Hello,
I have been breastfeeding my son since he was born a month ago. He was diagnosed with reflux on 11/3/06 and I had been pumping and thickening the first 2 oz. with rice. The problem is when he was born he weighted 8lbs. 15 1/2 oz. He weighed 8lbs. 5 oz. at his one week checkup, and again at the 3 week one. We went to the dr. yesterday and he weighted 8lbs. 7 oz. even with the rice in his feedings. We decided to formula feed and recheck weight in a week. Dr. thinks maybe breastmilk is not nutritious enough. I breastfed my other 3 children without incident and am really feeling like a failure in this instance. He said I can pump and keep the milk and later maybe reintroduce it and maybe use both. However, if it's not good now how can it be later? Not to mention that he keeps insisting I'm upset cause I can't breastfeed. That is not so much the case, I just want my baby to be healthy no matter what he eats, and I'm so into the thought of just drying up and forgetting it. Anyone have this problem, any advice? I would really appreciate any input.

Hmmm...I b'fed my dd until she was 19 months old. Before we had to start transitioning to solids, she was a chubby wubby. Breast milk is actually very nutritious and high in the fats/cals babies need; however, if your son isn't getting enough, that could be an issue. How much is he taking per day? You mentioned that you're pumping. Does he get all his b'milk through the bottle, or is he also at the breast? If he's at the breast, how long is he staying there to eat? Is he emptying one breast, then going to the other, or is he sort of "snacking" from one to the other for short periods of time? (I do know that the higher fat content "hind milk" comes after nursing for several minutes--if he's missing that, it could be another cause for his weight loss.)

I have nothing against formula feeding. My dd is 2 and is on formula, which is keeping her weight on. However, if a baby is nursing well I get a little nervous about simply switching over to formula, as formula can cause it's fair share of problems, too. :-(

I'm sending you {{{big hugs}}}! :hug:

Ditto what Mary said. BM is very nutritious, I can't believe you dr. told you different! Lots of refluxers have problems w/ weight gain and just b/c you switch to formula doesn't necessarily mean he will put on weight. I would also make sure his is emptying the breast and getting the hind milk. How long does he nurse and how often? My was born at 7lbs 8.5 oz and loss weight and was 6lbs 8oz but ended up picking up pretty quickly once I got a good supply of milk in and he got the hang of eating and not being so lazy on the breast. An RN told me if he falls asleep to tickle him w/ a finger right behind is ear and it triggers a sucking reflux...that worked like a charm. I wouldn't give up on the bf just yet.

I agree with the PPs
and thought you may find these links helpful
http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussybaby.html

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html

Be sure to read all the links with in the links too. Lot's of good info there.

Hopefully you find some info that correlates with what's happening, and helps you.


Now my 2 cents
The docs said the same things to me, and I quit breast feeding.
I struggle over my decision to quit still to this day. I think my son would
have benefited far more from my milk than any other. Formula feeding
was WAY harder, and opened up a whole new bag of problems that I wish I
would have never discovered. Breast feeding wasn't going well, but formula feeding
was even worse.
I'm not against Formula feeding by any means, but I do think that these little guys
benefit greatly from it, especially if baby is breast feeding well.

Follow your gut on this one, and do what's right for you and your baby. Go by feel, not what the doctors say.

Ditto what's already been said...I'm still bf'ing Ava, and I think that if I had listened to my friends/fam and had just given up, things would have gotten even worse than they did.

Keep it up and see how things go with his weight...Ava is, and always was, a snacker, so I would let her nurse twice on one breast to make sure she got the hind milk before switching to the other. Like Mary said, our problem started with solids really as well...I look back at some pics of Ava and she was slightly chunky...never really had the rolls that I've always coveted, but she definitely "looked" like a healthy kid, kwim? I also think the doc was a little insensitive with that remark. I stuck to my guns and went against what everyone said...luckily, our ped is a huge bf supporter, but the pressure elsewhere (oh, maybe it's your milk making her sick...if I had a dollar for every freakin time I heard that!) was very annoying. Go with what feels right to you...let him nurse, keep trying the rice, and maybe supplement with a bottle of formula here and there if you feel he needs it. Don't let the docs pressure you to quit if you're not ready...I firmly believe that mother's intuition is usually right on.

