Need advice about newborn reflux

[mamatowill]

Hello ladies! I need your advice and I think this belongs in allergies-seems the best fit. DS2 is 5 weeks old. He has had reflux since almost the beginning. Sometimes it is projectile and almost everything from his feeding but most of the time it is dribbling out of him. He is gaining like a champ- he gained 1 pound in 2 weeks. My dr says that there is meds for him but I am currently not interested in them. Along with the reflux of course he gets severe gas. His nose is constantly stuffed up and I have to clear it at least once a day. He is spitting up mucous at times but I *think* that has to do with swallowing the mucous from his nose. He also overeats and I prpduce alot of milk.

I am trying to get milk out of my diet. I find the spitting up, stuffy nose, gas is worse when I have dairy in my diet. My family thinks I am crazy for restricting dairy especially when the dr has said that most kids outgrow dairy sensitivity by 3 months. I admit that I slip up sometimes since we are living with my parents and just about everything is dairy here.

Does this sound like a dairy allergy? I admit that he had formula along with with breastmilk early on due to well-meaning family. He refuses formula now and I am solely breastfeeding. He is on a probiotic which is dairy-free. Any advice to help would be good. Like do I need to get rid of hidden milk or am I crazy for even thinking it is a dairy sensitivity?

[kjbrown92]

You are not crazy at all. If it worsens with your dairy intake, it is probably a milk intolerance. I don't know where all the infants are who are "outgrowing" it by 3 months. I haven't met any!

Give it a 2 week test. Take ALLLLLLLLL (including "hidden" which it shouldn't be anymore with the new allergen labeling laws) milk out. And see how he does. It can take from 4 days to 2 weeks to get it out of your system. If he's no longer congested, no longer spitting up, etc. then you've found your culprit. If it doesn't get better, it may mean that there's food in addition to milk (many infants have a milk AND soy intolerance, so if that is the case and you substitute soy for all the dairy, you may not see an improvement).

Keeping a food journal during this time is invaluable (everything you eat or drink, and all the baby's symptoms) for tracking down culprits, and showing evidence of healing.

[caedmyn]

I read somewhere that about 40% of babies with reflux are dairy intolerant. My DS is one of them, although he also reacts to other foods. Oversupply & overactive letdown definitely can contribute to or cause reflux as well (another issue for us). I've found that reclining way back on the couch and latching DS on then rolling his body so he's on his stomach on top of me helps minimize the refluxing (makes it easier for him to deal with the overactive letdown). I also block feed (several hours on one side before switching to the other side) to control the oversupply.

Anyhow, I would say that you need to remove hidden dairy at least initially and see what happens. If he improves, you can try adding the hidden-dairy-containing-foods back if you want and see if he tolerates small amounts of dairy.

[mellowjello]

There is totally a connection between dairy and reflux, not crazy at all. Don't give up on elim too soon. Can take even longer than 2 weeks for dairy to get completely out of your system and once it's out it can take up to 6 weeks for your baby's gut to heal. We noticed big improvement 6 weeks after I cut out ALL dairy.

Good for you for getting on probiotics, you are taking them too, right?

Great list of natural remedies for reflux at http://www.pollywogbaby.com/refluxan.../remedies.html

Same here with oversupply/overactive letdown. Good suggestions from the other person who responded. I got good info at Kellymom.com. If you can get guidance from experienced lactation consultant that would be great. I didn't know what I was doing and messed with my supply so it took a long time to regulate. DD did better when I pumped and DH fed from bottle. Both because flow is regulated and also b/c she just took it cold. The cold is soothing and also easier to sense when there is something there to swallow, so less choking/gagging. But then you have to be careful that you don't increase your supply through pumping. DD wanted to nurse constantly, I thought she was starving, but it was just that it was soothing to her throat. And overfeeding makes reflux worse b/c full belly more likely to urp up. If your baby will suck on paci or finger this can generate saliva to soothe throat without feeding.