feeding issue updates

so i'm still in feeding nightmare territory. the boys are getting worse...i'm talking about 2oz in 24 hours, period...that's it. they just don't want it. i've had a nurse come by twice to look at the feedings themselves and she can't come up with a reason. she was afraid that they may have developed a bottle aversion or associate it with pain immediately but they don't. they will latch on and suck but then stop, bite, chew, etc. she said she's seen this happen with babies who are older who just stop wanting food but never at 4 months. she's not sure that solids would be the answer but we are going to try it soon.

here's what i'm doing now...no rice. tried it with the last feed with a level 2 nipple - too fast. put in the level 1 nipple and they barely sucked and it took FOREVER. maybe they just forgot how to suck?? i don't know. take 2 is in place in a few minutes.

i called GI and they want to do a 24 hour observation with an endoscope on each baby in january. others tell me to look for a new ped and get a second opinion but my thought on that is if i went to my GP with a stomach issue she would send me to a GI specialist sooooo i'm already there and it's one of the states leading GI specialist...obviously doesn't mean he's the best but whatever, so far he's done everything he can.

so that's the update. i don't know what i'm going to do but everyday the feeds get worse and worse and more and more frustrating. everyone thinks they have the answer but they don't. i've tried everything under the sun, meds, new bottles, nipple changes, no rice, more rice....AHHHHHHHH! i'm in WAY over my head with all of this and it's driving me I-N-S-A-N-E!

 

They're doing this on the hypoallergenic formula?

:hug: I hope you get some answers in January. Did your ped tell you what signs to look for as far as dehydration since they're only taking 2 ounces a day? Are they losing weight?

 

You're still on the hypoallergenic formula right? Well, it sounds like you've gotten every piece of advice under the sun between all of us and your Dr.'s. Sorry you're still having to deal with this. I guess if it were me and they were only taking 2 oz. a day, I'd have to take them into the ER. I don't think waiting till Jan. with it having gotten so bad is wise if they are truly only taking 2 oz. in 24 hours.

 

I have to 100% agree with this!! If any of mine were only taking 2oz during a 24 hour period of time I would be at that hospital after day two... That is really serious and should not be taken lightly. I'm not saying you're taking it lightly but seriously take them to the ER and have them observe them NOW. :grouphug:

 

As the others said, if they are still doing this on the hypo formula, for more than a couple of days, then you need to research the signs of dehydration in a baby and keep a CLOSE eye on them, because that's going to be the first thing that happens. Second is malnutrition. If they are just refusing to eat I would have them at the ER ASAP to get them on an IV and get some food in them. At 4 months old solids will not give them the nutrition they need to grow and thrive, they won't be able to take enough in to equal what formula will do. :hug:

 

sorry it was one day with river taking only 2 oz in 24 hours. alex ate fine. they show NO signs of dehydration at all, all really full nice and wet diapers. bowel movements are good and yes we are still on the hypoallergenic formula.

as for the hospital observation, they want to do an endoscope and monitor feeds. they have already been tested for polyoric stenosis and that was negative along with blood work and urine analysis, both which are fine.

the RN that came to the house to monitor the feeds said that it was probably a good idea to go ahead and wait until january to go up to all children's hospital in st. petersburg florida. they take between 2-5oz a feeding and i offer 5 bottles a day. the RN actually suggested i let them set their own schedule and just tell me when they are hungry even if that means they go a full day or two on a couple of ounces (which they have done) and i just couldn't bring myself to do it.

they are averaging 17-22oz a day which is a far cry from 25-30oz they were taking 3 weeks ago. and that wasn't a growth spurt because it lasted a week or two and growth spurts don't go that long.

they take the bottle at first, suck for about 2-3oz and stop, bite, chew, smile, talk, are completely happy. we burp them and try again if they pretend suck we put them down and start with the other and go back and forth until an hour is up. after that no more. we try again in 3 hours.

what's weird is that the worst 2 feeds of the day are the ones first thing in the morning after going 8-9 hours with no food and the last feed of the night...i don't get it.

and the strangest part of all, they aren't irritable, unhappy or cranky/crying all the time. they are perfectly happy, smiling and laughing all the time babies.

it's the strangest thing in the world and the RN doesn't have a clue what's going on.

we are going to wait to go to the hospital though unless they do multiple days in a row of under 10oz...then it's off to the ER.

she did suggest weekly weight checks at the ped's office to see if they are maintaining or loosing or even gaining weight. i haven't done this yet, the RN was just here yesterday.

