Search Results for 'breast feeding'

[hellbennt]

Breastfeeding a Reflux Baby – How to do the Total Elimination Diet (TED)
(here’s the Breastfeeding and Reflux page that links to where you are now/this forum post)
Do a search for all posts by Erinntx 🙂

ok here is the ‘copy & paste’ from Erin (erinntx):

 

 BABY’S SYMPTOMS:

In general, an exclusively breastfed baby (no solids either) should not have consistent stinky gas, consistent mucousy stools, or consistent green-colored stool (an occasional green stool is normal!).Also, exclusively breastfed babies do not get constipated most times. If it seems like your baby is straining, pushing, squirming, turning red, etc look @ the poop. If it’s still soft/loose then it is not constipation, but rather probably an intolerance to something in your diet. Furthermore, length of time between poops isn’t a good indicator either – it’s still the consistency of the stool (loose vs. hard).

 

In my experience: if your baby is breastfed & has stinky gas then he is reacting to something in your diet.

 

When the stinky gas is gone completely the offender is out of his & your system… even if the diapers are still a mess (it takes longer- sometimes MUCH longer – for the colon/intestine to heal after the offender is out of his system). Honestly, this is SO important to know/realize as it’s the indication that you’re getting somewhere.Once your start solids it’s somewhat harder to tell if baby is reacting to something in YOUR diet, as there isn’t usually stinky gas anymore & oftentimes the stool is harder or stinkier due to the solids. This is where a sleep log is crucial (there is more about this further on; see below re: starting solids).

 

[more from erin, added by hellbennt]

 

The key to your diet & exclusively breastfed babies is that if she is having stinky gas, then she is reacting so something in your diet. If she isn’t having stinky gas, then she isn’t.
Where it gets tricky is that it’s very possible to not have stinky gas (so you’re on the right diet) but to continue having mucous &/or blood in the stool. It takes a while for the LOs colons to heal (fwiw, it took my 2nd ds 6 wks of TED & no stinky gas before the blood & mucous stopped).So… I would track the stinky gas. I would also go back on TED. While tracking stinky gas, I would wait until 4-5 days of no stinky gas, then call that your ‘baseline’. Then, continue that diet until the blood & mucous goes away. Then, your db has baselined. Then, you can consider adding something to your diet. If after you start TED again after 4-5 days she’s still having stinky gas then she’s reacting to something in the TED & you’ll need to adjust (my dss reacted to 3-4 things in TED)… but don’t worry about that yet- we’ll deal w/ that if we need to.Hang in there- you’re doing great!

 

1) EVAN’S STORY:

Our journey started w/ Evan @ 2 weeks old when he was in the ER w/ reflux & extreme mucous (had to be suctioned out) from allergies/intolerances.I started TED when he was 5 weeks old. I did traditional TED http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/feeding-infants-toddlers/food-allergies/elimination-diet

 

for 3 wks before tweaking (the tweaking is given in detail, below, see #__). There was great improvement initially, but then the mucous seemed to be getting worse & the only thing I could think was that I was eating SO much rice & turkey that perhaps they were the cause.

 

Anyway, initially I just cut out rice for 3-4 days. There was some improvement but not enough that I was convinced. That’s when it occurred to me that perhaps turkey was the culprit. At that point I cut out turkey but added back in rice. Again, there was some improvement but not complete yet.

 

At this point our Ped GI scheduled Evan for a colonoscopy b/c I had been on TED for 4+ wks & he still had green, mucousy & bloody stools every.single.time (based on our home hemoccult testing).

 

In the meantime, I was getting fed up w/ the diapers. A few days before the colonoscopy (5 wks into the TED) I decided to cut out sweet potatoes, rice & turkey all at once. So I was only eating white potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, sea salt & pepper. FINALLY, his diapers were “normal” & stinky gas went away. They were yellow, no mucous, no blood & sweet smelling!!!

Colonoscopy + biopsies showed allergic colitis (as expected) & endoscopy showed no irritation.

I stayed w/ that “baseline” of potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, sea salt & pepper for about 2-3 wks – it was HARD. I tried to add turkey back in – failed. Pork? failed. Finally, I tried beef & it passed -so thank goodness I finally was able to add in a protein.

 

I stayed on this baseline of potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, beef, olive oil, sea salt & pepper VERY strictly until Evan was 7 mths old.

Around 8 mths old I was able to add in most fruits, veggies & chicken.
Around 9 mths old I was able to eat everything but milk & soy (including hidden of both).

He is currently 11 mths old & I’m still milk & soy free. His diet is still very limited but we are working on adding in more things (his body doesn’t tolerate too many things directly).

The thing that used to help me through was setting goals, plans, etc. Example: keep eating x, y, z for 1 week (all the while charting all the symptoms, diapers, gas, etc) then if no change, adding/taking away XX. I’m a writer/documenter so that works/worked for me.

 

8) HEMOCCULTS:

My husband is in medical supply sales so he just ordered the hemoccults for us & we developed @ home. Both our ped & ped GI knew we did this & supported it. It’s super easy. The brand we use is the namebrand that most office’s use.

I did some searching & found a site that has the same brand we use (Hemoccult Sensa by Beckman Coulter) & you can buy them direct from them for around $82 for a pack of 100 [at the time this was written].

We did the hemoccult tests @ home w/ every single diaper while waiting to get a baseline. We don’t do them very much anymore b/c now that we have a baseline (yellow, no mucous, smell sweet) even when I trial a failed food they DO turn mucousy, but I stop eating it & they don’t ever get to the point of green anymore… I don’t want there to be any intestinal bleeding again (obviously).

Most drs.will test a diaper in the office + send home w/ only 3 tests to use over 3 days. The problem w/ only using hemoccult tests sporadically like this is that the bleeding in the colon is intermittent (until it’s completely healed that is)… SO, there might be blood in all the diapers one day, then none the next day, then blood in every other diaper the 3rd day, etc. This happened with us – only ONE of our hemoccults that both drs. tested were positive… but then 9 out of 10 of them @ home were positive. I always think if you’re unsure, ordering the strips yourself is a good idea (if you’re able to)- that way you can test all the diapers, develop them & keep a detailed log (of the hemoccult results, mucous, coloring of stool, stinky gas, etc).

7) PEDS (AND PED GI) & TED:

My ped GI (I like him overall) said that I only needed to avoid milk, soy & gluten. If I had listened only to him (& not found infantreflux.org + TED) I would have driven myself CRAZY & honestly probably wouldn’t have known what to do & went to formula. This is why I say (about oh, so many things) you have to have to do your own research, be your child’s advocate, question doctors, etc. Thankfully, my general ped (LOVE him) supports this same way of thinking.

