Reflux?? 7 week old

[bennandzane]

I have a 7 week old bub and since birth he has been almost impossible with day time sleep. Night time isn't a problem and he wakes sometimes only twice a night for feed. The problem during the day is that it takes a LONG time to get him to sleep and often he will spit up whilst in his cot and I am trying to get him off to sleep. In the evenings he refuses the breast and today he refused it this morning but by latching on then pulling off and crying. Sometimes during feeding he will bring his legs up and punch them downwards quite quickly like he is in discomfort. He spits up nearly every feed and sometimes up to an hour later he will spit up. He has been this way since about week 2 and does not sleep well during the day. Could it be possible that he has reflux? In the past week he has also been really calm after a feed and then all of a sudden he will jump and shreik loundly (high pitched scream) as if he is in pain then settle back down in a minute or two? I am going to the doctors next week so I would like to know if this could be part of the problem?

[RISA]

Hi,
Congrats on the birth of your son. It’s great that he sleeps fairly well during the night, but that can sometimes be confusing for parents, as they may believe that a reflux bub will be equally bad during the night. That isn’t always so, and some will sleep from sheer exhaustion, while others just may not reflux much during the night. Sometimes families (esp mothers) get even less support, as people think that just because they sleep well during the night, a mum shouldn’t be tired. Having a bub who is difficult to manage can be exhausting and you may be feeling quite tired all the time!! It can be extra tough if people don’t understand that.

Reflux does sound like it is possible for your son, even though it can present differently in every baby. You are describing quite a few signs of it-
- sleep difficulties
- feeding issues: refusing feeds; attaching and pulling off and crying
- irritability
- spitting up
so it is worth talking to your doctor about your concerns. It is really important that you do that, as other issues can present similarly- even things like urinary tract infections can present like that. It’s important that your doctor determines what the issue is, as it is of course important to treat the right condition.

With his high pitched screaming that only lasts a very short time, I am also wondering if he has a bit of colic as well. At his age, that is quite common as well, and reflux and colic can be an issue at the same time (unfortunately).

Some reflux bubs have food sensitivities (though not all); do you think it’s possible this could be a factor with your son? Often it’s the cow’s milk protein that is a problem (a fairly recent medical study I read said that approx 40% of refluxers were cow’s milk protein intolerant), though other foods can also be implicated. I thought it might be worth mentioning in case that’s part of the problem. Contrary to popular opinion, the protein in cow’s milk can pass through to bub, so if that is the case, you may wish to consider avoiding all dairy while breastfeeding. Please seek medical guidance though, if you do want to do that; it’s important your diet is balanced.

Food sensitivity isn’t a factor for other refluxers, and it can be really difficult trying to work out what the answers are. Please trust your instincts and talk to your doctor about what is happening and I hope you find something that helps him feel better,

Glenda