My six week old started experiencing acid reflux at 2 weeks. He was fighting me at every feeding. He was put on Zantac, which made no difference. He was recently put on Prevacid, but no difference either. I try to hold him upright during feeding, but that seemed to make no difference either. I even got the nap nanny to help him sleep better. The feeding symptoms got worse and worse, until 2 days ago he refuses to eat at all when he's awake. I can only get him to nurse a tiny bit during his sleep or by letting him suck on a pacifier first and taking it away. But that only works once or twice a day. I hold him all day, hoping to catch him while he's calm and ready to feed. But as soon as he is awake and as soon as I try to get him near my breasts, he will cry. Has anyone else experienced this and offer suggestions? The pediatrician just keeps on increasing the dose of the medication, but I'm very worried in the meanwhile.
Hello Jenny,
Oh my, I am worried about your little guy. Is he still getting enough breastmilk each day to stay hydrated? Please keep a really close eye on him and make sure he is wetting enough diapers each day. Take him back to the doctor today if you don't think he is hydrated or if he is still refusing to drink. Use urgent care of the ER if needed over the weekend. Certainly babies with reflux can have feeding refusal or feeding aversion. It is also possible for an illness (infection, thrush, constipation, cough, runny nose, stomach virus) to cause a lack of interest in feeding.
Keep a log of how often you are offering a feeding and how many diapers he has per day. This is important information for the doctor.
In addition to the feeding problems, what other symptoms are you seeing? poor sleep? Burping? Spit up? Vomiting? rumbling stomach? coughing? choking?
Some babies are sensitive to a mother's diet. Any gas, mucous in the stools or blood in the stool? This should be reported to the doctor as well. Some moms find that eliminating milk and milk products from their diet eases digestion too.
I will check back later today and you can send me an email as well.
Take care,
Jan Gambino
The Reflux Mom
Hi Jan, I took my little guy to the pediatrician today and he seems hydrated enough and he hasn't lost weight so I'm relieved. The pediatrician wasn't able to offer any advice on how to get him to feed better except to go to a lactation consultant, which I have already been and was told to consult the pediatrician... I got him to feed a little bit last night while awake, but it was like one of the normal feeding sessions, which goes like this: He'll suck until it lets down, take a few gulps and shakes his head really hard to pop himself off. I try to coax him to go back on, but he'll fight me while crying and crying, so I'm reluctant to push him. This will go on for an hour to an hour and half, until the crying may have blurred into a hunger cry, and he may go back on for a few more gulps and then that's absolutely it, he won't go back on anymore, and by now he will have tired himself so much that he fell asleep. He does a little bit better with the bottle, but not much. I would still very much like to breastfeed him directly if I can...
Hello Jenny,
I am glad you brought him to the doctor and he is not dehydrated. He is such a little one-it is a worry. Did the lactation consultant think his feeding issues were related to reflux?
I wonder if he is having a hard time dealing with the letdown of milk. Have you tried expressing some milk so there isn't as much coming out in the beginning?
I know you want to keep nursing-it is probably the best food for him.
Here are some other ideas:
Swaddling
Rocking
Dark room
Just take it hour by hour. Keep track of his wet diapers and his feedings. It is important not to force him to eat. He is communicating to you as best he can that feeding is causing discomfort.
Pumping and Refeeding? Pumping and refeeding isn't easy-it takes extra work. It would give him a chance to have the breast milk and maybe get over his fear of drinking. My only hesitation is that he is so little. Often a lactation consultant is concerned about nipple confusion (breast to bottle) during the newborn period.
I will email you privately so you will have my contact info over the weekend if needed.
Jan