Really foul smelling/painful gas?

So our babes have been very gassy so we recently switched formulas. They are miserable – the gas keeps waking them up from naps/sleep and they scream in pain until they’ve passed it all. We went from powdered Enfamil to pre-mixed Nestle Good Start to see if they might avoid taking in extra bubbles from shaking it up each time.

We switched on Wed, so it’s been 48 hours. Now their gas suddenly smells VERY VERY foul – I’ve never experienced anything quite so noxious smelling. And they seem to be in even more pain.

We went to the pedi yesterday and he gave us the same story – milicon, gripe water, burping – ya we’ve been doing it religiously for weeks.

Any suggestions from anyone that’s dealt with it? Should we switch back to the old formula?

And what’s with this horrible smell?

Maggie

 

I was going to say Gripe water...but see you have been doing that. I am sorry they are so umcomfy!

Good luck to you all.

 

I'm sorry your babies are struggling with this and don't have any suggestions as far as formulas go. Just in case you don't already do this..try placing them on there tummies when they are hurting. It helps mine pass the wind alot quicker and seemingly less traumatic for them.

 

Weird. I have g/g twins and they're 1 week older than yours and I was just logging into TS to post this SAME EXACT thread! Mine SCREAM when they pass gas. I took them to the pedi and he says they have colic and there's nothign we can do. However, I know they don't have colic. They just started this this week and I don't know what is wrong with them. Im so frustrated with it! Let me know if you find any solutions.

 

Have they suggested a milk allergy or lactose intolerance?

My babies have the same issues. They are 5 weeks old. We took them to the pedi and he thought they might have a milk allergy, so suggested restricting the dairy in my diet and using soy formula. So far, it has made a big difference! We stopped the breastmilk for a few days and did straight soy formula and it really seemed to make a difference. We are now re-introducing breastmilk and will do half feedings breast milk and half soy. My babies were on half breast milk half Similac Advance prior to the change. We also tried Gripe water, but it didn't work.
Hope this helps, I know how stressful it is to see your babies in pain. Good luck!

 

QUOTE(Kaie05 @ May 22 2009, 05:14 PM) [snapback]1324853[/snapback]
However, I know they don't have colic.

How do you know they don't have colic? Colic is a generic term used for fussiness, usually due to GI discomfort, that rears its ugly head suddenly and goes as quickly as it comes. Our girls fought us with colic for about 3 or 4 weeks, and then it settled down. Always the same time of day and nothing will console them. You might want to reconsider using some of the "colic" treatments just to be sure.

Maggie, have you tried holding them with their belly on your forearm, their head at your elbow and put your hand around their diaper between their legs? Gently, but firmly, pat their bottoms. I know it sounds crazy, but it will help get the gas out. As for the sudden change, it sounds like it's related to the formula. All of the nurses in the hospital here and every mom I've ever talked to about it absolutely HATE the Good Start. Our girls are on Similac for Sensitive stomaches and have done very well with it. Often times, the concentrate is much harder on their tummies than the powdered stuff. Try dropping a drop of Mylicon (or you can get the Target brand much cheaper) into the bottle after you shake it up. It will get rid of soooo much of the air/foam, it's unreal. It's like dropping Dawn into a greasy pan. If it gets really bad, you can try the Nutramigen by Enfamil, but it's about $26/can and smells like moldy cheese and rotten fish. :bad: My girls refused to eat if that was all I was going to offer them.

Good luck and hang in there. If it is colic, it will pass, you just have to ride it out.

 

This may sound crazy...but if they are having a hard/painful time passing gas. take the rectal themometer and put some lube on it ....Ky jelly or Vaseline and stick just the very tip inside the rectum....that will help release any gas built up in there...it can really help their tummies relax.

I hope they feel better soon.

 

I'm sorry you're going through this uncertainty. I have been there and it wasn't fun. After switching to several different formulas, Similac Sensitive (premixed) is what finally worked. Every baby has to find the formula that works for them, but it's recommended to give the formula a try for 3 to 4 days. However, if your babies have foul smelling gas, I say move on to another formula.

 

My DS had a similar issue...turns out that he was "allergic" to dairy AND soy!!! The dairy caused him to have diarrhea and a face rash...which went away when we switched to soy...only to have him scream in painful gas and his poops had this really weird/foul "acidic" smell to it. I can't describe it other than to say it smelled rancid. I always knew when he had inadvertantly had something with soy in it (as he got older and ate solids) because of this funky smellingg poop. The good news is that Similac Alimentum finally fixed all of it. The bad news is that Alimentum seriously costs TWICE as much as regular formula.

As a note, my doctor also gave me the schpeel that it was "normal" maybe "colic" but I just didn't buy it in my mommy gut. So, I did the elimination thing until I figured out what it was. Keep in mind though that it can take up to two full weeks for dairy to get out of their systems, so you'll have to be very patient. Eliminate the ingerdient (in your case switch formula) and if they get better after a week or two, give them the ingredient again...if they get sick again, you found a trigger. Continue until you've figured it out. A pain in the arse yes...but to have happy babies not in pain...priceles.. Good luck!

 

I had the same problem with my boys for about 2 months until we figured out they had a milk intolerance. I was BF and FF at the time, so we switched to me eliminating all dairy from my diet and supplementing with Elecare (hypoallergenic formula that is ridiculously expensive). I would give Alimentium or Elecare a try for at least a week to see if that helps. It is worth a try. Do be aware that the formula stinks and some babies will flat out refuse it. The good news is that by about 6-7 months my boys were able to switch to Similac Sensitive without a problem. Many times newborns will out grow the milk intolerance because it really is just that there little systems aren't ready to digest the milk protein (which is different than a lactose intolerance). Good luck!

 

Just wanted to update everyone

We figured out the REALLY smelly gas – it was the formula change. I figure it’s supposed to smell bad-ish – but not toxic! – to my mommy nose. Honestly their poop usually smells kind of good I must admit. Anyway, we switched back to the Gentleease and took everyone’s advice to add the Milicon to the bottle instead of administering it after each feeding. The gas is still here, but at least we’ve fixed the odor.

If it doesn't get better in the next couple weeks maybe we'll move to the milk allergy theory...

Thanks for all your help!

 

Gentlease was the best formula for our two. The Target brand generic isn't that expensive either.

As for gas, another thing to help is to do bicycle pumps with their feet. Lay them on their back and move their legs in a pumping motion.

 

I feel your pain. I breastfeed but needed to supplement their diet with formula. We went through three different formulas. The doctor finally suggested a soy based formula. We use Similac. Then I removed dairy completely from my diet. Well....not completely. Once a week I have cheese. This has been huge change for the positive on their systems. Then after they eat I keep them upright for at least a half an hour. pillow, non-moving swing, or just snuggle time. Laying them on their tummy for a little while helps relieve some pressure but not much. We have used gripe water in the past but when they are miserable like that it wasn't the miracle to save them.