Colief - advice pls

[jennyh]

Reading instructions on Colief - says to add drops to warm, not hot formula 30 minutes before feed, thus leaving the feed stone cold.

Can anyone shed any light on making the stuff work when formula feeding?

[MrsAk]

We just put it in and then feed straight away (hmm obviously didn't read about the 30 min wait time!

Xxx

[Strawbs]

I just put it in too and it worked fine x

[jennyh]

That's interesting... It says it needs 30 mins to break down the lactose. So you found it helpful even without waiting? Did anyone try the aptamil comfort formula?

[hellosailor]

Jenny is there a reason you're trying colief before infacol? (we were told lactose intolerance is not that likely but infacol is good for general digestive / wind mares)

SMA went down better with R than aptamil. We didn't try the aptamil comfort as he was constipated already and that is more constipating. What are G's symptoms? xx

[Strawbs]

I tried the aptamil and cow and gate (meant to be kinder on them apparently but dont quote me on that) but we ended up on Neocate prescribed by the GP for a dairy intolerance which he grew out of at 2. Dr Brown bottles helped a lot also. x

[jennyh]

We've been using infacol for a week or do but it's not done a huge amount to help. Last night just tipped me over the edge as he screamed from 6-9.30 and even then just wouldn't settle to a deep sleep. He was burping well but kept going rigid and purple and screaming periodically and was really sobbing so I def think he was in pain. We recently tried to move him from aptamil to hipp as Bess had issues with aptamil but it may be that the hipp doesn't agree with G as he primarily had hipp feeds yesterday and then had this screamy evening. During the night he was squirming and tensing after his feeds but we used colief and it seemed to be less extreme than it was in the evening.

I thought the comfort milk was good for relieving colic and constipation? I know they do a hungry milk which isn't great for the latter, maybe I am confused!

Also using dr browns bottles. He does burp well but still in pain I think....his belly gurgles so much, cn practically hear the bubbles forming.

[Strawbs]

Yes mini strawbs used to scream from 5 - 8 daily and the colief really did help. I remember it well and I feel for you as you feel entirely helpless to help them. Is he too young for gripe water? I always found that helped with really deep wind with mini strawbs. x

[verds]

How old is he? My eldest had screamy evenings (6-9 every night) and it's really hard. There's a move you can do where you lay them along your arm that helps a bit - er, google tiger in the tree. You have my sympathies as it does tip you over the edge and we didn't really find a solution until things improved at 13 weeks.

[esme]

I found Colief amazing, plus not full of nasty artificial sweeteners like Infacol (which doctors recommended twice before helpful stranger advised about Colief). I just mixed it with the formula like those above, didn't read about waiting but remember it was a bit of a hassle. All worth it though, totally cured baby's wind pains. Good luck x

[jennyh]

He is 5 weeks. poor chap. Have had disastrous feeding experiences with both children so I'm gutted he is struggling so much. I took him for cranial osteopathy which was very interesting and I learnt a lot about why he has these issues (in addition to the congestion issues he has). I've seen some improvement with the colief although the osteopath said he doubts that there is a lactose intolerance, prob more that he has a distinct 'banana' shape to his body which is putting some pressure on one side of his digestive tract. I'm hoping a couple more sessions may help and we will see some success!

For everyone who used these colic remedies...when did you stop using them and how did you wean off? I gather it should be gradual?

Thank you!

[shaunag]

Jenny I'm on my second child with dietary issues and it's unbelievable how sensitive this one is to certain foods. I am breast feeding but avoiding dairy and soya (as well as onions, tomatoes and citrus) and traces thereof. If I have any it's screaming in pain baby-like yesterday we went for lunch and I requested no dairy. I took one bite of my veg and to my horror realised there was butter in it. I went ballistic with the waiter and he was massively apologetic and didn't actually charge me, but I knew we would be in trouble. Sure enough baby absolutely screamed in pain for about an hour and a half and was inconsolable. He is fine now, and it took a lot of diet tweaking on my part as he is so damn sensitive, but he literally doesn't cry at all otherwise. Previously I have ended up at the doctors at midnight with worry over the pain he has evidently been in-what was suggested? Infacol-which has no proven clinical benefit. GPs are not clued up re dietary issues. If I was you I would ask for a referral to a paediatrician and ask for the referral to be expedited. Get a script for neocate and try your baby on it-if there is no change then I can't suggest anything else, but if it is the dairy you will see the transformation very quickly. I don't believe in 'colic'-I don't think they scream for no reason, and I don't believe in 'very windy baby'-again I think there is something going into them their bodies just can't handle yet. I don't think any baby or parent should have to endure and suffer through a baby in pain-it's so so stressful and newborns are enough to cope with without that on top. I really hope you get it sorted. Best of luck. Xx

[Strawbs]

Shaunag - that sounds horrendous!! You poor thing. Glad you have a handle on it but two babies with dietary issues is tough going, I am due in 6 weeks and praying this one doesn't have allergies / reflux.

Jenny - we stopped it when mini Strawbs was put on Neocate x

[jennyh]

Gosh shaunag that sounds terrible, poor you. I generally seem to find that a lot of things are put down to 'newborn baby' - ie immature digestive system , when actually like you say there is more to it. My son has terrible congestion which he has had since the day he was born, it has been worsened by getting colds but essentially he is a very snuffly? Snorty baby who struggles to breath on a regular basis. I went to the gp to be told he is just small and has small airways so it will get better as he gets bigger...prob lots of truth in that but I do refuse to think you should give up trying to help them as its too horrible to leave a small baby suffering. It sounds like you are managing your situation but I hope it improves for you and your baby becomes less sensitive.

We're getting on ok, he seems to be finding it easier to bring up wind and is constantly farting without as much of the squirming and writhing around crying. I don't know if its the colief or the change in formula but just watching for changes. Main issue now is this snuffling so will no doubt be on here talking about that again!