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Infant feeding

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

13WO not fed in 7 hours and screams during bottles. Silent Reflux? Dr Fobbing Me Off? Advice Needed Please!

35 replies

FeelingHorse · 27/06/2013 13:42

Ok, this may be long but trying not to drip feed.

DS is 13 weeks and has been FF for past 7 weeks. 7 weeks ago we went to the Dr as DS was screaming during every feed. No sick and ok weight gain. Dr gave us baby gaviscon for Silent Reflux but told us to try Dr Brown's bottles too.

So we start the Gaviscon and Dr Brown's bottles at the same time. Notice a big difference, stomach gurgling and screaming stops.

Unfortunately the Gaviscon made DS very very constipated - so we halved the dosage to every other bottle. This doesn't help constipation, so I wean off Gaviscon but stay on Dr Brown's bottles and DS is fine for a few weeks. This led me to believe that it was just wind that was bothering DS, and that the new bottles are helping. Go back to see Dr who agrees and we leave it at that and Dr pushes for no more gaviscon to be prescribed.

Now I think this was a big mistake on my part, because 6 weeks later we have all the original symptoms again. But now poor DS is being sick and choking in the middle of the night too. I feel so awful for stopping the gaviscon. One night he was choking so badly that it scared the living daylights out of me [sad} I have his bed nest elevated at the head end.

At his 8 week check Dr said that he was underweight. I've taken him to the Drs about choking and asked about it being silent reflux but I got fobbed off. I asked for more gaviscon but they were very very reluctant to prescribe it, as it sounded to them like "normal fussy baby behaviour".

so...fast forward to today. DS normally takes 6oz bottles every 2-3 hours, but in the last 2 weeks he will only take half the bottle and then want the other half an hour or so later. Today he can't even take half a bottle, he screams and screams and then falls asleep. He has not had a full bottle since 7 am this morning. Since midnight he has had around 8ozs, when normally he will have a 6oz bottle every 2-3hours.

The past few nights I have found his sleeping bag soaked with sick Sad.

Should I go back to Drs and demand medication? Also should I look into Aptimel relfux formula? Is it prescription only as I have not seen it in shops.

TIA - sorry this is so long, I'm just so worried that there is something wrong and that the Drs think I'm a typical first time mum!

OP posts:
FeelingHorse · 28/06/2013 11:44

Just got back and I've got to say that the Dr was very good and did take me seriously. It was a different Dr, a woman this time and she really listened to what I had to say Grin

She put DS on Ranitidine, 5ml x 3 a day. She weighed him and he's only put on 10g in 4 weeks. I felt awful for not taking him to get weighed sooner, maybe I would have realised sooner.Sad

Just administered first dose (which was spat out) so about to try again!

Thank you everyone, without you all I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to go back.

OP posts:
Ragusa · 28/06/2013 12:04

I hope the ranitidine works.
I am really glad you got listened to.
Did you mention about the milk protein allergy possibility?
How was your son before you moved him onto formula? Was he better on breastmilk?

JiltedJohnsJulie · 28/06/2013 17:32

Feeling did you discuss the possibility of tongue tie and cows milk protein intolerance? Have a read of this on Allergy UK and this on NHs.

Think the difficulty can be that tongue tie and an allergy can both have the same symptoms.

Blessyou · 28/06/2013 18:11

Good. Glad you were taken seriously. Hope it works for him.
Btw was it 5ml or 0.5ml?

FeelingHorse · 29/06/2013 13:42

Thank you for the links, will have a read.

I did mention the allergy and tongue/lip tie but she said she wasn't an expert. Got to see how we get on with new meds then if no improvement investigate allergies and TT

It's 5ml....which I'm finding so hard to administer. He just spits the whole lot out ( I don't give him the 5ml all in one go!)

OP posts:
crunchielover · 29/06/2013 23:21

Oh, this reminds me of the time I was at the Drs with DS, at my wits end as he wouldn't stop crying, so much so that they moved him up the queue!
He literally cried non-stop for hours and only slept for about 5 hours a night. I really feel for you. It's so hard to know what to do for the best when you are so tired.

Forgot to ask does your DS arch his back at all? This is another classic reflux behaviour.

Maybe it's worth trying to get an apt with a paediatrician who might have more specialised reflux advice - can you ask the GP for an urgent referral?

crunchielover · 29/06/2013 23:27

I used to give the meds using a dummy - a little bit in the syringe, then suck on the dummy, then a bit more syringe, then dummy...

Blessyou · 30/06/2013 18:21

My DS started on 0.4ml
At nearly 3 years old, he is only on 2.5ml of 75mg/5ml ranitidine.

Blessyou · 30/06/2013 18:22

Sorry, that was 0.4ml three times/day.

Ragusa · 30/06/2013 22:24

How's the ranitidine going? Hope it's making a difference.

What is the concentration of the solution you've been given, e.g., how many mg/ml? 5ml per dose may or may not be a lot dependent on that factor.

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