 

Well, the 17-22 oz. is definately better than it was. Last I remember they were barely getting 15 oz. I know I've said it before, but I had one that just never really got over 16 or 17 oz. and I worried all the time. The ladies on here were so wonderful as I vented away and worried, but in the end he grew on his own curve and was just fine. He's actually had the least health issues (illness and such) of my other 2 kids. I thought you were saying this was their new trend and if it goes more than a day, definately take them in to the ER to get checked out. I've had a kid in with dehydration and it is NO FUN!! I can also say that when mine were going through a growth spurt is was a good week or two, so that may have been it(or not...who knows). I don't think weekly weights are bad idea either. I don't think most Dr.'s offices charge for those visits and it may bring some peace of mind.

 

Have you thought about seeing a speech (feeding) therapist? Although our situations are entirely different, one of my sons wouldn't take a bottle.

I bought every bottle and nipple out there working with the therapist but we came up with a solution to the problem and my son now takes 7 ounces every 2.5-3 hours (5 or 6 bottles a day)

Our situation was different because he had a feeding tube put in because he wasn't sucking at all. His doctor in the NICU when he was 5 weeks said he didn't think he would ever take a bottle. We were trying but he just wasn't interested. After he came home on the tube, I offered a bottle at every feed and worked with a therapist once a week on different techniques and before you know it he wasn't using the tube at all.

I know that this is completely different than your situation but it might not hurt to have someone work with you on this. It really helped me because I could go to someone besides the doctors telling me he won't take a bottle. They were obviously wrong!

Good luck to you...I know you are struggling!

 

What is your state of mind when you feed them? Are you tense and stressed, wondering how much they will take? I remember when my girls were infants that they could sense how the person feeding them was feeling. Before we switched them to AR formula there was a time when it was a 50/50 chance that they would spit up the majority of their bottle right after the feeding. It sounds crazy, but if a new person (someone who hadn't just witnessed them spitting up the whole bottle and wasn't stressed) fed them, then they were much less likely to spit the bottle up and do fine. Your babies can sense how you are feeling and react to that. Maybe if you tried to not worry about how much they were eating and just went off of how they are acting (which as you stated is like two completely happy, content babies with no problems and lots of wet and dirty diapers) then maybe they would start eating more?

I don't know if it would really work but maybe it is worth a try. Maybe try taking a bath and relaxing before you feeding them? I don't know.

 

I would second the feeding therapist. One of my DS was eating about 10oz/day consistently. Luckily somehow he was still growing and didn't need a feeding tube--our GI was even suprised. He was diagnosed with a feeding aversion after we saw the therapsit--she ruled out any issues w/ sucking. He had silent reflux which led to the aversion. Anyway, the therapist...actually started us w/ giving him a cup--at 4 months!! She said lots of babies who get aversion to the bottle end up drinking from a cup-it was a special cup, but not a sippy cup--real cup. Anyway, our DS luckily overcame his aversion after a while, whcih is pretty rare, so she was surprised. We did start the cup thing though. She said lot sof babies who don't take from the bottle end up with a feeding tube until they master the cup. She had a 6 month old compeltely drinking from a cup (fed by mom), and feeding tube removed.

I know that your boys used to take a lot more, but my DS who had the issues is fine now, but still never takes more than 20 ounces a day. I used to worry about it all the time, but over it now--he will be small, but he's okay. So, although 17 ounces is not a lot, if he is growing, then maybe try not to stress so much about it (i know that's easier said than done--I stressed a ton!!) Also, you could make it more concentrated for calorie intake (sorry if you already do that, I haven't read all of your posts). Your GI can tell you how to do that.

Good luck--we had our fair share of issues, so feel your pain! We bought our own scale and everything...b/c one DS did lose weight.

