Desperately need some advice

marionravenwood

I'm really worried about DD.  For the past two weeks its been a struggle to get her to eat.  She acts like she's really hungry (smacking lips, eating hands, specific I'm hungry cry), but when I go to give her the bottle she won't take it or if she does she'll spit it out, turn her head, or go for my breast (I only BFed for a week so no clue why she's doing this.  I EP now).  Then she gets hysterical and I can't calm her.  It almost seems like she's hungry, but for some reason she doesn't see or comprehend that the bottle is right in front if her.  She used to do this maybe once a day but now she's fighting every bottle like this.  She is eventually eating and gaining fine from what I can tell, but it can take 3 or 4 tries to get her to eat and this ordeal can go on for hours.  I thought originally it was reflux so I went sans dairy, eggs, soy and nuts for a month.  Then I ate a cupcake two weeks ago and this started happening.  Could something like this be reflux? I'd be more convinced it was reflux if she started doing this halfway through a bottle instead before even eating.  I am desperate to find the cause.  It breaks my heart to see her get hysterical up to 10 times a day because she's hungry and I can't get her to eat.  Is there any point in taking her to the pedi?  I have a prescription for Zantac but never tried it.

Rosebean

I had issues feeding DS when his reflux got bad. He went from a happy spitter to coming off the breast crying and arching his back while we ate. I have him on Prilosec and something else that speeds up his digestion so that it has less chance of coming back up. He is much better. I would suggest you get your prescription filled and get your LO on track. If it doesn't solve your issue, it's time to take her to your pedi. I totally get how you feel. I EBF, but at one point I got truly desperate and tried formula. Anything to get him to eat. 

Runaway22

It could be reflux, and at this point she associates the pain of reflux with the bottle. I'm not sure, though, and I'm so sorry you two are going through this. That is rough

 Have you tried giving the bottle in different positions? I hear more of an incline can help. When my LO has reflux or tummy issues, he is very picky about the position he will nurse in. As in, he WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES nurse in a position he doesn't like. For some reason, he tends to prefer side-lying or even lying flat on his back with me above him (?) when he gets hysterical. 

I am sorry if this is out of line and none of my business, but did you offer her the breast when she "went for" it?  Obviously, not something you want to do habitually if you want to continue EP, but maybe she just wants the comfort until her reflux subsides? I don't know, I may be an idiot for suggesting that, in which case feel free to ignore me!

adamsabigail14

Runaway22:

It could be reflux, and at this point she associates the pain of reflux with the bottle. I'm not sure, though, and I'm so sorry you two are going through this. That is rough

 Have you tried giving the bottle in different positions? I hear more of an incline can help. When my LO has reflux or tummy issues, he is very picky about the position he will nurse in. As in, he WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES nurse in a position he doesn't like. For some reason, he tends to prefer side-lying or even lying flat on his back with me above him (?) when he gets hysterical. 

I am sorry if this is out of line and none of my business, but did you offer her the breast when she "went for" it?  Obviously, not something you want to do habitually if you want to continue EP, but maybe she just wants the comfort until her reflux subsides? I don't know, I may be an idiot for suggesting that, in which case feel free to ignore me!

I second this! 

marionravenwood

Runaway22:

It could be reflux, and at this point she associates the pain of reflux with the bottle. I'm not sure, though, and I'm so sorry you two are going through this. That is rough :nbsp;Have you tried giving the bottle in different positions? I hear more of an incline can help. When my LO has reflux or tummy issues, he is very picky about the position he will nurse in. As in, he WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES nurse in a position he doesn't like. For some reason, he tends to prefer sidelying or even lying flat on his back with me above him ? when he gets hysterical.nbsp;I am sorry if this is out of line and none of my business, but did you offer her the breast when she "went for" it? nbsp;Obviously, not something you want to do habitually if you want to continue EP, but maybe she just wants the comfort until her reflux subsides? I don't know, I may be an idiot for suggesting that, in which case feel free to ignore me! :

I did offer it to her several times and I don't think she knew what to do with it. She just licked it and looked perplexed. I thought maybe she wanted to comfort suck and offered her a paci, but over the past month or so she's stopped taking a paci altogether. She does associate the bottle with the rocking chair in her room so I have started offering it elsewhere and have had varying degrees of successshe'll periodically take it on the boppy or in the RnP. That makes me wonder if its more behavioral than physical. Part of me wonders if I've given her a complex. Sometimes I'll try to seek it in her mouth because once its in there sometimes she'll calm down and eat. Sometimes that doesn't work at all and she gets hysterical and I feel like its this war of me trying to sneakily shove it in her mouth. I wonder if she's like 'mommy is trying to force feed me!' And I've given her a complex. I know I shouldn't, but I feel like a terrible mom.

theimpossibleastronaut

DD has reflux and she has done just what you described. It was a struggle to feed her almost every time. She's been on formula since week one and whatever breast milk I could give her. When we found out she had reflux, I cut out dairy and we switched her to a dairy free formula. We also have her on a reflux medication.

From what I have read, babies with reflux want to eat/ suck often because it makes them feel better, but eating can also aggravate the reflux so it's a catch 22 almost I think. I could be wrong but I think one of our pedi's nurses said this too.

Fwiw, DD doesn't fight eating now too much since we made the above changes. Now it's usually only if she's overtired.

If you have a prescription for a reflux medication from the doctor, do you think that he or she will just tell you to try it before bringing her in? Or do you think they will attempt to investigate further?

happylady5

Sounds like how my niece acted when she had reflux. I'd call your pedi. Hope it's better for you soon. Hang in there.

joecubed

Could also try a faster flow nipple. She might be frustrated with a slow flow. Agreed with pp about possible reflux, but the nipple switch would be an easier fix if it works!

Runaway22

marionravenwood:

Runaway22:

It could be reflux, and at this point she associates the pain of reflux with the bottle. I'm not sure, though, and I'm so sorry you two are going through this. That is rough

Have you tried giving the bottle in different positions? I hear more of an incline can help. When my LO has reflux or tummy issues, he is very picky about the position he will nurse in. As in, he WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES nurse in a position he doesn't like. For some reason, he tends to prefer sidelying or even lying flat on his back with me above him ? when he gets hysterical.

I am sorry if this is out of line and none of my business, but did you offer her the breast when she "went for" it? Obviously, not something you want to do habitually if you want to continue EP, but maybe she just wants the comfort until her reflux subsides? I don't know, I may be an idiot for suggesting that, in which case feel free to ignore me! :

I did offer it to her several times and I don't think she knew what to do with it. She just licked it and looked perplexed. I thought maybe she wanted to comfort suck and offered her a paci, but over the past month or so she's stopped taking a paci altogether. She does associate the bottle with the rocking chair in her room so I have started offering it elsewhere and have had varying degrees of successshe'll periodically take it on the boppy or in the RnP. That makes me wonder if its more behavioral than physical. Part of me wonders if I've given her a complex. Sometimes I'll try to seek it in her mouth because once its in there sometimes she'll calm down and eat. Sometimes that doesn't work at all and she gets hysterical and I feel like its this war of me trying to sneakily shove it in her mouth. I wonder if she's like 'mommy is trying to force feed me!' And I've given her a complex. I know I shouldn't, but I feel like a terrible mom.

That is puzzling. I'm still going with it may be reflux - or like PP mentioned, she just needs a faster flowing nipple. Or she might just be flipping out because you're not in the rocking chair. 

I really don't think you've given your LO a complex. I sneak the boob in DS' mouth sometimes, too, and he's suddenly like, "Oh, yeah. This is what I wanted..."  Babies are funny creatures lol 

cmhicklin

Why was she given the prescription?