What do I do about his feeding? :(

[ducky1502]

I was blessed with a really well behaved, quiet, calm baby. He's always been sicky (he's on C&G formula) but apparently it's not reflux cause it's not projectile. He takes infacol before feeds (don't know if this makes any difference). We get LOTS of wet nappies. His poo is yellow and maybe a little runnier than it used to be, and there's a lot of it. He often cries whilst straining and then there is literally an explosion as he fills his nappy. He's also a hungry baby, he used to have 5oz every 3-4.5hrs, now he's wanting more milk after 2hrs.

Well I went to see a HV yesterday who said we should try out the C&G comfort milk to help with him being sick and his digestion in general. I had a think and went on google and did some research and decided to try putting him onto aptamil and see if maybe he would deal better with that formula as I had friends who had switched from C&G to aptamil and were really happy. So I bought some ready made cartons. HIs first feed was great, no sick, very settled.... but then through the night he was awake ALL night, crying for his dummy, wanting to be fed every 2hrs or less and then rooting for more, he wouldn't settle at all, not even in bed with me. In the end I got 30mins sleep and spent half the night crying. He would only fall asleep on me and then the second I put him down he was crying again either rooting for food or his dummy. Is it just a coincidence that this happened the night I changed his formula or is it the formula that's done it? His nighttime has been going downhill the past week, waking more, taking longer to settle, more sick but NOTHING compared to last night.

What do I do? Carry on with the aptamil? Go back to normal C&G or maybe try the comfort one? But if I put him on the comfort one will he be even more hungry because he can digest the milk quicker?!

I just want to do what's best for him but it doesn't matter how much research I do I can't decide what to do. I feel like maybe I made a mistake trying him on aptamil... although he hasn't even been on it for 24hrs yet.

I can't have another night like last night, I've been struggling on 5hrs a night.... 30mins is just torture

 

[bathbabe]

we use comfort milk. And yes you can have reflux without projectile vomit! I dont really know what to suggest tho hun sorry x

 

[ducky1502]

How do you find the comfort milk? Does it help?

 

[bathbabe]

It did to start with, but he has really bad reflux that meds isnt even helping its worth a go tho. you will have to use a stage 2 or 3 teat or variflo as it is thicker. x

 

[Worrisome]

Were on Cow and gate comfort, we have noticed a difference in reflux but think this could be because it didn't look as bad, you know, with it being thicker. We had Millie on Aptamil 1 at first and then Aptamil comfort, but found the comfort didn't fill her at all, as you said it goes through their system quicker and easier to digest. I must say though with the Cow and Gate comfort we don't find this at all, and she seems much more fuller.

She is still sick quite a bit and brings up lots of clear mucus, but we have just been prescribed Gaviscon, so will see how we get on with that.

I may be wrong but your lo sounds like the constant need for feeding is because when they suck, something happens to their diaphragm and it eases the pain when they feed. Or something like that lol.

Also have you had a go at swaddling, I have 2 other children who were terrible sleepers, but I never swaddled. I swaddle Millie with a special blanket and use a Slumber Bear (well worth their money) and Millie now sleeps 10 hours at night.

Not sure why your Dr has said it can't be reflux if not projectile vomit. I have a 6 year old with childhood reflux and he is just normally sick and with Millie it just possets up, but she can wake herself up to be sick.

 

[katstar]

it sounds like your little one is feeding on demand. My lo did it a 3/4 weeks. I was breast feeding then though and he did it naturally to boost my milk supply ready for the 5/6 week growth spert. Babies do it without knowing. It was hard but it will pass. When baby wnts some, give it. Even if they only take an ounce, it will pass in a couple of days.
I am now formula feeding lo. I have found only using infacol at one period per day ie 5-7pm as it does stop working as your babies body gets immune to it. Also try winding every ounce. I know this sounds daft and maybe impossible on first onces as the lo will scream for more milk, but winding regular through the feed hlped my lo. Once a feed is done, try keeping upright for a short period for the muscles in the stomach to work and keep food in.
With night time i found giving the last feed in the bedeoom, really hlped getting him settled. Dim the room, give so much feed, burp every ounce. Then on the last ounce, swaddle and give the last bit. Burp them and just when they are about to drop off, put them in bed.

Hope any of this helps you and you get some sleep. Remember your not alone and we have all had them nights. Xxx

 

[blahblahblah]

I'd be inclined to try C&G comfort - it should help the discomfort when pooing, and if it is reflux (projectile or not, it still could be), it may help with that too.

We found C&G comfort filled LO up a lot more/longer. It's thicker, so you'll probably need a faster teat too. Dylan dropped a bottle immediately after switching. However, your LO is due a growth spurt any time, so it might just be that causing the frequent feeds.

Anyway, the thing to be aware of with comfort is that it can take a couple of weeks to be fully effective. Sometimes it can make things seem worse in between. My LO's poos were really bad to start with, I could smell it on a different floor with 2 closed doors between us!