In A&E with newborn… advice needed

[Isitreflux]

So baby is 6 days old and breastfed. We went to see the midwife today, she weighed him and said that he has lost 15%, which warrants a trip to the hospital to find out why.

I wasn’t surprised because he is a VERY sicky baby. I burp him well and hold him upright after feeds, but he typically spits up quite a fair bit between feeds. He often gags, wretches and chokes on the sick, too. It almost comes up lumpy and thick. It’s terrifying and the other day he was trying to bring it up and went very red momentarily.

Whilst sometimes it is a forceful spit up, others he really struggles to bring it up.

I think it is reflux - just waiting for the doctor to come round to discuss this and possible medication. I wondered if anybody could offer any advice based on what I have described?

Also willing to switch to formula if necessary… not sure if that would help? I expressed some milk this evening and it is very thick, so now I’m wondering if formula might be easier for him to bring up?

Could be pyloric stenosis. Quick op sorts it out 🙂

They can give stuff for reflux to see if that’ll help. I know it’s a lot to have going on when you probably just want to be at home but it’s v common stuff and no one is judging only helping. Hope you get home soon!

If you do go, make sure you ask for a private space to wait in considering he’s so young. They should offer it themselves but varies hospital to hospital, nurse to nurse, availability, etc.

Hope that the doctor can give you some advice and treatment.

Just to say though that breastfed babies don’t usually need to be burped too much. It’s more for bottle fed as they take in more air. Is it possible the sickness is brought on from too much burping?

With pyloric stenosis, the vomit shoots out and goes a long way.

It sounds like reflux. Likely he will be prescribed some omeprazole. Keep breastfeeding him, it’s far better for him than formula. Don’t spend too much time winding him, it’s not helping. It’s important that a lactation expert observes your baby feeding, to ensure he’s latched on properly.

Raise the head of his crib slightly by putting a couple of books under the feet. That can help with reflux. It’s perfectly normal for babies to lose weight after birth but 15% is over the limit that triggers a referral.

Reflux and CMPA are the most likely ones. I know it’s easy to say but it’s very common so do try not to worry too much until you know what’s going on.

My baby was like this, it was really scary to before medical intervention.

They prescribed renitodine and baby Gaviscon which seemed to do the trick. She grew out of it and is fine now, no issues with reflux, etc.

The GP tried to prescribe diary free formula and I cut out dairy (combi fed) and told me to just swap over which is not correct.

I also bought an Owlet sock for peace of mind.

I was told it’s because babies are born with a straight esophagus so it can be hard to keep things down, a bend develops with age. Particularly common in prem babies too.

ETA that I propped her Moses basket up at one end.

If you want to continue breastfeeding I’d consider paying for a lactation consultant (IBCLC) privately who would be able to support you. There may be tweaks with breast compresses etc to help baby get more milk, and it could complement whatever the medical team advise. All the best to you and I hope you’re home soon. I was in with my son when he was a few days old and it’s not easy, be kind to yourself x

Continue breastfeeding. Monitor weight. Are you worried?

How was your birth? Did you have IV fluids that could have artificially increased birth weight so it’s not actually such a % drop?

Consult an IBCLC. Remember what a fabulous job you are doing!

One other suggestion, DS had tongue tie, which meant he took down air when breast feeding and was regularly spectacularly sick, we revised it on advice of lactation consultant but it didn’t work / grew back so opted to express and bottle feed which itmproved things considerably.

@Isitreflux I can’t offer advice for your particular sickness situation, but DS list 21% of his birthweight on his first week. I was trying to bf, but not producing much milk, so he became completley uninterested… so I produced even less milk…. Anyway, we switched to formula when he was a week old. It was fine; he was fine; I was fine. He is 17 now and studying A levels, and has always been in pretty good health - no allergies etc. If changing to formula turns out to be the thing to do, then please don’t worry about it. I beat myself up and felt I’d let DS and everyone down until my midwife gave me a good taking to!

edited for typos.

My midwife did the same to me then when we went to hospital they said the midwife has measured him incorrectly and he was actually a healthy weight