I have a 1 month old with reflux/lactose intolerance, HELP!!?

Question

Yesterday I took my son to the doctor, and what we thought was colic is either lactose intolerance or reflux. Aside from the reflux medicine that the dr. prescribed and me not eating/drinking dairy products (he strictly breastfeeds) what can I do to help him? The poor little guy just squirms and fusses all day, he seems so miserable most of the time. Any advice from other moms who have been through the same thing? Also, how long does this typically last?

Answer 1

If your son's doctor gave you a script for liquid Zantac, that'll take two or three days before it works. If it truly is reflux, then you'll have a totally different baby on your hands in a few days. :) In the mean time, you can also try some Mylanta Supreme (not plain mylanta, but the supreme) for him to help until the zantac starts fully working. My younger son had reflux and that is what his doctor told us to do for him. As for the doseage...my son was also a month old when we put him on the meds, and his doseage for the mylanta was 1 tsp. He was a big baby though...10 pounds at 1 month old, give or take. Call your doctor.

As for the lactose issue...unless you want to stop breastfeeding him and switch him to a lactose free formula, I don't know what to tell you. Sorry :(

Answer 2

Are you determined to continue to breastfeed? I switched my son to lactose free formula at two months, and the difference was night and day. It was only at that point that mine stopped the behavior you describe. You will seriously have to eliminate all of the dairy if you keep breastfeeding. Do you pump? I pumped and used Dr. Brown's bottles, which are designed to help with gas and tummy issues and that provided lots of relief.

The best advice I can give you is to try Baby's Bliss Gripewater. I was told about it and now give it to every new mom I know. It's all natural and is the best thing I know of to help with the fussy times. Of the four moms I've given it to in the last year (my son's 14 months), all four ended up asking where to get more. It's basically fennel and ginger and you give it to them to soothe. Amazing!! The place I found it online that was the cheapest was drkowalski.com.

I hope you find relief soon!

Answer 3

As a new mom, your feelings are justified. Relax, follow the advice of your son's pediatrican and see how your son changes in a few days. If he is truely lactose intolerant, and you abstain from ALL dairy products (no pizza w/cheese even), you should see a change of behavior by mid-next week. Your body has to process all the dairy you've consumed as does his body... so it's not going to be an instant result.

Just love him and comfort him the best you can. Does he like baths? Most babies by this age do. Give him several baths a day to relax him. My little one loved having a warm washcloth covering his belly when he was soaking in the infant bath tub.

Answer 4

I know exactly what you are going thru! My daughter had reflux really bad. If she wasn't crying, she was projectile vomiting. I always hated feeding time. She would seem so hungry but would eat very little and then she would spit that up. I bottle fed, but she was changed to at least 10 different types of formula. She ended up on Nutramingen (about $8-$9 a day). She went to a GI and they told me she would grow out of it. It stopped at about a year old or so. Is he on Zantac? Please if he is on Reglan read the side effect info. I took my daughter off b/c the risks out weighed the benifits. Just hang in there. You'll have good days and bad days with this.

Answer 5

My son was lactose intolerant, out grew by the time he was 3. We would use lactaid pills when he ate food that had lactose in it.

His formula was soy based.

BTW It hides everywhere.

He grew up just fine, he is now 6' 2" and over 200 pounds. So relax.

Answer 6

my oldest son had that i had to but him on soy formula, cause it was easier that way i could slow his drinking, i use playtex bottles too. Does he throw up too? my son also had projectal vomiting too, my sons lasted for 6 mo and he out grew it, try a pacifer, or lay him on your lap and rub his back. I'm surprised that the doc didnt ask you to stop breastfeeding, sometime the breast milk dont agree with some kids, thats what my doc told me anyway. If you want to continue to breast feed try pumping you breast and use a bottle, that way u can slow the feedings. also laying him on a warm towel right out of the dryer, it warms the tummy, and relaxes it. Hope this helps, if you want to contact me my e-mail is [e-mail]

Answer 7

my daughter was the same way, one the medicine takes full affect he will beok, for now try using gas drops with every bottle along with his reflux meds, you can give him as much as you want he cannot od on it i gave it to my dr all the time, and it helped calm her belly down now she is fine and she is lactose as well so i use to breastfeed once i stopped i had to put her on lactaid milk rather than regular milk. hope this helps

Answer 8

you need to eat only healthy foods... non-dairy,and low in acids. you need to watch your salt and other spices intake. if you smoke stop! the smoke irritates the baby more. I had to quit breast feeding and we had to get my little boy on nutramigen a prescription formula and we could only give him 4oz milk and 4oz of stage 3 jar cereal apples and bananas. we had to put bigger holes in the nipples of the bottles. we had to warm up the cereal and the milk. we had to hold him a hour after every meal... then we had to let him sleep on his stomach because if he happened to have any of his food come up then their was the huge possibility of choking if he was on his back. we used receiving blankets as burp clothes.the medicine that we used was raglan and something else. you may not like it... but their is a possibility that you need to switch to formula for the sake of your baby... reflux can really harm your stomach ...imagine what it can do to your babies tummy. if you choose to continue breast feeding see about pumping your milk and then adding the cereal. we went through this for 6 months others well they may go through it longer depends on how long he has had it and what you decide to do.

Answer 9

I had that problem with my son. He was on zantac until 9 months of age and we eventually had to switch to soy-based formula. When you lay him down, put him at an incline so he's not completely flat. And relux babies usually do not like being on their bellies.

Answer 10

YES !! I know where you are coming from...my daughter was the same exact way. I never did breast feed...i went to a soy formula...that worked, no more winny, fussy, squirmy baby....She was like that until i swithed to soy and it seemed to help instantly...no more gas either...I hope this helps let me know okay!