, or vice versa) To get back to breastfeeding, start him on the breast when he's hungry, and he'll eventually latch back on and start eating. He will not starve himself, and he will eventually latch on and eat again. Try this without giving up when you are happy, in a good mood, calm, and rested, because it could be really trying, and go through one whole feeding period before going back to the bottle, which should have breast milk in it, and less than a full feeding. Baby should be tired and hungry still after eating, so try the breast again as soon as he wakes up hungry.

Good luck

You may want to ask your doctor about reflux. The symptoms seem about right.

Sounds like you have gone through a lot! My son was 5 weeks early and did similar bottle feeding and then switching to nursing full time except one bottle feeding from daddy a night. Then, I was put on some meds that require me to pump and dump my milk 3 times a day so we added in more formula. His poop did change color to more green than orange and much stinkier! Also, if the formula you are giving has more iron, it can constipate. My little guy took longer naps when he was 2-3 months, then started taking cat naps, 1/2-1 hour! He doesn't cry all day and now he is crying at night! Screaming and hungry and needing a diaper change 2-3 times a night when before he was getting into a nice routine of one feeding at night! I think that is just what it is, a growth spurt, a change in his feeding routine because he is hungry. Changing formula is not hard, just do it slowly. The Enfamil A.R. has rice and is thicker to help with spitting up. We mix it with the other formula because it is so thick. It seems to be fine and only sometimes he spits up with it, other times he doesn't spit up at all. Try laying him on his side, which the nurses at the NICU told us helps with reflux and spit up. My little guy loves to suck on his fists, binki, burb cloth, my hands anything! This has been the case for about 2 months now and he is 5 months. So, sounds very similar and I think your little guy is just growing and changing! Good luck to you!

A., My daughter acted very similarly at the same age. She had two problems: she had acid-reflux and she was lactocse-intolerant. The acid-reflux is hard to diagnose, mostly because the doctors told me to look for 'projectile vomiting'. It doesn't necessarily have to project! It looked like really bad spit up. It wasn't until she did this at one of her many doctor appointments that he saw it and asked me 'Does she do this frequently?'. He then told me that this was acid reflux. They put her on a small dose of Reglan (to help control the esophigeal sphincter (hope I spelled that right) and Zantac. They thought she out grew it, but she hasn't (she's 5). The lactose-intolerance is easier because I just switched to Nestle's Lactose-Free (it's the one with the little hearts all over the can). It also helped calm her acid-reflux down. It may be worth asking your doctor if either of these things might be the reason for his unhappiness. Good luck!

Hello A.,

It sounds like you and your son have been through a lot so far!

Certainly, the sleeping patterns and night time needs of a baby are ever changing. Wanting to be held while sleeping is also a healthy sign of a baby wanting to be safe in your arms. Spitting up (like vomiting) can be a sign of fear, so your comfort during this time will certainly help him form a strong, trusting relationship with you (and others in later relationships).

You might feel supported by reading, "Crying Baby, Sleepless Nights: Why your baby is crying and what you can do about it," by Sandy Jones and/or "Nighttime Parenting: How to get your baby and child to sleep," by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears.

Your journey has just begun. Bless you. ~T.

HI A.!
I didn't see anyone respond with the "3-month fussies". My babygirl's doctor asked about her fussing around that time, basically the little ones have realized that they're not going back IN, and they lament.
It's always best to have a doc's opinion though considering tummy aches and bowel movements!

p.s. When mine was brand new, I tried to remember that I didn't really have a reference for what was "normal" for her, we were still getting to know each other.

I've never dealt with acid reflux, but I did breast feed my children, and I do know that a breast fed baby can digest alot faster than a formula fed baby. I also know that a formula fed baby has darker stools. With that in mind you might want to consult your pediatrition to try samples of other formula. If I recall, SOY formula is gentle to a baby's tummy.

