AnonymousInactive
I just wanted to add that many of us have gone through what you are going through now. I learned very early on that my sons ped. had no clue how to help my baby. She actually told me that I was not providing enough for my baby, (I was breastfeeding at the time) and so basically I was starving him and needed to give him formula. I tryed her stupid advice and guess what she was wrong so we tryed another ped. That ped didn’t help us a ton either, but I think we have finally found someone that knows how to deal with babies with reflux. All that to say keep fighting for your baby. You will find that you probably do know more then your babies dr. Your doing a great job. 
until you get the reflux under control at night, there is not much you can do
I would split the prevacid dose ‘unevenly’ and give the higher dose/portion in the evening & see if that helps
also if you have any zantac around (or pepcid or axid or tagament) you can give that, too- just give 4hrs seperate from the prevacid.
once the reflux is under control, then you can go in and have your husband offer some water in a bottle. if baby sips it and then conks out you will know it’s not hunger…that’s what we did. once there was no pain! and I say husband, bcse these babies know that they don’t ‘mess around’ LOL! also I was breastfeeding so there was no way I could go in there and baby wouldn’t expect/demand milk!
but first things first. check the reflux.
AnonymousInactive
hi everyone, i’m new here and needing some advice on sleep issues…
Finn is 3 mos with reflux. he’s off all meds while i do a dairy/soy-free diet.–well, actually–i did get the gi specialist to prescribe prevacid (because a week into the diet there was no improvement), but we haven’t got it yet.
my problem is that finn is awake all night. writhing in pain, squirming and quietly (and sometimes loudly) sobbing.
He starts off sleeping elevated and swaddled in the co-sleeper. After the first feeding, he usually ends up sleeping on one of our chests for the rest of the night. I fall asleep when he does, but he’s up and feeding or in pain every hour and a half.
I’m about to completely lose it. no sleep in the day either…or rarely. is it just that we need a ppi? have most of you found that sleep improves when the ppi kicks in?
i am like a vegetable with no brain during the day…just a feeding machine.
any advice?…please?
thanks!
Colleen
mom of finn
3 mos.
breastfeeding
tried zantac, prilosec
on a no dairy/soy diet
AnonymousInactive
Yes, I am only breastfeeding, I have eliminated milk, cheese and yogurt from my diet as of Monday, I am hoping this will help. How long was your baby on medication? Did he have severe reflux or just mild reflux? I am stressing myself out over the longevity that she may need to be on medications.
Also has anyone had any luck with diet elimination and elevation after feeding without medications?
I don’t want her to hurt but I also don’t want to give her meds unless she really needs them.
Thanks for your help!
AnonymousInactive
It is possible that she has what is known as “silent” reflux where they spit up and swallow it back down. usually this is worse b/c they get the acid 2x on the way up and then back on the way down. The coughing and choking make me think of this. The fact that your ped is already willing to do prevacid is great. Most docs start out with Zantac which many times is useless. Are you exclusively breastfeeding? Are you restricting your diet in anyway? I ask b/c many babies with reflux also have some food intolernances (usually milk/soy) and sometimes taking those offending foods out of your diet can make a huge difference. If you aren’t sure about medicine then I would probably adjust your diet for 2-3 wks and then make a decision based on how she is doing. I am sure some other bfing moms will chime in.. I wasn’t so good in that department. Glad you found us.
AnonymousInactive
My daughter is 6 weeks old and was just diagnosed with reflux; however, after reading many posts from this forum I am not sure that she indeed has reflux. I brought her to the dr because occasionally she would come off of the breast crying and was fussy sometimes after feeding. She rarely spits up but she does cough and choke sometimes. She sleeps from 8p until 12a, eats and then goes back to sleep for 3 more hours. When she does cry she is easily consoled. They prescribed her Prevacid and I am very torn on whether or not to give it to her. Does this sound like anything anyone else has experienced? PS I cannot get into the GI specialist until the end of October! Thanks for your help…Mother torn!
AnonymousInactive
You’re kidding?! Wow..makes me wonder for sure. Are you going to kep him off the meds?? I’m not breastfeeding so I cant imagine the TED, that must be so hard for you! I was just reading that Alimentum RTF doesn’t have milk protien, do you know if that’s true? I wonder because if it is, it may be far better for Catelin’s constipation issues then this darn Neocate!
