DD hits 2 weeks old tomorrow, and for the most part is super relaxed and chill, except when she gets gas/goes to the bathroom. Then she turns into a tiny ball of rage and sadness that breaks my heart to see. She's EBF and my first child, so I'm unsure on what to do. Looking into it, it sounds like mylicon drops are for a lot more gas than she has. I'm also freaked out by the idea of getting rid of her gas by making it into super big gas. How does gripe water work for breastfed babies? How do I give it to her? Am I completely overreacting?
Oh I am SO right there with you. I could have written what you wrote. Actually, DH just picked up some gas drops tonight. Although he did get ones I wouldn't have chosen.. saccharin, dye, etc.. I gave her some and a little while later she started throwing up. I'm not sure what else I can do. I already block feed and move her little legs all around to help her out.
Ugh, sorry she threw up. The bicycle leg thing is supposed to help. Who knows? Maybe it would be worse if we weren't doing the leg thing, and there's just some inevitable bubbles that can't be fixed.
DD had a lot more BMs yesterday, and has completely slowed down today. I wonder if she's getting backed up and that's causing the pain.
Lots of mommy speculation and not a lot of relief for the poor babe.
I tried gripe water on my babe when he was super fussy (turns out he has a dairy sensitivity...and I think he had a problem with my oversupply - you know, babe swallowing milk as if from a fire hose) and while it certainly didn't hurt him, I'm not convinced it helped either. The formula we used contains agave fructose (sweetener), chamomile, ginger, fennel. It appears it's just a sugar water that may also help settle babe's tummy. It comes with a dropper that you can squirt straight into babes mouth, or you can mix it with a bit of your expressed breast milk, and feed it to your babe whichever way you're comfortable - we've used a little ramekin as a cup before...
You're definitely not overreacting! When my babe appeared to be struggling we used to bicycle his legs - it would help release the gas in his belly. Or, gently pull babe's knees up towards his chest, straighten, and repeat - sometimes that would help too.
One other thing to consider, maybe your babe needs to be burped? Before having my DS, I thought breast fed babies *never* had to be burped, but my son absolutely did - for months, and that made a huge difference as well. (I didn't realize this until he was a few weeks old - yikes!, right?)
Good luck! And congratulations to you both on your new babies!
I've been a lot more proactive on the burping since she started getting fussy. I had also heard somewhere that breastfed babies shouldn't need burping. I'm trying burping over my shoulder as well as over my leg (on her belly). I'm pretty much grabbing onto anything taht people say works for them at this point.
Oversupply could be part of the issue. I've been block feeding and had to pump the off side to deal with engorgement. I got 5oz in 5 minutes flat. I'm sure she feels like she's drinking from the fire hose when she gets latched on.
try some probiotics for you and her. They sell a baby formula that you can dip a wet pinky into and let her suck on. Mercola.com has some info on infant gas/pain/colic and probiotics that is worth reading!
My ds was awful about this. He had issues with wheat, but I also have a crazy oversupply. I found that letting him nurse while I was lying on my back helped a lot. Also, all my babies have appreciated being taken to the potty when they are like that. I actually usually let them go in the sink when they are tiny. I hold their legs up froggy style, with their back against my chest. They all seem so relieved in that position, and usually go relatively quickly. HTH.
I hav found that ec is really really helpful w gas. The way the baby is held over the potty helps as their legs r scrunched up. Also the know they will b taken and so the gas doesn't build up. Dd2 farts a lot on the potty, maybe giv it a try and see if it helps.
This sounds like DD, too. Little ball of rage and sadness for gas/bm moments and also hiccupping. She gets hiccups so many times a day and they are fierce and she just hates them. I'll have to try the froggy position to help her relieve the discomfort.
We're dealing with this with our little man too. He pulls up his legs and grunts and just screams... it's so sad. I call him my angry baby because he is either eating, sleeping, or screaming. I have an appointment for him with a chiropractor next week, we're willing to try anything at this point.
My doctor recommended Ovol gas drops and they have helped TONS. So much that we call them the magic drops. He seems to have a way easier time pooping and farting after we give him them.
Malcolm definitely has his moments like this, too. Sometimes he has no issue at all - calm as can be, maybe even in his sleep! - just BAM, poopin' time! Other times he's sound asleep, and suddenly wakes up with a high-pitched shriek, and I know he's hurting. And there's the in-between, where he *wants* to sleep, but the gas or burps or whatever is just uncomfortable enough to keep him from it for hours on end, and he's fussy and squirmy the whole entire time. I tried gripe water about a week or so ago when it seemed particularly bad - and it would immediately calm him down, because it's yummy sugar water, after all. But then we were getting green, stinky poops. I think I don't like that solution after all... temporary relief (I don't think it really solved his issues, just calmed him down for a little bit) but obvious upset to the gut system at the same time.
I like the ideas on the thread, here. I'm always at a bit of a loss about what to do when he needs to calm down, and I've done some of this, but have never tried froggy-style with his back to my belly. Putting on the to-do list.
DS started having the same problem when he was a few weeks old. Lucky for me, it was easy to figure out the cause. I was dairy-free at the time, but he was born a month before Christmas and I had been cheating and eating desserts with dairy in them around the holidays. As soon as I stopped with the dairy, he was fine.
Yup, ball of rage & sadness over here, too. The thing that seems to work for her (after other things have failed) is to sort of sit her upright, put a hand on her stomach, and then bend her forward. Results in lots of grunting and farts, sometimes poo.
burping her facedown seems to be helping. She's a bit more peaceful today. I ordered a baby bjorn little potty off amazon today so I can start up some EC and see if that helps too. Glad to see we're not alone with this issue, and hope for peaceful bellies for all the babies.
daily baby massage with oil before bath, w attention to clockwise belly rub, bicycle/froggy legs is helpful too
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