In general, many peds & ped GIs are not super familiar with TED & most think it’s too drastic, not necessary, etc. Just an FYI.

13) MEDS:

Evan was on meds early on (marci-kids dose of Prevacid), then was able to be completely off all meds when my milk was ‘clean’.

Then, when we started solids with him we went back on the marci-kids dose of Prevacid b/c his night wakings increased but his diapers were normal. Once started back on a PPI his night sleep regulated.

He is currently 11 mths old & still on the Prevacid.

 

Further below, you will find: WHAT I ate, as well as information about ENZYMES & PROBIOTICS, STARTING SOLIDS and SLEEP. Right now I will tell you about what also helped me, that you can start NOW:

14) BABYWEARING:

When Evan was literally screaming all day long I started wearing him in the Moby Wrap.

It was a savior for us. I wore him for 8-10 hrs/day until his stools started regulating (b/c he was not happy otherwise & it was so challenging w/ the toddler too). I just wanted to mention that b/c you can get so much done while wearing baby & also it will keep baby calm even when he doesn’t feel well @ all. Also, don’t stress about sleeping w/ your baby (or wherever baby is sleeping) – if he likes it & it works, go w/ it -it will not become a bad habit. [add in Laura’s link to babywearing? the ‘babywearing condensed’ link?]

 

3) TED CONVENIENCE FOODS:

I can give lots of ideas of what I ate/eat. If you’re just starting to look into TED then be sure to check out Dianne’s stickied post on TED as well as Dr. Sear’s website http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041200.asp.

• General Info (from Dianne) about TED
• Food ideas (from Dianne)

 

I do a lot of convenience type stuff. At 1st I was doing everything by hand & fresh but it was so time consuming. You still have to cook some of this but it’s just put it on the stove to simmer (covered) for 10min, flip & cook for 6 min more -done!

For the potatoes I ate lots of the Lays Kettle Cooked chips [check ingredients but as of July 2015 they are: Potatoes, vegetable oil (Sunflower, Corn and /or Canola oil) and Sea Salt].  Also, the Ore Ida hash browns/diced potatoes (frozen) are easy & have TED friendly ingredients. SOOOOO much easier than dicing potatoes up like I did for the 1st 2 mths. Also, Simply Potatoes have hash browns, potato slices & red potato wedges that are super easy & TED friendly. These are in the fridge section by the eggs usually. Also, fwiw – Wendy’s french fries are TED friendly & the only fries that Evan can tolerate – I eat a LOT of them. I also made my own fries but again, so time consuming. [CHECK WENDY’S NUTRITION INFORMATION, as their recipe can change!]

(Just wanted to add that the Wendy’s fries work for US <probably not everyone though>… they do have soy oil in them, but soy oil doesn’t contain soy protein. Even soy allergic ppl can tolerate soy oil in most cases. At his most sensitive Evan was tolerating these.)

For pears I ate lots of Del Monte canned slices. Again, it’s the convenience since I have a toddler as well. I do fresh as well, but takes more time. I drink a lot of Gerber pear juice. Also the Looza pear nectar… but it has a lot of sugar in it & is a bit too sweet to drink as a “juice”. Sometimes I’ll have pear cups or pureed baby food pears.

For squash & zucchini I usually just have fresh but I’ve started buying frozen to use when I’m in a hurry & want to have it for lunch.

 

So, that’s the things I ate (besides beef). I’ll share what I usually ate before I cut out the sweet potatoes, rice & turkey.

 

For sweet potatoes I usually ate a fresh one but I microwaved it in the Ziploc brand steam bags. SOOOOO easy!!! Just put it in the bag & microwave for 10min. I’ve made sweet pot fries, chips & wedges… all yummy but very time consuming. I’ve also bought Ore Ida Steam ‘N Mash… you just heat & then mash them up for mashed sweet potatoes – again, TED friendly.

 

For rice I ate a lot of the Ewehorn rice cereal w/ rice milk. Brown rice too. I had some rice pasta but wasn’t a super fan of it. I made rice pudding a couple times & it was a good change… same w/ the rice grits. I made TED sugar cookies (w/ rice flour) & TED rice krispy treats (w/ brown rice syrup) but both were not super appealing ;).

 

For turkey I usually ate ground turkey, turkey burgers, turkey cutlets or a cooked turkey breast.

 

What I usually did was make a dinner of either ground turkey, rice & veggies OR diced potatoes, turkey cutlets & veggies then make enough for 2 dinners & 3 lunches.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you re: feeling starving & like you can’t eat anything is to have ‘snacks’ on hand & also to plan your meals as much as possible – that way you don’t ever starve yourself (b/c your supply will suffer if you’re not careful) & you’re not tempted to cheat b/c you’re so hungry.

 

4) ADDING FOODS BACK IN:

When we did/do food challenges the stinky gas + stool changes come together basically. The stinky gas is gone within a day or 2, but the mucous stays a bit longer (3-4 days).

I knew it was a “no” almost immediately based on fussiness & comfort. Then, a bit later (4-5 hours) the stinky gas began. Then, the diapers turned to mucous. Then, to green sometimes. Usually w/ the challenges the instant I smelled stinky gas I stopped eating the food. Once he was completely healed (& we had reached a ‘baseline’) the failed challenge wouldn’t cause any blood. Of course, if I continued eating the offender it would have but I never ate TOO much of the challenge in the beginning.

 

5) TED-SAFE MULTIVITAMIN & CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT:

Here’s the vitamins & calcium I take:

The multivitamin is this:

Country Life Daily Total One

They are vegetarian capsules & free of the ‘biggies’ (milk, soy, gluten, preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners.) I haven’t had any issues w/ them.

The calcium I take is just the generic “calciumcitrate+” from my grocery store (or Target). The only thing about these is that one of the inactive ingredients is starch. SO, I didn’t start these until recently when Evan started tolerating more foods (although I’m sure many babies could tolerate them fine).

