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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