Home › Forums › Infant Reflux Information › Crying and Colic › about at wits end!
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February 14, 2007 at 9:34 am #24850AnonymousInactive
Hi there! I don’t know how much I have to add, but my 10 week old, Sadie, has A LOT of the same behaviors as Caden, so I thought I might chime in too. Sadie switched to formula at 4 weeks because I could not produce enough milk for her for some reason, so my situation is slightly different- It was after this that the gas/crankiness/colic, whatever you call it started, so I thought it was just the formula- So, we kept trying different formulas- first, gentle-ease, then lactose free, then soy, etc. No change, still crying all the time- Then, it got so bad, and it seemed like she was in pain, so we went to the ped and turns out it was reflux- She got put on Zantac, and after almost a week that helped with the screaming episodes, but she still had horrible gas and still cried and was fussy most of the day- Well, she had EXACTLY what you describe too, about taking 2 days to have a BM, and even though it was “Soft” she just seemed to be straining and have really painful gas a lot (she would pull her knees up, strain, cry, and then you would hear gas, so I know it was gas, not reflux pain)- WEll, turns out that she had a scintiscan that showed she has DGE, which is causing the reflux- So, when I found that out, I took matters into my own hands, did some research, and found that Nestle GoodSTart is really great for DGE and babies who have painful gas- Well, after 4 -5 days of adjusting, she is a different baby! She now does not cry at all, unless she’s tired, etc., and now passes gas with no problem- plus, she has a BM every day-
I don’t know how much this will help you, as you are breastfeeding, and that is “supposed to be” good for DGE and gas too- But, maybe he’s allergic to something in your diet and can’t tolerate your breastmilk- I just find it striking how similar Caden is to Sadie, and in her case, the immature digestive system just could not handle anything but GoodStart- I am thinking Caden sounds like he still has reflux pain (you said he arches and pulls off when breastfeeding), but the gas and other symptoms sound like it’s a digestive problem that can either be hopefully solved with a different diet, or, maybe formula (even though I know it’s hard to wean).
OH, and Sadie used to wake up ALL THE TIME because the gas pain would wake her up- now that we figured it out, she sleeps great, and only wakes up to eat-
So, for what this is all worth, I hope it helps! After all, “colic” is usually an intolerance to food or reflux anyway, so maybe if you get on the right reflux meds and try a new diet/formula, then the “colic” will magically disappear?
Good luck!
Well, I had those same thoughts about “why can’t she just be happy”..especially when I have family members who had perfect happy babies and can’t relate to me at all! Well, I found this forum and saw that a lot of moms are on “GoodSTart”- So, we tried one last attempt at using this, and she is now fantastic!
February 14, 2007 at 11:33 am #24861AnonymousInactiveHi Avery,
Gosh, that is interesting that the right formula helped your daughter so much. I have been contemplating trying formula, but I just keep thinking that I will kick myself in the butt if it turns out that he would have been better off on breastmilk. I’m also concerned about how I will handle trying formula, because I know that if I hear him screaming to nurse and my husband is trying to encourage him to take a bottle, I will go nuts. I will feel so guilty and wonder if I’m doing the right thing after all. Because, nursing is comfort to them too, not just food, so I think I will feel like I’m taking his comfort away. Then, on top of that, if the formula is worse, I don’t know what I’ll do!
Also, I have been through this before with my older boys, and they both outgrew the gassiness and fussiness by about 6 months along with outgrowing reflux. So, I have to wonder if it’s the reflux causing his problems more than anything else. Also, if he will outgrow it eventually, should I just stick to nursing since it really is supposed to help with DGE and reflux? I would hate to wean him to formula only to make those two things worse!
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am NOT ruling out formula – believe me – I consider it every day. So, I may eventually just break down and give in. I just have trouble doing that when I don’t know if that is answer, you know? Of course, you never know until you try something, so I may just need to try it just for my peace of mind if nothing else.
Another concern is if he can’t tolerate any formula except Neocate – we really can’t afford that right now. I’m a SAHM and we make lots of sacrifices for me to be able to do that, so adding the expense of Neocate just isn’t feasible for us right now. If I go to formula, and it turns out that he can’t tolerate any of them like quite a few babies on this list, then I’m in trouble!
Basically, I don’t know what to do. I have gotten a lot of good advice, but I’ve gotten a lot of different ideas, and I’m not sure which is the best to choose right now. I’m wondering if I should just bite the bullet and keep plugging away like I am doing and just keep reminding myself that he will outgrow this soon? He is growing and thriving, so that’s a plus. That’s another thing – he nurses a lot for comfort as well as food, so he hasn’t had any trouble gaining weight like many reflux babies. If I go to formula, maybe he will not like it as much and not eat as much? I just have a lot of concerns about making a switch like that at this time.
