Why is 2 1/2 month old baby crying while drinking formula?

Question

From the time my son was about two weeks old he has been fussy while eating. We had him on Similac to start with and the doctor prescribed Pepcid for him...thinking he may have acid reflux. The Pepcid seemed to work for a couple weeks then he started getting fussy at the bottle again. He is not fussy between feedings, just while he is eating he grunts and thrashes his head around and pushes the bottle away. He then will sometimes scream murder if you keep trying to feed him. He typically eats two ounces well, but will start crying and fussing after that. I try to burp him often, but that does not seem to help. He actually eats better during the night after he's been sleeping and doesn't seem to have the same problem. We have tried Soy and increasing the Pepcid dosage, which both seemed to work for a couple weeks and then everything came back. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would greatly appreciate any ideas. Thanks!!!

Answer 1

Breast Milk is what nature intended for your baby- you went outside of nature's plan when you started giving your baby formula. Contact a La Leche league and they can give you guidance. Good Luck!

Answer 2

In my experience, when a baby is fussy about the bottle, there's something wrong with the bottle or what's in it. If the drink is to hot he will probably scream or at least cry. If the drink is to cold he will make a big fuss about it, but at the same time he still wants the bottle because he is hungry. Check the temperature on the inside of your front arm, you know, right where you would check somebodies pulse. The perfect temperature is when you don't feel the drop on your skin at all. Not to hot and not to cold. If you can actually feel the drop as hot or cold, then for sure the temperature is wrong for the baby.
If this doesn't work I would check the nipple on the bottle, maybe some of them are to tight and he's not getting anything out of it. You can fix that with a hot needle.
If none of this works then there could be something wrong with what you're feeding him, I'm assuming you're either feeding him breastmilk or formula. If it's formula, maybe you're not mixing it right, in that case, it could be really dangerous for him so you have to be sure you're doing it right. If it's something other than milk then perhaps he simply doesn't like what you're feeding him.
If none of this works then consult your doctor ASAP
My guess though, according to your description, is that your formula is to cold.

Answer 3

It sounds like reflux. It is very common with reflux to have to try different meds until you find one that works. Doctors usually prescribe something really mild first, like pepcid, and then go up to something stronger if that doesn't work. Usually that med is Zantac, and then prevacid. They work differently so that factors in too. I would call your doc and say the Pepcid isn't helping him. It's worth a shot to try a stronger med. My daughters were on Zantac from about 2-4 months old. It helped them tremendously. By 4 months, they no longer needed it. It does not sound like a formula problem because he had the same problem with regular milk based and soy, so you can also probably switch back to the similac.

There are other things you can do to help aside from meds. Dr. Browns bottles are really good. You can also add rice or oatmeal cereal to the formula to help keep it down. There is a formula, Enfamil AR, that really helps, but the rice in it can be constipating. Zantac worked for us, so I didn't bother with the cereal.

BTW, don't listen to this breastfeeding nonsense. You did not "go against nature's plan" when you chose to formula feed! My babies have been formula fed since 4 weeks old because breastfeeding wasn't working out for us, and I wanted my babies to eat, and they have thrived!

Answer 4

My 12 week old daughter went through the EXACT same thing. It was gas. The doctor gave us some gas drops that seemed to help a little bit, but honestly, time really helped. She is now able to pass gas on her own, and doesn't have the gas pains like she does before. Maybe try switching your formula to a soy formula? Those are usually reserved for gassy babies.

Answer 5

Baby Fussy While Drinking Bottle

Answer 6

Make sure the temp of the bottle is luke warm to the touch, to test it put it on your wrist. How often does your baby eat? My neighbors baby was on a schedule, and whenever the baby ate he would scream , So i suggested this and it worked. First forget the schedule, let the baby eat when he is hungry, he was only getting a few ounces and falling asleep, she would wait 4 hours from then, when he ate you could hear the milk hitting that empty tummy with a rumble and the screaming would start, he was over hungry and filling with gas as he was sucking so fast. Would sit him up , pull his arms up over his head to get out a big burp and he would then continue to eat without a problem, and eat twice as much as usual. It may be an old lady remedy ,but some of the oldest remedies are the best.

Answer 7

1) Temperature, try hot, warm and cold. Some babies have strong preferances.

2) Nipple: Try a very small hole, and a largish hole

3) Latex: Try a silicone nipple and a latex nipple.

If the pepcid isn't working, stop giving it. Drugs should only be used when absolutely necessary in children under the age of 2. Have you tried physical changes to treat GER?

Keep baby upright and quiet for at least thirty minutes after feeding.
Offer smaller, more frequent feedings.
Wear your baby in a carrier as long as possible. Carried babies cry less. Babies reflux more while crying.
Breastfeed. Studies show that GER is less in breastfed babies.
If you are bottlefeeding (and if recommended by your doctor), thicken baby's feedings with one or two tablespoons of rice cereal to each 8-ounce bottle.
Discuss with your doctor the safest sleeping position for your baby. Babies with severe reflux sleep best on their stomach and propped up at a 30-degree angle by elevating the head of the crib. (Babies without reflux should be put down to sleep on their backs.)
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T106000.asp

Answer 8

Have you thought, maybe he's full after those 2 oz's? Some babies only drink a little at a time, when full they typically thrash about and cry if you keep trying to feed them...that's why he's pushing the bottle away! Just stop feeding him when he tells you he's full. You may need to feed him small quantities, just more often.

Answer 9

The formula could be too hot or too cold. Double-check the temperature. Or your baby could be having gas or stomach pain. Not sure what to suggest except maybe mylicon drops. If your baby has Colic, he will scream no matter what you do. Keep talking to your doctor until a solution is found.

Answer 10

Maybe the pepcid is not working well for him. My daughter has reflux and we have her on zantac. She started doing the same thing, and her pedi increased the dose. Apparently these medicines are very weight sensitive. I would guess it has to do with the Reflux since it seems to be better at night. My daughter is better at night too, because she is sleepy and sleeps on a inclined mattress, plus she goes a little longer between feedings and is not dealing with a lot of movement which tends to aggravate her reflux during the day.

Hope he feels better soon!

Answer 11

My son was allergic to his formula and we only knew after 2 mos since he cried all the time especially while eating. His ped checked a stool sample for blood (it's not visible to the naked eye). My son's symptoms drastically improved once he started on Nutramigen. Ask your ped and good luck!