Search Results for 'breast feeding'

[Anonymous]

Energy requirement for growth from http://www.unu.edu/Unupress/food2/UID01E/uid01e0d.htm

I might be able to figure out the answer from my question from this article? I hate math. But I think if I can figure out how much additional fat she needs, if I can figure out how much fat is in my breast milk and how much she drinks??? If anyone knows an easier way, please let me know….

Although the energy requirement for growth relative to maintenance is small, except for the first months of life, satisfactory growth is a sensitive indicator of whether needs are being met. To determine the energy cost of growth, the energetics of growth must be understood and satisfactory growth velocities must be defined. The 1985 requirements were based on the growth reference published for international use by WHO (1983), which were derived from the United States National Center for Health Statistics growth curves (NCHS, 1977). What constitutes appropriate infant growth is a topic of controversy and is currently under debate at WHO. Because of policy implications, the findings of the WHO Expert Committee on ‘Physical Status: The Use and Interpretation of Anthropometry During Infancy’ should be considered if the FAO/WHO/UNU Energy and Protein Requirements are revised. Quantitatively, revision of infant growth curves will minimally impact estimated energy requirements. If growth curves were revised to reflect the growth velocities of breast-fed infants, energy requirements would decrease by 10, 16, 24 and 12 kcal/d for 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months and 9-12 months, respectively.

In addition to the growth velocity, the energy cost of growth must be known. This cost consists of the energy content of the newly synthesized tissues and the energy expended in synthesis. In the 1985 report the energy cost of weight gain was reviewed in Annex 4 (FAO/ WHO/UNU, 1985) The value proposed for healthy term infants was 5.6 kcal/g gained. We measured the energy cost of growth in term infants and arrived at an estimate, 4.8 kcal/g (Butte et al, 1989). An additional report appeared on the energy cost of growth of infants recovering from malnutrition; the total energy cost of growth was 6-7 kcal/g (Fjeld et al, 1989). The estimated energy cost of growth is more accurate when the separate costs of protein and fat deposition are taken into account, since the components of weight gain change dramatically through the first year of life. However, the practicality of this point is significantly diminished by the fact that the energy cost of growth as a percentage of total energy requirement decreases from 35% at 1 month to 3% at 12 months.

The total energy cost of growth and its components is presented in Table 5 (Figure 4). For the present discussion, the rates of weight gain and components of weight gain, as described by Fomon et al (1982), have been used. For lack of specific information on the composition of weight gain of breast-fed and formula-fed infants, no distinction was made with respect to potential differences in the energy cost of growth between feeding groups. Median NCHS weights were used to standardize the data. The energetic efficiencies of synthesizing protein and fat were taken to be 42% (1 kcal deposited/2.38 kcal used) and 85% (1 kcal deposited/ 1.17 kcal used), respectively (Roberts & Young, 1988). Energy equivalents for fat and protein were 9.25 kcal/g and 5.65 kcal/g, respectively.

Table 5 Energy cost of growth through infancy

Age (months)	Weight (kg)	Weight gaina (g/d)	Fat deposition		Protein deposition				Total energy cost growth
			(g/d)b	(kcal/d)c	(g/d)b	(kcal/d)c	Fat synthesis (kcal/d)d	Protein synthesis (kcal/d)d	(kcal/d)	(kcal/kg/d)
Boys:
0-1	380	29	6	56	4	21	10	29	115	30
1-2	4.75	35	14	130	4	20	23	27	201	42
2-3	5.60	30	13	119	3	17	21	23	181	32
3-4	6.35	21	8	77	2	13	14	18	121	19
4 5	7.00	17	6	51	2	11	9	16	87	12
5-6	7.55	15	4	38	2	11	7	16	72	9
6 9	8.50	13	2	17	2	11	3	16	46	5
9-12	9.70	11	1	9	2	10	2	14	35	4
Girls:
0-1	3.60	26	6	52	3	19	9	26	105	29
1-2	4.35	29	13	118	3	16	21	22	177	41
2-3	5.05	24	10	93	3	15	16	20	145	29
3-4	5.70	19	7	68	2	12	12	16	108	19
4-5	6.35	16	6	55	2	11	10	15	90	14
5-6	6.95	15	5	45	2	11	8	15	79	11
6-9	7.97	11	2	16	2	10	3	14	43	5
9-12	9.05	10	1	11	2	10	2	13	36	4

