Baby tummy pains and breastfeeding

How many of you had to monitor what you ate while breasfeeding so as not to give baby an upset stomach?

[stephwhiz]

Boy I learned the hard way with my first baby. Cabbage, and broccoli were my worse enemies as far as gassing him up! It was just awful when I ate those so I eliminated them from my diet during my nursing days. There really wasn't much else that bothered him. Stephanie :D

[luvmy4sons]

Yes! :) In the early days. After they got a little older( 2-3 months) not as much. I had to avoid tomato products like spaghetti sauce! They would just arf it all over me! :lol: My sister couldn't drink any dairy or they would get so colicky it was a nightmare! Wow! Those were the days! I miss them! Enjoy them! They fly by so fast! [girlsmiley]

[jamma]

I never had to change my diet at all... although, my son was so colicky, looking back maybe I should have!

[tracy]

I didn't have to monitor my eating at all once she was born, it was when I was preggo - woohoo, that nausea and heartburn...
Wow! Those were the days! I miss them! Enjoy them! They fly by so fast! [girlsmiley]Last night I was complaining to my mom about how dd is suddenly getting into EVERYTHING! This is exactly what she told me, too! :)

[Reneemomto5]

I only had success in breastfeeding my first son until 3 months, and my daughter, who is still nursing at 16 months. She was 10 weeks early, and I never had to watch what I ate, neither did I with my son.

What I do remember is taking medicines for migraines (advil or sometimes asprin) because of the stress having a NICU baby, I realized this in the beginning and was mortified because I forgot I had to watch that stuff. I called the le leche lady crying my eyes out in panic. I had a premie drinking my milk!! I have bad experiences with helpful hospital staff and their aid in nursing with every pregnancy!

By the way I LOVE the le leche group, and I didn't have to throw away my milk, baby did fine. But as far as foods she did and does fine with everything I ate. Sorry I got a little off topic there.

THat is interesting to hear someone mention the cabbage etc because I have been warned about that and broccoli in particular...mmm.

[love2bmom]

With my first son, I gave up everything. Soda, cabbage, broc., turkey. All I drank was water :? He really got a lot better after about 3-4 months. But let me tell you, I love Mylicon baby gas drops!!! My dd is still nursing & she is pretty good, I haven't really cut out anything. Although she overeats. I have to limit her feedings. :D

The only thing I've heard of is the cabbage and I don't eat it anyway so I don't have to worry about that.
Abby will eat curry :shock: and that surprised me! She likes hot food like her mummy LOL
I'm not going to stay away from anything in particular... if baby does get an upset tummy then I'll just eliminate whatever it was that upset her.
I don't think I can give up all those foods for a year! I love my Pasta (tomato & basil sauce in there) and hot foods.
I think LLL have a list of foods to avoid though... I'm sure they'll be able to help you :wink:

People are also under the wrong assumption that a baby only gets colic if b/f - . Little DD suffered from what a health nurse diagnosed as "evening colic" and she was bottle fed. I put it down to the pre-term issue - but it was horrible. She would go ballistic of an afternoon and nothing would stop this, we tried gripe water, infacol, special anti colic bottles - it did go away though, but it wasn't pleasant. My sister taught me a technique which was to lay her stomach down across my knees and rub her back which seemed to help even though she still went nuts, it seemed to help.

[Reneemomto5]

Your right bf babies and formula fed babies get colic. I certainly know that because my formula fed 3rd son Logan was extremely colicy until at least 6 months. And I must admit that was some of the roughest times... many prayers to you moms that are experiencing that. Its so hard...

Anyway I just wanted to say you are right Aussie mom. I actually thought it was formula fed babies that had colic more. I certainly could be wrong on this fact, but that was part of a big guilt trip I put myself on with my colicy baby..."if I only tried to breastfeed him he wouldn't have to be in so much pain."

Renee that is soooo interesting what you said about your impression of colic too because I was ALWAYS taught that Colic came from things the mother has eaten that the baby can't tolerate. I do know a few Mum's who's bub improved after the cessation of B/F due to this advice.

When I told a lady who is a nurse DD had colic she tried to contradict me and was quite mean about it (as in first time Mum what would you know attitude LOL). I just stayed in control of my emotions and thought "well when she has seen one of DD's colic fits she can comment" and didn't entertain getting into an argument with her over this.

Articles I have read say that colic is a term used to describe a group of symptoms effecting a baby caused by an immature digestive system.