Thanks so much! I’m glad your baby is happy now, and hopefully mine will be too soon
Wow – I really rambled on this one…I just had a lot of thoughts and wanted to mention all of my concerns.
February 14, 2007 at 2:13 pm #24886AnonymousInactiveYeah, it is a tough one. We got lucky, and I didn’t really have a hard decision to make because I couldn’t produce enough milk anyway, so breastfeeding was out of the question. I think you are right, that if you start on a formula, and he can’t handle it, then you are in trouble, especially if you already know you can’t afford the expensive stuff. We wouldn’t have been able to afford it either, so we were just really lucky that SAdie likes GoodStart. And, I am sure if we didn’t switch, she would have outgrown all of this anyway, like you mentioned. It does sound like he is still in reflux pain, so maybe finding the right meds will help him, like has been suggested.
If breastfeeding was going okay for me, I would have stuck with it, as it is supposed to be the best thing- The only other thing I can think of is having him tested for allergies/intolerances? Then, you would KNOW if it’s something in your diet, or if it’s the reflux, or if it’s just something he’ll outgrow. I honestly have no experience with this, so I’m not sure if testing is even possible or worth it- maybe other moms can chime in too on this one..
And, the bottom line is that he sounds like he is thriving, and gaining weight, like Sadie was, and that is better than a lot of babies, so maybe just sit tight and try to get through it?
good luck!!!
February 14, 2007 at 5:34 pm #24907AnonymousInactiveHi guys, you could have also been describing Alana around 10 weeks. I also didn’t produce milk despite meds and pumping, so Alana also went on formula- If I had of had a choice I would have stuck to the breastfeeding (sigh) even if it meant the TED (I could do with the majic weight loss benefts). Anyhow- it was the combination of the meds and the low allergenic formula that helped. So I would wait out to see if the higher dose of prevacid works and maybe try TED again (? I think you have done it, sooo confusing to keep track). Sorry, not realy great advice, but I swear that the meds and the low allergernic formula made Alana somuch happier
February 14, 2007 at 9:10 pm #24925AnonymousInactiveI think I’d probably do TED perfectly for a good long time before I gave up breastfeeding. I say this because I can tell from your post that you really want to breast feed and it would be a loss to you to stop, especially if it ended up not being the solution.
Have you tried TED yet? Sorry, I can’t remember either.
February 15, 2007 at 9:59 am #24937AnonymousInactiveChristine,
Thanks – yes, I’ve tried TED for almost 3 weeks, and then I gave up since Caden’s bm issues hadn’t improved (his main issue was mucousy stool – no blood though). So, I figured my diet wasn’t the problem. I kind of wonder if my OALD and oversupply is STILL a problem. Who would think that producing too much milk would be such a problem? Isn’t it strange that some women who want to breastfeed can’t, because they don’t produce enough milk, but then there are those of us who also struggle with breastfeeding due to producing too much! It shouldn’t be this hard when it’s a natural thing! Anyway, I may try again just to see if his moods improve even if his bms don’t change… I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks again
February 19, 2007 at 3:27 pm #25271AnonymousInactiveHey Emily,
I’ve posted this before, but your little one and mine sound exactly alike, and I do think that OALD has much to do with their problems. My guess is that your other babies got so much better at 6 months because they could handle the forceful letdown and supply of the milk.
Ben has gotten better at this as he has gotten older, and really improved (as far as the colicky behavior and gas goes) at right about 4 months. In fact, it’s been a while since I’ve heard the little guy toot, and he used to be a tooting machine. I’ve read several places that OALD can really cause gas, etc. I think he also has DGE, to some degree, as it seems that when he poos regularly, he spits up less and eats better too… like he is cleared out now and now there is room for food (does that make sense?)
Anyway… saying all of that to say… stick with the breastfeeding if you can. I really do think that time (as hard as it is to wait) is one of the main factors here. I too really struggled with the whole formula idea, but also have a little one who won’t take a bottle!
Hang in there though.. .you are not alone!
