The problems: nursing issues and green, mucousy stools in my 15 week old.
The long, twisted back story:
DD was tongue-tied, clipped at 2.5 weeks. When nursing didn't improve, we worked with a speech language pathologist and found out she had a very weak suck, high palate, and poor tongue groove. 6 weeks of tongue exercises, bottle-feeding, and nipple shields later, we're still struggling with a shallow latch due to middle tongue hypersensitivity.
Her diapers were originally yellow but runny, no seeds, and DD spit up a TON. SLP recommended I cut out dairy, so I cut out all main dairy but didn't worry about hidden dairy; reflux improved, and diapers got seedy!
Then we tried to wean off the nipple shield, and her diapers turned BRIGHT, seriously flourescent green, still seedy. We guessed it was maybe because her nursing wasn't that great and she was only getting foremilk.
FF another month: I'm back at work, and her diapers are still bright green. Her latch *at night* (half-asleep) appears to be much better (still shaping, but no longer losing the latch with every suck), AND she's getting 12oz/day of milk via bottles, so I don't think it's a foremilk/hindmilk issue anymore.
BUT finger exercises show compression instead of sucking, and sometimes she fights the bottle (like she "forgot" what to do), she refuses the nipple shield, and she 9 times out of 10 a paci will fall out of her mouth within 20 seconds. She has also started pulling off the breast crying/screaming/totally ticked off at the end of a nursing session.
Other info: she spits up after nursing, but not after bottles. No diaper rash or skin problems to speak of, but she does have a sniffly nose. And, FWIW, her sister gave me grief at this age and popped out 2 teeth by 3.5 months, so part of me wonders if some of this is teething related (though I doubt it).
What the heck should I try now? DD is at home with family members for one more month and then goes to daycare. If we can't get the feeding issues worked out by then, how will our nursing relationship survive, because I clearly can't expect a center to help me out with her therapy.
The long, twisted back story:
DD was tongue-tied, clipped at 2.5 weeks. When nursing didn't improve, we worked with a speech language pathologist and found out she had a very weak suck, high palate, and poor tongue groove. 6 weeks of tongue exercises, bottle-feeding, and nipple shields later, we're still struggling with a shallow latch due to middle tongue hypersensitivity.
Her diapers were originally yellow but runny, no seeds, and DD spit up a TON. SLP recommended I cut out dairy, so I cut out all main dairy but didn't worry about hidden dairy; reflux improved, and diapers got seedy!
Then we tried to wean off the nipple shield, and her diapers turned BRIGHT, seriously flourescent green, still seedy. We guessed it was maybe because her nursing wasn't that great and she was only getting foremilk.
FF another month: I'm back at work, and her diapers are still bright green. Her latch *at night* (half-asleep) appears to be much better (still shaping, but no longer losing the latch with every suck), AND she's getting 12oz/day of milk via bottles, so I don't think it's a foremilk/hindmilk issue anymore.
BUT finger exercises show compression instead of sucking, and sometimes she fights the bottle (like she "forgot" what to do), she refuses the nipple shield, and she 9 times out of 10 a paci will fall out of her mouth within 20 seconds. She has also started pulling off the breast crying/screaming/totally ticked off at the end of a nursing session.
Other info: she spits up after nursing, but not after bottles. No diaper rash or skin problems to speak of, but she does have a sniffly nose. And, FWIW, her sister gave me grief at this age and popped out 2 teeth by 3.5 months, so part of me wonders if some of this is teething related (though I doubt it).
What the heck should I try now? DD is at home with family members for one more month and then goes to daycare. If we can't get the feeding issues worked out by then, how will our nursing relationship survive, because I clearly can't expect a center to help me out with her therapy.