Hi A.,

We kind of had a same problem with our son around 11-12 weeks. He wold wake up screeming and it would take a long time for us to calm him down, he was in good spirits when awake as well. This went away on its own.
As to the drulling and sucking that's normal for his age.
As to waking up every 2 hours - it may be a growth spurt - we went through it as well, I fed him a lot and tried to be patient. I hope this helps.

P.

Hello, A..
My children were not able to tolerate the formula with high iron content. Changing to a low iron formula might just do the trick. As far as sucking on his fists and drooling, I would say the fist thing is a new toy and perhaps by sucking on them it is causing the drooling. As far as his bowel movements, iron does cause dark stool and can cause constipation. Doctors tell you a baby needs a lot of iron, but they do just as well on the low iron formulas without the problems. Too much iron in anyone can cause stomach upset.

I don't remember my kids having smelly stool though until they started eating food. You might want to check with your pediatrician on that part of it.

Good luck and congratulations on your baby boy!

K.

The first thing I would do would be to switch to a formula without iron. Sometimes it's h*** o* their little tummies to digest and will give them dark, harder bowel movements. I would stick with the same brand but without the iron and see how he does. It sounds like he's just having tummy problems. Good luck.

I would get him into the Dr. The drooling is a sign of teeth forming. My daughter got her first tooth at five months. The waking and crying could be reflux. Talk to your Dr about that and possibly just be teething and see if he is old enough for teething tablets to relieve the pain. My daughter had tummy issues and similar to your sons. I had to go on a restricted diet nursing then couldn't handle that long and put her on Nutramigen exclusively. It is a formula that is already broken down and easier to digest. Everything I ate bothered my daughter with her reflux and it was hard, but once we figured it out she slept great.
Talk to your Pediatrician ASAP.

because your little guy was so early first i would adjust your expectations of him a little(you may be doing this already) so treat him like a 2 mo instead of a 3 mo. second with the formula, his little body is probably trying to adjust and having a hard time. he sounds like he is having reflux and maybe gas pains too(all of these get worse when babies are laying flat or trying to sleep. talk to your doc,prop your baby up to sleep, make sure he is burping well and propped for 20 min or so after feeding. also it may sound cooky but they have baby probiotic powder you can put in formula/a bottle. another mom on this site suggested it to me for my baby and it really helped her alot (she was having someof the same issues as your guy) when babies are on formula the good bacteria(bifidus infantus) can be lost in there systems and they can have a hard time digesting foods and formula. so maybe try another formula they make special ones for babies who spit up alot, i think they are called nutrmigen(enfamil brand) and allimentum(similac brand) they are pricey though. there is also gentlease(enfamil) for fussiness and gas. try one of those and may think about the probiotic. buti would call the doc to make sure all is well with the poo and all, good luck hope he gets better soon(drop al ine if you have any further questions), N.

Hi there A.,

I am a first time mother as well, and I have a two year old daughter who went through the same thing that your son is going through, except that she was 15 days old. She had to be hospitalized for 3 days, and after all was said and done it turned out that she had dysentery. At 15 days old, I didn't have her around anybody but her father and I, so I assumed that a nurse that was handling her did not wash their hands. I also did some research on dysentery and it is mainly transmitted in hospitals and in very poor areas that don't have irrigation systems. Some forms of dysentery have diarrhea or blood in the stool. However, it could also be roto virus- I only say that because you stated that his poop smells really bad. The reason he cannot sleep, is because he may be uncomfortable with stomach craps, try propping him up in his crib with a couple of pillows, make sure nothing he can't move a around, instead of lying down flat. I would let your doctor know and have his stool sample tested.

God Bless, and good luck.

A Little about me:

I am a first time mom with a wonderful, sassy, two year old Daughter. My husband and I have been together for four years. We also, have an 8 year old sweet and caring son/step-son.

A., does the formula have iron in it? He may be having a reaction to the iron. It can cause dark stools, and major spitting up. Check with your pediatrician about trying a different formula.