Here’s a suggestion for TED safe calcium supplement that a good friend suggested to me (& I think Dianne also took this):

Country Life Calcium Citrate with D

6) MILK SUPPLY & TED:

To MAINTAIN QUANTITY of milk supply:

Do no lose more than 1/2-1 lb/wk

Eat at LEAST 1500 calories/day (1800-2200 is best- 1500 is the minimum)

Drink at least 64 oz of fluid/day & add 8 oz of extra fluid for every caffeine drink you have (coffee, soda, etc)

 

To INCREASE QUANTITY of milk supply:

 

-Of course, letting baby nurse more often is the best (but I know, not always possible)

-Pumping 5-10 min. after every nursing session is 2nd best (again, not always possible)

–Fenugreek [this one has good reviews] 3-4 pills 3x/day (this will make you smell like maple syrup but that’s normal…well, normal for someone taking Fenugreek)

–Blessed Thistle 3 pills 3x/day

-Oatmeal (the traditional kind or oatmeal bars, cookies, etc)

-Beer…the darker the better – Guinness is the best

–Mother’s Milk Tea

To MAINTAIN &/OR INCREASE QUALITY of milk supply (ie: make it higher in fat, etc):

-Eat at least 30 g of fat/day (easy sources: avocado & olive oil… I use olive oil for EVERYTHING)

–>The fat in your diet is a huge indicator of the good fat in your breastmilk

-Eat at least 30 g of protein/day

9) DIGESTIVE ENZYMES:

Here are the digestive enzymes. I take 2-3 with each meal & snack (to try & break down the proteins that I eat so they enter my breastmilk broken down). I also mix 1/2 capsule w/ each pureed “meal” Evan gets (2x/day).

I can’t say for sure if they do anything when I take them, but they DEFINITELY help Evan w/ solids.

Anyway, I give Evan 1/2 a capsule mixed in w/ pureed foods w/ each meal. The key is to mix it w/ a small amount so you KNOW he eats the food that the enzyme is mixed in (if that makes sense). Also, if you heat you have to mix enzyme after heating. The key is to give the enzyme @ the beginning of the meal (really, you’re supposed to give 20-30min before eating to be most effective but since it tastes AWFUL by itself this doesn’t ever happen… I take it pre-meal though for myself).

 

Now that Evan is eating more & more finger foods (very limited diet of 6 or so foods but have been able to find quite a few finger food options) I usually just put a bit of pureed apples in a little cup & mix the enzyme in that to make sure he’s getting it.

Here is a link that has other options as well... mixing w/ applejuice, etc. I don’t do that since apple juice can flare reflux but it’s something to keep in mind for the future.

I have read that giving the enzyme before a bottle is beneficial as well (but not IN the bottle). Again, the problem w/ this is getting it in him. I tried to just mix it w/ water once & syringe it in (like I do the probiotic) but OMG- I got a bit on my finger & tasted it & it’s awful. You could give him a few spoonfuls of the enzyme on purees though, THEN the bottle.

 

10) PROBIOTIC:

Here is the hypoallergenic probiotic I give Evan.

• It’s called “Klaire Labs Ther-biotic Infant Formula“.

• The other brand is: Kirkman Pro-Bio Gold

 

11) STARTING SOLIDS:Once we decided to start solids I used Dr. Sears’ least allergenic foods list to help decide our order of introduction:http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041800.asp#T041805 We started w/ pears. Then, went to squash, apples, carrots, then chicken (b/c he was 9 mths old w/o a protein & borderline anemic). Then, prunes, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, peas & white potatoes. Obviously at least 5 days between each. Not all of those were successes though.Also, we use digestive enzyme (see my info above re: enzymes).Finally, I keep a detailed log (more detailed than usual) for the intro days. I intro the new food @ lunch of Day 1, then also for dinner. I log his night sleep, nap lengths, diaper consistency & skin reactions for 4-5 days (while giving the new food for lunch & dinner each day). If everything remained consistent/fine for those days then it’s deemed a ‘success’!12) ECZEMA:

On the flipside, if it was/is a failed trial then usually full-body eczema breaks out. I never would have known to do this but my good friend’s dd suffered from eczema severely. I was using all the usual suspects: Cetaphil, Eucerin, Aveeno, etc & they were just drying out Evan’s skin. He’d be scaly an hour after moisturizing him. Many of them have alcohol as an ingredient-ick!Anyway…

We use an olive oil soap for bath. It’s made by Kiss my Face.

Kiss my Face Olive Oil soap

Then, after bath we just barely pat him dry… then lube him up w/ regular olive oil (like the kind you cook with).

Then, on top of the olive oil we put VaniCream – this is truly the product that’s saved us! You have to order it but it’s so worth it. It’s the base of most dermatologic products.

VaniCream

Finally, just put diaper & pjs on immediately after to “lock” the moisture in.

 

 15) SLEEP:

With regards to sleep – it never really got better until he was completely cleared out. Then, it didn’t really get better until almost 5 mths old.

When his diapers are great & regulated his sleep is A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

I can honestly say that Evan didn’t get sleeping more than 2-3 hr stretches until

a) he got a bit older & outgrew many of his intolerances (not ALL, but a lot)

b) we started back on 30mg Prevacid/day

c) his diapers were regulated

d) he was taking in some purees/solids… I’m definitely NOT suggesting anyone start solids early or before you’re ready, I’m just explaining our progression.

Even now (Evan is 11 mths old), when I try milk (I did last week) Evan is back up many times/night so it’s so clear that the tummy/intestinal issues bother his sleep immensely.

 

This is where past member posts about milk allergy, found later on, and sleep was huge indicator…

• Milk Allergy/Night Wakings/lLoveMySophia:
• TED Blog post by Rachel_Neocate:

for us the “baseline” eventually was:
-no more grunting
-no mucous in diapers
-yellow stool
-no blood in diapers
-no more stinky gas
-no pain cries
-no more reflux (yes, we are one of those unusual cases)
His sleep is slowly getting better, but still leaves a lot to be desired.
Anyway, hope this helps… I still use these factors (our ‘baseline’) every day to assess results of food trials.
For us it took 4-5 wks to get a true baseline (esp w/ diapers)… not trying to discourage you, but that was our case.
Keep us updated & hang in there.
Edited to add: we were on 30mg of Prevacid until we got the baseline.

Ok, I have LOTS to say but may not have time to get it all in (we’re out of town & I’m online for a few min while the baby naps & the toddler watches some shows)…
Ok, anyway – I know more than I care to about stinky gas, mucousy diapers, TED, etc, etc (I’ve been on TED since June).

TED: In general, once the stinky gas is gone the offender is out of yours & baby’s system. It can take much longer for the mucous &/or blood to resolve & the color to regulate. In our case it took 5+ weeks with also some removing some TED items as well. I would stick w/ strict TED for 3 weeks. If the stinky gas is still there I would consider eliminating another item but we can address that later ;).

Weight loss: As you know, it is VERY important to not lose more than 1 lb/wk during bf’ing or it will affect your supply. It’s okay to lose weight (I’ve lost quite a bit but never more than 1lb/wk) just keep it consistent. Here are my key things to do to keep the weight on (or at least not drop too drastically):

*1500-1800+ cal/day (this sounds daunting, but is do-able – in my early TED days I aimed for more like 2000/day)

*30+ grams of fat/day (this is easy w/ olive oil)

*64+ oz/day of water

*make sure you are eating some sugar somewhere (ie: fruits, fruit juice, added to cereal or rice, etc).