^a Monthly rates of weight gain (Fomon et al, 1982).
^b Monthly rates of &t and protein deposition (Fomon et al, 1982).
^c Energy equivalents for fat and protein deposition were taken as 9.25 kcal/g and 5.65 kcal/g, respectively.
^d Energetic efficiencies of synthesizing protein and fat were taken to be 42% (1 kcal deposited/2.38 kcal used) and 85% (1 kcal deposited/1.17 kcal used), respectively (Roberts & Young, 1988).

As calculated, the energy cost of growth displays an abrupt increase at 1-2 months, followed by a gradual decline through 12 months. The abrupt increase in fat deposition may be an artifact due to interpolation of data compiled from different studies by Fomon et al (1982). Unpublished data of Southgate were used to estimate body composition at birth. Body fat was assumed to be linearly related to subscapular and infra-iliac skinfolds between the ages of 3 months and 10 years. A smoothed curve was constructed relating the percentage body fat to age from 1 month to 10 years.

Energy requirements of infants predicted from total energy expenditure and growth

We estimated energy requirements of infants from birth to 12 months of age from total energy expenditure and energy deposition as protein and fat (Table 6, Figures 5 and 6). The energy costs of protein and fat synthesis are covered in the estimate of total energy expenditure and therefore have been excluded from this estimate of energy deposition. The relatively low energy deposition at 0-1 months and high estimate at 1-2 months may be in error. Because fat deposition probably does not increase so abruptly between 1 and 2 months, the average energy deposition for the interval 0-2 months was used in calculating energy requirements. The 1985 FAO/WHO/UNU energy requirements are 9-39% higher than these estimates. These discrepancies are not trivial and could lead to overfeeding of infants.

FIGURE 4 Energy cost of fat and protein deposition in infants (kcal/d).(Boys)

FIGURE 4 Energy cost of fat and protein deposition in infants (kcal/d).(Girls)

A comparison of FAO/WHO/UNU energy requirements and estimations based on energy intakes recorded after 1980 and on TEE and growth is graphically displayed in Figures 7 and 8.

FIGURE 5 Energy requirements of infants estimated from total energy expediture and energy deposition (kcal/d).

[Anonymous]

Nice table comparing the nutrients in human milk, cow milk, goat milk and formula… http://www.saanendoah.com/compare.html

FEEDING THE TERM INFANT from http://ta-ze.com/infant.aspx

Growth, particularly in weight, length and additional anthropometrical measurements, remains a measure of adequacy of nutritional regimes for the growing infant and child. Infant feeding decisions have an impact on lifelong medical illnesses, growth, and developmental abilities well beyond infancy.

Energy:

The energy intake of normal infants per unit body weight is much greater than adult counterparts. Energy requirements for term infants vary from 100 – 116 kcal / kg / day from 0-3 months and decline to about 100 kcal / kg / day by the end of the first year. The energy requirements are provided from carbohydrate, protein and fat in human milk or diet. Energy values for protein, fat, and carbohydrate are 4, 9, and 4 kcal / gram, respectively.

Protein:

Protein is clearly essential for normal growth and development. Recommended dietary intakes of protein are summarized in below table.

Age interval ( month ) Recommended Dietary Intake ( g / kg / day ) 0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 6 6 to 9 9 to 12 2.6 2.2 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3

Carbohydrate:

Carbohydrates generally account for 35 – 42 % of the energy intake of breast- or formulated infants. The major carbohydrate in human milk is lactose. The energy provided by fat and carbohydrate spares protein for tissue synthesis.

Fats:

Also, daily needs for fat amount approximately a third of the infant’s total energy need. Human milk contains approximately 4 % fats. For the healthy full term infant, major consideration of fat in the infant diet include the adequacy of essential fatty acids to prevent essential fatty acid deficiency. Linoleic acid is the essential fatty acid for humans. The absence of linoleic acid in the diet results in growth retardation and dermatological manifestations. Intakes of linoleic acid, as low as 0.6 % of daily energy intake , can obviate essential fatty acid deficiency and current recommendations specify the minimum level of 0.3 g / 100 kcal in infant formulas.