I second or third or whatever the whole foremilk/hindmilk issue. If a baby gets too much foremilk they can have reflux like symptoms plus they would not be getting the fatty hindmilk that would be helping him put on weight. If you are pumping to mix cereal with the breastmilk it is possible you are only pumping off the foremilk. BTW cereal will breakdown very easily in breastmilk so mixing only an once or two at time is recommended to keep the thickeness. Many recommned a commercial thickener called Simply Thick to evenly thicken larger quanities of breastmilk.

BTW guys I have read that second Kellymom reference before but just realized that my article on Speechpathology.com is listed as an additional information source!

BTW guys I have read that second Kellymom reference before but just realized that my article on Speechpathology.com is listed as an additional information source!


WOW! Really?!
Here I'm the one that always gives people that link all the time (it's a good one), and I didn't even notice. I haven't actually read the info there in a really long time.
Too Cool! You're Kellymom famous!:smt041

I just read the kellymom link, and there's definitely more info there than ever before! :)
Now I feel even more better about giving it to people!

I agree with pp.

My last ped GI i saw said as her meds weren't working and the dairy/soya diet isn't working that i need to put her on a low allergy formula milk.
I'm not happy to do this for a few reasons one being that she won't drink from a bottle!!
I think things would get much worse for us if she swapped to formula so i am getting a second opinion from another ped GI this month!

Good luck whatever u decide

I agree strongly about the continuing of breastfeeding. Its sad that you even got the misinformation that your breastmilk isn't nutritous. Breastmilk is always the most nutritious choice for babies. It is important about the hindmilk. You may want to try compressing your breast while you feed him after he has slowed down sucking and has been feeding for a while. That will help him get the hind milk. I have to do that for my daughter who is a lazy eater, she eats just enough to get by. She's a snacker like my older daughter. Also, BM is easier for babies with GERD because it is digested quicker, so their stomach empties faster preventing it from coming up as much. And since it digests quicker, they will absorb more nutrients before it goes back up. I also read that breastmilk acts as an antacid. Try a pacifier too. That really helps my daughter because of the increased saliva which is also an antacid. Look

KEEP BREASTFEEDING!!!! :) that dr is crazy.:favorites21:
much love

Hmmm...I b'fed my dd until she was 19 months old. Before we had to start transitioning to solids, she was a chubby wubby. Breast milk is actually very nutritious and high in the fats/cals babies need; however, if your son isn't getting enough, that could be an issue. How much is he taking per day? You mentioned that you're pumping. Does he get all his b'milk through the bottle, or is he also at the breast? If he's at the breast, how long is he staying there to eat? Is he emptying one breast, then going to the other, or is he sort of "snacking" from one to the other for short periods of time? (I do know that the higher fat content "hind milk" comes after nursing for several minutes--if he's missing that, it could be another cause for his weight loss.)

I have nothing against formula feeding. My dd is 2 and is on formula, which is keeping her weight on. However, if a baby is nursing well I get a little nervous about simply switching over to formula, as formula can cause it's fair share of problems, too. :-(

I'm sending you {{{big hugs}}}! :hug:
Thank You,
I think he wasn't getting enough. I pumped 2 oz. for the rice then he could nurse after that. But I figured out while bottle feeing he is a lazy eater and if he has to work for it he quits. I do think he was snacking quite frequently but wasn't getting all he needed. Not to mention the fact that when he does get food easier he is a piggy. Sometimes between 4 1/2 to 8 oz. per feeding which I think could be a little excessive for a 1 month old but if he wants it he can have it. With his snacking at nursing I'm sure I wasn't producing enough to satisfy him. At least with the formula I know how much he is getting and he did at least get the antibodies. He also chokes less frequently with the formula so overall the switch will be a good thing I think.
Valerie

Thank you all for your replies. I think I may do a mix of both. I like the closeness that I have with nursing my son. I think he was definately being lazy but because he seemed to be nursing I didn't think there was a problem We go back to the dr. on Friday so I will be interested in seeing if he has put on weight since I have been doing the formula all this time. Will keep you posted and thank you for all the information.