Help! She won't eat!

lwmooney87

My LO has reflux. For the 5 days or so, I can't get her to eat much at all. She was eating 4 oz every 3 hours. Now I can barely get 2 oz in her at a time. Sometimes it's just 1oz. I basically have to force feed her too. We just saw the GI yesterday and he started her on Axid and Erythromycin (she has delayed gastric emptying) and she is already on Prilosec.

What do I do? I'm so scared she's going to get dehydrated.

 ETA: They also switched her from Neosure to Alimentum as a fortifier and they told me to eliminate dairy from my diet.

witt0198

Maybe she's not liking the alimentum as a fortifier? Evan hated the mix of BM with alimentum, he'd take either straight, but wouldn't touch them mixed. Maybe you could try giving like one bottle of alimentum and the rest BM. Nutramigen is also the enfamil equivalent of alimentum, you could try that and see if she likes it any better.

Hopefully she starts feeling better soon, the eating better will come with that. With Evan, the more we pushed the  more he pushed back, but it's hard when they're eating so little to know what to do.

katie4253

witt0198:

Maybe she's not liking the alimentum as a fortifier? Evan hated the mix of BM with alimentum, he'd take either straight, but wouldn't touch them mixed. Maybe you could try giving like one bottle of alimentum and the rest BM. Nutramigen is also the enfamil equivalent of alimentum, you could try that and see if she likes it any better.

Hopefully she starts feeling better soon, the eating better will come with that. With Evan, the more we pushed the  more he pushed back, but it's hard when they're eating so little to know what to do.

I agree with this.  Gabe hates fortified milk, but drinks his neosure just fine.  We give 2 bottles a day of neosure and the rest breast milk.  Talk to your doctor and see if you can try this.  

lemen99

my kids didn't like the taste of Nutramigen (like Alimentum).  If that's it, she'll get used to it soon.  Keep at it and give her a couple days to adjust as long as she is having wet diapers.

 If she is like this in a couple days, call the GI dr.  They may need to up her dosages.  If she is showing any signs of swallowing troubles (been there) they may need to run a swallow study.  Or they may try switching meds.  Andrew was on Prilosec and Eryped - they said Eryped only works for DGE some times, sometimes they have to go to Reglan or something else. 

lemen99

How much is she eating in a day?

urbanflowerpot

Diapers are still wet, right? I assume so, if not, you know where to go!

When DS gets all crazed from the burning of reflux he has a hard time eating, too...like, not so much, then he'll spit up what seems like more than he took in, then gulp his next feed, spit up or scream in pain, and all over the place. He eats more frequently but has been known to reject a meal. It's mainly super stressful - he's always been wet (not soaked!) but wet. and putting on weight. Your pedi will let you come in and weigh just for kicks so just call them!

lwmooney87

Well, she definitely doesn't like the taste of the breastmilk fortified with Alimentum. So, I decided to mix up just the Alimentum (the first time she ever had just plain formula) and she loved it! It made me cry lol it made me feel like she doesn't like my milk anymore. DH said maybe she just liked that it was something new...

Since then, I have been doing 2.5 oz of formula and then when she seems to get tired of that, I heat up some breastmilk and she takes about 1.5 more. Which is awesome, considering I could barely get her to take 1-1.5oz a few days ago. She has still been having plenty of wet diapers and is alert and happy, so no dehydration, thank goodness. I was considering calling the dr. to ask if I could give her pedialyte to make sure that didn't happen, if she didn't start eating more.

So, I will keep doing whatever I can to make her eat. She also hasn't been vomiting like she usually does, so that is wonderful. She hasn;t even started the Erythromycin for the DGE (the pharmacy had to order it, it will be in tomorrow).

Thanks for your help guys!

lwmooney87

She also is scheduled to have a swallow study on Monday because she gags so much.

katie4253

lwmooney87:

Well, she definitely doesn't like the taste of the breastmilk fortified with Alimentum. So, I decided to mix up just the Alimentum (the first time she ever had just plain formula) and she loved it! It made me cry lol it made me feel like she doesn't like my milk anymore. DH said maybe she just liked that it was something new...

Since then, I have been doing 2.5 oz of formula and then when she seems to get tired of that, I heat up some breastmilk and she takes about 1.5 more. Which is awesome, considering I could barely get her to take 1-1.5oz a few days ago. She has still been having plenty of wet diapers and is alert and happy, so no dehydration, thank goodness. I was considering calling the dr. to ask if I could give her pedialyte to make sure that didn't happen, if she didn't start eating more.

So, I will keep doing whatever I can to make her eat. She also hasn't been vomiting like she usually does, so that is wonderful. She hasn;t even started the Erythromycin for the DGE (the pharmacy had to order it, it will be in tomorrow).

Thanks for your help guys!

yay!  This is great.  

Don't get too down on the formula bm issue.  Gabe eats both and does great.  

lemen99

lwmooney87:

She also is scheduled to have a swallow study on Monday because she gags so much.

 

((HUGS)) hang in there..I hope you know more and that things are looking up in a couple of days. I've been there and it's really hard.