Olive Oil during infancy:

Organic extra virgin olive oil, obtained from olives grown with natural fertilization without the help of chemical treatments, is suitable for children and adults. Organic extra virgin olive oil is rich in important nutritional elements and favors absorption of nutrients soluble in fat such as vitamins A, D, E and K. Unsaturated and saturated fats ratio of organic extra virgin olive oil is similar to human breast milk. Linoleic acid content of 100 ml human milk (approximately 0.3155 g linoleic acid/ 100 ml human milk) is equal to linoleic acid content of 5 ml (1/3 tablespoon) organic extra virgin olive oil. Therefore it can be considered a proper food to supply essential fatty acid need of infants’ from their 5th month of life. Using 1/3 tablespoon of organic extra virgin olive oil in meals and helps the prevention of essential fatty acid ( linoleic acid ) deficiency and helps the promotion of growth and neurological development.

Heidi T.2007-4-13 13:42:1

[Anonymous]

Christine, I’m pretty sure that Hailey has a tonsil issue, but we don’t know what to do about it. There’s kind of a debate whether it’s good to have this done in kids with feeding aversions b/c the pain can be so severe after and trigger a relapse, I guess. The should be decent drinkers at least to prevent dehydration in the recovery phase. Either way, I really think the sleep study is the best bet for us. Then we can find out exactly what’s going on with her at night. About the cavities, she already has those white spots on her teeth which I am already afraid are going to rot b/c of the night feeds, the mouth breathing, and the frequent vomitting and refluxing. The only thing shse has going for her is that she sucks her fingers which increases saliva production, but it’s on and off during the night. When the fingers go into her mouth, she starts to sound like she’s snoring.

Lauren, why no one has helped is kind of the magic question. There’s not really a clear answer. She was diagnosed at 8 weeks when her feeding aversion became full blown. I had to start sleep feeding her and we got a referral to a ped GI who told us that we were on the way to a tube even though we were sustaining her weight this way. The GI didn’t believe in the marci-kids dosing of meds, and even though she was on a pretty good dose, it wasn’t that aggressive. Also, we didn’t have all the meds here, and the only options we had were to compound prilosec or to give the prilosec capsules in applesauce. Well Hailey wouldn’t eat b/c of the feeding aversion and you know our saga with incorrectly made compounds. In between trying to get all this sorted out, which was from 2-10 months we were trying to get in to see new doctors and try new pharmacies and options. We saw one who did nothing but weigh her and say she was fine and would outgrow it, and then another who said the same. We finally got referred to the children’s hospital at 6 months and had to wait until she was 10 months to get in. Our ped didn’t know what to do, and called them to see what they thought about upping the meds, but they wouldn’t go higher. We tried caracream with losec, but it made Hailey throw up. Finally prevacid came here and that was really the answer for Hailey. She would sort of take it in caracream, but we still had the reflux and the feeding aversion. The prevacid helped with the pain, and the feeding therapy with the feeding issue. The doctors felt that she was fine because her weight was good. They didn’t care that she didn’t sleep, told us to do sleep training. They told us that she ate enough because her weight was good and didn’t care about her feeding aversion b/c we were supporting her weight through sleep feeding. That’s the position we’ve been in and remain in for some time now. We are being seen at our children’s hospital, they don’t really think anything is wrong, and because of this, we can’t really see anyone else. Our health care system is kind of strange there. That’s the abridged version. They all thought that she’d outgrow it, which she hasn’t.

As for the dairy/soy free diet, we never really were able to pursue it very well. Her feeding aversion was so ingrained right from the time we knew something was wrong, that I couldn’t get her to take anything other than expressed breast milk. I tried the hypo formulas but she wouldn’t go near them, even when mixed in. She refused neocate. We were at a point where we had to decide between tube feeding her neocate, or proceeding with breast milk and goodstart (which for some reason she didn’t totally refuse). We tried soy, which she also took, but it landed her in the ER with constipation. At this point, we really try to limit her dairy and soy, but don’t cut it out altogether. We need to find a balance between supporting her calorie intake and feeding problems, and the reflux. It’s a difficult situation.

s&h’s mum2007-4-12 17:35:55

[Anonymous]

Welcome! As Laura said, you do not need to stop breastfeeding. I recommend eliminating all dairy (even hidden, small amounts), if that doesn’t work eliminate soy. Or eliminate both now, once symptoms are gone, reintroduce soy. Just a warning, it can take weeks to see improvements and your child might have intolerances beyond just dairy and soy. Below is a link to Reidun’s story and gathered info, you might want to take a look at it… https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7728&a mp;PN=0&TPN=1 Best of luck!!

