Parents2017
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We are at our ends trying to figure out what is wrong with our 7.5 month old baby boy (first time parents) and how to fix it. I am posting here in a desperate attempt to see if some peer advice can be of use. The long story is below and summary below that if you want to get to the point.
We have been to our pediatrician, a GI specialist, and feeding therapist with no answers or improvement.
Here is the background:
Baby born without issues - full term. He couldn't latch/I didn't know how to have him latch on in the hospital properly. Was feeding ok prior to d/c home. We re-presented to ER 2 days after d/c home with jaundice and fatigue since I was only trying breastfeeding and couldn't get enough into him. His jaundice recovered with bottle feeding but still was difficult for him to latch on.
For the first several months (0-4 months), feeding was horrendous:
Took 30 min to 1 hour to get 2-3 ounces per feeding into him. Despite that, he was taking the bare minimum and we were having to almost force-feed him to get proper nutrition - since he didn't guzzle milk down, we would wake him from naps even at an older age to get enough milk into him. We had him evaluated by dentist for tight frenulum/tongue-tie and she said has a slight one but not enough to warrant any therapy at this time.
He was straining and found to have microscopic blood in his stool, secondary to a presumed milk-protein allergy so I was put on a strict diet before he turned 1 month since we were only feeding pumped breast milk (no dairy, egg, or soy for me). Between the hour long feeding sessions, requiring immense amount of distraction, frequent feedings since we thought he must get a certain amount of milk, being on a strict diet, having to pump several times throughout the day and night, and him being extremely fussy when trying to sleep (so I had to hold him for 30-45 min after feeding to have him sleep), I was exhausted.
On top of this, at around 2 months, we self-diagnosed him with reflux (husband is a physician) and self-prescribed Zantac. This worked for a couple weeks (his feeding volume increased and pain subsided) but then the effect wore off. At this point, we were referred to GI, who started nexium. This again worked for several weeks (now he is around 3 months). The GI specialist told us to start early solids around 4 months. We did at around 4.5-5 months old.
At around 2-3 months, we saw a feeding therapist who gave some tips that worked initially. Since transportation is difficult and the tips initially worked, we did not follow up after the initial visit.
We sought a second opinion from a different GI doc around 4-5 months of age, who stated that reflux is not the reason he is taking forever to feed - it is a sensory issue most likely. To prove his point, he placed him on double dose nexium. He was correct and the double dose did not help him so we decreased back to the original dose.
At first, he loved solids and was very interested. Around 5 months, he was feeding ok (the lower limit of suggested volume) but still requiring a lot of distraction to do so (and me still on that special diet, with pumping). We started to sleep train him which eventually succeeded. However, after sleep training, he regressed and his intake decreased again so we stopped sleep training him.
At around 6 months, something changed and he started feeding more (dream-feeding as before, but he took in more), but he wasn't sleep trained. We took him on his first plane ride and after we returned, he worsened to the current point.
At present, for the last 1 month, and worse in the last 1-2 weeks, his intake has dropped to about 10-12 ounces a day. We had weaned him off nexium and he did fine but then restarted when we thought that might be the issue, which has not been the case. He reluctantly takes a few spoonfuls of food before becoming fussy and what is unusual is that for the last several weeks, distraction and dream feeding does not work. He takes the milk into his mouth and lets it drool out rather than swallowing it. Most of the time, he hates being in the usual feeding position and is scared to even look at the bottle (pushes it away). The last two weeks, he has hard stools (daily bowel movement but very hard, which we attribute to lack of fluids in the stool). Over the last few days, his regurgitation has worsened and any little gag reflex he has triggers intense vomiting of all gastric contents. He has always had a dry cough several times a day, which we attributed to his reflux.
We saw the pediatrician in the middle of this recent dip, and he remains on his growth curve, but still on the low end and that was prior to him becoming much worse in the last 1-2 weeks. We also saw a feeding therapist closer to home, but she did not provide much information - stating we should try and get as much into him as possible and to distract him (opposite of the original feeding therapist).
SUMMARY:
Born full term, now 7.5 months
Diagnosed with milk-protein allergy and reflux. Tongue-tie ruled at at 1-2 months age.
Started on zantac, and then nexium, with some benefit initially with both that later faded
Sleep trained and got worse, so stopped and got better (since we could again dream feed).
Went on plane ride and worse since then (last month).
Now sleep trained again but feeding is down to 10-12 ounces of force feeding with about 75% of milk dribbling out and not swallowing (or pushing bottle away and not taking it at all), with a ton of distraction.
Initially liked solids, but now gets fussy about 1-2 minutes after starting to feed him.
Hard bowel movements last 2 weeks (daily bowel movement but hard, which we attribute to lack of fluid intake to keep them soft).
Otherwise, developmentally normal - very active, crawls, no teeth yet, babbles (no first word yet), can hold himself up.
On the 15 and 25% of weight chart (depends on which graph you look at) and staying on it up until 2-3 weeks ago.
I don't know what to do - we have been to the pediatrician, GI doc, and feeding therapist and no one can give us any useful tips. If he continues on this path, he won't last long on his weight curve and will eventually need some other intervention.
