Aa
getting a reflux baby to take a bottle please help
ariana hasnt eaten since 4 or 5 this morning...she won't take a bottle. she suffers from reflux and everytime i try to feed her (because she cries like she's hungry) she plays with the nipple, gags, fusses, and spits out the formula she ***** in. she's not swallowing anything that i know of. what do i do? i gave her some mylanta and it didn't help. i know she's hungry but she wont eat.
i think i will try the enfamil ar. but only problem is i hate to go out and buy a can and then her end up not liking it. is there anywhere you can get samples of formula? maybe i'll call the company and tell them i want to try it but not buy a can and see if they'll send me some. heck if i was a company i would.
Ohh...I didn't think about the weight gain issues with rice cereal, but then again I wouldn't lol. All my kids were fat chubby little things with no ankles or necks when they were infants lol, I think I get more worried when I can see my baby's ankles than when I can't, so it doesn't surprise me that I missed that whole point.
But it is something to watch carefully. Yes babies gain weight weekly and monthly, but to much isn't good obviously.
As far as switching different brands of formula....It wouldn't do any harm, but she will still have to adjust to it. I had Conner on I swear 20 different types of formula until we found what he liked and what he could handle that wouldn't upset his reflux. Don't be scared to switch formula's, even if the doctor says not to....it's all trial and error, and doctors tend not to want to try different things, as they don't want to get sued for giving out the suggestion and having it fail or cause issues.
As far as her weight goes now, 11 lbs 3 oz at 7 1/2 weeks old seems perfectly normal for her age. Aiden and Conner at 8 weeks old were about 12-16 pounds, and actually needed a diet, but I didn't listen as I rarely do lol. Aiden was a heffer at 5 months old, heck he was so fat he couldn't hold his head up let alone sit up on his own. I didn't let Conner get nearly that fat lol.
Oh and while i'm rambling don't be scared to try things, after all trying different things helps you get to know your baby better!
But it is something to watch carefully. Yes babies gain weight weekly and monthly, but to much isn't good obviously.
As far as switching different brands of formula....It wouldn't do any harm, but she will still have to adjust to it. I had Conner on I swear 20 different types of formula until we found what he liked and what he could handle that wouldn't upset his reflux. Don't be scared to switch formula's, even if the doctor says not to....it's all trial and error, and doctors tend not to want to try different things, as they don't want to get sued for giving out the suggestion and having it fail or cause issues.
As far as her weight goes now, 11 lbs 3 oz at 7 1/2 weeks old seems perfectly normal for her age. Aiden and Conner at 8 weeks old were about 12-16 pounds, and actually needed a diet, but I didn't listen as I rarely do lol. Aiden was a heffer at 5 months old, heck he was so fat he couldn't hold his head up let alone sit up on his own. I didn't let Conner get nearly that fat lol.
Oh and while i'm rambling don't be scared to try things, after all trying different things helps you get to know your baby better!
yeah i am concerned about her weight gain..shes up 2 lbs since she last saw the doctor about a week ago. she's still average or under average for her age (11 lbs 3 oz at 7 1/2 weeks) but 2 lbs is a lot in a week.
like i said it works great; but there are pros and cons to using it like her little system getting backed up and what not. is it bad to go from one brand of formula to another? she's on similac right now so would it make a difference switching to enfamil? she has her 8 week check up and shots on monday and ill have to talk to her doctor about all of yalls suggestions so thank you!
like i said it works great; but there are pros and cons to using it like her little system getting backed up and what not. is it bad to go from one brand of formula to another? she's on similac right now so would it make a difference switching to enfamil? she has her 8 week check up and shots on monday and ill have to talk to her doctor about all of yalls suggestions so thank you!
Another thing about the rice cereal...even with the enfamil ar...is that it can make babies gain weight pretty quick. The Enfamil AR didn't seem to do it as bad as the straight rice cereal did with my others, But it's something to keep in mind. I do agree with everything BTS said above. My kids were all med free between 4 and 10 months
Cereal can make a baby get backed up on occasion, and that very well could have been her issue. And I agree in part with LosingMyMindInGA an upper GI should be done, just to make see how bad the reflux is. I would also talk to the doctor about prevacid, if you got her on the melt aways you wouldn't need to rely so much on the cereal, thats what I had to do with Conner. He actually got both the Zantac and Prevacid and we cut the cereal completely out of his diet, mainly because it caused major constipation and colic issues.