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry it’s taken this long to give an update.

We saw Ped Monday morning. She is really helpful and I’m pleased with her attention to this. She gave script for Prilosec, since our pharmacy was having issues prescribing Prevacid. She said let’s see how things go in the next 2-4 weeks and she’ll refer us to a GI if needed. Prilosec doesn’t seem to be doing anything, but this will only be our second full day on it…so I’m still hoping it will kick in. Yes, I know it might take 2 weeks, but I’m still hoping for faster results.

Abigail had a really bad day yesterday. She napped in the morning but that was about it. I’m thinking about going on a strict elimination diet for 2 weeks and see if anything changes. I just feel desperate to try anything. Each week feels like 2 weeks!

Also, DD get low grade fevers every day. At first it was every other day and now it seems like around 1:00 every day her temp will be 98.9, 99.8, 100.6, etc. Doc said a low temp was ok and not to give Tylenol for JUST a temp, but only if there is something else wrong. I told her yeah, she’s always fussy and acting like she’s in pain. I could give her Tylenol every day. Is a temp common in reflux babies?

Does anyone else put DC in swings for naps? All of the time? How often? I’m about to lose my mind carrying and holding DD all day long. She might take one nap a day in her swing but I’m thinking about doing every nap. DD does well at night, sleeping on her tummy. She’ll go about 4 hours straight at night, which is wonderful!

Another thing, the Ped only prescribed Prilosec 1ml 2X a day. I know that’s not enough. I was thinking about giving her the Zantac in the middle of the day. The doc said we’ll give Prilosec two weeks to see if it helps before upping the dose.

Any mom’s do the elimination diet and it worked? I’ve read that just doing a basic non dairy diet can reduce symptoms.

Thanks again for your help!

Laura

—————————–

I have so many questions. I’ve been reading for hours and get more and more confused!

DD will be 2 months tomorrow. She was thought to have colic…crying in the evenings from 7-11 pm. Fussy all day. Spits up a lot with curds. Doesn’t sleep well for naps. Wakes 20 minutes or so into every nap. Always wakes up crying or screaming, usually in a pile of vomit. Moans and groans, esp. in the mornings. She does not arch her back. She does straightens and stiffens her legs quite often….usually while crying.

Prior to yesterday, I researched colic like crazy, not reflux. I am breast feeding. I started an elimination diet a week ago and thought it helped all symptoms, but not 100% sure.

Yesterday DD woke up quicky from nap in a huge pile of curdled vomit and it hit me REFLUX! I don’t know why it took so long for it to dawn on me. I researched it, called her doc and they called in a script for Previcid. Packets that I mix. They never said a word to me about how long it would take to go into effect or any other advise. I only learned about things from reading on the boards. Thank God for the internet! Otherwise I’d be sitting in total ignorance and have no clue about anything.

DD has her 2 mo appt on Monday, so I’ll have many questions for her at that time. For the time being, may I ask many questions? I don’t even know where to start.

How long does reflux typically last in an infant? I’m breast feeding. Part of what I read says breast feeding is better for reflux, then I read about the milk proteins and the diet I should be on. I have already limited a lot of dairy but seriously, I can’t imagine going totally dairy free for months and months. Do a lot of GI’s suggest stop BFing? Does it always take 2 wks for Previcid to kick in? That sucks. Each day feels like an eternity. Do reflux babies really have sore throats? I hate knowing my baby is in pain and not being able to help. I gave her the Mylanta last night but didn’t notice a change. She still spit up and wondered if that was painful coming back up. I just feel generally confused. I know I’m forgetting tons of questions but please offer any suggestions or advise! Should I ask my DD’s ped for a GI referral?