 

sometimes yes i am VERY tense and stressed out and i am sure they can feel it but in all honesty it really doesn't matter. they don't eat for anyone but their dad, i don't know what it is and he is the least available person around to feed them. the calmest of person can hold them and rock them, sing to them, pat their bottoms, be completely at peace with the feeds and they do the exact same thing...so that's not the issue. when i get stressed now, i find myself saying to them (in a calm voice) "you need to eat for mommy, you need to grow big and strong, you are making mommy crazy, please eat like a good little boy" and they just smile at me and the routine continues.

you know, i want to do this SOOOOOOOO bad but when you premake all of your bottles and can physically see how much they aren't eating it becomes very stressful - at least for me. my whole theory is, if they continue this downward slope of not eating well or as well as they were while they were gaining weight they will start to loose weight especially since they are much more active. so i worry a lot about them loosing weight.

LOL, i am 5' 9" tall and don't really fit in our tub that was built in the late 70s....plus there is infant pee in it...lol



Tracylyn, i've thought about having a swallow study done on them but they've never had an issue with the bottle and have never been on feeding tubs or IVs for fluids. they've been on the bottle since their first feed. if nothing pans out, that's the next step...for sure! plus the RN that comes out to monitor them developmentally also works with feeding issues which is why she has come out so frequently. she doesn't see a problem with my holding technique, likes the fact that i hold them so closely to my body since they wiggle so much and says there is really no issue with them grasping the bottle or with my holding technique...i've definetly thought about it though that's for sure!

 

Maybe you could find some way to buy a scale. Perhaps you could ask for it for Christmas instead of other gifts for the boys. I know you said that your family was asking for gift ideas. I have a scale and it was really helpful when my babies were not gaining well during their first 3 months. (I borrowed mine). You could look into getting one used. The other option would be to take them in for weekly weight checks. As long as they are gaining weight fine, the feeding thing isn't really an issue. Nursing moms don't know how much their babies are taking in. If they are having enough wet and poopy diapers, and gaining fine, all is well. Didn't you say you took them to the doctor recently and their weight gain was fine?

I don't think introducing solids is a good answer. Ounce per ounce, solids have fewer calories than formula.

Good luck to you!

 

I have done some reading on a bottle aversion and from what I have read, just because they suck and latch, doesnt mean they dont have a bottle aversion.
Healthcentral.com (bottle aversion) This was one of the sites I read. I also googled Infant Bottle Aversion and got tons of posts on InfantReflux.org and InfantRefluxDisease.org chat boards about people going through exactly what you are going through and most everyone offering advice calls it a bottle/feeding aversion.

"A baby who turns away from the bottle or breast and cries during eating may be reacting negatively due to pain from reflux. Every sip of milk may burn the throat and esophagus. A doctor may call this pattern of eating Feeding Aversion.

It is important to report your struggles with feeding to the doctor since feeding aversion is a warning sign that your baby is in pain. The problems associated with feeding aversion need to be addressed promptly before your baby decides that feeding is too painful. Unfortunately, a few babies will give up on eating and go on a feeding strike, refusing all nourishment by mouth. While the reflux treatments may not take care of all reflux symptoms, finding a treatment to reduce pain and allow a baby to eat without pain is extremely important."

I am glad you cant bring yourself to do that. I cant imagine just letting them eat 2 ounces a day and thinking that is okay. ETA: To clarify the point of this quote with the previous, is that I dont think the RN knows what she is talking about. How can she say she doesnt know what is going on and then say for sure they dont have a bottle aversion? I dont think she knows what she is talking about :blush:


In my reading I was directed to this website marci-kids.com and I actually remember it when I was reading about my kids reflux. They basically say that some babies need a higher does of Prevacid to help the pain from the acid. It might be worth a shot, maybe print it out and take it to the GI or Ped and see what they say.

 

I don't really understand why they are saying that they don't have bottle aversion? They most certainly can even if they take in 2oz fine, and then quit. They have a natural desire to want to eat and satisfy their hunger, but when they take in a couple of ozs, and realize that it is causing them pain, they quit. =Bottle aversion.

Babies don't forget how to suck. They do, however, remember that eating=pain.

Like I've said before, I think your babies have severe reflux that is not being treated properly, and I think the doctors you are seeing are full of it. Find a new doctor, ASAP.