Night sleep/wakings; For even a non-reflux, non-MSPI baby it is very very common for babies to stop sleeping through the night around 4-5 mths old after sleeping ‘through’ around 2 mths old. This is discussed in many diff’t baby/sleep books (ie: ‘Baby 411′, “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child’, ‘How to solve your child’s sleep problems’). I will say though that most kiddos w/ intolerances’ sleep is DIRECTLY linked to how they feel. My ds’s naps & nighttime sleep are like night & day when I’m on strict baseline foods vs. a failed trial.

Naps: I kind of just addressed this, but just wanted to say that most babies wake very soon (20-45min) when intolerances are bothering them. One symptom is wakefulness & this is most certainly apparent in our house!!! I remember the days of laying down w/ Evan for every.single.nap (or wearing him) bc he just wouldn’t sleep. Until he starts feeling better have you considered trying a swing?! This was truly the lifesaver for us (still is when Evan isn’t feeling well).

No eating pain: Just wanted to comment that eventhough my little guy was MISERABLE for the 1st 10 weeks of his life (pooping blood, etc) he never had any aversion or pain w/ nursing.

Finally, as far as drs. are concerned- just trust your instincts. Neither our ped or ped GI were initially concerned (eventually they were though) yet I pushed to find ‘answers’ & make my little guy feel better (as you are doing as well).

Hang in there & let me know if I can help more! Also, feel free to PM me at any time for moral support w/ TED – the support from others certainly helped me!!! erinntx2008-12-23

My ds was able to be completely off reflux meds while ‘just’ breastfeeding (with a very restricted diet)… but when he started solids – even mild stuff like squash – he started waking a TON. Since his stools were ‘normal’ we put him back on Prevacid & he immediately started sleeping better. So, my deduction was that his reflux/acid was under control w/ a liquid-only diet…but with the addition of solids he needed more help controlling it (which I was totally fine with putting/keeping him on the Prevacid). SO, all that to say that this could certainly be your ds’s problem as well.

Hi everyone!
It feels like forever that I’ve posted my own topic here but I have kept in touch w/ many of you via Facebook so I don’t feel totally out of the loop.

Anyway, Evan is almost 15 mths old now.

I nursed him on a very limited diet (about 5 items), as many of you know, until around 8-9 mths old… then at that point, I was able to slowly go to “only” milk & soy free – which was HUGE for me :). I had planned on nursing him to at least 1 yr old & then would re-assess at that point to see how much longer I was willing to do the diet. Well, I got pregnant when he as about 11 mths old so a couple things happened: my milk dried up quite a bit quicker than last time (I nursed Brodie until I was 15wks pregnant w/ Evan) & also, it was so hard to find foods I could eat (while still nursing Evan) that also tasted/sounded good w/ 1st trimester nausea. Needless to say, he/we weaned around 13 mths old to rice milk & he is still drinking that exclusively.

We started solids (for real) around 8-9 mths old (when I expanded my diet more) but took it VERY slowly. We used digestive enzymes religiously & still use them some but not nearly as much. He was still only tolerating about 6-7 foods on his 1st birthday. Once he weaned to rice milk I started intro’ing more (but again, very slowly). We were plugging away at a good pace w/ very few reactions… until this week (but I’ll post about that in a diff’t place). He’s currently only NOT eating milk, soy, wheat/gluten, citrus fruits & a few other random things that I just haven’t intro’ed yet.

He’s still on 30 mg of Prevacid/day. We actually increased his dose right before his 1st bday to 45mg/day (actually our wonderful ped’s idea) b/c he was waking more. Once he started sleeping well again I weaned him back to 30mg w/o any issues. My plan is to continue to intro new foods & then when he is tolerating most things (besides milk, soy & gluten) I will try weaning some. I’m not really in any hurry & neither is my general ped, but my Ped GI is pushing the wean (& also pushing soy).

Let’s see – what else… I got him evaluated w/ early intervention right after his 1st bday. Since Brodie had speech & sensory issues & did so great w/ EI I was very proactive w/ Evan. He qualified for speech (not as delayed as Brodie at that age though) & currently gets therapy 2x/wk & is doing great.

His weight is a bit of an issue. It never was (at all) until his 12 mth appt. He was 18lbs12oz then & 3rd %ile. He’s still not yet 20 lbs but eats a lot (like, more than my 3 yr old). So, he’s ‘red-flagged’ for that.

Overall, I’m amazed at where we are (regarding his diet) vs. where we started. I never thought he’d be eating all the things he is (not that it’s very much but still!!) at 14 mths old.

Brodie’s doing well, loves Evan & is looking forward to another baby brother. He’s completely finished w/ OT (for sensory) & PT (for vestibular). He qualified for speech through the school system once he aged out of EI & will continue w/ that as our schedule allows in the fall. His articulation is the only concern at this point.

I am due w/ our 3rd baby boy in mid-Jan. It will be a scheduled c-section though so sometime before due date.

I think that’s it!

ETA: I have been wanting to post this update for a while but I wanted to wait until I was far enough along w/ the pregnancy that I could include that piece of the update… & then, there were some possible ‘issues’ & I had an amnio. So I of course wanted to wait until I had results from that (which I got yesterday & all is normal!).erinntx2009-08-13 20:59:08

 

Favorite Things!

Disclaimer: Always consult your doctors, medical professionals, etc. This post contains extremely useful and helpful information! Make sure you are acting in accordance to your Medical Providers! This is not medical advice.

[hellbennt]

try two times a day, try 3 times a day…

hi & welcome! you’ve found a great place!

the key to all of this is RESEARCH and, of course, support!

http://www.marci-kids.com is at the FOREFRONT of research of PPI use and dosing in infants/todders & it seems as though you’ve already discovered this.

to learn what FORM of PPI and HOW to administer:

Prevacid 101(last post on the page): https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1936&PN=0&TPN=1

unfortunately, the majority of drs & pharmacists don’t know…babies metabolisms’ are much faster than adults, so the drugs work differently with them…

after medication, you might then want to look at diet…

I have a LOT MORE TO SAY! and most of it is here:Groupie Intro: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=853

it’s looong, but PLEASE read/skim/scroll through it & refer back to it , as it TRULY will help you!

so glad you found us!

~laura

ps: when you get a moment, please go to the upper right-hand corner of this screen and click on ‘settings’ and from there you can edit your signature and let us know how old baby is, what formula or breastfeeding, MSPI or not, what meds and what doses and form of meds and how you’re administering-thanks!

