This sounds way more complicated than a lay person like me can address 
completely, but two things jumped out at me just from my own experience and that 
of others I've supported through breastfeeding problems.

1 - The first thing she should change is her pediatrician.  Besides thinking 
that expensive formula with pre-digested proteins is better than breastmilk, he 
is about as ignorant as they come if he stated that breastmilk does not provide 
many benefits at 7 months of age.  His own AAP disagrees on that point.
2 - I would give up on the solids for the time being, including that brown rice 
mixture.  I have known a LOT of babies who were not ready for solids at 7 
months.  Anecdotally, the ones who gagged as the mother described turned out to 
have quite a few food allergies... so maybe baby's body is smarter than he is 
being given credit for.
3 - I would continue breastfeeding exclusively until this issue is resolved. 
 There is nothing easier to digest than breastmilk for the vast, VAST majority 
of babies unless he has some underlying metabolic disorder or undiscovered 
digestive condition.  Of course, as long as the doc thinks her milk is causing a 
problem, they won't get to the bottom of the problem, IMO.
4 - I'm wondering if anyone has suggested over-active letdown or over-supply to 
mom?  That gassiness sure makes that come to mind for me.
5 - Have they tried sleeping skin-to-skin with baby on mom's chest and her 
propped up slightly on pillows?

Cee



________________________________
From: Star McGuire <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, May 25, 2011 4:30:41 PM
Subject: Perplexing situation

Hi, everyone.  I need serious help.

P2P from the mother herself:

"Baby will be 7 months on the 28th.  He slept well until 2 1/2 months, then he 
started teething, but 

still slept fairly well.  Then, at 3 months, he started waking up 
every hour, and at the worst point, was every 45 minutes.  We have tried
elimination diets of gluten (including all oatmeal, even traces, as in I
switched shampoo and toothpaste...), dairy, soy, nuts, seafood, corn, 
and at one point ate nothing but chicken, brown rice, and honeydew for 
an entire week.

He has always had signs of severe reflux.  For 
the first 4 months he spit up entire feedings.  It was better for a 
while, but now he is spitting up and vomiting several times per day.  He
has also always been super gassy.  Even now, incredibly gassy, and when
we get him out at night when he wakes up, he is usually passing loooots
of gas.

He was given a video food study and it showed he was 
aspirating thin liquids, and we were ordered to stop nursing, and have 
since been giving pumped breast milk in a bottle, thickened with brown 
rice cereal.

He will only sleep swaddled, with one arm out, 
sitting in a bouncy chair.  Even then, he wakes up about every hour, 
arching his back hard, and grunting and whining in discomfort.  Nursing 
gets him back to sleep within seconds.  Otherwise it can take an hour or
more.

We have tried literally every possible sleep solution 
imaginable, we have tried 4 or 5 different swaddlers, we have seen 
numerous doctors and are now with a GI specialist.

He is not on solids.  He seems incapable of 
swallowing them.  He can chew them, and wants badly to eat, but he 
chokes on every bite.  We offer every few days, but always the same 
result, even with different foods.  I have tried various consistencies 
as I make the food myself."
/ Mother's summary

Mother has recently been ordered to stop nursing for a week.  She has not been 
given a reason for this, other than that they want to try a formula with 
"partially digested proteins" (as per her doctor.)  I am...really confused.  
Mother seriously wants to keep nursing, but is going along with the week off 
breastmilk.  However, mother is skeptical because formula usage in the past has 
made the problems worse, and her doctor told her that "at this age, breastmilk 
has very few benefits anyways" and is notorious in the area for being 
unsupportive of breastfeeding.

Mother has also worked with a LC (uncertain of whether she is an IBCLC) in the 
area - LC deferred to doctor and mostly gave her the ideas of the elimination 
diets and helped her learn to pump.  LC told her that use of a SNS with 
thickened milk was impossible.

Any help/thoughts/ideas appreciated!

-Stephanie, peer counselor




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