Thank you!

Laura

lauramom2007-4-18 8:47:10

[Anonymous]

Thanks as always everyone! I’m getting closer-I’m loving the name Sydney. New development but I discovered by accident and I really like it so far. Of course, I’ll change my mind tomorrow.

Yes, I’ll keep everyone posted on reflux/mspi. In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was obsessed about why my child had both when it did not appear to run in our families (not to mention why it was so severe he vomited blood!). But now, I’m actually quite lazy and eating less healthy then I ever did when I was pregnant with Ian. Maybe that’ll do the trick, huh??? I’m eating tons of cheese, tomatoes, chocolate which I totally kept in check first pregnancy. Maybe early exposure, huh?? I am going to try REALLY hard to keep up with the breastfeeding this time though to see if there’s a difference at least with the mspi. I’m even splurging on a baby nurse for 10days to help.

I go back and forth on causes too-now I’m on a kick that he was so affected because I live in New York City with all the toxins and grunge! Maybe the probiotics I’m taking will help.

Everyone think good thoughts please!!! Cross your fingers for us

[Anonymous]

Hi Sandermom!

I’m sorry that you’re going through another difficult patch with Sander. Hailey has a longstanding feeding aversion, and so I tend to be a worry wart about feeding issues.

Firstly, what kind of feeding behaviours did Sander show with bottle/breast feeding early on? You mention “screaming while feeding”- are you talking about solids or liquids- and was there any arching or pushing away from the feeding going on? When did his feeding change? Did the prevacid help with his feeding? How much and how long was he on it? (I’m just asking these questions to get a baseline.)

About your peds comment that liquid causes reflux, I don’t know what he’s talking about, and would have to say from our experience that is not entirely true. Some kids prefer drinking as a way to soothe the burning in their throats- especially if the formula is cold. Foods can also cause reflux is there are food allergies or intolerances going on. I have recently developed reflux and liquids do not seem to bother me, but many foods do.

Another thing you mention is that he’s never really taken solids well. What has his introduction to solids been like? When did you start them, what did you start giving him, how did he react. Are there some things that he likes? How does he do with finger foods?

About the testing that he’s had done- it sounds like he had an upper GI series, which is not the same as an endoscopy. The upper GI is intended to look for structural problems along the GI tract that are causing the reflux, not to diagnose reflux itself. Some old fashioned doctors tend to use this test to diagnose reflux, but that is not the intent. The gold standard way to diagnose reflux is to do a pH probe. It involves placing a probe through the nose into the esophagus, and the child wears that probe for 24 hours while the pH is measured in the esophagus. The other test that some were talking about- an endoscopy- will take a look at the esophagus. It involves general anaesthetic, and then the GI inserts a small camera through the esophagus, stomach, and small bowel. It allows them to see what’s going on in there, and for them to take biopsies to diagnose some allergies and types of allergic esophagitis like EE. Laura mentioned esophageal thrush, which they can also see. Kevieb’s daughter had this, though I understand it’s pretty rare. The endoscopy itself will only tell you if there’s damage or no damage, and then the results of the biopsies, but it doesn’t tell you if there’s reflux or no reflux. Some parents chose to do the endoscopy, and then hav the pH probe inserted while they’re under- since this is apprently the worst part. That gives a pretty clear picture.

Even if you’re not interested in going the testing route, I would consider getting a referral to a ped GI. That’s just my opinion though. It sounds like you have a great ped, and that’s amazing. But I’ve learned the hard way that even great peds (and supposedly great GIs) often don’t know too much about reflux. I remember “Lisaan” saw a GI who she really liked in Ohio, I think at Columbus, but it might have been at the other hospital. I can check if you’re interested. We have an amazing ped, and he doesn’t know too much about reflux- even though he’s one of the best in the city- but thankfully he isn’t arrogant, and was willing to admit that he didn’t know everything. We’ve seen various specialists since then, and some are better than others.

What (if any) symptoms does Sander show these days other than the feeding? Any silent reflux symptoms?

