Screaming when feeding

[almac17]

Hi. My baby is almost 8 wks old. she's always been very slow to feed & required constant coaxing to keep sucking. several weeks ago she started taking an ounce then screwing up her face, pushing the bottle away & screaming. This has been getting worse to the point where she takes a few sucks then SCREAMS. I battle with her for ages til she falls asleep & I can then get some milk into her as she sucks whilst asleep! In between feeds she's a very happy contented little girl - a lovely baby who rarely cries. It's purely when I try to feed her that the screaming starts. Health visitor queried possible silent reflux & put her on gaviscon last week however it had no effect whatsoever. They have now put her on Neocate as they think she's allergic to normal formula. Started it yesterday, so far no improvement. It's really weird, the only feed she takes without screaming is the one in the middle of the night. I've tried different bottle, various sizes/flow rates of teats but nothing works. She will also suck a dummy contentedly so I wouldn't think her mouth hurts. We've tried feeding her sitting up, lying flat, in her car seat etc. I'm at my wits end, it's very distressing for both of us, feeds take an hour & a half, and if I'm lucky I can get 3 oz down her in this time. All the time the health visitor is putting more & more pressure on me to get her to drink more because she's dropped slightly on her growth chart. Please, if anyone has experience similar problems or has any suggestions I will be very grateful.

[redcrx]

i was going to suggest the flow rate of teat but youve tried.

It may just take a while for her to settle wsince changing the milk as she may associate the bottle with being uncomfortable.

Could be wind, are you using anticolic bottles at all?

Im quite shocked that your HV is putting pressure on you when its obvious that your baby is having problems feeding.

How often is she feeding? Does she just take little and often? my daughter used to take 24 ozs in 24 hours but it was in 2-4ozs bottles every 2-4 hours. and she was slow too until i cha nged the teat.

what colour are her poos?

[tigwig]

Hi my daughter used to be very much like this so I tried Dr Brown bottles and they worked a treat. The first time I used them she just sucked away and drunk alot more milk than she usually did it was a brilliant feeling! Have you tried these? They have a valve thing going through the middle and it stops the air going to the babies mouth. They are quite expensive and you can get them from Boots, Mothercare ot Toys r us. If all else fails you could try using a feeder cup and gently tip the milk into your babies mouth.

[redcrx]

if you want to try dr browns then just buy one or two to startwith.

I used them too with a medium flow teat and they are great for reducing colic

[daffy654]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/203-0323914-7875941? ie=UTF8&keywords=Dr%20Browns&search-type=best& tag=coffeeuk37539-21&index=baby&link%5Fcode=qs

[almac17]

Hi, thanks for yuor replies. I've been using the tommee tippee closer to nature anti colic bottles but have also tried the Avent ones, Nuk& Bruin. Had never heard of the Dr Brown ones & I'm at the stage where I'm desperate to try anything. today has been particularly bad - just taking a few sucks then refusing any more - only been managing to get 1 or 2 ozs down her - She's only taken 13oz today. The thing is, even tho she's taking so little, she's still very contented & happy in between! She doesn't seem hungry.
Each day seems to vary as to how often she needs fed - I've just been going with her demands - some days it's every 3 hours, then like today she's maybe just wanting 1oz every 1-2 hours. I realise it's still early days with us just starting on the neocate yesterday so fingers crossed things improve over the weekend - it's very draining cos you know each feed is going to be a nightmare.
Re the colour of her poos - were a yellowy/brown, today's was more green but the Doc said that Neocate will give them green poos so I was prepared for that!

[tigwig]

Hi again just wanted to add try not to dread the feeds because she will pick up on your tension. I know its hard but I'm sure it will just be a temporary thing. If your health visitor isn't been sympathetic than ask to see another one. At the end of the day that is her job to help you and it doesn't sound to me like she is! Maybe you could take her to the doctor for a 2nd opinion? Hope you takes more for you soon, try not to worry it won't go on forever

[almac17]

Hi &thanks. We saw a Doctor on Monday for her assessment & it was he who suggested the Neocate. Today has been particularly bad - nly taken 12oz. If no improvement tomorrow I think I will have to contact my GP as I don't relish the thought of waiting 2 wks to see if the Neocate improves things as suggested by the HV! I agree baby picks up on tension - got my hubby & mum to try feeding her today but she did the same thing with them, so at least I know it's not just me!

