Why breastfeeding is best for a reflux baby

[Anonymous]

First thing I will say is, I am in no way saying that any mom that decides to formula feed is bad. I am in no way trying to make anyone feel guilty for their choice. I am trying to arm moms with the correct info. Too many of us have been told by our child’s dr to stop breastfeeding for one stupid reason or another. Some of the reasons even sound very logical, but when you really look into it it’s just not logical at all. My personal opinion is these drs. need to be sued for the pain and anguish that not only baby, but mother have to go through. By the way, I’m not into sueing people at all, but want drs. to stop using their medical degrees to scare mothers into stopping breastfeeding their babies. Here is some info from Dr. Sears about how breastmilk is better for a reflux baby. I know shocking right? Because we are lead to bellieve that formula will fix it all. Breastfeeding not only helps baby, but mom too. There are hormones that are released that help mom with the stress. Sorry if any of this sounds harsh, but I am so sick and tired of hearing one mom after another being told to stop breastfeeding her baby because they have reflux. It’s just not right. If they would give our babies the correct meds, the right dose, and right info on how to give it most of them would be just fine. Even the ones with mspi. My son is mpi and still breastfeeding and doing fine. I just don’t do dairy. Sadly most drs. first thing they want you to try is not breastfeeding and giving a formula. By time you realize your baby is not doing well on the formula your breastmilk has dried up. Then your sad about that and you still have an unhappy fussy baby. Got to love those drs.

GER: HOW BREASTFEEDING HELPS

Breastmilk is known as the “easy in – easy out” food. It’s easier to digest and makes easier- to-pass stools. Whey, the predominant protein in breastmilk, forms an intestine- friendly, soft, easy-to-digest curd, unlike the rubbery, harder-to-digest casein curd formed in the digestion of most formulas. Tiny tummies like breastmilk. It’s digested more quickly, and is less likely to come back up. It doesn’t leave permanent stains on clothes either.

While all babies spit-up a bit, some regurgitate excessive amounts of milk, because of a condition called gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Normally, the circular band of muscle where the esophagus joins the stomach acts like a one- way valve, keeping milk, food, and stomach acids from backing up into the esophagus when the stomach contracts. When it doesn’t do its job and these acids enter the esophagus, the result is an irritation that adults would call “heartburn.” In many infants, it takes six months to a year for this muscle to mature enough to prevent this regurgitation, or reflux. GER occurs less often in breastfed infants because breastmilk is emptied twice as fast from the stomach and because breastfed babies tend to eat smaller meals that are more appropriate in size. It’s less likely to be regurgitated than slow-to-digest formula with its tough casein curds.

“At age five months and four pediatricians later, Jacob was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux. I am forever grateful I did not give up! The goal of one of Jacob’s reflux meds was to help digestion, so he would not reflux. What could be better for him than the most easily digested food for babies…mom’s milk! When the specialist first met Jacob, he was shocked to see him looking so happy. He told me that most babies with that degree of reflux failed to thrive and were very sickly. I am convinced that Jacob did not fail to thrive because he was nursed.”

[Anonymous]

I know you were not at all saying FF moms are bad moms, that is some great info. I wanted so bad to BF Landon, but I couldn’t. I was told it was due to him having reflux, but I think it really had more to do with him being premature. The 1st time we tried to BF, he turned blue, I pummped for him for 4 months and he got my milk mixed with AR to thinkin it until he was 8 months old. I did try more than the one time to BF him, he turned blue each time. I wonder now if I would have tried after we got home and he was past his due date if he would have done better. I never tried once we got home I was too scared of him turning blue from the reflux. I am not planning on another baby but if I ever do I will have more info. Thanks

[hellbennt]

Shelby,

this is one of the (many) reasons why I cannot seem to leave this forum; there are too many people who are told things by their doctors that simply aren’t true!

after being active here, and the yahoo breastfeeding reflux group, http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/breastfeedingreflux/

I have learned that there are very few times where it is best for a mother to stop breastfeeding. This thread should really help clear this up- it’s the Misconceptions about Elemental Formulas thread:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6013

I was fascinated to learn that:

This statement is correct as of 2004: 1 out of every 10,000 babies is allergic to breastmilk.

“1 out of every 10,000 babies sounds like nothing, but what it amounts to is approximately 22,000 babies every year in the U.S. alone who are allergic to breastmilk. It isn’t really that “out there” and unfortunately, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August of 2004 it is rapidly on the rise.”