If he is spitting up most of his food, then he could be hungry after only 2 hours of sleep. Plus, the screaming could be from his tummy being upset from the iron. Reactions to formula cause a vicious cycle of side effects that are not fun. Good luck to you and your beautiful son. Also, give your husband a BIG thank you for being in the military. We LOVE our military men and women! God Bless your entire family A..

Have him checked for acid reflux. also with the drooling and sucking on his fists he may be teething, they can teeth anywhere from newborn to 15 months (at least thats what my ped told me) But have him checked for acid reflux!

HI,
I'm a mom of 3 and it sounds like your child might be teething already! The fist sucking and drooling, stinky "poo", and fussiness. I would check on the formula with your peditrician, but it's possible the teething is starting. And it seems like "teething" pains go on for a long time!! good luck

I would take him to the doctor. My son is 11 mos. old and he is just getting over a nasty stomach flu. My doctor told me she has sent some patients for x-rays convinced they had an obstruction and it's just the cramping from this virus. The large amount of spit up could actually be vomiting. Also ask your doctor about the formula. Your doctor can recommend one that is gentle on his stomach if need be. It also sounds like your son is teething too. Ahh the joys of parenthood!

Hi A. - I am not a doctor but my little girl had very bad reflux when she was an infant. Some of the signs that you are mentioning are similar to what happened with her, the screaming, the drooling, the chewing on her hands (because her throat hurt). My advice would be to try the following:

- feed your son upright and keep him upright 30 mins after feeding. Be sure that he burps.
- If you can elevate his mattress by putting blankets under it - that really helped my baby. Laying them flat makes the reflux worse. I would also use the car seat and put her to sleep in that when her reflux was really bad. I would just set it in the crib once she fell asleep
- feed him less at each feeding but feed him more often
- there is also a great herbal remedy called "colic calm" by WishGarden Herbs. You can find it at most health food stores. That also was very helpful. I would give it to her during feedings.
- I would also check with your peditrician since there could be other issues internally that are causing it. Bring a sample of the poop in to the doc and have him look at it. At least he can check to see if there is any blood in the stool which would indicate something other than reflux.

Hope this helps. I know how hard it can be - just keep trying different things until you find something that works.

Have him checked for acid reflux. My aunt's 1st baby had it and those were some of the symptoms. Try to not lay him down after feeding him, and hold him upright while feeding him and for a half hour after feeding. Or you can get one of those triangle wedges, to keep him at an angle. Reflux is really bad when you're laying down. But make an appointment with your doctor to have it checked out. Most babies grow out of it before the even hit a year. But even if that's not it, it sounds like something is bothering him and your doctor can help you figure out what that is. Good luck!

Hi A.,

I have 2 daughters that had and ave acis reflux, they acted similar to what you are describing. The first one was 4 weeks early and right around 3 mos she started to cry when she was breastfeeding and eating every 2 hours. (no spitting up). She was diagnosed with acid reflux. We assumed it was just a cranky baby with the first one - poor thing - suffered for a few weeks before we went to the doctor. With the second one ( 5 weeks early) we knew right away. The second acted just like your son, she would only sleep on top of me, spat up everything - again acid reflux. I can't speak to the stool though although I know it got harder on formula when I weaned my babies) Both my kids were and are on Prevacid, saved our sanity and made our babies happy babies. I would say make an appointment and ask your pediatrician, they have lots of great ideas and experience so that you don't have to worry on your own.

Hope you get it figured out. Good luck.

C.

Hi A., I don't know if this is your son's issue but acid reflux may be affecting him or his body is rejecting the formula now. My daughter went through acid reflux at 2 weeks and it helped to prop her up for 1/2 hour after feeding and sometimes letting her sleep propped up such as in a swing or car seat or snuggly (if she wouldn't let me put her down). Hang in there, sometimes it's a waiting game with the kiddos as long as nothing serious is happening. If they are gaining weight then spitting up isn't too serious. God luck! Hope things look up soon.

Try changing the formula. If that doesn't work call your doctor.