 

they don't have a bottle aversion because once the nipple gets into their mouths and they start sucking everything is fine, no crying no pain nothing...they are happy and content. when we get started for the first go round it's the same thing, sucking begins and then they peeter out stop, bite down on the nipple, play with it, roll it from side to side, clamp their gums together, smile, coo and laugh. if they had a bottle aversion or associated it with pain they would cry and scream and really put up a huge fight when you tried to reinsert in the bottle or even get started with it.

someone brought up possible aspiration during feeds. said that her boys did the same thing as mine so i'm going to look into that and see about getting a swallow study done first before an endoscope. i'm calling my pedi this morning when the open in a few minutes.

the RN that comes to the house isn't full of it, she witnessed two feeds and saw no aversion to the nipple or reflux issues at hand she saw that they just loose interest in sucking. i completely trust her judgement.

my ped on the other hand, not so sure. i'll probably end up getting a new one and soon. the GI, while he may be one of the best in the state is obviously not listening to me.

and i've asked about upping the prevacid to the full 15mg and no one will allow me to do this. i've also asked for reglan, for when they where throwing up everyday if not more, and no one would give it to me.

i don't know, i'm at a loss. they seem to do better with 3tsp of rice for a 4 1/2 - 5oz bottle, at least most of the time. we may try increasing it to try the 2.5 scoops of rice and see what that does.

the bottom line, this isn't reflux...as far as i can tell. if it was they wouldn't eat well for the dad, this would be a problem in anyone's hands and it's not. for their dad they eat fine and almost always finish their bottles without issue. for women, me, my mom, friends, my MIL, they struggle and it's not out of pain. once that nipple gets latched onto and they start sucking everything is absolutely fine...no crying, no fits, completely calm. it's once they stop for a burp or to bite and chew that we have the problems.

so no i know it's not a bottle aversion. they do not associate the bottle with pain. if they did there would be far more crying during feeds and and outright refusal to take the bottle from the start and that's not what is happening. they just seem to get full WAY to fast all of the sudden.

 

I'm curious as what you think it might be? If you had to guess?

 

They are happy and content for 2 ounces?? Then they dont want anymore. They do not have to have pain and scream to have a bottle aversion. They already have it and that's why they wont eat. I agree with Becky. You need a second opinion.

Not really if you cant bring yourself do to what she suggests as stated above.

 

Well, I can tell you that my two DID have bottle aversion until they were on the right meds, and they were not crying and screaming after they took 2oz. They just simply stopped drinking, like they had no interest at all in eating. Yes, they cried/arched in the beginning, but after awhile, they just figured it out, that bottle=pain, and refused to eat.

Anyway, it sounds like you have made your mind up that this is not reflux, so I wish you luck in figuring out the problem!

 

I've been reading your updates on your babies bc truthfully, I am worried about them. How do you know it isnt reflux? If they are on prevaciad, didnt SOMEone diagnose them with reflux at some point? And I remember that you posted a video when they were really tiny saying that they were rolling over, I remember watching it and thinking it looked exactly like my son who would arch his back so badly from the reflux that he would flip himself over. He was in pain, not trying to perform. Do you feed them with them lying down or sitting up? I used to have to put mine in a bouncy seat for feeds or he would arch so badly that I couldnt feed him. Maybe you could try putting them in seats and feeding and not holding them down so that way if they want to kick their little legs while you feed them they can. Or maybe a seat with a few little toys to distract them, instead of you just looking at them willing them to eat.

 

