unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

dd is 5 weeks old...
she was in a bit of a routine, where she was eating every 3-4 hours - usually taking anywhere from 4-5oz at a feeding during the day - less at night. i would try to wake her if she got sleepy during a nighttime feeding, but she is stubborn - if she doesn't want to eat, she won't. so there would be feedings where she would take anywhere from 1.5-3oz. but she would usually sleep a 4 hour stretch at night, plus 2 shorter stretches. i was totally okay with that.
then at the end of last week, she just became this very fussy, unhappy, crying baby. she was taking a lot less at each feeding, even during the day, and at night if i put her down after a feeding - she would last anywhere from 15-45min before her eyes would pop open and she'd be crying.
i felt like maybe it was gas - bc even though she was passing gas, there were times when she would cry while doing so - it even woke her out of sleep.
there have been a few occasions where she screams while i'm trying to burp her, so i give up and give the bottle back to her, but after a few sips, she starts screaming again - so i keep trying to burp her. i know it's not normal to be crying through a feeding like that. i feel so bad - she seems so unhappy and i don't know what to do.
i have the little tummy's gas drops and i do give them to her when she's crying and i've exhausted all other options. my mom said try giving them to her at every feeding?
i emailed my pediatrician on sunday night and told him what had been going on for the 3 days prior and to see if i should switch her formula. (she was on similac advance). he said it could be the formula, could be acid reflux or could be disposition. he said the gas drops are fine to give, try changing formula and call him if it didn't improve or continued.
so i switched to similac sensitive starting late sunday night. she slept on me sunday night (please no comments, i know how some people feel but neither one of us could go a 4th night with no sleep). yesterday she was fine for the majority of the day - but i'd say from 830-1130pm she cried, like i was murdering her. again, through a feeding. i know every baby has their fussy time of day - she always has too - but this crying is NOT just fussiness. however she did go back to her "routine" of sleeping, as of last night.
this morning again, she had one feeding that she cried through. otherwise she's been fine today.
on to her poop... i'm not even sure what's normal for a baby or when it changes. she's always pooped once a day, and it was loose and seedy. today, she pooped and it was still fairly mushy and seedy - but it was formed. like in a ball, as opposed to mushed all through her diaper like normal. does that make any sense? i'm wondering if it's a fluke or could be from the change in formula that quickly?
also, she never spit up a crazy amount - nothing out of the norm i would say. she still isn't. but i did notice yesterday and today, when she burped, there looked like a little bit of "chunky" spit up in her mouth. i never noticed chunks like that before. again, could it be from the change in formula that quickly? and is that formula not agreeing with her?
i don't even know what i'm looking for with this... i know it's long and all over the place and i'm sorry. i'm just at a loss... as i'm sure all moms can relate when they see their baby unhappy - they just want to fix it. and i don't know how. any advice from btdt??

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

Sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately, I've BTDT, and still am to a point at almost 6 months. My DD has literally consumed only 10-11 ounces today.

It could be silent reflux. My DD was on Axid for it, and is currently on Prevacid.

As for poop, we changed formulas 5 times, and each one did a slightly different number on DD's tummy. On one formula she would poop 5x per day, and on another she was totally constipated...and the change was pretty quick!

My DD was eventually diagnosed with milk protein allergy after her stool tested positive for blood, even though I never saw any.

It's hard, because there are so many possibilities, and a lot of it is waiting and seeing how DC responds to formula changes, etc. Keep in mind that it can take a couple of weeks for a formula change to make a difference.

I wish I had a more definitive answer for you. I know how frustrating it is! Feel free to vent anytime, and I hope you get it all figured out soon.

unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

Sounds exactly like my DD (actually both of them). Once I switched formula to Similac Isomil (soy) - they were like new babies. Neither have milk allergies, so I honestly don't know what was wrong, but it made such a difference. Maybe try that.

Sorry you are going through this - I know it's rough! It will be better soon!

unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

sounds just like my DS...He couldn't tolerate any dairy and it wasn't until I saw a bit of blood in his stool that I figured it out (he was already 8 weeks at that point, symptoms started at 5 1/2 weeks). He was first diagnosed with silent reflux, then gas and then finally a dairy allergy. I would try switching to a non dairy formula if nothing else works! Good Luck

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

My dr mentioned DD was gassy. He said if you could make the perfect formula it would be the gentle formula with gas drops in them. It could take a little while before a new formula "works" I've heard a few days.

Also, I would bring her in. DD was getting colicky and I couldn't figure it out. We've been laying her ina RNP to keep her head elevated, using gas drops, gripe water. I even thought maybe it was my ppd making me agitated and it difficult to deal with her fussiness. Turns out it was none of those! She had an ear infection!!