As far as Enfamil A.R. I tried that with Conner and it made his symptoms worse, however every baby is different, and Ariana's reflux severity is unknown, and it could help. I just know with Conner being a severe case it caused more issues in the first 12 hours than it did helping him. But like I said before, Conner didn't do well on cereal and Enfamil AR has cereal or a thickening agent already in it. Conner's reflux is so bad, that he will projectile vomit orange juice, apple juice, and he can't eat certain veggies or fruits still at 2 yrs old. Poor baby can't even enjoy certain breakfast items, like bacon, even though we bake ours in the oven as it produces less grease.
Anyways, with reflux it's all trial and error, just trying to figure out what she can have and trying to manage it on a day to day basis. Hopefully Ariana just has a mild case that will lighten up sooner than later. I did however want to mention that Conner was medication free at 5 months old. I was able to manage it without meds after a while.
As far as Enfamil A.R. I tried that with Conner and it made his symptoms worse, however every baby is different, and Ariana's reflux severity is unknown, and it could help. I just know with Conner being a severe case it caused more issues in the first 12 hours than it did helping him. But like I said before, Conner didn't do well on cereal and Enfamil AR has cereal or a thickening agent already in it. Conner's reflux is so bad, that he will projectile vomit orange juice, apple juice, and he can't eat certain veggies or fruits still at 2 yrs old. Poor baby can't even enjoy certain breakfast items, like bacon, even though we bake ours in the oven as it produces less grease.
Anyways, with reflux it's all trial and error, just trying to figure out what she can have and trying to manage it on a day to day basis. Hopefully Ariana just has a mild case that will lighten up sooner than later. I did however want to mention that Conner was medication free at 5 months old. I was able to manage it without meds after a while.
Have you tried switching to Enfamil AR? It has the rice starch added in. It's a lot easier than adding cereal to other formulas and it's specifically designed to help with reflux. I used it with my last and it worked just as well as the adding cereal thing.
Another thing. When you say they did an XRAY...was it just a standard xray? You may want to inquire about them doing an upper GI. In case you don' t know what that is...they give the baby a substance called barium to drink (not harmful) and they use an xray type machine to watch the barium as it goes through the digestive system to see if there is any obstructions or other things. My oldest had one at about 4-5 weeks old. Turns out the flap that closes the end of the esophogus wasn't fully formed yet...additionally the sphincter muscle between her stomach and intestine was spasming making it hard for her to keep food down. They were able to give her meds to help relax the spasms and help with stomach acid. Just an idea!
Another thing. When you say they did an XRAY...was it just a standard xray? You may want to inquire about them doing an upper GI. In case you don' t know what that is...they give the baby a substance called barium to drink (not harmful) and they use an xray type machine to watch the barium as it goes through the digestive system to see if there is any obstructions or other things. My oldest had one at about 4-5 weeks old. Turns out the flap that closes the end of the esophogus wasn't fully formed yet...additionally the sphincter muscle between her stomach and intestine was spasming making it hard for her to keep food down. They were able to give her meds to help relax the spasms and help with stomach acid. Just an idea!
My DD had reflux along with colic - we used the nutramagin (sp) and tried everything but there were times she was just not in the mood.... if she is not crying and she is well hydrated maybe the ceral did fill her belly up a little and just needs some time to digest... I hope she starts back on the track you were on it seems to work well for you.... if you are having this heat like I am in PA (106 degrees at the high school down the street yesterday) - I noticed that Olivia was slowing down a bit on the eating front as well... Granted we were making it three hours instead of 2 - but it was noticeable to me.. ( an extra hour of sleep!!!)
in the end your have to do what you feel is right for her because i know every reflux baby can be differnt and you will know what she needs. but maybe cutting back might be it, she will be fussy tho after the maybe 1-2 like you said thats why it might be better to feed her a half of what you feed at 4 hours every 2 hours an see if that will help. cerreal can be really hard on such a tiny tummy. hope some of this helps
i think she might have been backed up like you said BTS1022..cause she had a big dirty diaper this morning around 9 and then again had a huge one around 8 tonight. she normally doesn't poop that much in one day.
yeah we did try soy formula and she was so much worse on it..not going back to that at all.
and thank you elisha123 for the suggestion on cutting back; ive heard that from a few people like my mom and the doctor we saw today saying she was full and to cut back but thats hard for me to do because she was doing so great on it. she was pooping better and all that too.