It is a possibility that you may need to change the formula he is on. Either a soy based or one with less iron. Iron can make a baby's stool darker and make it harder for him to go. That is what I experienced with both of my children (now 6 and 12). I don't want to scare you but blood in the stool can make the stool black. I suggest taking him to his pediatrician to be checked out (and put your mind at ease). Good luck!
Ang

Hi A. -

When my youngest son, who's now 2, was about 9-10 months old I weaned him from breastfeeding and started him on formula. He was throwing up a lot. One day when we tried switching him to a different formula he had what I call "fire hose vomit". You can imagine. Turns out he is allergic to milk. We tried switching to soy formula, but he wouldn't drink it. It smells terrible. We ended up having to use a medicine dropper to give him his formula. It's taken a bit of adjustment, but he's happy and healthy. Like his pediatrician said he's not a baby cow. He doesn't need to drink cow's milk. I hope that helps a little. Good luck.

The best advice I got when my son was brand new was: "Babies aren't robots." They have their own timeline and personalities and schedules. Give your baby a little more time and see if things even out. My baby went through changes all the time at that age, including changes in bowel movements. He often went 2-3 weeks between poopy diapers, but was always fine.

Sleep schedules, at least with my baby, change all the time in the first 6-8 months. Don't worry! He'll sort himself out. Good luck!

Dear worried mom, I would definently recommend calling ask a nurse and letting them know your babies symtoms and they would be able to direct you into the right direction. My son was a formula baby due to me not being able to provide enough butter fat in my milk. There were times when my son did not take a certain formula well and his symtoms were spitting up a lot and he would have a bowel movement during the night which was very stinky and hard. My doctor told me that your baby should not have a bowel movement during the night. I basically had to find the right kind of formula that was easiest for his little tummy to digest and we eventually put him on gentle/ease which is specificaly designed for babies that are unable to digest milk very well. It worked for him and now he is 18 months old and he drinks 2% milk. I hope this is a little helpful.

My daughter had the same sort of issues. It sounds like you need to ask your pediatrician about putting him on a different formula. I had to switch my daughters formula more than once. They always had me kind of taper her off one formula to the new one. At first mix the two then gradually just use the new formula. This was nearly eight years ago and is something I would definitely ask your pediatrician about. You may be able to just call him or her and not have to go to an actual Dr. appointment. Hope this helps.

Check with the doctor. He may be ready to switch formulas or he may have something moer serious. When the poop changes that's always a sign. I not sure of what, but a DR could help you.
Since yur baby was early was he suffering from acid reflux or anything l;ike that? My Porsha came early and tehy had tp put her on Zantac. Or maybe an acid reflux formula like Enfamil AR in the pink can helped Porsha more than the meds.
Check with the doctor and all the other advice you'll get... Good Luck!

A., my mother's instincts tell me the formula doesn't agree with him. Those are certainly not the symptoms of growth spurt and the excessive fist-sucking is often a sign of hunger/feeling unsatisfied with his diet. It's unlikely he is teething at 3 months, but it's not impossible.

What type of formula do you have him on? Is it milk-based? What about trying soy-based formula or something along that line? There are many more options available today than when mine were babies.

I suspect, though I'm not a medical person, that the excessively foul odor of his bowel movements is a sign of his digestive system not processing the formula well. Sorry to hear you lost your milk supply. Actually there are ways to get it back, but that requires a lot of frustrating effort and most moms will give up before it happens. I'm not convinced it's worth the effort.

I recommend calling your pediatrician's office and describing what's going on, just to be on the safe side. But my guess is that a change to a different type of formula with a different base is probably all it's going to take for your precious little boy to be content again.

Hi A.!
My heart goes out to you! I know exactly what you are going through. My 3 1/2 month old started doing that as well. I have a little bit of a different story though. My baby has always spit up a tone, but I stopped feeding her as much and pulled her off the breast after a certain amount of time and that seemed to help the spit up. My dr. told me to do that, so maybe you should ask the dr? Also, when my baby started the screaming fits and no sleep, I got really worried and thought she was sick. The dr. said nothing was wrong and that maybe she had acid reflux. I don't think that's right. My baby has been doing this for 2 weeks straight! It drives me nuts. I don't know what to tell you except hang in there. I just break down and cry when I've had it. I also have started using ear plugs. It helps SOOOO much. I wondered if she was going through a growth spurt too??? Who knows. Just have confidence in yourself, and hopefully this will pass soon! I hope for that everyday.