Now, about the feeding… I certainly know where you’re coming from about the feeding issues, probably to the extreme. And I’ll tell you that I’ve learned that mommy’s instinct tends to be right in these situations. We’ve seen many feeding specialists-doctors and therapists to address Hailey’s issues. Most docs, including our GI have looked only at the weight and not the behaviour to see if there’s a problem or not. I look at the whole picture. Firstly, I would say to look at Sander’s growth curve to see if there’s a problem or not. If he’s pretty much stayed along the same curve, even with slow growth, and he’s been eating willingly and supporting his weight willingly (i.e. not by sleep feeding or force feeding or extremely unusual desperate measures required to get calories into him), then you are probably not in too bad of a place. I don’t mean that to say that he doesn’t have a problem, but that he is likely growing along his own curve even though he’s small. If he’s dropped percentiles along the way, or hasn’t demonstrated even growth during his first year, or if you’ve had to force feed him or resort to drastic measures to get him to eat, then I would say that all of those things are not normal. If you are going to try some testing, that might give you the best answers. But even if not, I’d say that some feeding therapy is warranted. A feeding therapist can assess the situation and tell you if his refusal to eat is just “him”, temperament, normal fussy eating, or if there’s more to it. Either way they can give you suggestions to help move him forward and help you by giving you recommendations of things to try, and things not to do. I highly recommend feeding therapy. It was a miracle for us.

Having a child who doesn’t eat or who eats poorly can be very stressful, especially when people minimize the situation. Our family often says that Hailey doesn’t have a problem with her eating and that she’s just a fussy picky eater, or that I’m the problem, and I’ve given up trying to explain things to them. People see what they want to see. Our feeding therapist once told us that the majority of babies she sees had reflux at some time or another- that’s not a coincidence.

You mention that he gets colds constantly. Is he in daycare? If so, how does he eat at daycare and what do the daycare providers think of his eating compared to the other children.

In the meantime, colds always made Hailey’s reflux flare by a million times, as did teething. Can you try some mylanta before a feed and see if that helps things a bit? Or can you ask your doc to try prevacid again and see if that makes an improvement for him?

Good luck sorting things out. Feeding problems are really an awful thing, worse then the reflux even, I often feel. HUGS. Please pm me if you ever want to talk.

[Anonymous]

Oh, my goodness! What a tough road you have had! I truly feel for you, and wish SO much that you could get fast answers and relief. Motherhood is hard enough without depression and reflux to weigh you down.

I applaud your strength with continuing breast feeding. You have given a great gift to your little one. And I COMPLETELY understand your feeling that giving it up would mean giving up that one joy you feel you have left. I respect that so much.

But, I just want to put something out there…a friend of mine went through a VERY similar thing. And a doctor finally said to her, “I know you feel rare joy when you breast feed your son. And I know how much you must look forward to that. The trouble is, you aren’t looking forward to any other part of your day. Consider this: if you quit breast feeding in order to get put on the best medication for you, you will indeed lose that joy. But, with the right medication, you will find joy everywhere else. And while you will never be able to replace the feeling you had while breast feeding, you will have SO much else to live for”. She did quit breast feeding. It was very hard for her. But, doing so allowed her to try out different meds and combination of meds. She got out of that darkness in which she had been living, and got to enjoy the REST of motherhood.

Whatever happens, as everyone else here has said, you are NOT alone. Do not give up.

[Anonymous]

Does your DS have food intolerances? I think the colic type crying 3 hrs before bed, fussiness after eating and hiccups can all be signs of intolerances. Are you breastfeeding or using formula? If formula, what type? What are you thickening with? Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

I think you mentioned that you are breastfeeding, right? And you also mentioned that sometimes your little one seems fine and others not? If so, you may want to look into your diet. There could be some foods that cause more problems – dairy/soy, eggs, nuts, beef, etc. Just a thought!

[Anonymous]

We believed my son to only be MPI, not MPSI, and as I’m breastfeeding, I cut out all dairy, but not soy. However, we bought Gerber Oatmeal and he couldn’t not keep it down. I just bought the dairy and soy free Beechnut and it stays down much better! Good luck!

