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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Infant feeding

Reflux, and other problems in 15 week old, what to do next?

27 replies

TheDetective · 14/03/2013 20:53

Having driven my postnatal quiche bonkers with my ramblings, I'm starting a new thread, both to write down everything that has happened over the last few weeks, and to ask for advice.

My DS is 15 weeks. He was initially breastfed for 3 weeks, then bottlefed on Cow & Gate. He was never the worlds quickest feeder, but no real problems to speak of. He was always a contended baby. Until 10 weeks.

At 10 weeks he started posseting more than just your standard amount, but wasn't distressed by it. He was doing it hours and hours after feeds. What was strange about it was that the only time of day he didn't do this was at night, when he was lay flat in the cot.

A few days later, he got his first cold/snotty nose. The vomiting continued, mixture of fresh feed, partly digested feeds, and watery vomit. You could get him up at 9am after the night and he would vomit having say, not fed since 1am.

At 12 weeks the cold was lingering so I took him to the GP, and he said all was fine, no infection. Bog standard cold. Asked about the vomiting, and he said see how he is when the cold has gone. While there he did see him vomit, my baby does like to oblige in showing off his symptoms!

The following week (13 weeks) he was no better, but the cold had been gone for days. So after discussion with the health visitor, I tried him on SMA staydown. This was great. Did what it said on the tin. Or so we thought.

He had been taking between 3-6oz 3-4 hourly, he would average around 24-30oz a day. Slowly he started taking less with feeds. He started screaming and fussing with the bottles, refusing feeds. He became very clingy, and unsettled (this unsettledness started around 12 weeks) after previously being a very settled baby. He was arching his back, and a few days after starting the staydown, was vomiting at the same rates as previously. So at week 14 he was started on Omeperazole after I asked the GP to prescribe it. At the point he was prescribed it, he had gotten to his worst point. He had not fed for 12 hours at that point. It took us another 4 hours to get him to finally feed.

The next day it was as if a miracle had occurred. My lovely settled, happy baby was back. It was fantastic.

But, 24 hours after that, he then started with the same symptoms, vomiting, arching back, refusing feeds, screaming, you could hear the acid rising in his throat, he was a very unhappy little thing.

I decided we needed to give the Omeperazole time, as they say it takes 5 days to show a difference? Well, 6 days after starting it, he got to his next lowest point, and had once again refused to feed all day. He was going 8 plus hours between feeds (except at night, he would go 4-5 hours once over night) so was taking 12oz a day roughly. (4 x 3oz feeds)

This was this tuesday. I took him to the HV who weighed him. He had put on very little in 2 weeks. Gone from 13lb 14, to 14lb 1. Advised to see GP and ask for ranitidine to be added to meds.

GP refused to give him any meds, or increase the omeperazole. (Long back story will not bore you!)

Took him to childrens A&E where we were given ranitidine, domperidone, and a paeds referral. They witnessed his awful feeding, and were shocked at how bad it was. Literally 2 sucks, scream, vomit, spraying everywhere, arching back etc.

He was starting to show signs of dehyrdration, and had a red throat acid related?.

The additional meds seemed to make no difference.

The feeding was still as bad, and I was so very worried by this point. So last night I tried him with a lactose free milk. Not because I think he is lactose intolerant, but in desperation to see if he would take something.

He did, he took it absolutely fine, apart from vomiting after feed, and in between feeds, but he actually took it, and was settled. None of the previous behaviour. I actually wonder if he is CMPI, but this was all I could get to try yesterday. I've ordered a tub of pepti junior, but I feel reluctant to try him with it because of so many dietary changes. I used the lactose free purely to get him to feed. And he did.

I should add that we have spent hundreds of pounds on different bottles, teats, and tried all kinds of feeding positions, just in case anyone is wondering.

Where do I go from here? What do I do?

I may have missed bits, am being pestered by DP to come off here. Will come back and add anything I've forgotten, but please reply to me and help!!!

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StuntNun · 14/03/2013 21:44

In your position I would start weaning him on to solids. Maybe wait until he is 16 weeks but then go for it. Give the CMP free milk a try but he may not take it as it smells awful, like water you've boiled potatoes in. If you suspect CMP intolerance / allergy then you really need to get this diagnosed as you need a definite answer either way.