AnonymousInactive
Thank you for all of your well wishes and sage advice. We had a very rough night last night. She comfort ate almost all night and when she was in her crib, I could hear her “chewing” her spit up. We’re breastfeeding exclusively, and eating like a dang pig-we have started eating about every hour during the day. My ped told me that she was concerned about her weight (11 WO, almost 13 lbs) but according to the latest charts-she’s about 75th percentile on weight-should I be shooting for a sumo baby instead?
Jessica-after last night, I might be desperate enough to try the Reglan. “Bwitch” claims that my ped is going to call me on Monday-maybe she can actually spend a few minutes telling me how to reverse the side effects. Otherwise, I’m skipping it and asking for PPI’s. I’m frustrated that it felt like Bwitch was just going to do what I asked for regardless of her medical opinion, but if that’s all I can do until my baby can get in to see a specialist, I can live with that…
Anywhoooo…she’s on .8 CC’s of (I have no idea how to convert that to mg on this brain) 3 times daily. I was trying the ped’s suggestion of thickening up some EBF with rice cereal…until I noticed that the Gerber DHA has soy and tuna-so much for avoiding the MSPI (yep Sheri-you are correct-we have explored that). However, I did find some organic soy free rice cereal at the store yesterday. We might try that again b/c that really does seem to settle her tummy during the day…I’m just not crazy about trying that at night.
Beth-funny that you mention that about the family doctor. My husband and his GP have a man-crush relationship…I swear, I think that they come up with ideas for my husband to go in for an appt so that they can tell disgusting jokes and try to get one another in trouble. My husband thankfully has an appt to get his Chantix (hallelujah) refilled on Monday and he is going to talk to his BFF about our troubles and see what he might be able to do for us. In the interim, I have also identified a Ped GI Specialist that a few people recommended on this site (and who is covered by my insurance-thank God!)…he’ll be getting a ringy dingy from me on Monday morning.
We also ordered a tucker swing and received that earlier this week. My oh-so-helpful Pediatrician advised me to get a medium saying that it would fit our daughter. Yeah-it “fits” right over her head it’s so big! However, I think I was able to sew it up well enough this morning so that we are going to try our afternoon nap in that. Anyone have any good advice for using that monster? At this point, I’d strap her to the dog’s back and have her sleep there if I thought it would help..but the dog is too interested in how her diapers smell, so that isn’t going to help anyone…but the dog. 😉
BBerrysMom2008-08-02 13:01:29
AnonymousInactive
Breastfeeding and whether to send a baby to daycare seem to be hot button topics! The bottom line is that you have to do what you know is right for your baby and what you are able to do in light of your own personal circumstances. We are all here to support each other- not judge! I am fortunate that I can stay home, but I was the world’s worst breastfeeder! Guilt seems to come along with motherhood, but the last thing that we need to do is beat ourselves up! Hang in there!
AnonymousInactive
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I completely feel for you, as I’m sure everyone on this board does too!!
About going back to work…I was lucky enough to be at home with my LO for a good four months. I was even terrified then to go back. There is no way she could have gone to a regular daycare. Taking care of her really requires full time attention and workers at a daycare don’t have that time to spend on each baby. I was SO fortunate. My sister had a job that I asked her to quit so she could stay at home at take care of my daughter. Her job was one she really didn’t care for anyway and wasn’t making great money. I would have loved to stay home with my little one, but we need the money to live. (I have negotiated to work just 29 hours a week though!). If it would have came down to putting her in daycare or a stranger I would have quit my job. and then found other ways to help out with money (housecleaning for people, moved, part-time job in evening, etc). I would have had no choice. I just didn’t feel comfortable having someone take care of her when she was going through really bad episodes. I don’t think I would have even been able to work b/c I would have constantly been worried about her.
About breastfeeding…this is completely my own advice and opinion. I got the same advice from the pediatrician when my LO was a couple of months old. I was pumping exclusively b/c my LO couldn’t latch on so when he said to stop BFing I did. I did it though with great, great disappointment b/c I wanted SO badly to nurse my baby. I daydreamed about it before she was even born! Anyway, fast-forward to now (she’s 5 months old) and I’m working on relactating. For our situation, deciding to quit breastfeeding was the worst decision I made. Now I’m really struggling to bring my milk back in (and it’s A LOT of work). There are so many benefits to BFing these babies especially. Not to mention we’re now thinking my LO may be MSPI so breastmilk on TED would be WAY cheaper than if we have to buy neocate or elecare. I’m willing to do what it takes to bring my supply back in so I can give my baby breastmilk.