Call your pediatricians office and ask to talk to a nurse practitioner or the pediatrician. Typically they will have you talk to a nurse, but I have found that it's usually better to talk to the actual pediatrician or nurse practitioner for anything that isn't pretty straight forward. Any notable changes in a baby that small should be checked out. It may be nothing, but with a 3 month old it's much better to err on the side of caution.

You need to take him to a good pediatrician now to rule out possibilities of GI problems. He may be in a lot of pain, which is why he's not sleeping and he's crying so much. If his stools are off like that, and he's spitting up, he's likely not getting adequate nutrition. Take him in.

Hello my name is L., I have 2 wonderful children 10 and 8 and I have been happyly married for almost 11 years I am in the Army and love it. Breast feeding for a baby takes work, the baby has to use more muscles to be able to suck, while bottle feeding is much easier for the baby because it doesn't take as much work. Once a baby is introduced to the bottle they tend to want that and not the breast. As far as the darker and smellier bowel movements it's probably due to the formula. If you read about breast milk and formula you'll find that formula can make the stool darker and even harder than breast milk. So he might be having a problem with the formula. I would call and make an appointment with the doctor and let him/her know what's going on. After all knowing what's going on makes a happy Mommy and a happy Mommy has a really happy baby. Congrats on the bundle of joy.

I had a few of my children act this way. My son started throwing up everything when he was 2 or 3 months old.(He was also a premie at 4 pounds) I believe he has reflux. When your son eats, is he upright, or laying down? If he is more upright, he may be able to keep his food down a little better. Also, if you raise the head side of the crib when he is laying in it, it should help. There is one other thing. He could be colicky. He is at the age where if he is going to be colicky he will. This causes extreme pain in the gut. If he seems to be in a lot of pain, try holding him where you can put a little pressure on his tummy, facing away from you.

The sucking and drooling sounds like teething. My son's two bottom teeth popped out simultaneously at about 4 mos. He was pretty fussy and waking a lot during the night the month prior. The spitting up doesn't sound unusual either. Both my kids went through phases of this and the dr didn't seem to worried. He didn't think it was the formula either as they were not throwing up at every feeding, did not have diarrhea, etc. Try to make sure your baby is not drinking his bottle too fast (what size nipple are you using?)... and burp him every couple of ounces. It could be gas in his belly that is causing the spitting up and fussiness.

Oooh, does this sound so familiar to me, almost every detail. The problem with my baby was a milk allergy. Even when I nursed, any dairy I consummed even the smallest amount gave him stomach pain, some gas and some constipation, including darker stool and spitting up. It seemed worse at night. I switched to soy formula and that helped tremendously. I had him on soy milk when he was older. The doctor said he may out grow the allergy by around two or three years old and he did.

Have you talked to your doctor about this?
This sounds a lot like my grandson when he was little.
He may be lactose intolerant.

I am a first time mom too, so take this with a grain of salt... My son is 10 months though, so...I would guess it is a combination of a few things. When I got sick, my son wouldn't nurse well. Apparently the milk may be a bit different due to the surgery. The babies can sense/taste this and will not want it. The change in his sleep schedule can be attributed to a number of things. I was told that once you feel like you've figured out their schedule, they change it on you! My son seems to go through irritable phases once a month right around the time he gets a month older. He is a very happy baby and it was disturbing at first. I was told it is because they are learning so much, they want to "practice" what they are learning all the time and finally get exhausted from it. Your son is getting older now and his milestones will start coming like wildfires. His schedule and probably how much time he stays asleep will all change. He may be more apt to taking shorter naps numerous times a day. They are all different so it is hard to say what will be "best" for your son. The bowels may have changed due to going to formula (I was told they stink more-wait until he is on solids!). The sucking and drooling is probably normal too...Mine started around 3 1/2 months and I thought he would sprout a tooth early, but he didn't until 6 months. Developmentally, they explore with their mouths too. Everything will be in their mouths...usually their fists and feet are their top choices. Hope this helps relieve some concerns. I would call his pediatrician if you are still worried. Good luck!