[hellbennt]

http://www.askdrsears.com

is an excellent resource and you can find out what exactly diarrhea is :

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t081500.asp

to find a local internationally board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) click here:

http://www.ilca.org/falc.html

also you could call la leche league for free w/ your questions: The La Leche League Breastfeeding Helpline w/access to toll free breastfeeding help 24 hours a day. Just call 1-877-4-LALECHE (1-877-452-5324)

[Anonymous]

This is my first time breastfeeding, and although I assumed that her stools would be runny, they seem about the consistancy of water much of the time. I was doing an elimation diet for milk, and after two glorious weeks of a wonderful baby that hardly spit up and ate alright I had a glass of milk and WHAM! she has pooped at every feeding today and there are no “seeds” in it like i’d expect, but just yellowish liquid. It is so runny that it completly soaks into her cloth diaper and there is none “sitting” on top. Her stools are always runny, but not this runny.

So, the question here is “how runny is too runny?” I’m not sure if I could recognize diahera in a breastfed baby

[Anonymous]

First off, if he is in pain do NOT let him cry it out… crying makes reflux worse! I rocked my child to sleep for both bedtime and naps until he was 16 months old! 2nd it can take anywhere from 2-4 wks for the milk/soy proteins to clear out of both your system and his so it make take time before you see improvement. Please be careful of hidden dairy (check out the TED links) And lastly I would go to marci-kids.com to check on your prevacid dose (we were on 30mg/day at our highest so 7.5mg/day sounds very low) also keep in mind that you have to give this on an empty stomach followed by a meal 30-60 min later, you didn’t have to do that before when you were on the prilosec compound so please remember to do that with the prevacid or it won’t work. If the swing is working for sleep then I would keep with the swing until you get the breastfeeding and meds fixed. HTH>

[Anonymous]

Hi all, well I got my little guy in today to see a NP at an acid reflux clinic at our children’s hospital. What wealth of information! He now is on prevacid tablets 7.5 mg 1x/day. I have to dissolve them at home. She wants me to cut out Milk Soy Protein out of my diet too- I am breastfeeding. The last few weeks have been really hard, he is so unhappy. Naptime is impossible, as bedtime is also getting that way too. He use to be better, now I really am going to lose it. He gets so overtired that nothing I do makes him better, so I set him in his crib. I have even tried to let him cry it out, but I don’t make it past 10-15 minutes.

He has been sleeping in his swing, and am now trying to get him in his crib, but that is really going bad (crib is elevated).

Please help, I am really going to lose it, please help.

[Anonymous]

For us, I was not breastfeeding, but Dylan STILL at 6 years old is fine with soy oils (and was when we started foods) but STILL reacts horribly with soy proteins. At least for us, this is absolutely true…….

[Anonymous]

Hi.

Is it really okay to eat things with soybean oil and soy lethicin (sp.)? Have any of you who are breastfeeding a baby with milk and soy intolerance tried it? I am scared to try it, but it would make things a lot easier if it is true.

Also, when is the appropriate time to try to reintroduce milk and soy into my diet? I have heard conflicting opinions. One doctor told me after an entire year, and another said 5 or six months. What has everyone here done?

Thank you.

[hellbennt]

this should help?

Misconceptions about how Neocate & Elecare work: https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6013

[Anonymous]

Thanks Laura. Yes, Erin and I have emailed back and forth about all of this for months. She has given me most of that info in bits and pieces, but it’s great to have it all together!

When I try to add in a food, it’s a typical progression of fussiness, stinky gas, mucous, occult blood, poor sleep, and increased reflux. I’ve even tried a rotation diet two separate times. Each time, he cleared for a few days, almost like a honeymoon period, and then all symptoms returned, and for about another week I would drive myself crazy trying to figure out what he was reacting to. It’s just getting to be too hard. My DH is a minister, and there are several social gatherings every week, including a week-long camp in a month. I feel completely isolated, and I don’t even know how much longer this will last.

I just need to know from moms who have done formula, was the reflux worse? I know bm is more easily digested, etc., but at this point will it make a huge difference?

[hellbennt]

starting solids might help IF diet wasn’t such an issue…

what happens when you add in a food? there’s a mama here erintx (I think she’s on vacation) who sounds very similar to you…

she’s working on a post so that I can make it a ‘sticky’ (to help others) & here is some of the draft:

When the stinky gas is gone completely the offender is out of his & your system… even if the diapers are still a mess (it takes longer- sometimes MUCH longer – for the colon/intestine to heal after the offender is out of his system). Honestly, this is SO important to know/realize as it’s the indication that you’re getting somewhere.
>
>
>
> Once your start solids it’s somewhat harder to tell if baby is reacting to something in YOUR diet, as there isn’t usually stinky gas anymore & oftentimes the stool is harder or stinkier due to the solids. This is where a sleep log is crucial (there is more about this further on; see below re: starting solids).