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

We've found colicease.com and probiotics in formula to help.
GL!!!!

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

Reflux seems to present later. It did with dd. first she was fine then started arcing her back during feedings and grunting like it hurt. Does your dd do this? We did the similac sensitive and acid for the reflux pain. Then that didnt work so we upped axid since she gained weight and switched to aliumentum. She finally stopped arching her back at feedings. She is still gassy. We went to a Gastro and they said she didn't have acid reflux where she needed Zantac because she wasnt crying colicky all the time. Even now she just cries when she spits up out of her nose and sometimes if she has a gas bubble. But she goes back to sleep after. She does t spit up much unless its right after a bottle and she gets on the bottle or I try to feed her once she is full

The spitup you described is normal. It's curdled since it hit the stomach acid. My other dd gets this more than my dd with reflux and she has no formula issues.

My dd poop always changed so I think it's normal. They say chronic diarea or loose stool is an issue but my dd with issues is solid and dd without issues has diarea like poops often.

I'd definitely talk to your ped and maybe get a consult with a Gastro.

unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

I took my DD to her pediatrician at around 7 weeks for pretty much all the problems you described. The dr just said it might be gas or reflux. She suggested I cut dairy out of my diet since I'm BFing or to try Similac for fussiness and gas since its lactose free. So I tried both the formula and cutting out dairy so I could continue to BF and I try burping her a lot more and giving her the gas drops. She still cries while feedin sometimes but not as much. Then about a week later we took her for her well visit with another dr in the practice and he said he doesn't believe in cutting out dairy and that it shouldn't make a difference. He gave me Similac for spit up and said its more likely she's crying like that due to reflux. He said this formula has rice starch which thickens in the stomach so it's less likely to come back up. He said if the reflux gets really bad we could give her medicine for it but to just try the new formula for now. So I don't know if any of this info helps you. I feel like it confused me since each dr said something different. Its so hard when they're so tiny and screaming and you have no idea what to do for them.

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

I am so sorry. Ds had horrid colic from 6 w to 4 months. We messed around with formulasd and took baby to a gastro. Here is what worked. Similac alimentum. Mylanta drops. Axid for reflux. And lots of xanax. No seriously if I could do it all over again I would see gastro earlier. Write down times feedings etc and go with your gut. My ds sounded just like ur dc. U aren't alone. Gl xo

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

Try Mylicon gas drops. We called them "Magic Drops" for our kids.

All 3 of my kids went through a stage like that. With the twins, it was gas. With DS#3, it wound up being constipation and gas.

Not fun!

Start w/ the gas drops and if they don't work, call the ped again.

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

my DS had issues until i switched him to simliac alimentum. he wasn't officially diagnosed with a milk protein allergy but it helped a lot.

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

So she cries through one feeding per day?

And she has a "witching" hour(s)?

That seems normal to me - DD had witching hour(s) for like 3 hrs every night for 2-3 weeks. And then we had one period where my DD cried for like 4 days straight off and on - I felt like it was just normal babies being babies. Sometimes they are just working through their bodies, kwim? Even gas bubbles and tummy rumbles upset them because everything is so new.

You said Sunday she cried from 830-1130p and today she cried through a feeding - what happened Monday and Tuesday?

DD still sometimes spits up chunks - that's normal too.

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

to you. I feel your pain.

My 10 week old has colic and gas/reflux issues. At 8 weeks my doc suggested we put 1 TBSP of rice cereal in her 4 oz bottle and that has really helped a lot.
We also give the gripe water at max twice a day. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it does absolutely nothing.

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

DS had almost the same symptoms you mention. Turns out it was acid reflux and colic. Not a great combo :(
He became worse once I stopped BFing and switched to formula. What worked for him was, change of formula, I switched him to Enfamil Gentlease, swaddling and ssshing sound while rocking him. The prescription for the reflux worked well for him also. It's called Axcid. Once he turned one years old, thank god the reflux went away.

Also, having baby sleep on a 30degree incline helps with reflux. I tried the gas drops, it never worked for my son...

Good luck. I remember those 2 hour a night sleep nights and I don't know hOw I functioned.

Re: unhappy baby... btdt moms, advice please?

i would bring her in and have her poop tested for a milk allergy. But i'd also ask your ped about reflux.

Sounds like reflux to me.

My 1st started at 5 weeks with reflux. Silent reflux. He would scream through feedings even though i knew he was hungry. He went from 3-4 hour stretches at night to 1-2 and he would wake up shortly after being put down for a nap.

There were many other signs (could smell the acid when he burped, wet burps, didn't want to put down flat, was better elevated or constantly moving), but it sounds like reflux to me.