On the other side of the coin though, there are many situations where BFing and breastmilk won’t work for these babies. And a lot of babies have had much better luck on specialized forumlas. I’m by no means discounting or discouraging this choice! BFing or formula feeding is completely personal. And everyone has to make their decision for different reasons. I’m just offering what happened in our situation, stopping BFing was a decision I wish I hadn’t made!
isabellasmommy2008-07-31 11:41:23
AnonymousInactive
All of us have felt the way that you are feeling. It is not your fault and little Aubri is so lucky to have a Mommy that seeks out information and cares about her condition. I also stopped breastfeeding when my baby was 6 weeks old. It was a hard decision, but my son was losing weight and needed something more. Not sure if it was a supply issue or if it was reflux related, but our lives got a lot easier once we started on gentleease formula. We still dealt with major reflux problems, but not the constant starvation. My point is do not beat yourself up about breastfeeding. Caring for a reflux baby is difficult enough without second guessing your every decision. Breastfeeding is best when it works out. It does not work out for everyone. My son was born 7 pounds and at his 6 week check up, he had dropped to 6 pounds something. After formula, he jumped up to the 75% in weight and was not screaming 24/7 for food. I have wished many times that I could have breastfed, but I know in my heart that it was the right decision for us to stop. So, stop beating yourself up. You have enough on your plate with your return to work. When I think back to when Jackson was 5 weeks old like Aubri, those days just seem so dark. It is such a long and tough road for a lot of these babies, but it does get better. You will figure it all out and you are already working as her advocate. Good luck and I hope that you get the rest and support that you need.
AnonymousInactive
How are you doing? I just discovered your message and feel such concern.
I am very close to a nephew and his wife, who have a GERD baby, almost ten months old. The boy does not have a feeding tube; he gets enough food to manage without it, but he is not an easy feeder. Their problem is that he simply doesn’t sleep for more than thirty minutes at a time, and hasn’t since birth. If he is not held and breast-fed, he can cry endlessly. If they let him cry, the reflux gets worse. They are beyond exhausted and are also desperate.
You are not alone in feeling defeated, at your wit’s end, and miserable. This is the case with so many parents of reflux babies. And yes, marital problems are very common with parents who have a child with ongoing serious health issues. I know, because I have a son who was extremely ill for ten years as a child. In the end, it did contribute to the breakup of my first marriage. Can you go to a counselor with your wife? Or even alone (with the baby), if she won’t go? My nephew and wife have been in counseling for several months in order to hang on to their relationship.
Since you’re not breast-feeding, you might be a candidate for medication to help with your terrible emotional state. Modern meds can do miracles for adults. There is a huge choice, some don’t cause sleepiness or impair driving, they simply remove that scary edge that can occur when dealing with a screaming baby. If your wife doesn’t want you to be out on your own when she’s home, can you hire an experienced retired nurse, who wouldn’t cost so much, so that you can get away for an hour or so?
Finally, have you read any books about this problem? You might go to amazon and search for titles about infant/child reflux or gerd.
I am thinking of you and praying for your peace of mind, and the discovery of help for your baby.
AnonymousInactive
Erin
I am not a pro at breast feeding but I think Naomi is right that it takes 3-4 hrs for what you ate to enter the milk supply. It is odd that his diapers change mid day I have never heard of that. I would be interested to find out what the cause is. Sorry I am not of much help.
AnonymousInactive
I am new here and wanted to ask a question. I am a first time mom of a three week old and over the past few days my baby has had a vomiting episode once or twice a day. It usually occurs about an hour to two hours after a feeding and it is a lot! He doesn’t seem to be sick otherwise and has been gaining weight very well. I am breastfeeding and also supplementing with Similac Soy. I am gonna call my pediatrician tomorrow, but wanted everyone’s opinion on here as acid reflux was brought up to me by a friend.
Thanks!
Debbie