1) EVAN’S STORY:
>
> Our journey started w/ Evan @ 2 weeks old when he was in the ER w/ reflux & extreme mucous (had to be suctioned out) from allergies/intolerances.
>
>
>
> I started TED when he was 5 weeks old. I did traditional TED http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041200.asp <http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041200.asp&#62; for 3 wks before tweaking (the tweaking is given in detail, below, see #__). There was great improvement initially, but then the mucous seemed to be getting worse & the only thing I could think was that I was eating SO much rice & turkey that perhaps they were the cause.
>
>
>
> Anyway, initially I just cut out rice for 3-4 days. There was some improvement but not enough that I was convinced. That’s when it occurred to me that perhaps turkey was the culprit. At that point I cut out turkey but added back in rice. Again, there was some improvement but not complete yet.
>
>
>
> At this point our Ped GI scheduled Evan for a colonoscopy b/c I had been on TED for 4+ wks & he still had green, mucousy & bloody stools every.single.time (based on our home hemoccult testing).
>
>
>
> In the meantime, I was getting fed up w/ the diapers. A few days before the colonoscopy (5 wks into the TED) I decided to cut out sweet potatoes, rice & turkey all at once. So I was only eating white potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, sea salt & pepper. FINALLY, his diapers were “normal” & stinky gas went away. They were yellow, no mucous, no blood & sweet smelling!!!
>
>
>
> Colonoscopy + biopsies showed allergic colitis (as expected) & endoscopy showed no irritation.
>
>
>
> I stayed w/ that “baseline” of potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, sea salt & pepper for about 2-3 wks – it was HARD. I tried to add turkey back in – failed. Pork? failed. Finally, I tried beef & it passed -so thank goodness I finally was able to add in a protein.
>
>
>
> I stayed on this baseline of potatoes, pears, squash/zucchini, beef, olive oil, sea salt & pepper VERY strictly until Evan was 7 mths old.
>
> Around 8 mths old I was able to add in most fruits, veggies & chicken.
>
> Around 9 mths old I was able to eat everything but milk & soy (including hidden of both).
>
> He is currently 11 mths old & I’m still milk & soy free. His diet is still very limited but we are working on adding in more things (his body doesn’t tolerate too many things directly).
>
>
>
> The thing that used to help me through was setting goals, plans, etc. Example: keep eating x, y, z for 1 week (all the while charting all the symptoms, diapers, gas, etc) then if no change, adding/taking away XX. I’m a writer/documenter so that works/worked for me.
>
>
>
> 8) HEMOCCULTS:
>
> My husband is in medical supply sales so he just ordered the hemoccults for us & we developed @ home. Both our ped & ped GI knew we did this & supported it. It’s super easy. The brand we use is the namebrand that most office’s use.
>
> I did some searching & found a site that has the same brand we use (Hemoccult Sensa by Beckman Coulter) & you can buy them direct from them for around $82 for a pack of 100.
>
> http://www.medexsupply.com/diagnostic-tests-blood-fecal-occult-tests-hemoccult-sensa-singles-x_pid-706.html <http://www.medexsupply.com/diagnostic-tests-blood-fecal-occult-tests-hemoccult-sensa-singles-x_pid-706.html&#62;
>
>
>
> We did the hemoccult tests @ home w/ every single diaper while waiting to get a baseline. We don’t do them very much anymore b/c now that we have a baseline (yellow, no mucous, smell sweet) even when I trial a failed food they DO turn mucousy, but I stop eating it & they don’t ever get to the point of green anymore… I don’t want there to be any intestinal bleeding again (obviously).
>
>
>
> Most drs.will test a diaper in the office + send home w/ only 3 tests to use over 3 days. The problem w/ only using hemoccult tests sporadically like this is that the bleeding in the colon is intermittent (until it’s completely healed that is)… SO, there might be blood in all the diapers one day, then none the next day, then blood in every other diaper the 3rd day, etc. This happened with us – only ONE of our hemoccults that both drs. tested were positive… but then 9 out of 10 of them @ home were positive. I always think if you’re unsure, ordering the strips yourself is a good idea (if you’re able to)- that way you can test all the diapers, develop them & keep a detailed log (ofhemoccult results, mucous, coloring of stool, stinky gas, etc).
>
>
>
>
>
> 7) PEDS (AND PED GI) & TED:
>
> My ped GI (I like him overall) said that I only needed to avoid milk, soy & gluten. If I had listened only to him (& not found infantreflux.org + TED) I would have driven myself CRAZY & honestly probably wouldn’t have known what to do & went to formula. This is why I say (about oh, so many things) you have to have to do your own research, be your child’s advocate, question doctors, etc. Thankfully, my general ped (LOVE him) supports this same way of thinking.
>
> In general, many peds & ped GIs are not super familiar with TED & most think it’s too drastic, not necessary, etc. Just an FYI.
>
>
>
> 13) MEDS:
>
> Evan was on meds early on (marci-kids dose of Prevacid), then was able to be completely off all meds when my milk was ‘clean’.
>
> Then, when we started solids with him we went back on the marci-kids dose of Prevacid b/c his night wakings increased but his diapers were normal. Once started back on a PPI his night sleep regulated.
>
> He is currently 11 mths old & still on the Prevacid.
>
>
>
> number here? Further below, you will find: WHAT I ate, as well as information about ENZYMES & PROBIOTICS, STARTING SOLIDS and SLEEP. Right now I will tell you about what also helped me, that you can start NOW:
>
>
>
> 14) BABYWEARING:
>
> When Evan was literally screaming all day long I started wearing him in the moby wrap.
>
> http://www.mobywrap.com/ <http://www.mobywrap.com/&#62;
>
> It was a savior for us. I wore him for 8-10 hrs/day until his stools started regulating (b/c he was not happy otherwise & it was so challenging w/ the toddler too). I just wanted to mention that b/c you can get so much done while wearing baby & also it will keep baby calm even when he doesn’t feel well @ all. Also, don’t stress about sleeping w/ your baby (or wherever baby is sleeping) – if he likes it & it works, go w/ it -it will not become a bad habit. maybe add in ‘my’ link to babywearing? the ‘babywearing condensed’ link?
>
>
>
> 3) TED CONVENIENCE FOODS:
>
> I can give lots of ideas of what I ate/eat. If you’re just starting to look into TED then be sure to check out Dianne’s stickied post on TED as well as Dr. Sear’s website http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041200.asp <http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t041200.asp&#62; .
>
> General info (from Dianne):
>
> https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7497 <https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7497&#62;
>
> Food ideas (from Dianne):
>
> https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7498 <https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7498&#62;
>
>
>
> I do a lot of convenience type stuff. At 1st I was doing everything by hand & fresh but it was so time consuming. You still have to cook some of this but it’s just put it on the stove to simmer (covered) for 10min, flip & cook for 6min more -done!
>
>
>
> For the potatoes I ate lots of the Lays Kettle Cooked chips. Also, the Or
e Ida hash browns/diced potatoes (frozen) are easy & have TED friendly ingredients. SOOOOO much easier than dicing potatoes up like I did for the 1st 2 mths. Also, Simply Potatoes have hash browns, potato slices & red potato wedges that are super easy & TED friendly. These are in the fridge section by the eggs usually. Also, fwiw – Wendy’s french fries are TED friendly & the only fries that Evan can tolerate – I eat a LOT of them. I also made my own fries but again, so time consuming.
>
> (Just wanted to add that the Wendy’s fries work for US <probably not everyone though>… they do have soy oil in them, but soy oil doesn’t contain soy protein. Even soy allergic ppl can tolerate soy oil in most cases. At his most sensitive Evan was tolerating these.)
>
>
>
> For pears I ate lots of Del Monte canned slices. Again, it’s the convenience since I have a toddler as well. I do fresh as well, but takes more time. I drink a lot of Gerber pear juice. Also the Looza pear nectar… but it has a lot of sugar in it & is a bit too sweet to drink as a “juice”. Sometimes I’ll have pear cups or pureed baby food pears.
>
>
>
> For squash & zucchini I usually just have fresh but I’ve started buying frozen to use when I’m in a hurry & want to have it for lunch.
>
>
>
> So, that’s the things I ate (besides beef). I’ll share what I usually ate before I cut out the sweet potatoes, rice & turkey.
>
>
>
> For sweet potatoes I usually ate a fresh one but I microwaved it in the Ziploc brand steam bags. SOOOOO easy!!! Just put it in the bag & microwave for 10min. I’ve made sweet pot fries, chips & wedges… all yummy but very time consuming. I’ve also bought Ore Ida Steam ‘N Mash… you just heat & then mash them up for mashed sweet potatoes – again, TED friendly.
>
>
>
> For rice I ate a lot of the Ewehorn rice cereal w/ rice milk. Brown rice too. I had some rice pasta but wasn’t a super fan of it. I made rice pudding a couple times & it was a good change… same w/ the rice grits. I made TED sugar cookies (w/ rice flour) & TED rice krispy treats (w/ brown rice syrup) but both were not super appealing ;).
>
>
>
> For turkey I usually ate ground turkey, turkey burgers, turkey cutlets or a cooked turkey breast.
>
>
>
> What I usually did was make a dinner of either ground turkey, rice & veggies OR diced potatoes, turkey cutlets & veggies then make enough for 2 dinners & 3 lunches.