From http://www.reflux.org/reflux/webdsc01.nsf/vwID/VASV-7KC7NQ?OpenDocument

"Hello! I am new to this forum and am so very grateful to have found it! My son, Alex, was dx with reflux at 3 weeks. He never spit up but had severe back arching and pulled away from the nipple. I could actually hear the reflux. He has been on Prilosec and is currently on Prevacid SoluTabs. I can still hear Alex reflux sometimes but it appears to be getting better (I hope). However, Alex was born in the 25th percentile but now has dropped to below 3rd, due to oral aversion (docs think). He is 1 yo and is only 17lbs 12oz. Since birth, while breastfeeding, Alex seemed to stay along his curve. However, he self-weaned at 3 months and it has been a daily struggle to get him to take the bottle and now eat solid foods. He gains only a couple of ounces each month. Our old GI doc didn't think anything was a problem as long as he was gaining weight (even if it was only ounces). We have recently moved to Washington and our new GI doc is more aggressive and A LOT more concerned about Alex's continued drop in his curve (even if he gains a couple of ounces). It is a daily struggle for me to get him to eat solids or take his bottle (he was on Enfamil Gentlease and am currently trying to get him to take Pediasure). He has never taken the bottle well, but in these past weeks has decreased from 18oz to 8 oz (maybe the switch from formula to pediasure??). He only wants to drink water. I have tried all sorts of milk in all sorts of sippy cups. Our GI doc thinks that Alex has oral aversion."

There are a tons of posts just like this one on infantreflux.org and infantrefluxdisease.org.

From http://www.choa.org/default.aspx?id=4434

Symptoms of Oral Aversion
"Being distracted when near food"

From http://grey.colorado.edu/shortgut/index.php/What_is_an_oral_aversion%3F

"An oral aversion is when a infant or child refuses to accept food by mouth or when they are not accepting the developmentally appropriate amount, variety or type of food by mouth."

There is plenty on the internet (not that it means anything) to substantiate an oral or bottle aversion in your boys due to reflux. I would push for the swallow study and the endoscopy. GL!

 

I am really surprised that your pedi won't increase their prevacid doses from 7.5mg to 15mg. As I've mentioned before Brandon has been on 15mg prevacid and he only had moderate silent reflux, whereas your boys obviously had/have SEVERE reflux. When I saw so many other moms say that their babies were on 7.5mg prevacid I was worried that Brandon had been prescribed too high of a dose. But a pharmacist friend of mine basically said there really wasn't anything to worry about when dealing proton pump inhibitors (sp?) like prevacid. Nonetheless when we went for our 6 month checkup at the pedi last week I brought up the issue with the doctor. A different pedi prescribed the 15mg dosage and we were seeing another pedi (it is a group practice of about 4 different pedis). Anyway, when I asked about the prevacid dosage he thought I was going to ask to increase it, not reduce it. He said they always start at 15mg and often times if the reflux is severe they go UP from there. Obviously Brandon's reflux is not severe and we are going to keep him on 15mg which is a good dose for him (when I dropped it down to 7.5mg for a few days he instantly started sounding hoarse again as if his esophagus was getting irritated).

Anyway, I hope you find a pedi that will LISTEN to you, and INCREASE their prevacid! I really think that might help with their feeding problems because it sure sounds like they are having some pains after they eat a couple of ounces, even if they don't cry.

Good luck!

 

This is exactly what happened to us too with my ds. He figured it out that it hurt and stopped the crying/screaming and just played with the bottle and wouldn't it. ardon:

I don't know, but the GI we went through tried his best to prove it wasn't reflux for my ds <_< and it was reflux in the end. Drinking 2oz a day or not eating for a day or two is not acceptable at all. (IMO) I wouldn't let my three year olds go a day without eating. If I were in your shoes (and I was) I would get another opinion, I would be calling the GI DAILY until he did something new to help my children. I know they say that a baby will not allow themselves to starve, but in some cases, if they are in enough pain, they will. My ds stopped eating and getting wet diapers and I had to give him formula/water through a medicine dropper to keep him hydrated and he lost a pound in two weeks. Step up Momma and get them the help they need. Posting on TS is a great way to get other moms who have been there but you need to be out "there" getting them the meds. they may need to feel better. Do not put your full trust in any nurse or doctor... if feel in your gut that something is up and not right (and you do or else all these posts would not be here) keep on calling until they start eating like a baby should.

:hug:

 

I know nothing about reflux, and I think you've gotten good advice about reflux here. Since you seem convinced it's not reflux (although I don't understand why you are giving them prevacid and looking to increase the dose if you don't believe it's reflux), have you tried just giving them fewer ounces more often? I know I asked you that on another thread, and I don't think you answered. But if they are taking in 2 ounces easily at each feeding, maybe just let them take 2 ounces and then feed them more often. It could be that they just don't want bigger meals. I'd also be waking them up overnight if I were concerned about their calorie intake.