(This makes me wonder if there actually is a soy intolerance with my son — maybe he can tolerate it through my breast milk, but not directly?? )

[Anonymous]

I would get his stool tested for blood the next time he is in the peds office. It’s very simple and they can tell you if it’s positive while you are still there. If it is positive then you know that the soy is possibly bothering him also. After I quit breastfeeding, I went to Alimentum b/c the doctor said it would have so little milk in it that it wouldn’t bother his stomach. We were on that for 6 weeks and I thought I had a whole new baby, and then after that got into his system, he couldn’t tolerate that also.

My son is MSPI (milk soy protein intolerance) and we had to go to Alimentum which works for some babies, but his case was so severe that we are now on Neocate.

He was also getting to the point that he was barely eating and the doctor finally said that he associated pain with food and so he basically was taking enough to survive.

I know the pain of having to carry the poor child around constantly and fighting the feedings and you are soooooo stressed that they feel that too and there is just little you can do.

Best of luck to you and lots of hugs

It’s very emotional for a mom to have a child that you know is in pain, hang in there and keep on the docs. You are the mom and you know your child best!

Erica

[hellbennt]

hi there! I’m the aforementioned Laura

and I DO have a lot to say & I have said a LOT of it from the link mentioned/given (thank you everyone!!) https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853&am p;am p;PN=1

there’s even a ‘section’ about breastfeeding your reflux baby

and be sure to check out ‘babywearing’ as well!’so glad you found us! I also used to cry right along w/ jonah!!! it WILL get better!

~laura

[Anonymous]

I need some help from the experts. I’m not sure my doctor is completely on top of my daughter’s reflux. She was diagnosed at three weeks, when I finally called after three days of solid crying. She had most of the symptoms of GERD when they told me them. Since then I’ve been reading a ton and found you guys! Yay.

My daughter is 7 weeks old, and weighs about 11 pounds. She was taking .8ml of Zantac twice a day, which seemed to help for a little over a week before she started screaming again while eating. I am breastfeeding.

I called the doctor on Wednesday and they told me to increase her dose to 1ml, and that if she didn’t seem better by Monday to call back and they’d talk about another drug. When I call back (which I’m sure I will) what drug should I ask for? I assume there is one that typically works better than others.

Whether she is better is hit or miss. Wed. she seemed ok and ate well until 7pm-10pm when she went to sleep. Thursday she was fussy and didn’t eat well. Today she ate well with only a couple of times where she’ll eat, and then burp or spit up and scream after she does that she won’t eat again. I’m sure it’s because it hurt.

I feel like we’re playing catch up with her reflux and not staying on top of it. I want to be ahead of the game. She is a TOTALLY different baby when she isn’t hurting. What do I need to do to be prepared when I talk to the dr. again? How do I know if she needs stronger meds, just that she won’t eat and is fussy when she tries eating?

Also, about the Mylanta – we have the cherry flavored supreme with calcium, is that ok to give her? And if so, how do I know how much and when to give it?

I totally appreciate any help. When she screams and cries, I cry with her. It’s terrible to see her in pain.

keurigirl2007-4-7 0:40:57

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

Thanks for posting your reply. I know how hard it is to deal with all the feeding issues, and we never did tube feeding, but certainly should have and might still have to one day. All I know is that the fear and anxiety around watching them go every day without taking in enough to grow has to be worse then the fear of the tube. I wish I knew that back when we were struggling with sleep feeding. Now we just struggle with eating and drinking in general. It’s scary and exahausting, and we also wonder what the future holds. When you see Kendra growing and thriving and how much energy she has, it will probably be a great relief to you.

I used to wonder all about what ifs… what if I had gotten her on meds right from the time she was born, what if I hadn’t sleep fed her, what if I’d been able to get zegerid here, what if I hadn’t been lost in the system… and on and on. Then I realized that it doesn’t matter, b/c you can’t change the past. And honestly, I don’t know that it would have changed anything for us- Hailey’s first sign of reflux was her feeding aversion and they seemed to start simultaneously. She stopped eating at the same time that we noticed that all the fussiness and difficulty nursing wasn’t just colic and normal breastfeeding issues. Even though we got her on meds right away, we couldn’t turn things around. I since have realized that it’s best just to look forward, and yes, I know it seems intimidating, but I’m sure once you get over the hump in the learning curve things will get easier.

Please keep us posted on her PH probe results and how she’s doing in general.