she seems to be all right right now though. she had a bottle a few hours ago and took it all (finally) after 15 hours of not eating. it was just normal formula though with no cereal and of course she was fussy an hour and half later.
im just not sure what to do. im torn between cutting back on the cereal and her not doing as well as she was doing on it or keeping with doing the same thing we've been doing.
perhaps if she has another episode like this i will cut back? she just was doing so much better than she has in a longggg time.
i know its normal to want to eat constantly and that is why at first we suspected growth spurt...but it went on about a month before we put her on the reflux meds..that was her main symptom..wanting to eat CONSTANTLY. shes never been that fussy unless she's hungry (or was wanting something to soothe her throat)
and thank you elisha123 for the suggestion on cutting back; ive heard that from a few people like my mom and the doctor we saw today saying she was full and to cut back but thats hard for me to do because she was doing so great on it. she was pooping better and all that too.
she seems to be all right right now though. she had a bottle a few hours ago and took it all (finally) after 15 hours of not eating. it was just normal formula though with no cereal and of course she was fussy an hour and half later.
im just not sure what to do. im torn between cutting back on the cereal and her not doing as well as she was doing on it or keeping with doing the same thing we've been doing.
perhaps if she has another episode like this i will cut back? she just was doing so much better than she has in a longggg time.
i know its normal to want to eat constantly and that is why at first we suspected growth spurt...but it went on about a month before we put her on the reflux meds..that was her main symptom..wanting to eat CONSTANTLY. shes never been that fussy unless she's hungry (or was wanting something to soothe her throat)
Soy milk can and usually does cause reflux to be more severe, when normal people have heart burn they tell you to drink some milk to soothe it. I believe they have already tried soy milk which did in fact exacerbate the reflux, so I wouldn't make any changes there.
my DD is on nutramigen she still pukes from time to time but i think it is a nice change then the cereal approch as here its recomended not to ues cereal until 4-6 months
Has she been pooping normally on the cereal? I know a lot of cereal can cause a baby to get backed up, which could cause her to not want to eat, She could feel bloated and not exactly full? I know when I feel bloated I don't want to eat or drink.
Reflux babies can have flare ups from time to time, especially on reflux medications because the meds are based off a baby's weight. As the baby gains weight the medication becomes less effective, I had this issue with my younger son who had severe reflux, and at 2 still struggles with it.
Also, if you cut a hole in the nipple, it could have grown larger from her sucking the thick cereal through it, and now the nipple hole could be to big. I also had that issue with all my children once they were on cereal. I recommend trying the Y cut nipples which can be found at walmart or Toys R Us. But those too have to be replaced every so often.
If she goes 24 hours without eating, I would suggest taking her back in.
Reflux babies can have flare ups from time to time, especially on reflux medications because the meds are based off a baby's weight. As the baby gains weight the medication becomes less effective, I had this issue with my younger son who had severe reflux, and at 2 still struggles with it.
Also, if you cut a hole in the nipple, it could have grown larger from her sucking the thick cereal through it, and now the nipple hole could be to big. I also had that issue with all my children once they were on cereal. I recommend trying the Y cut nipples which can be found at walmart or Toys R Us. But those too have to be replaced every so often.
If she goes 24 hours without eating, I would suggest taking her back in.
Some experts also recommend that children with reflux have a trial of an elemental formula, such as Nutramigen or Alimentum, for a few weeks, in case the reflux is a sign of a milk protein allergy
and her wanting to eat every 2 hours can be normal they do have flare ups from time to time, there are still days where i have to feed brianna every 1-2 hours small amounts and it feels like i forever have a bottle in her mouth , if i could just make a suggestion here i would say maybe to make it half the amount you would normaly feed her every 2 hours .. cuz if there to full the acid will come up same as if they are running on empty i try to just always have something in her tummy at all times but not over doing it. how much does she eat every 4 hours?
i know that this might not be the respons your looking for but you may need to cut down a little bit on the cerial, i know every doctor will tell you differnt things like no cerial in the bottle only spoon feed and some will say its ok just alittle like 1 tbp per 2-4 oz type thing but i really dont think that she would need that much then again your mom not me but just talking from experiance to much cerial can be hard on them when there this young because all there ment to be able to handle at this age is breastmilk or formula alone not saying dont give it to her if it work just maybe to cut back a little..