I second those who said starting solids probably isn't the solution. They are going to eat very little if anything at 4 months, and it's not a good substitute for formula. I do think that you need to stop freaking out a little bit and listen to those around you - your doctors, your nurse, the people here. It sounds like you are just flitting through alternatives without giving them time to work. And through all this, are they gaining weight? I'm still not clear whether there is really a cause for concern or if you are just worrying yourself into a cause for concern.

Regardless, if you think there is a medical problem, you need to be beating down doors until you get an answer. You are their mother. It is your job to advocate on their behalf.

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. I am very interested to know if they are growing along their growth curve. I haven't been chiming in lately because, honestly, I don't feel like anything I say will help or be heard. I've already said everything I wanted to in your other threads. But I am concerned about your babies and agree that you should be finding a new doctor. Even if you switch peds now, you will still be able to keep your GI referral. January is still weeks away. Maybe an ER visit is in order. ardon:

 

I agree with Megan. I feel like you don't want to hear what everyone is telling you and a lot of these moms speak from a lot of personal experience. I personally don't have reflux experience, but I know enough from hearing other moms' experiences to agree that it sounds like what you are dealing with. If your doctor isn't fixing the problem, find another doctor! Babies should take more than 2 ounces a day and it's something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. We are all concerned about your babies & want only what's best for them.

 

no no no, i am listening and taking in what everyone is saying and putting all of it, if not at least most of it to use. they DO have severe reflux yes but it seems to be under control (from what i can tell), no arching, no screaming, no crying during/before/after meals. they rarely cough and regurgitate and show no obvious signs that their reflux is bothering them. they just somehow all of the sudden get full.

what is mind boggling is that they will eat fine for their father but terrible for any woman that tries to feed them. we can't figure it out.

i've called GI, i've called my regular pedi. i'm demanding a swallow study BEFORE i allow them to shove a tube down my babies throats with an endoscope and a 24 hour observation.

GI did call this morning and river (who has had the most decrease in caloric intake) has bacteria in his urine. they want to run another test and do a culture on his urine and are sending me the documents so that i can take it to the lab for the "pee" bag he'll have to wear to collect the urine. i'm hoping its just a urinary tract infection or something minor like that but they didn't say.

i am extremely worried about my boys but YES they are gaining ABOVE the curve. at their 4 month check up heights were in the 90th percentile and weights were in the 50th percentile. so they are right on target if not past it, for their actual age and not their adjusted age. my concern is that if this eating pattern continues with the increase of activity that they will begin to loose weight.

i'm going to try more rice in the next feed and see if that helps.

the RN that comes to our house on the second trip said that she agreed not to do an "on demand" schedule with them since river had gone 24 hours on 2oz alone since the last time she had come by. her best suggestion was to just take them in for weekly weigh ins to see if they are gaining/maintaining or loosing and to keep offering them the bottle every 4 hours.

the bottle aversion, which she's seen 1000s of times, is not there, at least in here professional eyes. they do not seem to associate the bottle with pain. when they suck they are still, no arching, no crying, no fighting and are completely content. it's when they stop and bite down (without fussing) that things start to go down hill.

i have tried smaller portions in shorter time spans and that doesn't work either.

next step, put on one of daddy's dirty shirts with his smell and try and feed them that way. for some reason they will eat a solid 4-5oz in his arms. i don't understand it. you put them in the arms of a woman and they don't want it.

i just think there is something more going on here other than reflux. i feel like that is being controlled with meds and formula adjustments...i could be wrong i'm no expert but i am the mother and that's what my motherly gut is telling me. this is something more than reflux.

but i do appreciate all of your advice and tips. believe it or not i am putting them to use.

oh and i never ever feed them laying down. they are always angled if not sitting upright. it doesn't help though.

 

Sorry if this has been mentioned, but have you tried propping them with your husband's pillow or pillow case. I know propping is not ideal, but it's worth a try. I have to prop my girls when I am the only one around and they eat better when propped then they do when they are in my arms.

Just a thought. Good Luck

 

GREAT idea! I always had to prop or feed them in their boppy or bouncy seat since they wanted to eat at the same time and it was just me.

