Help needed - been advised to wean at 3 1/2 months and need advice

[TearingMyHairOut]

My ds1 is now 13 weeks and we have had an array of problems with feeding. It's mainly to do with reflux, but to cut a long story short he appears to have some sort of negative associations with feeding and is only taking 3oz bottles. We went to hospital to see paediatrician today and they told me to start weaning at 3 1/2 months, partly to give different experience of eating, partly because it will sit better in tummy. I don't have a clue what to offer, when to offer and how much. I'm not sure books will help me as he's younger than the advised age so it may be quite different. Please any help would be good.

crunchie i know what you mean! people would laugh at me as i would take her clothes of to feed her then they would witness the exorcist type vomiting - on a plane journey covered about 8 rows of passengers on one occasion!

Tearing you poor thing, you must be so fed up. Have you tried cranial osteopathy? Ds didn't have reflux but had awful trapped wind and the cranial osteopath made such a difference, with 3 treatments he was a new baby. I thought it was a load of mumbo jumbo until she treated him, we sat him up and he did his first burp instantly (previously we had been spending an hour rubbing his back to get the wind up!) He's been burping and farting as much as his father ever since!

Yeah we've done the cranial osteopathy - six sessions and no difference seen. We stopped all medication yesterday evening. He had taken 3 oz at 12.00 noon. He then wouldn't take anything until 5pm when he had 2 oz, and at his bedtime bottle he only took 1oz at 7pm. He woke at 1.00am but wouldn't take anything. Then woke at 3.00am and took a few sips before pushing it away with his tongue. I persevered for an hour and he had about 3 1/2 oz and then woke at 7.00am for the same.

How does this sound? Surely he must have been hungry in the night...or not? Could it be strange to be having a new texture in his mouth?? Becuase the feed is slightly thicker. WE're using the 3 holed teats so it's not like it's too much work.
We've just come back from a mum and baby group where he threw up all over himself and me. I look like I have wet myself.

I am having serious reservations about childcare for when I return part time to work in December. I'm just worried he's not going to get the attention he needs in the nursery setting. I've seen a couple of childminders but they just seem to dump small babies in the corner and entertain toddlers. I can't afford not to return but whoever ebds up looking after him will probably double their prices. What does anyone think?

Well what a day. Similar to yesterday come the afternoon. He drank about 4oz at 12 noon and then at four would only have about 2 oz. When we fed him at bedtime he refused it from the start, but after about half hour of back rubbing he did a big burp and then drank the whole lot. Is the wind more difficult to bring up with these thicker type feeds?

Nothing specific to add about your ds's obviously serious reflux but from a mum whose dd ate 2-3oz feeds, brought 1 in every 3 feeds up in its entirety.
DD also has a genetic condition that kept her low weight gain.
Aside fom your baby being unhappy, please even though the charts are frightening, don't feel too bad about low weight gain in the short term.
The quantities of solid food he can eat will be miniscule and will make shag all difference to his weight gain and may reduce his appetite for milk which contains more nutrition.
is there any chance a dietitina could see you adn offer you a calorific supplement to boost the calories of what he is drinking.
Duocal and maxijoule are two high cal powders we mixed with dd's feeds, they did not make her mild refulx any worse
I'd def ask about supplementation before solids at least for a few more weeks perhaps?

BUMP bump bump where are all those loevly people who helped me last night...stop me slowly going mad!!!

Hmm, interesting I have an appt with paed again intwo weeks and will def ask about that before starting baby rice

Well personally (with 2 reflux babies), early weaning didn't help us - it just meant dd brought up solid food rather than just formula.

Have they ruled out a problem with the milk in the formula (i.e. an allergy or an intolerance)? Is he screaming alot, did he have colic or look like he had stomach pains?

I think you have to go with the paediatricians as obviously they are the ones medically experienced in this area.

they said if it was intolerance he would almost def have the runs

in terms of nursery, they could not cope with dd (but she was 4 months and her reflux was bad). They used to call me everytime she threw up and ask me to come and get her which was a total nightmare. However, reflux is much better known now so I think it is probably worth going to the nursery and being totally open about your baby's problems in advance. Apart from extra washing, it really shouldn't be too much hassle for them.

Looking back, I think the nursery we chose was rubbish anyway (it was my first child and I didn't really have a clue) but I think you need to be very honest with them about how often he is ill.

it's a good sign that he took the whole bottle at night though

crunchie, I see where you're coming from but I do think that the suggestion of weaning early has come too soon for TMHO. Her baby has only slowed in weight gain for the last week or so. he hasn't had a huge drop and he has stayed consistently on the 50th centile so there is no reason why supplementation should be avoided in favour of early weaning which could cause longer term problems.

TMHO, good news that he seems to be keeping the formula down better. It probably is just him getting used to it. How was he after he took that whole bottle?

are you going to be seeing the same paediatrician again? I'd maybe ask to see a different one if s/he still insists early weaning is the way forward.
ALso, do follow up the intolerance theory, it doesn't always mean having the runs and is worth ruling out at least. You can have tests done privately if your GP/Paed is unwilling to refer him for them

We were also advised to wean early due to severe reflux and, as with foxinsocks, all it did was produce different coloured vomit! It sounds like your ds's refusal to feed is certainly linked to the fact that his reflux causes pain, and he, of course, therefore associates feeding with pain. Ranitidine is a medication that takes some time to start working, how long had he been on it? There is a drug called Losec which completely inhibits acid production in the stomach, ranitidine only partially stops it...
TBH, thicker feeds may be kept down by your ds, but it won't stop him producing the acid that is causing the pain.
IT sounds like early weaning has worked for some babies with reflux but not for others, so it's a bit of a gamble in that respect.

Hi TMHO, how is it all going?

Hi TMHO - I haven't forgotten you - laptop blew up and have only just got it fixed!!! I will get those plans typed up for you and email over tomorrow.

Hope you're still surviving. On the daycare thing I went back to work when my lo was 5 mths and I was concerned about how they would manage his reflux but they were fantastic. Nurseries are usually set up in groups so the babies are kept together and in smaller numbers so they have almost one to one care. We supplied them with loads of clothes and his medication and they just got used to having to wear cloths over their shoulders!!

have you tried something like sma staydown or omneo comfort. also ask the paed to prescribe omeprazole its the only one that worked for ds.