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anyway, there are a lot of resources to help a breastfeeding mother of a refluxer, although it can seem like there’s no help in sight if you’re the one in the middle of the nightmare and your esteemed doctor is telling you it’s “your milk (or not enough of your milk).”

I always like to recommend to breastfeeding mothers to seek all the help they can manage to find such as:

la leche league:

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).

moms breastfeeding allergy babies on the LLLI website:
http://forums.llli.org/forumdisplay.php?f=37

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

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

I also found that the Dr. Sears Elimination diet

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041800.asp

really helped me to know what exactly it was that I was eating that affected my baby & his reflux

I hope this helps,

~laura

[Anonymous]

Thank you for posting this. I think it is very important for those that wish to continue breastfeed, seek the help and proper advice rather than their own physician telling them to stop if it isn’t necessary.

I have had two reflux babies and my first I never continued to breast feed and he had reflux worrse than my last baby whom I continued to bf. I know that breastmilk actually acts as a natural antacid and I believe that is why my last doesn’t have reflux as severe as my other ds. I obviously can’t know for sure but I’m 98% positive that is why.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for posting this!!! I STILL feel badly that I did not bf Dagney. She was doing great from the moment she was born breastfeeding, she latched on right away in the recovery room and went to town. I, however, never got any help from the lactation consultants, and then had some other complications with my incision, so I scrapped the whole thing very early on. I told myself that formula was fine–which it is, but the formulas she was on for the first 4 months WERE NOT fine for her–she wasn’t fine until we got her on the Neocate at 3 1/2 months, and even then it took a long time for her to get better. Little did I know that if I were breast feeding, it could have helped the reflux–and my hormones!– tremendously. Now I know for next time, if I do have a refluxer again I’ll be better prepared and I know I’ll have you ladies on this board for support as well!

[hellbennt]

a link to another, related, thread:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11256&PN=1

here’s another thread about breastfeeding a reflux baby:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10173&PID=87204#87204

and, while I’m consolidating (what I love to do, LOL!),

here is more:

Gulping: http://www.lalecheleague.org.nz/articles/gaining_gulping_grimacing.htm

about OAL (overactive letdown):

http://www.users.qwest.net/~fsdebra1/refluxoal.html

What to do about OAL scroll down to the 4th post by Bensmama:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9959

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Me (laura) re: thickening/starting cereal early to help reflux: I just don’t believe these babies need solids introduced any early than they have to…of course, thickening has helped a lot of babies, don’t get me wrong!!!!! also, w/ breastmilk, it can hurt your supply…as with everything, you have to do your own research & come to your own conclusions that you (& your dh, etc) are happy about

this is an excellent resource: http://www.kellymom.com/

here’s about thickening feeds: http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3806288&dopt=Abstract

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/ger.html

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3546

here’s about starting solids: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

hellbennt2008-08-24 20:45:42

[hellbennt]

here’s more:

https://www.infantreflux.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12064&PID=100304#100304

[Anonymous]

Thanks mamas!!!

There are lots of great resources here regarding breast feeding.

I’m going on 7 months now! I’m giving my dd fortified expressed breast milk since her daily intake is very low. She stopped nursing around 6-8 weeks due to reflux, and I introduced the bottle. She still has a hard time drinking from a bottle, but she absolutely will not nurse anymore!

But I have been determined to continue pumping for her sake. I feel like a cow but just trying to do what’s best for my baby. I’ve felt like stopping a few times, but all this info helps me persevere!

Thanks ladies!

[Anonymous]

me too, i’m still doing the breastfeeding but supplementing with 1-2 bottle of soy formula at night.
the best!
my daughter almost 7 month and a whooping 20lbs (after soooo many feeding strike).

ChloeMommy2008-11-16 13:45:48

[Anonymous]

jolene_h wrote: Thanks mamas!!!

There are lots of great resources here regarding breast feeding.

I’m going on 7 months now! I’m giving my dd fortified expressed breast milk since her daily intake is very low. She stopped nursing around 6-8 weeks due to reflux, and I introduced the bottle. She still has a hard time drinking from a bottle, but she absolutely will not nurse anymore!

But I have been determined to continue pumping for her sake. I feel like a cow but just trying to do what’s best for my baby. I’ve felt like stopping a few times, but all this info helps me persevere!

Thanks ladies!

Good for you. That must be very time consuming on your part. You are giving your dd the best start to life possible. Also, don’t beat yourself up either if, for some reason, you can’t pump anymore.

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