I'm not an expert, but from everything I have read about milk allergy its sounds like it could be one. He may have an allergy to cow's protein which is more common in formula fed infants (my daughter is breastfed however and has it). I would talk to your physician to be sure, but all the symptoms you describe sound related.
Good luck!
Here are some websites that I am looking at right now regarding milk allergy. My daughter's only symptom is blood in her stool, skin rash, and intermittent irritability prior to bowel movement.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041800.asp

The drooling & sucking on his fists makes me think he might be starting teething. It's not too early. Have you changed his diet in any way in the last two weeks? If you did, it might be affecting him. He's a little early for solids, so I assume you haven't started them, but if you had, I would be thinking he was having a reaction.

The iron in formulas can be constipating and make poop weird. I'd try different formulas as he may have allergies to some ingredients like soy for example...
Good luck and trust your instincts.....

It sounds like he is starting to teethe, even though he is only 3 months.

It sounds a little like reflux, you could try putting his mattress at an angle and seeing if he'll sleep like that, also dark poop is pretty common with formula. I would talk to your pediactrician and see what they think, also predigested formula works really well with babies that have a more imature degestive system. Good luck!

It sounds like your little boy may have acid reflux. We were just at the doctor's office trying to rule out the same thing with my daughter. I don't believe she has it but by what the doctor was describing, it sounds like it may be a possibility for your son. It seems to really bother them at night and they wake up crying in pain as the acid moves up the esophagus. The spitting up is also an indicator.

As for the malodorous poop, that sounds like formula. The babies I have been around that are on formula have much smellier poop than breastfed babies. Darker, too.

I'd book an appointment with your pediatrician to see what is going on. If your son has reflux there are some medicines that can help as well as a few changes in positioning and amount of formula given per feeding. Good luck!

It sounds like he may be teething really early. Ask your child's doctor. My son teethed early. After asking your child's doctor, try some baby cereal on him. It may be that the formula is not enough for him. God Bless. Sincerely, A.

I would call your pediatrician. The darker stool should be checked out. It may just be a reaction to the formula but should still be checked out by the doctor especially since he was a premi.
Good luck, you have had a rough time physically, hope you don't have any more problems.
S. M.

That sounds a lot like my son when he was about a month and a half old. My son would pull away from the breast and didn't sleep well unless he was held. He also spit up a lot. I took him to the doctor and they put him on prevacid for acid reflux. It is like baby heartburn and is really common. It took us a few weeks to get the dosage right but it worked great. Almost all babies grow out of it by the time they are 10 months old so it isn't a life long problem. Talk to your pediatrician. I hope that is what it is and a little medicine can help him out.

Congratulations on the birth of your first child... I am the mother of four, three boys, and one girl. It sounds like he is just going through a growth spurt. When they are newborns, we are so used to the gooey poop diapers, and eating only a few ounces. The doctors always try and tell you to only give them so much. That went out the door when I left the hospital. Every baby is different, and if he will take a bottle, he is probably hungry. My third son, was so different than the others, I had to start putting an teaspoon of rice cereal in his bottle only at night, at 2 months old, because he would not go to sleep. As far as the stinky diapers, unfortunatley, you'll have to get used to it, we kinda get spoiled with the first few months of non smelly diapers. It sounds like you have an normal, healthy baby.