I still bonded with bubs (my twins) even though I had to bottle feed (I litterally COULD NOT B/F and it's a megga long story)

I just also think its great to keep in mind that if it doesn't work out, don't feel condemned and if B/F does, then be happy. Sometimes there are circumstances (as it was with me) which a million consultants couldn't fix !!!

[soulmom]

i have had to eliminate so much out of my diet it's not even funny... broccoli, dairy, chili, salsa, soy beans (and in a gut wrenching experience I figured out after 4 days of my son not having a bm and having constant colic that low-carb protein bars are soy based, apparently the soy protein molecules are bigger and harder for baby to digest. he finally got better two or three days after i stopped eating them). in all my research i found that the best proteins to eat that are the easiest to digest are turkey and lamb. so we eat way less red meat now and no more soy beans till i'm done nursing. :(

[Godzgirl]

I didn't monitor what i ate because nothing seemed to bother my daughter.

[Reneemomto5]

Aussie mom, with my formula fed colicy baby I tried every formula out there. But after a while I felt so bad changes formulas every 2 weeks, but I had to at least try. Forums like this are wonderful! Medical personal are wonderful don't get me wrong but first hand experience from other mothers has proved invaluable to me. I wish when I had my first baby the computer offered sites like this.

I read articles on colic too, and also they are finding acid reflux is the cause to much of the colic as well. I wish I had known this, there are a lot of babies on perscription medicines to help their discomfort.

Renee it's awful isn't it? I had a friend Donna who had to have a prescription for Zantac for her baby as he was so bad and nothing would work.

I T/A agree with medical proffessionals are great but Mum's give the best advice - Praise God for Mum's [dance] - sometimes proffesionals only give text book answers which are really not one size fits all.

I know of a first time Mum who's baby had not had a BM for 6 days and the Doctor and Health Nurse told her this was NORMAL, the baby was screaming and screaming for days and they would not help her, our neighbour Dee marched down to the chemist and brought stuff to fix our friends baby and told her the professionals were full of "hot gas" LOL and in no time her baby was fine (within an hour the baby was sleeping peacefully).

Medical professionals are completely necessary but I do strongly believe there are strong stigmas attatched to mothers such as "hypochonrdia", "Paranoid", "over protective mother", "Over reacting", "first time mothers know nothing" - so often it is BEST to ask another mother (except of course when Bub does genuinely require medical attention!!)

Your right bf babies and formula fed babies get colic. I certainly know that because my formula fed 3rd son Logan was extremely colicy until at least 6 months. And I must admit that was some of the roughest times... many prayers to you moms that are experiencing that. Its so hard...

Anyway I just wanted to say you are right Aussie mom. I actually thought it was formula fed babies that had colic more. I certainly could be wrong on this fact, but that was part of a big guilt trip I put myself on with my colicy baby..."if I only tried to breastfeed him he wouldn't have to be in so much pain."

Abby rarely got Colic. I think I used Gripe water about three times (one dose) in the first 6 months and that was it. And she was fully formula fed. I don't think it is anything to do with whether you use formula or breastfeed. ;) *HUGS*

You don't even want to read the article I found explaining what Colic is...
it was so confusing... didn't really have a good answer at all. :? If I can find it I'll post it.

Ok I don't think this is the article but it basically says the same thing at the beginning...


Colic
Published by BUPA's Health Information Team
October 2003

Colic is when a baby cries for longer than three hours every day for more than three days a week. It is the extreme end of normal crying behaviour. The condition is harmless, though it can be very distressing for parents or carers. The cause is not known, but there are ways to help calm a baby down.

About infant colic
Colic is uncontrollable, extended crying in a baby who is otherwise healthy and well-fed. Every baby cries, but babies who cry for more than three hours a day, three to four days a week, may have colic.

About 20% of babies get colic, and it equally affects boys and girls, first-born children and those born later. In general, it appears at around two to four weeks of age and can last for three months, or longer in some cases.

Causes
The cause of colic isn't known. In the past it was thought to be related to the digestive system. However, although painful abdominal gas may contribute to colic, there is little evidence to prove it's due to gastrointestinal problems.

Another possible cause of colic is a combination of the baby's temperament and an immature nervous system. The baby's temperament may make him or her highly sensitive to the environment, and he or she may react to normal stimulation or changes to the environment by crying. Because the baby's nervous system is immature, he or she is unable to regulate crying once it starts.

