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October 2013 Moms
PharmDMom
member
Moms of LOs with severe reflux, come in
PharmDMom
member
Moms of LOs with severe reflux, come in (LONG, sorry!)
I have been almost completely MIA the past 3 weeks because we have been dealing with worsening silent reflux. DS has been on Zantac since 7 weeks because of fussing during feedings (he is FF) and only taking a couple ounces at a time. Fast forward to right before New Year's... he was hysterical most times we tried to feed him, would choke and scream during feedings, and was refusing to eat. He would drink about 18-19 ounces per day at this point. He lost about 6 ounces in a week or so (yikes!) and we were referred to a GI specialist. He stopped losing after we increased his Zantac dose (to the max for his weight) and then after adding Prilosec suspension, he has gained a few ounces. He had an Upper GI series at Children's Hospital on Monday which showed only reflux, no anatomic issues (yay!). So now he takes meds 3 times a day and of course they taste nasty. 
We can also give him 2 ml of Maalox to settle his stomach when he is really upset/hungry but can't/won't eat. We even changed to Similac Alimentum as a last resort to cover the milk protein allergy issue (if he has it, who knows).
We can also give him 2 ml of Maalox to settle his stomach when he is really upset/hungry but can't/won't eat. We even changed to Similac Alimentum as a last resort to cover the milk protein allergy issue (if he has it, who knows).He is now eating a ton more (average 27 ounces a day) but feedings are still very time consuming and require a lot of effort (breaks, walking around while feeding, swaddling then feeding some more, etc). He also has mild constipation issues so we have to give him prune juice twice a day. Poor DD is attention starved because each feeding with DS takes almost 40 minutes and requires my undivided attention in a calm, dark room. I am trying to hold it all together but it is rough right now.
So what I am looking for are any tips from my fellow mommas for feeding babies with reflux (aside from the usual, keep them upright, burp often, etc.) and if any of you have similar situations. My life revolves around feeding him, his meds, and weight checks right now. I was SO not expecting this! I am grateful that in between feedings he is a super happy little guy. He just hates to be fed. :-/ At least he is gaining now and screaming a lot less than before, so I am praying things are turning the corner. I know our situation could be worse and am very thankful that he doesn't need surgery or anything like that. Any of you try a chiropractor for colic/reflux issues? I've heard that can help but am not sure about it... Any advice is appreciated!
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Re: Moms of LOs with severe reflux, come in
ETA: I want you to know he WILL get better. I remember when jack was at his worst I irrationally thought he would never get better but he did. Take it one day at a time and one victory at a time
We found that the bottle made a difference for us and we were able to keep LO off of meds by just changing the bottle (after formula changes). Also gas drops seem to help a little because he can burp a little better with them which keeps his tummy from getting so upset with the acid reflux.
What bottles are you using? What nipples/nipple flow speed are you using? Part of it could be the flow is too slow. As they get old they eat faster. I know the Dr. Brown's bottles (what we use) have 4 stages of nipple speeds - Stage 1 (Newborn/slow), Stage 2 (3+ months/medium-slow), Stage 3 (6+ months/medium-fast), and Stage Y (9+ months/fast).
They can only flavor Zantac with grape and it's still AWFUL. There is no covering up the Zantac's bitter peppermint alcoholic flavor, so it is a real skill trying to give it 2-3 times a day. My daughter has perfected fighting it
Some days he eats perfectly fine and about 23-28oz. Other days it's a struggle to get him to eat 16-18oz. He doesn't seem to have slowed in his growth which I am thankful for. I'm so worried about leaving him with others or putting him in DC bc I don't know that anyone else can or will take the time to feed him for 1+ hours to make sure he gets a full feeding.
I will say that we switched to the dr browns bottles and got level 2 nipples (DS is 3.5 months). They haven't solved the problem, but they have certainly helped.
Hang in there mama, hopefully all the reflux babies outgrow it soon!
I give the Zantac while he is eating. I just slip the end of the syringe in the side of his mouth while he's eating. We bottle feed so I'm not sure if that would work without breaking the latch when BFing.
It seemed to. I was never told to not give while he was eating. I could see how doing it before would work better though. If I forgot to give while feeding him I would do the same trick with his pacifier. The syringe fit in the holes on the outside/front of it.