My baby girl went through the same thing when I switched formula on her. What formula are you using? I found out that when I used "Costco" brand, Good Start, & Wal-Mart brand she had the same bowl movements, you were explaining. So, the only formula that I have found that makes her seem "regular" is Enfamil & the Albertson's brand. Try those, because it sounds like he has a belly ache.
Hope that helps:)

Hi,

Have you maybe taken him to see the Chiropractor, my son was like this in the very beginning and come to find out he was out of place. We visisted the Chori 3times and that helped him alot. Yes its a scary thought to take your baby to a Chiro. but i did and it helped the both of us. Have you tried adding half the amount of you formula to his bottles? You could even try a little bit of rice cereal to help make it more consistant. They also have a product called Hylands Homeopathic Teething tablets, it helps with the soothing of teething and other things. It is completely all natural, i use them and they work great for my son. Even a warm bath before bedtime may help him to relax.They also have a formula(Generic Brand)its for fussy babies,babies who spit up alot, there are a million different types of formula for different symptoms. The generic brand i use is Parents Choice.
Hope this helps you.

The bowlmovements are different with formula fed babies than with nursing babies. What you are seeing is normal. As far as the spitting up, maybe not handling the type of formula very well and would suggest talking with pediatrican about a soy formula. It is possible he just can't stomach the usual formulas. Don't be too concerned, all babies change feeding and sleeping habits a number of times during the first year of life. I have three kids and each one was different!!

My daughter couldn't eat anything other than enfamil liple without having bowel problems. She got extreme constipation otherwhise. Also, Your son might be teething already. get him some teething tablets at right-aid. They desolve immediately and work great. My daughter couldn't sleep at night when she was teething unless I gave her those. I hope he feels better soon!

I have four grown children and what I'm telling you is becasue my oldest son was throwing up while an infant.
If your son continues to throw up ever larger amounts or more regularily, then it might be pyloric stenosis. (a stricture of the pyloric valve between the stomach and small intestine). Depending on the severity of the stricture it will cause them to vomit what is in their stomach in a fairly violent manner. I had to have a towel next to me after I fed him before we found out what he had. It is usualy found in first born male children. If your child's vomiting is not regular then it may not be this issue. If he starts to lose weight then I would have the pediatritian test him for this. \Good luck!

Hi,

I would get him to the doctor. It's probably no more than acid reflux or something like that but it could be something more serious.

If you feel your son is acting strange it's always best to get it checked. The weird stools are probably because he's not getting the nutrition he needs. My son had some similar problems. Also don't force him to breast feed. I know it's better for them but neither one of my children would do it and they turned out just fine. He's had some very important antibodies from you for the first few months of his life and so I think he'll be just fine.

Just remember you know your son better than any one else. If he's acting out of the ordinary its always best to have it looked at. Good luck and I hope this helps.

It sounds like my oldest - she had acid reflux. We tried a few different things (I was nursing and bottle feeding because she was not gaining weight so I changed my diet a bit and we tried changing the formula) but nothing seemed to help. Eventually her dr put her on reflux meds and that seemed to help. We started ceral at 4 months and the reflux pretty much disappeared after that! But I would take him in for an appt and talk to your dr.

A.,
At the very least I would recommend changing the formula that you are giving him. Whether it is something with this specific batch of formula or just the type it doesn't sound like it is working for him. Suckling is a sign of hunger so he sounds like he is not digesting what he is getting. Maybe an Organic formula would work better on his tummy. I know Wild Oats has some. You could also try to re-establish your milk supply. I know that it takes time and willingness but it could be what he needs. I found this http://www.lact-aid.com/rpt025.htm and http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/relactation.html that have information on it. Also, I would take him into your pediatrician and get a medical opinion or a naturopathic doctor (this would be my choice). I hope this helps.
Cerise

I can't be certain but it sounds like acid reflux to me. It is common for babies to not develop until they are a few months old. Just see your doctor to verify and get a medication that will help with the pain. Good luck!

Hi, it sounds like you might have to change his formula. Do you try to burp him in the middle of the feeding? The spitting up might be a gas bubble stuck.........With the sucking on his fist and drooling, he might be teething. Sorry I don't have too much advice to give you. If you really get worried, I would have his doctor check him out. Best of Luck.......J.