[pinkbunny]

My daughter had similar behaviour when she started to feed is it worse when you lay her down?
If so it could be reflux but my daughters consultant decided not to try her on gaviscon but on ranitidine which calms the acid down and stops the pain of reflux rather than thickening the feed like gaviscon does. It workd the next day with my baby and she is still on it now and lovely and contented but I too was at my whits end. I know this may not be the case with your baby but at times like this anything helps, good luck hun and congrats on the arrival of your baby x x

[almac17]

Hi - no, it makes no difference if she's siting upright or lying flat, in fact she's sometimes drank the bottle lying flat with nobody touching her. If the neocate does not solve the prob the Doc did speak aout ranitidine or zantac next but I've to wait 2 weeks (a long time when you're struggling like this!) . She woke this morning at 4.30 & took 3oz with no screaming (usual for through the night). Has wanted some milk again just now but only took 1oz(but no crying) then refusing any more like she seems full up, she's not interested!

[redcrx]

was there any intervention when she was born? ie forceps or ventouse?

i have heard of some babies getting headaches from such things and perhaps pressure of sucking could caused pain?

Yellow poo before would suggest she wasnt windy so sounds like the anti colic bottles you already use are doing the right job.

[redcrx]

have a quick read of this http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/baby/he alth/chiropractic_for_babies.asp

and this http://www.colichelp.com/colicandchiropractic. html

[almac17]

No, delivery was normal with no intervention. I've ordered a couple Dr Cooks bottles now to try. She certainly doesn't seem colicky at all (my son suffered terribly & I remember he cried all the time) - she's lying here just now smiling & cooing away!

[estill]

I know exactly what you are going through. Was your baby premature? Mine was and she does the exact same thing. She takes the bottle that I give her in the middle of the night but every other time she screams and fusses. She was diagnosed with gastric reflux and she has feeding aversions. She is easily distracted when she eats. I still have trouble when I try to feed her and the doc told me that we might have to send her to Baylor to train her how to eat because she isn't gaining alot of weight. When they don't gain weight that can be serious. I know that this isn't much of help to you but at least you know your not the only one going through this. Hope she gets better. It will probably just take some time.

[almac17]

Hi! It's great to hear from someone whose experiencing the same thing although I'm sorry to hear that you are having these difficulties. My baby was born on her due date & she's now 17 weeks. How old is your little one?
I am pleased to say that since I last posted, things have improved greatly. She started taking the bottle with no fussing if she was laid flat on a mat on the floor. I have been taking things slowly with her - trying to start a feed holding her & putting her down on the mat the moment she starts to cry. This seems to be working as now she will usually take 2 or 3oz in my arms before she starts crying. She'll then finish the rest on her mat.. She still doen't drink a lot - she would be quick happy to just have 2oz, but I usually manage to persuade her to take 4. The exception is the first morning feed which is 5oz & she still takes this one in my arms no problems! Strange! In between her feeds she continues to be a very happy little girl who never cries. We have been given a hospital apppointment for the end of this month & I believe they want to do a blood test to check for food intolerances so we'll see what the outcome of that is. She's still on Neocate meantime & seems happy with that.
Is your baby on regular formula & how much & how often do you have to feed?

[almac17]

Estill I forgot to mention that my baby is also very easily distracted when being fed. I have to feed her in a room away from everyone else otherwise she's always turning her head to see what the other kids are doing or if she hears TV etc she'll stop sucking to listen!

[feebal]

My baby has started crying during her feeds. She'll take the morning feed with no problem but at every other feed she'll take 2/3oz but then cries through the rest of the feed. I wind her and she burps. She seems to want more food but as soon as the teat's in her mouth she cries and moves her head from side to side. Each feed takes around about an hour and is very distressing. She's also a baby who is easily distracted, feeding in public is a nightmare! I'm scared she's going to develop food 'issues' as feed time is so stressful

Are you still having food problems? What were the results of the blood test?

[almac17]

I am so sorry to hear you are having similar problems to me. I know how distressing it is, and like you, I wouldn't leave the house with her in case she needed fed. The only thing that eventually worked for us was laying her down on a mat & she seemed happier. I have been persevering with her & now after a lot of time, she has started taking most feeds being held with no fussing. Sometimes she still takes a couple of ounces then pushes the bottle away. If I put her down on the mat then she will take the rest quite happily. She never screams at all during feeds now. As soon as she starts to push the bottle away or get agitated I stop trying to feed her, put her down on the mat & change her or play with her for a few mins, then she will finish the bottle happily. She seems to like to take it at her own speed. I do wonder if the constant pressure from my HV to get her to take more milk had a lot to do with her problems & she got into the habit of screaming because she didn't want it. Even now she takes less formula than what she is "supposed" to, but she is happy with what she has & is gaining weight so I'm not concerned. The doctors did not do a blood test in the end, they said if she had a cows milk protein allergy then she would've had an improvement after going onto neocate almost straight away, which she didn't. She has now been back on normal formula for 3 weeks & is fine on it.
Is your baby on regular formula? If not, it may be worth seeing your Dr incase it is an intolerance. Is your baby happy in between feeds - is it just purely when you try to feed that the crying happens? My little girl was always very contented in between. Please let me know how things are going for you.