What formula does anyone recommend for colicky babies that spit up a ton?

Question

My 7 week old started out on Enfamil Lipil in the hospital. She seemed to be okay with it for about 2 weeks, when she caught a terrible cold and couldn't keep it down anymore and developed severe constipation. Our doctor recommended 3 different formulas: Similac Soy, Enfamil Soy and the Enfamil Gentilease. Needless to say, none of them work (tried each for 4-5 days). My sister's baby is on Nestle Goodstart soy and we tried it and her constipation went away. But now, she still spits up LOADS and seems colicky at night (cries from about 7pm-midnight).
What does anyone recommend for colicky babies that spit up a ton? I'm sick of my dr's recommendations because I don't want to keep on switching her around. Any advice would be great, Thanks!

We've been on the Goodstart soy for about 3 weeks now. Its just not working.

Dr told us to keep switching her after 4-5 days of trying a new formula, which i think is WAY too fast. I really am not liking his advice and am waiting for an appt with a new dr. We have had her on her new Soy formula for 3 weeks now and it has not worked. Thanks for the tips on the nutramigen, i will discuss with my new dr next week at her appt.

Answer 1

1st-your switching her formula too fast, her little belly can't take it.
2nd-have you discussed the possablity of reflux with your doctor?

If you suspect or have been told that your baby has colic, you may want to consider the possibility that your baby may have reflux. This may not be the answer for all colicky babies, but in my experience and based on my conversations with other mothers, reflux is very common and is very often misdiagnosed as colic.

Symptoms

These are some of the more common symptoms of reflux. Your baby may only have some of them, and may have other symptoms that are not listed.
Spitting up frequently
Vomiting
Unexplained crying-colicky behavior
Poor sleep; frequent waking
Fighting/crying during feeding
Arching neck or back during feeding
Frequent hiccups
Congestion
Wheezing
Coughing
Hoarseness
Strange odor on breath
Poor weight gain
Frequent choking episodes
Fusses when legs are lifted during diaper change
Fusses when in sitting position (like in a car seat)
Chewing or smacking of lips after feedings

Important: There are a couple of common misconceptions about reflux:

First, your baby does not have to be losing weight to have reflux. On the contrary, many reflux babies actually overeat because eating eases the pain.

Second, your baby does not have to be spitting up to have reflux. This is known as "silent reflux" and can actually be harder on your baby because their esophagus is getting burned by the acid on the way up and again when it goes back down. It's also a lot harder to recognize as reflux.

Talking to your pediatrician:

If your baby is exhibiting signs of reflux, you should talk to your pediatrician about it. Be forewarned though that many pediatricians only consider reflux to be a problem if the baby isn't gaining weight properly. Beyond that, many seem to think it's merely a laundry problem for an overreacting parent and will tell you that your baby will grow out of it and send you on your way. Yes, your baby will grow out of it, but if your baby is experiencing pain and discomfort from reflux, there's no reason why he should have to suffer while he's growing out of it! You need to make sure that your doctor understands that your baby is in pain and that you're not complaining about the laundry. And if he still doesn't listen, find another doctor.

What you can do to relieve symptoms:

Formula
Reflux is sometimes due to protein sensitivity, allergy or other intolerance. Your baby may do better on a soy formula, but many babies who don't tolerate milk well are also sensitive to soy proteins as well. Talk to your pediatrician about formula options. There are hypoallergenic formulas such as Alimentum and Nutramigen that may help. They're expensive, but if they help, it's worth every penny. And some insurance companies will cover these specialized formulas if prescribed by a doctor.

You can use a pre-thickened formula like Enfamil AR.

Positioning

Let gravity help your baby whenever possible. Keeping your baby upright during feeding and for 30-45 minutes afterwards will help a lot. Also, many reflux babies have a really hard time laying flat to sleep. My baby was always very restless, noisy, and constantly squirming and grunting. It took me a while to figure out why. Finding a sleeping position that will be comfortable for your baby can be quite a challenge.

Here are a few suggestions:
Let him sleep in a car seat or bouncy seat
Elevate the head end of the crib by placing books under the legs
Elevate the head end of the crib mattress by placing a pillow or quilt underneath
Use a crib wedge
Use a Tucker Sling