 

I also think not holding them while feeding them is a great thing to try. Prop them on a pillow & feed them, maybe by letting them kick their legs & wave their arms around, feeding time will be more pleasant. Maybe they don't like being restrained quite so much?

 

I think the idea of propping them up is great! Maybe try putting them in bouncers and sitting hehind them while holding the bottle so they can't see you. Face them towards a window so they can look outside or even the tv (anything to help at this point right?! :laughing: )
If they have absolutely no problems eating from their dad then why see the doctor. Maybe not having him feed them at all, so they know that you are the one that they will get food from.
Just a couple thoughts.

 

i used to feed them tandem with boppy pillows until they became such opposite feeders. when i hold them they look at everything but me and when their eyes meet mine they study my face, smile and talk/coo. with their dad they stare at him and look all around the room. i once tried putting a burp clothe over their eyes so they couldn't get distracted at all and they fell asleep...LOL

when i am holding them in my arms it's usually in an upright position, like they would be positioned in their boppy seats. i'll give that a try again though.

i just added a TON of rice to their bottles. it was 5oz and i added 7 scoops of rice. it was SUPER thick and we used the Y cut. the feed went a little faster then usual but i'm thinking it was too much rice...i know some of you use 2.5tsp of rice per oz so i thought i'd try. next feed i'm going to use 5 scoops of rice instead of the 7 scoops that i added (i should note that the bottles already had 3 scoops of rice in them).

it's just so perplexing that they eat so well with their dad and not for me. oh and i did notice that they focused more and actually ate for me without moving all over the place with the super thick formula...put them right to sleep though...lol. nap time for mommy!

 

Double Vision reminded me that we used to feed my son in his bouncy chair. :good:

Good luck!!

 

Just wanted mention here that Speech Therapists require a Master's Degree at the minimum to work in their field and often have a major focus on swallowing issues as well a oral issues. Many feeding specialists are Speech Therapists for this reason and have an even bigger focus/amoutn of time spent in their training on these issues. Being a Speech Therapist myself and my DH being an RN, there is no way that a Dr. would take my DH's opinion over mine in regards to swallowing and feeding issues. And I'm not saying it's necessarily the degree (most RN's only need an Associate's degree to become licensed and work in the field), but we are specially trained for these issues and they just aren't for the most part. They do a great job at screening people or children, but to provide anything theraputic is out of their scope. Occupational Therapists are also trained in these areas, so if you do see a feeding specialist or do a VFSS or MBSS (terms for a clinical swallow study), it will be conducted by either and SLP or an OT.

 

Haleystar, I'm the person who suggested aspiration, but truthfully, I've read all of your posts and to me (like many of the other responders) this sounds like untreated severe reflux. It doesn't sound like aspiration if they're avoiding eating. Of course every baby is different, but I could have written almost every one of your posts - and my daughter Piper has severe reflux. Every one of the things you've written about: eating ok for dad, eating fine for a few ounces, no crying, no fits, etc. is exactly what we experienced. And yet Piper wouldn't breastfeed or drink a full feed from a bottle until we got her on the right medicine. My husband held her slightly differently than I did and apparently it didn't cause the reflux to start as early in the feed as the position I held her in. We did a swallow study that showed exactly how the formula came back up after she got a little in her stomach and hit the formula going down. She did what your guys do, eat fine until she took a pause or stopped for a burp. I actually stopped burping her for several months, which is exactly what they tell you not to do, but it worked for us.

All that said, you've had a lot of women here tell you that this really really really really really seems like reflux. Your boys are on Prevacid, but it's not working. You don't have anything to lose by marching into the doctor and demanding another reflux medicine (I'd suggest Prilosec). Please give it a try. Your boys have been in pain for a long while and it's driving you nuts in the same way we've all been driven nuts before. Just because one nurse tells you your boys don't have a bottle aversion or they don't have reflux does not mean that's the case. Personally, I'd trust all of us more than one nurse.

Edited to add: It took an occupational therapist who specialized in feeding issues to help us diagnose Piper and convince the doctors to prescribe the correct medicine, so I agree with MLH above. Get a swallow study, or a speech/occupational therapist to come help out if you can't convince your pedi to do something more.