Please help!
Thank You,
Exhausted and Worried Parents
We have been to our pediatrician, a GI specialist, and feeding therapist with no answers or improvement.
Here is the background:
Baby born without issues - full term. He couldn't latch/I didn't know how to have him latch on in the hospital properly. Was feeding ok prior to d/c home. We re-presented to ER 2 days after d/c home with jaundice and fatigue since I was only trying breastfeeding and couldn't get enough into him. His jaundice recovered with bottle feeding but still was difficult for him to latch on.
For the first several months (0-4 months), feeding was horrendous:
Took 30 min to 1 hour to get 2-3 ounces per feeding into him. Despite that, he was taking the bare minimum and we were having to almost force-feed him to get proper nutrition - since he didn't guzzle milk down, we would wake him from naps even at an older age to get enough milk into him. We had him evaluated by dentist for tight frenulum/tongue-tie and she said has a slight one but not enough to warrant any therapy at this time.
He was straining and found to have microscopic blood in his stool, secondary to a presumed milk-protein allergy so I was put on a strict diet before he turned 1 month since we were only feeding pumped breast milk (no dairy, egg, or soy for me). Between the hour long feeding sessions, requiring immense amount of distraction, frequent feedings since we thought he must get a certain amount of milk, being on a strict diet, having to pump several times throughout the day and night, and him being extremely fussy when trying to sleep (so I had to hold him for 30-45 min after feeding to have him sleep), I was exhausted.
On top of this, at around 2 months, we self-diagnosed him with reflux (husband is a physician) and self-prescribed Zantac. This worked for a couple weeks (his feeding volume increased and pain subsided) but then the effect wore off. At this point, we were referred to GI, who started nexium. This again worked for several weeks (now he is around 3 months). The GI specialist told us to start early solids around 4 months. We did at around 4.5-5 months old.
At around 2-3 months, we saw a feeding therapist who gave some tips that worked initially. Since transportation is difficult and the tips initially worked, we did not follow up after the initial visit.
We sought a second opinion from a different GI doc around 4-5 months of age, who stated that reflux is not the reason he is taking forever to feed - it is a sensory issue most likely. To prove his point, he placed him on double dose nexium. He was correct and the double dose did not help him so we decreased back to the original dose.
At first, he loved solids and was very interested. Around 5 months, he was feeding ok (the lower limit of suggested volume) but still requiring a lot of distraction to do so (and me still on that special diet, with pumping). We started to sleep train him which eventually succeeded. However, after sleep training, he regressed and his intake decreased again so we stopped sleep training him.
At around 6 months, something changed and he started feeding more (dream-feeding as before, but he took in more), but he wasn't sleep trained. We took him on his first plane ride and after we returned, he worsened to the current point.
At present, for the last 1 month, and worse in the last 1-2 weeks, his intake has dropped to about 10-12 ounces a day. We had weaned him off nexium and he did fine but then restarted when we thought that might be the issue, which has not been the case. He reluctantly takes a few spoonfuls of food before becoming fussy and what is unusual is that for the last several weeks, distraction and dream feeding does not work. He takes the milk into his mouth and lets it drool out rather than swallowing it. Most of the time, he hates being in the usual feeding position and is scared to even look at the bottle (pushes it away). The last two weeks, he has hard stools (daily bowel movement but very hard, which we attribute to lack of fluids in the stool). Over the last few days, his regurgitation has worsened and any little gag reflex he has triggers intense vomiting of all gastric contents. He has always had a dry cough several times a day, which we attributed to his reflux.
We saw the pediatrician in the middle of this recent dip, and he remains on his growth curve, but still on the low end and that was prior to him becoming much worse in the last 1-2 weeks. We also saw a feeding therapist closer to home, but she did not provide much information - stating we should try and get as much into him as possible and to distract him (opposite of the original feeding therapist).
SUMMARY:
Born full term, now 7.5 months
Diagnosed with milk-protein allergy and reflux. Tongue-tie ruled at at 1-2 months age.
Started on zantac, and then nexium, with some benefit initially with both that later faded
Sleep trained and got worse, so stopped and got better (since we could again dream feed).
Went on plane ride and worse since then (last month).
Now sleep trained again but feeding is down to 10-12 ounces of force feeding with about 75% of milk dribbling out and not swallowing (or pushing bottle away and not taking it at all), with a ton of distraction.
Initially liked solids, but now gets fussy about 1-2 minutes after starting to feed him.
Hard bowel movements last 2 weeks (daily bowel movement but hard, which we attribute to lack of fluid intake to keep them soft).
Otherwise, developmentally normal - very active, crawls, no teeth yet, babbles (no first word yet), can hold himself up.
On the 15 and 25% of weight chart (depends on which graph you look at) and staying on it up until 2-3 weeks ago.
I don't know what to do - we have been to the pediatrician, GI doc, and feeding therapist and no one can give us any useful tips. If he continues on this path, he won't last long on his weight curve and will eventually need some other intervention.
Please help!
Thank You,
Exhausted and Worried Parents
