LO with GERD will not double birth weight by 6 months

[racie0417]

at least, I don't think he will.....and he hasn't gained weight in 2 weeks.

Please help me think of something I haven't.

LO was born on April 6th at 7 pounds 5 ounces. He went down to 6 pounds 8 ounces before my milk came in. Then he started gaining....BIG time. He was 7 pounds 4 ounces at 1 week, 8 pounds at 2 weeks, and 9 pounds 3 ounces at 3.5 weeks. At 2 months, he was 11 pounds 10 ounces, but by then his weight gain had slowed. At 4 months, he was 13 pounds 8 ounces. At 5 months, he was 14 pounds 2 ounces. At 5.5 months, he is STILL 14 pounds 2 ounces. He needs to gain 8 ounces in 2 weeks to double his birth weight and I just don't see that happening.

I went to the doctor with him at 3.5 weeks and was told he didn't have reflux b/c he was gaining too fast. At 7 weeks, he was diagnosed with reflux and put on Zantac. The dosage was raised at 2 months and again at 4 months. I asked for a referral to a ped GI at 4 months b/c of the weight gain concerns and the military doctor refused to give it. A week later we ended up back at the doctor with LO spitting up blood and got the referral to a GI. The ped GI ordered an upper GI which was normal and put him on Prilosec. She told me to stop dairy and soy, which I had already done.

He still seems to be in pain alot and refuses to nurse if it is noisy, will not nurse for comfort, won't nurse to sleep, etc. He is so different than my ODS who is 25 months as he was always nursing andd gained like crazy.

Things have been stressful here as DH is about to deploy and go to Afghanistan and it looks like ODS is going to be getting an autism diagnosis.

I'm really worried about LO's lack of weight gain, but the ped and ped GI keep blowing off my concerns or saying that changing or upping his medicine will work, but nothing has made it better.

[mysticmomma]

He's gaining, right? Except for the last 2 weeks? It's ok if he doesn't double by 6 mos. Are you nursing? Have you done an ED? How are wet and poopy diapers? Other milestones?

[racie0417]

I am nursing exclusively, no solids. I have not done an elimination diet, just dairy/soy elimination. He has never shown food intolerances in his poopy. He has a poopy diaper 2 or 3 days, and they are yellow and seedy although lately they are getting thicker and a darker yellow. He has several wet diapers a day (I have 2 in diapers so it is hard to keep track of how many). I have no concerns about my supply.

At 5 months, he can sit unsupported for several minutes. He can roll belly to back, but he doesn't very often. He is trying to roll back to belly but cannot manage it yet. He grabs toys, coos, and watches his 25 month old big brother constantly. He likes playing with my hair and smiles at me as long as he is well rested. We saw a geneticist over a small birth defect a couple weeks ago and he said his development was on track.

[mysticmomma]

He sounds great michelle! Keep doing what ever you are doing. It's working. There is no magical doubling birthweight deadline.

[wobblykate]

hey sweetie, just wanted to let you know that Eden is nowhere near doubling her birth weight. She was 16# 5oz last week and double would be 18, so pretty unlikely that she'll do it before the 10th. GL!

[Lindsay1234]

He is SO close to doubling his birth weight, I wouldnt worry abou it. You have come SO far and worked so hard, youre doing a great job!

fwiw, I think the doubling birth weight is just a very loose guideline, I doubt my docs would want to see a 23 lb Sophia by 6 months! Shes about 15 lbs now (at 4.5 months) and they are satisfied with a 15 gram a day weight gain, which is practically nothing. She even plateaued for 2 weeks and then gained a TON. Id wait a little longer until you start to worry!

[goodmomma76]

michelle-we have doubled birth weight here, but she only started at 5 pounds. She's only almost 12 pounds now and will be 6 months on the 1st. You know we have gerd issues too, and docs were concerned about her weight gain, but they told me 4-7 ounces a week is normal. I think he's doing great and the weight gain comes in spurts for us too, so don't fret!! I know hard, but you are doing a great job!!!

[Photochef]

Um, are we following the same life track or something? My son, born 4/4/09 has severe reflux, and while was 11lbs 6 oz at birth is only 16 lbs, 3 oz now. My older girl nursed like crazy and still would be if I let her, and gained just fine.

DS nursed the same as yours, not for comfort, not if noisy, heck...not much at all.

I fought and argued and pushed the ped GI to refer to and follow the info on this website
http://www.marci-kids.com/index.html

which I found referred to somewhere else on here. He had been on zantac, better with prevacid (helped with pain, but not puking), and is now on zegerid. For two days now, he has not puked up but an ounce or two.

and FTR, I tried the ED, and nothing, no help. I was religious with dairy and nothing. I even tried hypoallergenic formula to rule that out, and still nothing. It's just reflux. Really really bad reflux. The docs at MARCI kids are great about answering emails asking for help, you could start there.

I hope this helps some. Don't worry too much about the weight gain, as much as the pain your boy is in. That's probably why he doesn't eat as much. When my son's pain is controlled, he eats like crazy. if the meds stop working, he is back to eating very little.

[georgiegirl1974]

My DD was a few oz shy of doubling her birthweight at 6 mo (6.15 at birth.) She was a slow gainer until 18 mo. Now she's 3 and over 30 lbs. Try not to worry so long as he's meeting his milestones.