>
>
>
> The biggest piece of advice I can give you re: feeling starving & like you can’t eat anything is to have ‘snacks’ on hand & also to plan your meals as much as possible – that way you don’t ever starve yourself (b/c your supply will suffer if you’re not careful) & you’re not tempted to cheat b/c you’re so hungry.
>
>
>
>
>
> 4) ADDING FOODS BACK IN:
>
> When we did/do food challenges the stinky gas + stool changes come together basically. The stinky gas is gone within a day or 2, but the mucous stays a bit longer (3-4 days).
>
>
>
> I knew it was a “no” almost immediately based on fussiness & comfort. Then, a bit later (4-5 hours) the stinky gas began. Then, the diapers turned to mucous. Then, to green sometimes. Usually w/ the challenges the instant I smelled stinky gas I stopped eating the food. Once he was completely healed (& we had reached a ‘baseline’) the failed challenge wouldn’t cause any blood. Of course, if I continued eating the offender it would have but I never ate TOO much of the challenge in the beginning.
>
>
>
>
>
> 5) TED-SAFE MULTIVITAMIN & CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT:
>
> Here’s the vitamins & calcium I take:
>
>
>
> The multivitamin is this: http://wholesalesupplementstore.com/daily-total-oneaday.html <http://wholesalesupplementstore.com/daily-total-oneaday.html&#62;
>
> They are vegetarian capsules & free of the ‘biggies’ (milk, soy, gluten, etc). I haven’t had any issues w/ them.
>
>
>
> The calcium I take is just the generic “calciumcitrate+” from my grocery store (or Target). The only thing about these is that one of the inactive ingredients is starch. SO, I didn’t start these until recently when Evan started tolerating more foods (although I’m sure many babies could tolerate them fine).
>
>
>
> Here’s a suggestion for TED safe calcium supplement that a good friend suggested to me (& I think Dianne also took this):
>
> http://www.country-life.com/moreinfo.cfm?Category=25&Product_ID=393&CFID=1794275&CFTOKEN=43446469 <http://www.country-life.com/moreinfo.cfm?Category=25&Product_ID=393&CFID=1794275&CFTOKEN=43446469&#62;
>
>
>
>
>
> 6) MILK SUPPLY & TED:
>
>
>
> To MAINTAIN QUANTITY of milk supply:
>
> -Do no lose more than 1/2-1 lb/wk
>
> -Eat at LEAST 1500 calories/day (1800-2200 is best- 1500 is the minimum)
>
> -Drink at least 64 oz of fluid/day & add 8 oz of extra fluid for every caffeine drink you have (coffee, soda, etc)
>
>
>
> To INCREASE QUANTITY of milk supply:
>
> -Of course, letting baby nurse more often is the best (but I know, not always possible)
>
> -Pumping 5-10 min. after every nursing session is 2nd best (again, not always possible)
>
> -Fenugreek 3-4 pills 3x/day (this will make you smell like maple syrup but that’s normal…well, normal for someone taking Fenugreek)
>
> -Blessed Thistle 3 pills 3x/day
>
> -Oatmeal (the traditional kind or oatmeal bars, cookies, etc)
>
> -Beer…the darker the better – Guinness is the best
>
> -Mother’s Milk Tea
>
>
>
> To MAINTAIN &/OR INCREASE QUALITY of milk supply (ie: make it higher in fat, etc):
>
> -Eat at least 30 g of fat/day (easy sources: avocado & olive oil… I use olive oil for EVERYTHING)
>
> –>The fat in your diet is a huge indicator of the good fat in your breastmilk
>
> -Eat at least 30 g of protein/day
>
>
>
>
>
> 9) DIGESTIVE ENZYMES:
>
> Here are the digestive enzymes. I take 2-3 with each meal & snack (to try & break down the proteins that I eat so they enter my breastmilk broken down). I also mix 1/2 capsule w/ each pureed “meal” Evan gets (2x/day). http://wholesalesupplementstore.com/complete-gest.html
>
> I can’t say for sure if they do anything when I take them, but they DEFINITELY help Evan w/ solids.
>
>
>
> Anyway, I give Evan 1/2 a capsule mixed in w/ pureed foods w/ each meal. The key is to mix it w/ a small amount so you KNOW he eats the food that the enzyme is mixed in (if that makes sense). Also, if you heat you have to mix enzyme after heating. The key is to give the enzyme @ the beginning of the meal (really, you’re supposed to give 20-30min before eating to be most effective but since it tastes AWFUL by itself this doesn’t ever happen… I take it pre-meal though for myself).
>
>
>
> Now that Evan is eating more & more finger foods (very limited diet of 6 or so foods but have been able to find quite a few finger food options) I usually just put a bit of pureed apples in a little cup & mix the enzyme in that to make sure he’s getting it.
>
>
>
> Here is a link that has other options as well… mixing w/ applejuice, etc. I don’t do that since apple juice can flare reflux but it’s something to keep in mind for the future.
>
> http://www.enzymestuff.com/discussionmixing.htm <http://www.enzymestuff.com/discussionmixing.htm&#62;
>
>
>
> I have read that giving the enzyme before a bottle is beneficial as well (but not IN the bot
tle). Again, the problem w/ this is getting it in him. I tried to just mix it w/ water once & syringe it in (like I do the probiotic) but OMG- I got a bit on my finger & tasted it & it’s awful. You could give him a few spoonfuls of the enzyme on purees though, THEN the bottle.
>
>
>
> 10) PROBIOTIC:
>
> Here is the hypoallergenic probiotic I give Evan. It’s called “Klaire Labs Ther-biotic Infant Formula”. I buy from http://www.theapexstore.com <http://www.theapexstore.com/&#62; or I call Klaire labs directly. You have to have a physician authorization now for some reason (which is silly in my opinion) but you can also phone Klaire labs directly. There is a physician who has written a couple books by the name of Dr. Jacqueline McCandless who was actually the doctor that worked together with Klaire labs to develop their probiotics. She has said in her books that people can use her as their reference physician to acquire Klaire products without having seen her directly as a doctor. This is what I do, and then Klaire also gives a discount to anyone using Dr. McCandless’s name. You can call them toll-free at 1-888-488-2488.
>
> So basically, just call the phone # & mention the dr’s name as your reference. If you’re not comfortable doing this then either have your ped or ped GI authorize it OR there is another brand of hypoallergenic probiotic that is popular.
>
> The other brand is: http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/ViewProductDetails@Product_ID@186@Product_Group_ID@1.aspx.
>
>
>
> 11) STARTING SOLIDS:
>
> Once we decided to start solids I used Dr. Sears’ least allergenic foods list to help decide our order of introduction:
>
> http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041800.asp#T041805 <http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041800.asp#T041805&#62;
>
> We started w/ pears. Then, went to squash, apples, carrots, then chicken (b/c he was 9 mths old w/o a protein & borderline anemic). Then, prunes, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, peas & white potatoes. Obviously at least 5 days between each. Not all of those were successes though.
>
>
>
> Also, we use digestive enzyme (see my info above re: enzymes).
>
>
>
> Finally, I keep a detailed log (more detailed than usual) for the intro days. I intro the new food @ lunch of Day 1, then also for dinner. I log his night sleep, nap lengths, diaper consistency & skin reactions for 4-5 days (while giving the new food for lunch & dinner each day). If everything remained consistent/fine for those days then it’s deemed a ‘success’!
>
>
>
> 12) ECZEMA:
>
>
>
> On the flipside, if it was/is a failed trial then usually full-body eczema breaks out. I never would have known to do this but my good friend’s dd suffered from eczema severely. I was using all the usual suspects: Cetaphil, Eucerin, Aveeno, etc & they were just drying out Evan’s skin. He’d be scaly an hour after moisturizing him. Many of them have alcohol as an ingredient-ick!
>
>
>
> Anyway…
>
> We use an olive oil soap for bath. It’s made by Kiss my Face. I ordered it from Amazon but then saw it @ both my regular grocery store & Whole Foods.
>
> Kiss my Face Olive Oil soap <http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-My-Face-Fragrance-8-Ounce/dp/B001E6O8WU/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1228428366&sr=8-1&#62;
>
>
>
> Then, after bath we just barely pat him dry… then lube him up w/ regular olive oil (like the kind you cook with).
>
>
>
> Then, on top of the olive oil we put VaniCream – this is truly the product that’s saved us! You have to order it but it’s so worth it. It’s the base of most dermatologic products.
>
> VaniCream <http://www.amazon.com/Vanicream-Moisturizing-Skin-Cream-Dispenser/dp/B000BXHDUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1228428518&sr=1-1&#62;
>
>
>
> Finally, just put diaper & pjs on immediately after to “lock” the moisture in.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 15) SLEEP:
>
> With regards to sleep – it never really got better until he was completely cleared out. Then, it didn’t really get better until almost 5 mths old.
>
> When his diapers are great & regulated his sleep is A-W-E-S-O-M-E.
>
>
>
> I can honestly say that Evan didn’t get sleeping more than 2-3 hr stretches until
>
> a) he got a bit older & outgrew many of his intolerances (not ALL, but a lot)
>
> b) we started back on 30mg Prevacid/day
>
> c) his diapers were regulated
>
> d) he was taking in some purees/solids… I’m definitely NOT suggesting anyone start solids early or before you’re ready, I’m just explaining our progression.
>
> Even now (Evan is 11 mths old), when I try milk (I did last week) Evan is back up many times/night so it’s so clear that the tummy/intestinal issues bother his sleep immensely.
>
> put link to post ‘night wakings/lovemysophia’? – this is where past member posts about milk allergy found later on and sleep was huge indicator…
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