Medications

It's always preferable if you can relieve your baby's symptoms just by making changes in his feeding and positioning, but if you've tried all that and your baby is still suffering, there are a few medications that you might want to ask your pediatrician about. Many are only willing to prescribe Zantac and Reglan. To get a prescription for Prilosec or Prevacid, you will probably have to get a referral to a pediatric GI.
OTC antacids such as Maalox and Mylanta (the adult strength liquid); Mylanta Supreme is cherry flavored. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what the proper dosage is for your baby's weight. (should not be used with in 2 hours of Zantac.
Zantac (Rx) - neutralizes the acid so that it doesn't "burn" as much; well tolerated by most babies, few side effects
Reglan (Rx) - a motility drug (helps empty stomach faster); miracle drug for some, but many babies don't tolerate it well at all, and there are some VERY scary side effects--I would suggest this as a last resort and please please please research it 1st. If you do decide to put your baby on Reglan, know the side effects and keep a close eye on baby!
Prilosec or Prevacid (Rx) - acid blockers (PPI-Proton Pump Inhibitor); greatly reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach

Also, did you know: American children are held by their parents approximately half as much as children in cultures that routinely use baby slings and carriers. American emphasis on independence and self-reliance plays a significant role. Many parents fear that holding and carrying their babies will make them overly dependent. However, the opposite is true: Infants whose parents satisfy their natural need for closeness routinely develop into self-confident, independent individuals

A 1986 study published in Pediatrics confirms that newborns carried in slings or body carriers cry less often and with less severity than those who are not. "Supplemental carrying modifies 'normal' crying by reducing the duration and altering the typical pattern of crying and fussing in the first three months of life," the study states. "The relative lack of carrying in our society may predispose to crying and colic in normal infants." Less crying means less stress for the entire family. Parents feel more confident when they are successful at interpreting and satisfying their baby's needs

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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First off I would reccomend to call your pediatrician and schedule an appt. Just because your baby was upset for an hour doesn't mean she has colic. My son screams every night like clockwork from 7 pm til 10:30 pm. So you need to make sure that's what it is first before you swith her formula around so much, that will upset her tummy. I personally used Enfamil Prosobee with Lipil. It's the blue can. It works really good. My cousin used Enfamil Gentlease. It's the purple can. It works too. Just check with the doctor before switching up too much.

Answer 4

Colic Formula

Answer 5

Sounds more like acid reflux than the formula. I wouldn't use nutramigen,. it's nasty and way overpriced ( i asked a question about how people liked it and how thier babies did on it last week, and all but one parent hated it and said it didn't do anything for the spit up). She could also be allergic to the soy formula. Our son was terribly allergic to it, and we learned this the hard way after a stay in the hospital, so you may want to ask your doc about acid reflux. A medicine will help out alot more than just switching formuls. Our son is back on Good Start after 5 grueling months on nutramigen (that didn't help at all). Good luck.

Answer 6

i suggest similac alimentum. you can ask your baby's pediatricain for a few samples. this way you won't be wasting money, just in case that doesn't work. but be sure to try it for a couple weeks.

also try similac isomil. that works great too. i have a little brother that spits up everything, including baby food, and i gave me mom some isomil for him and he did great with it.

another thing you can try is diluting the formula. example. when making an 8oz bottle fill it with the water and add only 3 scoops instead of 4. this is another thing we do for my little brother when my mom can't afford the alimentum or isomil.

another thing to try to colic is "gripe water". you can find it at most medicine shops. i'm not sure about walmart. i know our doesn't carry it, but will order it for you. and you pay for it when you pick it up.

the formula ideas are what i had my mom try for my brother. and the gripe water is what i did for my daughter and they both worked. oh also try a more expensive bottle such as dr. browns vent air. those helped my daughter out a great deal.

Answer 7

Best Formula For Colic

Answer 8

My second baby was colicky from the get-go and threw up not just spit up all the time. She had reflux and colick. We end up having to put her on Nutramigen, very expensive formula along with a crap load of gas drops and medicine for her reflux. This helped out alot. I also use to put peppermint drops in her bottles as well as diluted Ginger ale which worked great because it helped with gas bubbles as well. We had to run the vaccuum, take her on car rides, run the washing machine, made sure that she was very tightly wrapped in her blanket, ect ect, > Hope some of this helps you out.

Answer 9

your doc has you changing formulas very frequently, its take a bit for the belly to get adjusted, ask about Prosobee, all the children I worked with at daycare that were collicky or allergic did very well on it. if she is constipated she should be on a low iron or no iron formula the iron is binding. Gas drops or Gripewater work well for the belly aches, gripewater is a natural alternative.

Also you may want to find a different pediatrician through word of mouth if you are not happy with yours.

Answer 10

my daughter had problems with regular formula so like you we had switched to soy. It took about a month before it really stopped all the constipation etc... she did still spit up some..but thats natural. The formula that actually worked best for her was the walmart brand soy. Parents Choice. I was happy since it was by far cheaper then the name brands but looking at the back labels had the same nutritional value. Hope this helps.

Answer 11

We tried every formula on earth with my son. Soy, regular it didnt matter the only thing we found that worked wass Similac Alimentum Its about $30.00 a can though but it worked great its pre diegested. Good luck hope this helps!