Has anyone weaned to ff bcause of reflux?

[momto4plus4]

I feel wrong even posting this. DS has had reflux, tummy issues, extreme fussiness since around a week of age, nursing got worse around 3 wks. He's struggling with most daytime feedings now-pulling off, grunting, arching, pulling legs up, biting, etc. Some days he doesn't even get a good feed. He'll nurse great during the night. He's also probably aspirating. He's not losing weight.

Took him for a swallow study today and he didn't cooperate. Wouldn't take the bottle, screamed thru the upper gi so they couldn't get a good look at whether or how bad he's refluxing. He's on prevacid but it doesn't seem to help. I did the elimination diet early on-still off soy, egg, fish as those are the big culprits.

They want me to try bottling thickened formula for a week and just see if it makes a difference.

Bottling just feels so wrong. I've ebf all my others including my allergic colitis baby. I know I should do a strict elimination diet but I'm so tired. I'm recently separated, going thru foreclosure, can't pay most of my bills, am working but do in-home daycare part-time so I don't make much, fighting with the case worker to get assistance, etc, etc, etc. I feel like I'm too exhausted to deal with the elimination diet and yet, not nursing feels like one more huge emotional hit for me. Plus, ds hates the pacifier and the bottle, he loves momma's boob even when he won't nurse well.

I've read all the posts for you wonderful mommas who've stuck with ebf'ing through it all. Just wondering, are there any "success" stories of moms who've decided to do the switch to formula? How did you handle it emotionally? Did you pump in case you could go back? Did ff'ing help? Did you go back to bf'ing? Did baby do ok going back?

[kjbrown92]

I didn't wean intentionally to give DS formula. DS had reflux and was on meds. I went off dairy, and the reflux stopped so I continued nursing.
When DS was 8 months old though, he abruptly weaned himself. Absolutely would not nurse for anything. I pumped and tried it in bottles, sippies, with straws, etc. and he flat out refused. He ended up on Neocate since he was intolerant to dairy and soy (and Nutramigen didn't help). I never went back to nursing him. I tried once in a while to give him some of the stash of frozen breastmilk I had, but he'd still refuse it.

It's exhausting, that's for sure. But getting of the foods that are causing it will help him sleep, and thus help you sleep. And everything always looks worse when you're tired. I don't think I've ever seen someone have multiple intolerances where one was NOT dairy. Have you tried taking that out? It's the #1 intolerance (dairy, gluten, soy, and corn are the top 4). Or can you try going off dairy and corn (besides the other ones you're already off) and see if that helps? With multiple intolerances, the odds are good that he may also be intolerant to the formulas as well, so make sure you have a back-up plan.

[JessicaS]

No, ff would likely make reflux worse not better.

It can take a bit of time before the meds start to help, how long has he been on the prevacid?

The foods most likely to cause issues are dairy, soy, wheat, corn, eggs, and peanuts. Dairy is really the most likely, it would probably be worth it to give it a try.

I am allergic to dairy and my son still had reflux so it isn't always very obvious. I certainly understand having issues with keeping up with an elimination diet.

[sbgrace]

Are you seeing pediatric GI? Have they mentioned looking for eosinophilic esophagitis? Reflux that doesn't respond or doesn't respond fully to PPI's like Prevacid is a hallmark of that (and it's food or other allergy related)? Read up on it if they haven't discussed that with you.

Beyond that make sure he's being dosed correctly and three times per day with the Prevacid. Marci Kids website has very good information about why you need to dose three times per day at that age and the proper doses. You might try Zegerid. It works better than other PPI's because it isn't affected by food intake like Prevacid/Prilosec. Compounded prilosec has stability issues as well and the Marci kids site talks about that. My son was finally helped with Zegerid. It's a good med. I don't have advice on weaning. My son was failure to thrive and I lost supply just before he turned one so didn't have a choice (we were pumping). If he's got EE he may need a formula but the danger is you wean and he tolerates the formula even less than your breastmilk. But I get that you're overwhelmed right now.

I'd try medicating him with Zegerid 3 x's per day first and talk to doctors about EE possibilities.

[momto4plus4]

Thanks for all the info. I feel better after having pondered it all day. I feel like I can do the TED and that ff would be more stressful. The weird thing with him: when I'm off dairy he has painful green diarrhea, when I'm on dairy he has yellow more normal looking stool. Very odd. But, I'm going to talk with the ped hopefully tomorrow-she's really good and supportive of ebf and a more holistic approach. I am going to research some of the stuff you mentioned so I can talk to her about it as well.

Thanks so much. I feel like every day is a different day with it's own challenges. I just want to do what's best for baby without sending me over the edge.

[momto4plus4]

Should have said that I've also had concerns about him reacting to formula. That's why we never put my older ds on formula even though he was sicker than baby ds. Guess the extra stress in my life is making it harder to feel okay about it all. It's just hard to see him struggling to nurse (which my older ds never had) and screaming fits that can last hours (like 6 hrs on Sunday because I ate 2 walleye cakes at the state fair on Sat). Need to stick to the knowledge and passion that bf'ing is best except in worse cases (like my friend whose dd has galactosemia).