feeding issue updates

Just a general question about reflux - Is it common for reflux to "run in families" or be present in both twins? I don't know much about reflux, so I was just wondering.

 

Amber, I'm not really sure. All of my kids, including both twins, had it to varying degrees, and ranged from eating constantly to dull the pain, to not eating at all to avoid it.

 

Excellent point Tricia. :good:

 

It can, but it's not a general rule. My Mom has severe reflux to the point where she will aspirate her reflux in the night and end up with brochitis and pneumonia a few times a year. I don't have it nor does DH. My DS had it and was able to wean off meds around the 1 yr. mark. He still doesn't like things that are too acidic. My oldest DD did not have any reflux issues. My DD (DS's twin) had very mild "happy spitter" type of reflux, but didn't ever need meds.

 

I think from everything you've posted about your boys' feeding issues, there are two things which stand out.

1) There is most likely a reflux problem which is not being properly treated and

2) As in the quote above, you seem IMO to be going from one method to another with barely a pause in between.

Your babies are four months old, and it is not possible for such little infants to adjust so quickly to quantities, quality, additions, subtractions, nipple types, various bottles, positions etc. Sometimes, even two weeks is not enough time for some babies. Yes, you do need to find what will work, and what won't, but not at the pace you seem to be going with so many different methods/ideas/trials.

Good luck, and I hope your problems are resolved soon.

 

I wrote earlier about seeing the therapist..i agree that an RN cannot really diagnose it. My DS had reflux finallyt under control completely--and had the aversion for months afterwards. He would suck away for about 2 ounces--ahppy and open his mouth. Then he would just stop. Sometimes he would just push the bottle away or just play with it...but he didnt cry or arch away in pain--b/c he wasn't in pain anymore. Although the reflux was under control, by the time we got there, he was alreayd fully averted to the bottle. So don't think the arching back and pain is absolutrely necessary. And just fyi....the reason my son got aversion was b/c he was only on 7.5 mg of prevacid--his brother was on 15mg. As sson as we got him up to 15mg, his spitting up and reflux was under control but a bit late. So it's crazy to me that your doc won't up his medication--it wasn't evena question for my docs--one even said 7.5 mg doesn't do anything. I hope that's not what your child has, but think that a specialist shoudl diagnose that.

ONe last note, my GI wasn't crazy concerned about my DS taking 10 oz a day b/c somehow he was gaining weight--very little but he was. He just wanted us to figure it out. He said unless he lost weight consistently, then he would talk about feeding tube. So--it sounds like yours are gaining, so if they are messing w/ the bottle, why don't you just leave it. Let them take what they want and then take the bottle away. If they are gaining weight really good and taking almost 20 oz a day, why are you concerned--did I miss something? I know it's stressful when they aren't eating a lot, but if they are gaining, that is really the only concern.

 

i am demanding a swallow study from the GI and my pedi before i put a tube down there throats.

they don't appear to be in any kind of pain, like i said before. they don't scream and since the thickening of the formula to a super thick consistency they have taken it without wiggling around. i'm going to continue with the super thick bottles and see if that does the trick.

yeah, we've tried a lot of things a lot of different times but when nothing works you've got to try something else. the only consistent thing that we've done is put them back on nutrimagen which doesn't seem to affect them as much as the milk based formula did. the lower the rice quantity the harder the feed. they just don't seem interested.

i DO think that the reflux is under control, from what i can tell. they don't arch or scream or seem in any sort of pain and bottle aversions...no i don't think that's the case either because i can get them to take full bottles at a time without issue but it's completely random.

i did try feeding them in their boppy seat and that was a disaster, then i tried the boppy pillow and again - total failure. so i'll stick with holding them in my arms in an uprightish position.

i REALLY and truly thank you all for the tips. once we get this urine analysis thing under control and find out what's going on with river we will do the swallow study first.

but really, i may seem like i'm shooting down everyone's suggestions, but i'm really not. i really do appreciate all of the advice and tips. it's just that mommy instinct tells me this is beyond reflux.

 

Hope things are going a little bit better with the boys. I haven't had the issues you have had but I had some similar frustrations lately with my little guy. He was teething big time and had a good week where he would refuse bottles all day. I would come home from work and my husband would tell me he only took 3 oz all day. He wasn't fussy either. He would, however, try to make up for not eating when I got home by nursing. After the first tooth popped through we had a few days of good eating and then the other one started coming up. Another week of the same pattern and now the second tooth is up so we will see how he eats when I go to work tomorrow. Good luck with everything

 

i don't think we need the swallow study anymore. we added WAY more rice to their bottles and they are taking it much much better. we've also dropped from 5 to 4 bottles a day since every other feed with the 5 bottles they would refuse or only take a few oz.

i took them to the ped on friday and lo and behold they gained a full pound since their 4 month check up. so that entire month of them not eating did not affect their weight at all...thank god!

they are majorly teething, the ped confirmed it on friday. TONS of drool and excess saliva that they sometimes throw up - it's pretty gross. red/rosey cheeks like they have wind burn, and chewing on EVERYTHING with some occassional fussiness. i think we will see a tooth here pretty soon.

all and all it was a major pain in the butt and no one still knows what the problem was but they are still gaining weight and growing like weeds so all is right in the world!

thanks for all of the help/suggestions/support, i really appreciate it!