[Anonymous]

Hello, I’m breastfeeding my 6 month old son who is MFPI. My diet consists of white potato, yellow squash, pears, apples, and buffalo. All trials of add-ins have failed so far. I’m kind of at a crossroads, and just wondered what you all might say. We go to the GI on the 28th, and he may ask us to trial formula again. We’ve tried neocate and elecare without success, but we may have stopped at least the neocate trial too soon. His reflux meds were inadequate at that point, and the thinness of the neocate made everything sooooo much worse.

His gut is doing great, and he is gaining weight beautifully on breastmilk, but I’m dying on this diet. I just wonder if I should try to stick it out. How long will I have to stick it out? Would it hurt him to do formula at this point? Will we be trading one problem (my diet) for another (increased reflux on formula)?

Also, has anyone found that starting solids actually helped their LO at this age? I’ve heard that this is the opinion of Dr. Newman.

Mom2natertot2009-05-23 15:45:51

[Anonymous]

that is exactly the dose that my dd is getting. she is only 10lbs, but she had half a 10mg tab in the morning disolved in expressed breast milk, and she really dosn’t have any interest in feeding until about an hour after she has this, and again she has the same dose in the evening.

[hellbennt]

I am so sorry!

what form of nexium? how are you giving it?

I would email dr philips from marci-kids….

phillipsjo@health.missouri.edu

I’d also ask about carafate, too.

hugs!

(can you go to upper right-hand corner of page to ‘settings’ and ‘edit settings’ and update profile’ and then signature: so we can know whart formula or breastfeeding, etc? I would put nexium 20mgs and baby’s age, too. thanks! this way we won’t have to keep asking you)

[hellbennt]

3) you can ask about OAL, lol. But you most certainly can ask in another, new post, too. what might be good as well is to

browse through some old posts, go back pretty far, too, to learn from people who no longer post here bcse there babies are all better…

if you find a thread that suits your situation, you can post there and hope that people who have posted in the past are subscribed to the forum and will get an email notification that the thread has been updated…you can also send them a PM (private message) w/ a link to a thread you’ve posted on and ask them to please respond to it. To send a PM, click on the underlined screen-name of the person & another window will pop up. Then, under ‘communicate’ click on the PM button.

you could also call la leche league for free w/ your questions questions: The La Leche League Breastfeeding Helpline w/access to toll free breastfeeding help 24 hours a day. Just call 1-877-4-LALECHE (1-877-452-5324)

ok to answer your questions:

(to be quite frank, I would just get bufferbabies (link is from Prevacid 101) so you don’t have to worry about timing of meds, etc. continue as you are until you get it, etc…

1) mylanta needs to be spaced ‘far’ from the prevacid. so again, the 4 hr rule (but you can play with this, like the zantac- not less than two hours). mylanta can be given WITH the zantac- it actually helped me get the zantac into my son, lol.

2) breastfed babies digest breastmilk fairly quicky, so I would think that an empty stomach would be 2 hours after finishing a feed, to be safe? you can do a search for this, or ask someone else…

(when doing a search, go to the upper right-hand corner of this page, click on ‘search’ and on the right for a choice choose 6 months and OLDER (the default is newer).