I have a breastfeeding dilemma?

Question

My baby is 7 weeks old. The doctor believes he has reflux. He was screaming for long periods of time, having a lot of gas spitting up a lot after eating, although he hasn't been doing it as much since taking Reglan. He was also taking Zantac but now he is on Prevacid instead. Since the medication isn't helping a whole lot with anything other than the spitting up, we are wondering if it is something else other than reflux. The doctor wants me to try formula to see if it makes a difference (alimentum). It makes more sense to me to eliminate things from my diet & see if that helps. I don't want to stop breastfeeding! Any advice?

Answer 1

It does make more sense to elimate things from your diet first! Please do not give up on breastfeeding!
After a very long struggle with vomiting and refux we finally found out that my son (now 8) cannot tolerate dairy products and most docs will suggest a dairy-free formula as a solution so I would start with that.
Also be sure to keep baby semi-upright in your arms or carseat works--for at least 30 minutes after feeding and see how much that improves the gas and spitting up.
Burp often and maybe you could get more advice on diet from la leche or your lactation consultant.
Best wishes and please post updates to let me know if this helps!

Answer 2

I am shocked that any doctor would recommend that you stop breastfeeding. Breast milk is easier than any formula for a babies stomach to digest. So I don't see how any formula would be better. You could try eliminating things from your diet although I am not so sure if that will help either. My baby is nine months old and I have been breastfeeding since she was born. Fortunately we didn't have a problem with bad reflux. A friend of mine though did with her baby. She would just make sure that he stayed upright for like a half an hour after eating and of course he was on medication as well. Have you tried finding a lactation consultant? I found one in my area and I just give her a call any time I have a problem or question...she has been really helpful. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Don't stop breastfeeding, that will not stop the reflux or decrease the gas.

I would try eliminate all dairy, spicy foods and acids from your diet first. He might just be colicy. My son screamed for the first 4 months of his life, I thought I was going to lose my mind. I changed my diet, which did a help a little and I also giving him organic formula after nursing to make sure he was getting enough. There is not much you can do with colic, try to make sure he is not over stimulated (no loud noises or bright lights), swaddle and make sure to burp him real well.

I hope things get better, I know how stressful it can be when you are feel like you have done everything and they just keep on screaming. Try getting a break, even if its 10 minutes here or there to recharge. Just know you are doing a great job and this to will pass.

Answer 4

I just wanted to give you encouragement. My first had reflux, and it's something they just grow out of. By the time he was 3 months it was a lot better. Until then, we had to stop nursing every 7-10 minutes to burp him and hold him upright for 20 mins after he was done. He slept better and kept more down if he slept in his bouncy seat. They do get better, I promise!

Oh yeah, and your doctor is an idiot who needs to re-educate himself. Ask him if he got a free lunch from a formula company for recommending you move to a substance that will make baby's reflux worse. And then tell him to jump in a lake.

My babies hated chocolate, citrus, broccoli, and cabbage. Once I cut those out babies did much better. Start with acidic foods and then move on to dairy. The good news is that once baby was 3-4 months, I could eat everything again.

Answer 5

I agree with you, don't discontinue breastfeeding unless you absolutely must.

Moms have a built-in intuition about them and their children.
Trust your instinct and give the elimination diet a try. Start with eliminating dairy products. Give it a week or so to see if this helps.

Your doctor is ready to throw in the towel to preserve his reputation.

I'd advise you against seeking support from the Le Leche League as they have really become quite militant. And this statement from a long-term breast-feeding mom.

Good luck.

*Nursed 5 babies successfully!*

EDIT: I agree with a previous poster that it seems trendy to diagnose with reflux. Perhaps he just isn't burping well enough and or getting too much milk in one feeding. After all, babies have very small stomachs and can only hold so much fluid after that where do you suppose the excess goes? Up and out the mouth.
Every parent has wondered if all babies spit up as much as their own darling, and you know what, babies spit up.

Answer 6

Do what makes you feel better. I would change your diet first. You could also ask if your ped. thinks an upper GI or stomach xray should be done. I had to do this with my daughter. She has reflux really bad and still has some problems(she's 3). Everything was fine with that so then we addressed the feeding. Also, try a wedge for the crib. You can get them at baby stores--but they elevate the babys upper body. Worked well for my daughter. We used a few blankets first to try it before we got a wedge. She seemed to sleep better when she was elevated.

Answer 7

I agree with you. I am sure you are not comfortable with all those meds for such a little guy.

Contact the Le Leche League in your area, or make an appointment with a breast feeding consultant in your area.

I am sure you know what causes fussy babies in your diet, like peanuts, chocolate, gassy greens like broccoli, excess dairy in the diet.

My son, breast fed 'til he pushed away at about 12 months, was VERY colicky until about 14 weeks old. Screaming and writhing in pain was a nightly occurance for him. :( I had some major guilt every night, worrying about what I ate yesterday that caused him such pain today. I never gave him more than a dropper of Mylanta when he started his crying jag to help him fart the gas out.

Not that I am in love with the idea of the radiation exposure (I am a radiologic technologist...an xray tech), maybe baby needs a flouroscopic examination of him swallowing, to see how bad the reflux is.

Answer 8

Reflux is such a trendy diagnosis at the moment; I have no idea why, though.

Your doctor's education in breastfeeding is (probably) less than your own.

You can't, obviously, "try" formula. He's asking you to wean; he may be too daft to know how breastfeeding works and not mean to, but... What does he think will happen to your milk supply while you're "trying" formula?

http://www.drjacknewman.com/ has a lot of stuff that might be useful to you...

(see esp http://www.drjacknewman.com/images/stories/Articles_pdf/schachjhumlact2002.pdf )

Answer 9

I agree with you 100%...formula is likely to make any gastrointestinal problems worse anyway. Besides, if you introduce formula and he's still unsettled, then you might have problems reintroducing him to the breast.

Far better to go on an elimination diet and see if that helps. Breastmilk is by FAR the better choice for your baby, not formula.

Find a new doctor, one that is pro-breastfeeding, not one that is a formula pusher.

Answer 10

You'd hope Dr's would have gotten smarter over the past 30yrs but you see that some haven't. My sister had this type of problem when she was a baby, went from different type of formula to formula, to soy milk, to eventually SUGAR WATER.... had to have all her baby teeth capped because they were so decayed... when in most babies this is something that they grow out of as they get older and their digestive system starts to develop more. See another Dr.