i know it works great and it will because its heavy and stays down but i she may just be pluged up to much just a thought ..you would know best though! how long ago did she start haveing it in every bottle?
i know it works great and it will because its heavy and stays down but i she may just be pluged up to much just a thought ..you would know best though! how long ago did she start haveing it in every bottle?
yeah we put enough rice in the bottle to make it fairly thick and cut the nipple bigger. she has been doing perfect on that...it was finally something that worked for her (just a tablespoon or two wasn't really making a difference in her reflux).. she's been sleeping through the night, eating every 4 hours where she was wanting to eat every hour, hasn't been NEARLY as fussy, and hasn't been spitting up anything when we feed her. but just today we had the problem.
we give it to her everytime. i know it may sound like a lot but i tried not giving it to her once and it was back to the same problem immediately...she was screaming after about an hour. so i was like skrew that im gonna feed it to her everytime and it's been a miracle.
i just don't think she would get THIS full all of a sudden out of the blue when she's been perfect. not 12 hours. actually now its been 13 hours. it seems very strange to me.
she was only constipated once when she was initially getting used to the cereal. but not since then. in fact her bowel movements have increased since then. she's pooped today which is good for her most of the time i dont get a dirty diaper in the morning.
we give it to her everytime. i know it may sound like a lot but i tried not giving it to her once and it was back to the same problem immediately...she was screaming after about an hour. so i was like skrew that im gonna feed it to her everytime and it's been a miracle.
i just don't think she would get THIS full all of a sudden out of the blue when she's been perfect. not 12 hours. actually now its been 13 hours. it seems very strange to me.
she was only constipated once when she was initially getting used to the cereal. but not since then. in fact her bowel movements have increased since then. she's pooped today which is good for her most of the time i dont get a dirty diaper in the morning.
Are you giving her mylicon? She may have gas on top of the reflux. My son, also had reflux and was on zantac. When he was around 9 weeks we switched his formula to Enfamil Lipil A.R. It already has rice cereal in it and it was easier for him to digest. I apologize if this is a repeat, I didnt read all the responses. =) Best of luck. I am so sorry Ariana is having issues. It's so hard to see your baby uncomfortable. Keep us posted.. How long has she been getting rice cereal and how much are you giving her?
well i know this my sound bad but i just had to keep trying until she wore her self out enof to eat it from fighing me that was the only way to get her to eat anything ( its not really forceing her if thats what it might sound like, he doctor was ok with this if she had gone more then 5 hours) also if she has ceral in her fromula you might wanna make sure that you are using the right nipple to slow and it might not come out and to fast and she will choke i never did use ceral in the formula because it can sometimes just be to much on such a young system.. are you using it in every bottle or just in the morrning or at bed maybe she is just getting a bit overloaded with it, has she been constipated?
oh and i forgot to mention that i had that struggle to i basicly had to fight with to get her to eat anything and it was a real pain she would try to go all day without eating becase it hurt to much to eat, also try to feed her smaller amounts more often as im sure youve been told my DD still will only eat like 3oz almost every 2 hours as thats all she can handle at once and try your best to keep her upright after see's been feed for about 30 mins if not more, try not puting her down on her back as much as posible and if you do make it an elivated surface, like her change table for instance you can put a wedge under it to put it at an angle and well as her crib mattress to atleast 30 degree angle . if theres anything eles regarding reflux feel free to PM me as i could go on for days on end with all this info .. hopfuly some of this help i know it can be a struggle for the baby and parents alike..
well i ended up calling the nurse and they wanted me to come in and they checked her out and looked in her mouth (im assuming for thrush?) and took an x ray of her stomach and the doctor (not her primary; he was gone) said that she thinks she is full from cereal. okay no she's not its now been 12 hours since she's eaten; she is NOT full. she was hungry earlier today and now she's not even fussing anymore but she still hasn't swallowed more than an ounce at the most. so idk what to do..tried to give her some pedialyte to keep her electrolytes up but she won't hardly take any of that..
why would she all of a sudden get full for 12 hours when she's been eating consistently on the cereal every 4 hours? we haven't done anything different and she's been doing GREAT until now. eating every 4 hours and then all of a sudden your full for 12 hours? doesn't make sense.
why would she all of a sudden get full for 12 hours when she's been eating consistently on the cereal every 4 hours? we haven't done anything different and she's been doing GREAT until now. eating every 4 hours and then all of a sudden your full for 12 hours? doesn't make sense.
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