Symptoms
The main symptom is continuous crying for long periods of time. Although this crying can occur at any time, it usually worsens in the evening. Although colic is not thought to be due to pain, a baby with colic may look uncomfortable or appear to be in pain. Babies may lift their head, draw their legs up to their tummy, become red in the face and pass wind. Some babies refuse to eat. Difficulty falling and staying asleep is also common.

Normally, colic is not a serious condition. Research shows that babies with colic continue to eat and gain weight normally, despite the crying.

The main problem with the condition is the stress and anxiety it creates within the home. Parents and other family members may find it difficult to cope with the constant crying, so it's important to have support and to take a break now and then.

When to see a doctor
Colic does not need medical treatment. However, any parent or carer who is worried about their baby's crying may want to get advice from a healthcare professional to make sure there is no serious problem.

Before visiting a doctor, all other possible causes of crying should be eliminated. These include:

hunger
tiredness
lack of contact - some babies want to be cuddled all the time
startling - eg due to a jerky movement or sudden noise
undressing - most babies don't like the feel of air on their skin
temperature - is the baby too hot or too cold?
pain - is there an identifiable source of pain, eg a nappy rash
Before going to the doctor, parents should take note of when the baby cries, eats and sleeps, as well as the pattern of bowel movements. This will help the doctor determine the cause of the crying. The doctor will examine the baby and ask about the symptoms to help exclude any other disorders that may be causing the crying.

If the doctor diagnoses colic, there are many things parents can do to help the baby - and themselves - through the next few months.

Treatment for colic
There is no single medicine or proven cure for colic, but there are several measures that may help. Different babies are comforted by different measures, and parents usually need to try various methods to see what works.

Parents who bottle-feed their babies may want to try a different formula. For parents who breastfeed, it's a good idea to continue this because weaning the baby from breast milk may make the colic worse.

Some women find that certain foods in their diet seem to make colic worse and they may find that cutting these foods out helps. These might include cruciferous vegetables (eg cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts and parsnip), beans, onions, garlic, apricots, melon, spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. By reintroducing foods gradually, women may be able to identify which food, if any, is causing the problem.

If there is a family history of milk sugar (lactose) intolerance, breastfeeding mothers could try eliminating cows milk from their diet. Sometimes babies are not able to digest lactose well - this improves as they get older.

Some parents who bottle-feed their baby try changing over to soya-based formula, but there is no evidence that this is effective at reducing colic.

If the baby seems to have a lot of wind, make sure he or she is burped frequently. Babies who are bottle-fed may swallow air from the bottle: try feeding the baby in a different position, or using a bottle and teat designed to reduce the amount of air the baby swallows during a feed. These include curved bottles, bottles with a collapsible bag inside or bottles with a vent.

To soothe babies with colic, the following techniques may be helpful:

carry the baby in a front sling or back pack
wrap him or her snugly in a blanket (this is called swaddling)
keep the baby moving in a baby swing
place him or her near continuous noise or vibrations from household appliances like the dishwasher, vacuum cleaner or washer-dryer
take him or her for a car ride or a walk outside
give him or her a dummy to suck on
give him or her tummy or back rubs
take a shower together - the warm water may be comforting
Medicines
Medicines are not used to treat colic. However, medicines may help to relieve abdominal symptoms. It may be worth trying "colic drops" or "gripe water", which are available without a prescription. A medicine called dimeticone (eg Infacol) is available to relieve trapped wind.

Care for the parent or carer
Having a colicky baby can be very stressful, frustrating and challenging for any parent, particularly if it is the first child. Babies may pick up on anxiety around them, and this may make colic worse.

It's important for the parents or carer to have time to themselves. Parents who feel overwhelmed should take a break. Ask a partner or friend to take over for a while, even for an hour or two.

My grandmother told me that Colic is not the same as gas. That Colic is different... so that just confused me even more LOL
I always thought that was what Colic was... gas! :?

The article WAS confusing! Most of the articles I have read have always said it's the digestive system that causes it.

When DD was diagnosed with evening colic, the nurse told us the pain just builds up and builds up through the day and ends in a massive crying fit.

It's so odd hey? I had a friend who's baby had cronic colic and my friend would end up begging her DH to stay at home with the baby so she could go back to work and he could deal with it. Funnily enough they read that chiropractic adjustment can help babies in this situation and so they took her to the chiropracter and she never had colic anymore.

TOO WEIRD!

It is strange...

I don't think Abby had Colic. She just got a bit of gas sometimes. She only cried for a while and once you gave her the Gripe Water she was fine.

These experts - what do they know LOL LOL. :lol:

Not that much LOL I always think we mothers know best :wink: