silent reflux perhaps?

[forevermore]

still not coming to terms with 16 week dd's low appetite. she drinks 2-3 ozs 5 times a day and weighs 13lb4oz. she was 5 weeks premature too.

FOXINSOCKS mentioned in a previous thread something called silent reflux. my dd does have a tendency to squerm when i feed her, and if i leave her for 15 mons or so she can take a little more. could this be anything to do with reflux. she rarely vomits though!

how does gaviscon work. can i buy it over the counter or do i have to get it prescribed.?
feel that i need an explanationfor her eating such small amounts. she has been checked over and seems in perfect health.
this topic is not covered in books or the interenet. the focus is on overeaters. i feel that the stress caused by trying to coax my dd into having more than 2oz has made me slip into postnatal depression. thats how bad its got.

health professionals say 'whats the problem', she is following her growth charts, but that doesn't make me rest easy. i feel that my basic instinct as a mother is to feed my child and its the one thing i cannot do.........

Is she uncomfortable in between feeds 9screaming, hard ot settle, especially in a flat popsition, amd so on) and appear to have indigestion or heartburn, as that is what silent reflux basically is, due to the immaturity of the valavbe at the top of the stomach. Your dd doesn't sound particuarly distressed by it and possibly just a has a very small tummy and appetite. dd who had reflux didn't take much more than 2-3 oz of ebm in one go until well past 6 months and didn't put on much weight at all. She is still tiny at 4 ! I certainly wouldn't try Gaviscon or a milk thickener until a dr has properly diagnosed it and you can get it prescribed , I think. She sounds as if she is doing ok to be honest and perhaps you need some more reassurance that that is the case.

hth

she is not distressed between meals, in fact a very happy baby. doesn't really cry for anything and is alert. i am aware that i need to reach a level of acceptance but feel that this is after trying other options ie switching formula or weaning?????

forevermore - get further help with this, seriously. Your daughter does not need more to eat - she is thriving on what she has. She is fine. Sometimes, mothers who have been through the huge stress of having a pre-term baby - and five weeks pre-term means she prob spent some time in SCBU at least - have a long period of anxiety and possibly depression.

You are feeding her. The notion she should have more than what she wants and needs to thrive is in your head, perfectly understandably, but you need help with it. Good counselling/therapy/medication or a combination of these is worth exploring.

There may be emotional issues with food going back into your own 'baggage' you have brought with you to motherhood, but there is no physical reason why your daughter should eat more, given she doesn't to, and doesn't need to.

I hope things get better for you.

We have had the same problem with our LO - he takes about 3 ozs and then will stop and fuss and cry and then will take some more and so on throughout his bottle. He'd cry until burps and then struggle again. So my suggestion forever more is to try burping more often if you haven't? It did make me feel quite depressed as each feed time rolled around to think of his discomfort as it then started to affect his napping as he was exhausted from feeding - but it was simply wind and hopefully he'll grow out of it...infacol doesn't seem to work either unfortunately...we tried Gaviscon too - but didn't help either....

I know how bad it can make you feel - but your gut instinct is usually right - my son is following weight charts perfectly too - but feeding is an ordeal!!

Chin up

Tedebear my baby isn't fussing, as you have decribed your LO does, and she isn't looking for more. Trying to accept that she can be full on 2-3 ozs every 3-4 hours (at 16 weeks and 13 lbs)is the hardest thing. i just keep thinking that something sinister will be discovered and by me accepting this as normal i will miss an early diagnosis for a problem that she has been having

this theory is mainly based on the fact that no one else has described a content small eater!

low appetites seem to accompany some other problem, whereas large appetites are deemed more positive and "healthy".

Considering the above; tiktok are you saying that its perfectly normal for a baby to drink a third of the recommended amount for her age and weight? and therefore i need to just accept this?

dd was b'fed so I have no idea how much/little she took except when offered ebm instead - in which case very little !

for, it's not the 'recommended' amount is it? It's the average amount. I don't know how you have worked out that it's a third of that, anyway, sorry! You'd need to check this with your HV but 150ml per kg of weight is about average for a baby of four months - so that would mean about 900 ml of formula. If your baby is having 2-3 oz (say 80 mls?) every 3-4 hours, then he's prob having may 560, which is a lot more than a third.

I think that on the basis of what you say and what you observe and what your baby is actually doing, there is no health or develpmenta concern there - but ask your HV, and although they are pretty useless at supporting bf, they are pretty good at spotting ill babies or referring you to someone who can tell you that your dd is normal and healthy.

Hope things work out.