Need help - Sicky baby is now pulling away from feeds

[CrazyDiamond30]

Hi,

My baby is 4 months old. She's had previous problems with seeming to be in pain all night (has now pretty much stopped) and sickness. Her sickness was reeeeally bad and she was not putting on enough weight according to the health visitors. She dropped two (lines?) On the growth chart.

She's previously been given gaviscon, infacol, colief and similac milk all at different times.

We started her on carobel (milk thickener) along with colief as that really seemed to help. Sickness continued.

She's been on gaviscon again for about two weeks and her sickness has definitely improved but not stopped. We try all of the sitting her upright stuff and basically plonk her in a chair when she's eaten to make sure there's not too much movement.

The past couple of days though, when she's drinking from a bottle, she is taking a gulp, pulling away and returning. She's taking forever to drink a bottle (which I don't mind, it's just not the norm for her). She's giving up after a bit. She seems to be struggling to swallow it or something. Theres no sign of discomfort until after she's had a bottle which happens often. She's crunched up and wingey (not screaming or anything).

I'm going to see a paediatrician on Friday but I'm so worried that I'm going to be fobbed off or told to increase the gaviscon or soemthing. I've done research on reflux (which is what the drs are currently treating) and it is apparently not a disease, its a symptom of something else - an underlying cause. The baby reflux lady is where I've had this info from but I can't afford one to one assessments with her!

Has anyone else had similar experiences or have any advice?

Thanks ❤️

Is it CMPA? It’s very common and you will need a milk such as nutrimagen or neocate which have the milk proteins in them broken down.

@sproutsnbacon well, they gave her similac milk Incase of allergy but it made no difference. As far as I know that is a non dairy milk but I was told by one Dr it's just different milk protein, how you've said more broken down. I've seen so many 😩

She does have very dry, eczema like skin on her legs, but no rashes or anything like that.

Have you tried the next teat size

From the information in your OP it does sound like poorly controlled reflux. CMPA could be an underlying factor, even though you have tried Similac, there are other milks which may suit her better. I think the pediatrician will put her on omeprezole. A paediatric review is a good call and I am optimistic they will help her and not "fob you off".

Could be acid which burns their throat so it hurts to drink. Perhaps see if you can get some omeprezole

Update - she has been prescribed omeprezole. Is this not just masking a problem though? Im just worried 😩

Also thinking CMPA?

The proteins are only slightly broken down in similac you may need a very very broken down one. Nutramigen is one ds was ok on that but dd had to have neocate because her body still recognised the protein in nutramigen. Also when their little guts get inflamed from whatever is affecting them it takes a few weeks for the right treatment to kick in as they will still be suffering until the inflammation goes.
I refused to allow them to prescribe dd reflux medicine as she wasn’t upset by her reflux.
You can find flow charts explaining all the different types of prescribed formulas on google.