Need a Paci Patch....

I think that my husband & I are about at our wits end. My 8 week old (on Sat) has been fussy for about 12 days now. Constantly spiting up after every feeding & then some, crying, and just plain fussy. So, we take her to the peds last week and he said that it sounds like she has heartburn. So, he told us to give her zantac, maalox, and giver her a new formula; Nutramigen (she may have colic or is allergic to milk. We've cut back on the amount in the bottles & increased times so that she is taking in smaller amounts each feeding... that's not helping. We are keeping her propped up during & after feedings. Giving her meds the way we should.. anyway, she's been on this for over a week now and nothing's changed. We are trying to get her away from her pacifier too... AUGHHHHHHHH, she screams when it falls out of her mouth and you can't console her at all. We feel so bad for her. So, I call the ped again today and he can't give me anymore suggestions right now for her. He told me to call him next week if things don't change. Now, I'm wondering if she even has heartburn and now maybe she's really hungry all of the time (cuz of all the spit up). The other problem... How do you get a baby over the damn paci??? I've been trying to show her her hands, but she gets soooo upset so quickly that she just wants that dumb paci. She isn't sleeping during the day now... just light cat naps so she's really tired now on top of everything else. My little girl is a mess... I don't know what to do?????? HELP :gah: Any advice????

 

First of all, ask your ped for prevacid instead of zantac. Zantac is very weight sensitive and she may have already outgrow her dosage of it. Prevacid isn't based on weight at all, and works much better for more reflux babies than zantac.

Secondly, how old is she? If I'm reading your siggy right she's only a couple months old, is there a reason you are taking the paci away already? Babies sucking instinct is very strong right now, and that's the only way they know to sooth themselves. I wouldn't recommend taking the paci away until after about 6 months when they can learn to suck on their hands. That being said, I personally prefer the paci because at least then you can take it away, whereas if they start sucking their thumbs you can't take it away, it's always there

Hang in there, this is ripe time for colic to start too. We just finally diagnosed our dd with colic (along with reflux and gas problems), after going thru the different formula's available and nothing seemed to help with her crying and gas. It sucks, but at least it's something they do outgrow!! :hug:

 

First of all, lots of :hug: for you! I know exactly what you are going through because the same situation happened to me with ds when he was about 6 weeks old. It seemed out of the blue, all of a sudden, he was constantly spitting up and extremely fussy. We would have to continually pick him up, burp him again, he would spit up...then when he got fussy again, we did the same thing all over again. This would go on for 1-2 hours after his last feeding. I was so frustrated and in tears quite often.

Finally, I tried a different formula...Enfamil A.R. which has added rice starch to control spit-up. What a HUGE difference this made! Spit-up is minimal now, he's much happier, and we are MUCH happier. This may or may not help your little one, but it might be worth a try!

As for the paci...I don't really have any advice for you there. Studies actually show pacifiers reduce the risk of SIDS so I will let my little ones have them until about 1 year old like their big brother.

I'm so sorry for what you are going through. Hang in there - it does get better!

 

:hug: I think it definitely sounds like reflux pain that is not under control. Call the ped back and ask for a different med, the Zantac is not working. Also ask if you can add rice cereal to the Nutramigen to help her keep it down.

Paci's can actually help refluxers, so I wouldn't take it away.

:hug:

 

I agree with this. Zantac didn't work at all for both my girls, but Prevacid did. They are on Nutramigen as well and it has worked wonders for their pain. They both have a milk protein allergy and they still spit-up, but it's not half as bad as it was and they aren't in any pain when they eat. Around 7 weeks is when are girls started getting really fussy and by 12 weeks (once we had them on meds and changed their formula) they were completely different babies. No more fussy babies and they actually eat! It's great. Now, at 6 months, their reflux is under control and we're going to discuss with the doctor next month if we can discontinue use of the Prevacid.


As for the paci, is so important that babies this young have something to help them soothe since they are too young to know how to do it on their own. I agree with pp that by 6 months they aren't really necessary. We are about to wean our babies off the pacis as they only use them for naps/night sleeping.

HTH and GL

 

I'm not much help for reflux/heartburn, but I agree with the others that it's too early to get rid of the paci if she likes it. My boys didn't take to the paci until 3 months and I wish they had earlier! Around 11 months, Ryan decided he didn't need his anymore, but even at almost 2, Jake still has his for naps/nighttime. He needs more soothing.

Hang in there and I hope a new med will work better for her!

 

I don't have any experience with reflux but I think I'd keep letting her have the paci for now! You can get one of those clippies to clip it onto her clothes even though I know that means you'd still have to keep re-inserting it.

:hug:

 

That reminded me of those stuffed animals that hold pacis so the baby can hold it easier. Don't know how well they actually work though! Here is one kind, but I think there are other kinds out there.

 

I wouldn't worry about that paci right now. Sounds like she really needs it. You can worry about that later when she is through this rough patch. It does sound like it could be colic. Hang in there, make sure your taking some breaks. Have someone stay with her while you take a walk and get some fresh air. Crying babies are really stressful especially if you are exhausted.

 

Sounds like colic. Don't ditch the paci. There is plenty of time later. Mine went through a colicky phase as well. We pacified, swaddled, shushed and fed until it passed. I know it's rough. Hang in there. :hug:

 

Thanks to all of your responses!!!! I think that we will try the A.R. also to help satisfy the hunger! As far as the paci goes.... aughhhhhh, I was hoping for something other than the suggestions of keeping it!!!! As soon as it's out of her mouth she's screaming for it!!! Oh well! What can you do! Just give in and give it back & hope like hell that the phase passes!!! Thanks again everyone!!!!

 

yes, we have the wubbanubs, with the soothie attached, and they are wonderful for when they are in their cribs or bouncers to help keep the paci from falling out and when they do fall out it isn't usually very far away and they can get it back in easily.. until they get to like my twins age and they pull it out of their mouth and then cry, lol...

I do agree with pp tho, the paci was a life saver and while it is a pain when they cry for it when it falls out (would drive DH bonkers) It def helps with the suck reflex..

Hang in there. Those 1st few months are horrrrrrrrrible and so difficult to get through. You can do it..

 

It does suck having to go back in and give it back over and over, but I promise you, in the long run, this phase is going to fly by so fast, one day, several years from now, when your "big kid" hops up into bed with no help, rolls over and goes to sleep, you are going to think back to those paci days and get an ache in your heart because they slipped through your fingers so quickly! :wub:

 

Our girls used the pacis a lot for the first few months, but they started to lose interest around 4 1/2 months and then once we went to CIO for naps and bedtime, we couldn't use them--they would fall out and they weren't able to put them back in. I had been worried that they would go off to college with their pacis but it looks like all my worrying is for naught! Good luck--I remember back when they were 2 months old and I was just so happy to have something that would help console them.

 

Just so you know, the pacifier can also help with the reflux as the sucking motion helps keep the stuff moving down into the belly.

 

We absolutely loved those things! (Though I suspect the ‘cute factor’ may have had something to do with it)