February 27, 2007 at 6:47 pm #26019AnonymousInactiveI know it has been a while since this post was started. Sorry, I am stumbling onto it so late. Just curious how things are going? I also have a few questions that you don’t have to answer, but just think about. First the oal. Have you tryed block feeding? Have you gotten in touch with a lacation consultion? I would have someone check his mouth to make sure everything is okay there and also watch you feed him to see if he is having any problems with that. Reflux can be caused by so many things. Oal, tongue tie, food intolerence, etc. Some of those things can be very easy fixes Have you tried a chiropractor? It is possible that could help. It has helped both of my boys a lot. Last is about the prevacid. If i am understanding correctly it is the kind that comes in powder form and you mix. If not I’m sorry just disregard what I am about to say. Joel at Marci-kids told me that the pkts are pretty worthless with infants. When you try to get break it into more than one dose the white balls don’t all go evenly. Meaning that it won’t work correctly. If you are getting it compounded that could be the problem. I would recommend maybe even switching to another med instead of prevacid. Maybe your baby just can’t handle prevacid. I know a few other moms on here had trouble with prevacid. Just a thought. I hope I don’t confuse you more. Just trying to help. I also would not give up the bf. More than likely formula will not help.
February 27, 2007 at 7:59 pm #26021AnonymousInactiveJustice’s Mom and all others,
Here is a quick update on Caden….Great news!!! The block feeding is doing wonders for everything (colic and reflux).
In fact, he does not have colic anymore at all AND (drum roll, please) we have gone 2 days without Prevacid just to see, and he is doing great
I know it hasn’t been that long yet, but he is so remarkably improved that I have to believe that OALD and oversupply have been our biggest problems all along.
Turns out TED was not the answer – except helping me lose ALL of my pregnancy weight, so it wasn’t useless afterall (plus I had to try everything for peace of mind). My diet isn’t it! (Thank goodness too ’cause I was starving)
So, thank you all SO much for the advice, help, suggestions, support, etc. You really have saved my sanity and ultimately helped my baby be more comfortable! I hope I can help someone in the future too with my OALD experience. For us the magic number seems to be block nursing 8 hours – I’m sure it varies for different people though.
This has also eliminated the mucous from the bm , so we’re moving forward now.
Laura, your links helped me more than you can know – you are awesome
It is so nice to have a 4 month old who can be happy and really only cry now when hungry/tired – that’s it!!! Sometimes he still gets a little gassy, but he seems to have no trouble passing it now – what a difference
Bye for now – I’ll check back in soon
February 27, 2007 at 8:11 pm #26023AnonymousInactiveHooray for Caden (and mommy!).
I never realized OAL could cause so much distress for babies. I’m happy you’ve found the solution and I’m sure your experience will help other moms and babies.
February 27, 2007 at 9:29 pm #26029AnonymousInactiveChristine,
Neither did I – that’s why I didn’t give much thought to it at first, but then I decided it couldn’t hurt to try the block nursing. When my supply didn’t respond much to a 2 hour block I decided to go drastic and go 8 hours on one side just to see…well that seemed to do the trick. Obviously nursing on one side for 8 hours is pretty drastic, which tells me my oversupply was pretty bad.
So, maybe a slight problem wouldn’t cause these problems, but when you have WAY too much milk, it’s like the baby never gets past the foremilk due to having way too much of it. Even if you nurse only on one side each feeding, then switch for the next feeding, they’re always getting too much foremilk. So, that was causing painful gas, explosive bms with mucous, and even reflux.
I’m not saying that was the total cause of Caden’s reflux, but I do think it made it worse poor baby I just wish I had known about it with my first two
That also might explain why my kids outgrew reflux so early – they were finally (at 6 months) able to handle my OALD and oversupply and were on some solids too, so the reflux at that point was under better control. Interesting, huh?
On a related note: I took my 2 yr old and Caden to a playgroup meeting Friday, and out of the 5 moms there two of the moms other than me had babies with reflux! Is it becoming more common or we just didn’t know about it before?
February 27, 2007 at 10:05 pm #26034AnonymousInactiveWow! I’m so glad you found out what was bothering him! What a relief, huh? I hope things continue to go well for you.
February 28, 2007 at 3:25 am #26039AnonymousInactiveGreat news Emily…I hope Caden continues to go well without the prevacid (I think we all have dreams of this-sigh).
Maybe it isn’t that reflux is more common but mums are becoming more educated. I know we were handed some info about it at hospital? I hope it is that mums are becoming more educated about it so fewer little ones have to be unhappy because they are not treated
February 28, 2007 at 5:04 am #26050AnonymousInactiveThat is so awesome! My understanding is that oal can cause reflux to happen. I could be wrong though. I worked with a mom who thought her baby had reflux, but it also was oal. That is so great for you. I hope it continues to go well without the meds.
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