Horrible few days...I need support!
Sueball1
member
Leo has NOT been doing well since that first day w/the zantac and new schedule. Yesterday was awful; he was colicky and inconsolable all day and night until he finally fell asleep around 1am. He slept ok, just up every 3-4 hours to eat...but then, today has been hell again. He won't nap, and all he wants to do is eat every hour or so. My entire life the past 2 days has been trying desperately to distract him from eating and watching the clock until I can finally give him a bottle again, and then dealing with him screaming from the gas pain. He screams and screams when he wants to eat, and it is just so sad and hard to not give him what he wants...especially as I KNOW it would make him feel better, at least in the short term. I don't know what to do. I have tried EVERYTHING. And to make things worse, he gets overtired and won't nap.
We don't know if we should just let him eat, but the pedi made us think that he is dangerously overeating and that we need to get him down to less food, less often.
He is such a good little guy and I hate torturing him like this. Everything we read online says you can't overfeed... don't know why it has to be different for Leo...
We are going to try and get in to the GI specialist next week. I really hope he can help us. Until then, I guess we need to just muddle through...
Re: Horrible few days...I need support!
if he's hungry & you know for sure that he's hungry, feed him. At least that's what i would do. I personally think it's wrong to leave a baby hungry, especially after you've tried everything else.
I know if dd is inconsolable and all the wants is snuggle time & a boob, she gets it & i deal with the spitting up after.
Don't allow this pedi to stop you from listening to your instincts. If your instincts tell you to feed him, do it. ?i hope the gi dr is able to help.?
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cold turkey is really tough when it comes to eating, can you go back to feeding on demand, but space them out? for example, he wants to eat every hour, so when he wants to eat, push him an extra 10-15 minutes before feeding him. then the next day, push another 5 minutes for each feeding, and add a minute or two to the "push" time so that you are weaning him to a solution instead of forcing it all on him and he doesn't understand...
if you are having trouble with what the pedi suggested, call them... they need to know this isn't working as well in actuality as it was for them to tell you how to do it.
and to be honest, i've never heard of an over eating infant... but i'm not a doctor or a specialist. does your GI agree that he is over fed? hopefully you'll get more answers at your apt. next week. <<hugs>>
Oh, sueball, that must be awful. I would be on the horn with the pediatrician about the feeding schedule. And maybe you could also - in all your free time - seek out a second opinion from another pedi.
Other than that, we spent hours doing the football hold early on. Standing in front of a fan and playing music could also calm a screaming Willem.
Hang in there. I'm thinking of you!
I wish I had some advice for you. I'm no expert so I have no idea. DD had her fair share of feeding issues in the beginning but she was the opposite. She hated eating. It took time but she got better and it all got so much easier.
Anyway sorry I couldn't be more help. I just wanted to send you some hugs. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. Hang in there.
I would get a second opinion. My baby liked to snack, and gained a lot of weight, but our doctor never said anything about him being too fat or overfed. He actually said to let him eat as much as he wants whenever he wants to do it. Now at 6 months he has started to space his feedings better, and is not gaining rapidly anymore.
Maybe a different pedi would have some different advice?
I didn't think you could over feed a baby either.
I'm sorry you're having a rough time...poor little guy! I would feed him if you think he's hungry. I hope the time goes by quickly and your appt. with the GI specialist is here before you know it.
Hang in there!
I'm so sorry, Suzie! That sounds like hell.
I agree with pp. If your instincts tell you that he is hungry, feed him. I have never heard of a baby being overfed or overweight before. You may want to get a 2nd opinion on this one! You are a great mother for putting up with so much to do what is best for Leo.
Going cold turkey with an infant is awfully difficult. I also thought you couldn't overfeed a baby. Can he do smaller more frequent feedings so you're cutting back on the amount slightly to ease him into it? DD is six months old and still eats frequently...sometimes only an hour later. You and Leo will be in my thoughts. I hope the GI doctor has a better solution for you.
Oh Sue, I am so sorry. I wish that I had advice but we are still trying to find our way some nights. Have you talked to your pedi? hang in there sweets.
((((hugs)))))
Oh hun, that is awful. I agree w/past posters. Until you get a second opinion--if you are sure he is hungry--feed him. He is too young to be overfed-IMO. I'd check with a GI doc on that one. Isa was enormous, and we still were never instructed not to feed (she had reflux too). She thinned out just fine when she started walking, and is now the right weight for her height--she is tall and has the right amount of weight on her.
I'm voting opinion from a GI or new GI...ours made a huge difference with Mario and we followed his advice (diff from pedi's) and things have worked out well with him too.
Hoping this gets a little easier. Much love, hang in there, Jill
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
Huge hugs!! I am so sorry you are going through a hard time right now. I missed the post on why your pedi wants leo's feeding to be restricted - but I would probably look for a second opinion as well. I agree with pp's who said follow your instincts. It must be so hard.
Does Leo take a paci? Will that help you catch a break from hourly feedings if he is just looking for comfort? I'm sure you are probably trying everything imaginable already...
I hope you get some answers soon so you and Leo can both feel better.
I totally agree with the others..I think four hours is a longgg time for a 2 month old baby to go unless he is asleep. I also tend to think that "sleep begets sleep" and when you solve the nap problem, it will solve the night time problem AND the feeding problem.
That said, are you willing to try CIO for brief periods to see if you can get him to nap? We had to already start doing it with Henry because he just wasn't napping. To our surprise, it doesn't take more than a few minutes before he conks out.
My opinion FEED HIM!!!! To me if a baby is hungry feed him/her. I think its total BS to put him on a diet. Until that dr can tell you why every book in the world and every website on the internet says to feed a hungry baby, I wouldn't be following this "plan". Sue I don't mean to be so harsh, I'm just really upset knowing that you ar struggling so much and Leo isn't being a happy camper. All the support and love girl, I hope things get better.,
Hmm, I think maybe you should get a second opinion from another pedi. When I did my Master's (public health, focusing on child health) we were taught that the link between a baby's weight in the first year and his health later on is pretty insignificant - meaning an "overweight" baby is no more likely to become overweight as an adult than a skinny baby.
You also have to remember, many doctors have never actually studied nutrition, yet they have no qualms on advising mothers about infant nutrition - I get so amazed at some of the uninformed things my friends have been told by supposed "experts."