Too much solids?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,

I need some advice/input on feeding Tess solids. I know there are so many of you whose little GERDlings refuse to eat and I’m grateful that we don’t fall into that category. I should be happy that Tess has never refused to eat and has gained weight like crazy. However, we still have feeding issues.

Tess was a comfort eater early on, before I even realized what was going on. So much so that I thought I had a supply issue when I was attempting to breastfed and gave it up before realizing what the real problem was. Anyway, because of this (or so goes my theory) she doesn’t know when to stop eating. I know that it’s especially important for reflux babies to have smaller, more frequent meals and we try for that. But Tess will always complain when the bottle is empty. One day, several months ago, I was so frustrated with her that I let her have as much as she wanted. Over the course of 2 hours she drank 10 ounces. Of course, a lot of it came back up because she was just too full but she was happy to drink it all.

So now we’re on to solids. She’s been doing OK with them and in the past couple of days we have tried giving her a bit more to eat at her meals. I’m sure you can guess where this is going… she will eat a ton before she shows any signs of stopping. And then she brings it back up in the next few hours, making her miserable. I don’t even remember how much solids we gave our first daughter because we would just feed her as much as she wanted and didn’t worry about it. But with Tess we have to always be cutting her off or else she’ll eat too much. Then I worry at other times that she’s hungry because we’re not feeding her enough. Everyone I talk to with “normal” babies always says “We just feed him/her until she stops eating”. Well, that’s great for them but it doesn’t work that way with Tess.

So can anyone give me an idea of how much in the way of solids (and formula, for that matter) we should be giving Tess in any given day? She’s 6.5 months and just over 17lbs now. Most of the time if she overeats at one feeding she’s OK. She spits up more but doesn’t seem bothered by it. But if she overeats several times in one day then things get ugly. DH is pacing the floors with her right now. She is dreadfully tired but can’t sleep because of the reflux. Please help!

Karen

[Anonymous]

I have no idea how much they should eat. I can tell you what my son eats. He is 7 months 19 lbs and eats a half a second foods jar of fruit and about 1/4 cup oatmeal for breaksfast and 1/2 a second jar of veggies and 1/4 cup oatmeal for dinner. He has four bottles a day usually around 6 ounces each.

I don’t know is this is as “normal” or right, but I hope you get some more feedback and can see what the norm is.

[Anonymous]

Aidan and Tess should get together to hang out!! They are so alike! He does the same thing, he doesn’t seem to know when he’s full, he’ll eat an entire stage 2 baby food, then want his 4 (sometimes 5) ounce bottle like 30 mins later..which of course as you know results with spiting up for about 30ish mins afterwards! I think they eventually realize how to tell when they are full I think they are just so excited to try all the new tastes that they want ALL of it!!! Hopefully both Aidan and Tess will get their tummies and their appetites in sync soon!!!!

[Anonymous]

My 6.5 months old weighs a little over 18 lbs. and for breakfast he has 1/2 second jar of fruit mixed with 2-3 tbs. of oatmeal, for lunch, 1 number 2 vegtable jar, and at dinner he has 1/2 fruit and 1/2 vegtable jar of number 2. He drinks 24 to 28 ounces of formula. He is now cutting the top two teeth so he has decided to eat less of course! But that is what our day looks like. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Wow, it sounds like all of your little ones are eating even more than Tess. I wonder why she has such a hard time with the amount that we’re feeding her? Sigh. Why can things never be easy with these kids???

Jill – My nephew’s name is Aidan so your comment is even funnier to me. I wish I could just relax about it and wait for her to figure it out but if I just let her go she eats so much she’s miserable. I hope you’re right that they’ll get the hang of it, though.

Karen

[Anonymous]

Hi Karen,

Myles was over 17 lbs at six months, too.

Myles is older than Tess but he eats 1/4 cup of oatmeal with 5 ounces of breast milk and one stage 1 jar of veg for breakfast. For lunch 1/4 cup oatmeal, 5 ounces formula, and one stage 2 jar of fruit. At 3:30 pm he drinks or is spoon fed 4 – 5 ounces of breast milk. For dinner he eats 1 – 2 stage two jars of fruit/veg. And then he drinks about 6 ounces of formula before bed.

Maybe Tess isn’t really over eating that much. If her doctor hasn’t said that her weight gain is excessive, I wouldn’t worry too much. I can understand being worried about the throwing up and her discomfort and restlessness, though.

When Myles reflux was at it’s worst (4 – 6) months, he ate next to nothing and puked constantly. I thought he’d just waste away. So, even with very little intake he still threw up a lot.

I hope Tess’s reflux starts to improve soon. Now that Myles is better I look back and wonder how I ever did it. It was so hard. So, I really feel for you. I remember constantly wondering what I should be doing or should not be doing that may be making it worse. I always felt if only I did something different he wouldn’t throw up, or he’d eat better, or feel better. What actually happened is that he just outgrew it….and then it didn’t matter anymore if he ate a little too much or if I didn’t burp him enough, or whatever.

I hope better days are coming soon for you.

Christine

[Anonymous]

it sounds more like her medication is not doing the job. if the meds were working, she wouldn’t be in pain when she spit up (although she could still have a weird sensation that makes her fussy)

[Anonymous]

Christine – I know you’re right. Unfortunately our GI won’t do anything more for us until we get our endoscopy done. That’s scheduled for Aug. 3. It seems like forever. In the meantime I’m trying so hard to keep any other factors that may be irrtating her to a minimum. Hence limiting her solids. I’m sure it doesn’t make a huge difference but I feel so helpless that I have to do something.

In the meantime things are getting worse. We are having to give her Mylanta on a daily basis, often several times a day. We’ve started giving her a shot of Zantac mid-day now, which our GI would freak about. She’s waking 4-5 times a night, too. I feel like Aug 3 is never going to get here. I just spoke with the NP at the GI’s office to see if maybe we should back off the solids. She actually suggested that Tess may just be colicky.

Karen
momtotess2006-7-12 16:49:2

[Anonymous]

I’m so sorry Karen. These darn doctors. I remember the month or two that it took me to convince Myles’ doctor to increase his dose. It was horrible. I knew what he needed but couldn’t get it for him. I felt the desperation you are feeling now, so I really can empathize and I feel so sad for you and Tess.

The mylanta probably isn’t a bad thing. Does it help? Does she get loose stools from it?

I hope and pray that her GI appt. goes well and that this doctor is well informed and gives her the dosage increase that she needs.

I’m sorry you and she have had to endure this for so long.

Christine

ndrose2006-7-12 16:58:20

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