Feeding Issues

Our girls would drink their bottles like champs, until recently. The oldest has no feeding issues whatsoever, she gobbles her bottle down in no time and is happy as a lark . Our younger one recently will eat an ounce or two then start arching her back, something she never did before. She has been congested alot lately and Ive been keeping her little nose clean thinking she may have been having trouble breathing while she ate. This didnt help. SHe doesnt act like she is in pain, she even smiles and coos while she does it. It takes her sometimes an hour to eat because she will take a few sucks, arch her back, turn her head and spit out the bottle. Her appetite has also decreased.
I really dont know what to think. I burp her and even after burping her she will do the same thing. She does spit up alot, but shes always been a big spitter upper. She is the smaller of the two, but I know that is normal I just worry about her not gaining or losing due to these eating issues.

I have read that most babies that suffer from reflux would arch their back but would also fuss during/after. She doesnt fuss at all though and she seems happy.
Is this a sign of teething? They have been drooling and she will chomp down on just about anything (she got my finger one day and ouch! she bites pretty darn hard)
Could it be reflux? Can reflux just start at this age? Sorry for all the silly questions, I just dont know whether this is something I should call their pedi about.

 

My younger boy does the same thing and I have often wondered what he is doing. We originally thought about the burping thing, but like you said after a big 'ol burp, he just continues to do it. He is also the spitter of the two.

I will be interested in seeing what other people have to say. And I'm glad we weren't alone with this issue.

Thanks!

 

it can definitely be reflux. my guys arched but it didn't always coincide with crying at the bottle. they also sleep happily but try to position themselves with their backs arched and heads tipped back.

if she's arching and her appetite is decreasing, those can be warning signs. you might talk to your doctor. she may not need much intervention. in fact, a little mylanta may be all she needs, but talk to your doctor before trying anything.

 

Mine did that when they had bad gas and reflux, I wish i could say the meds helped a lot....maybe a little I guess. I would call Pediatrician.

 

QUOTE(lilsteff @ Jan 15 2009, 07:03 PM) [snapback]1148599[/snapback]
It takes her sometimes an hour to eat because she will take a few sucks, arch her back, turn her head and spit out the bottle. Her appetite has also decreased.

Could it be reflux? Can reflux just start at this age? Sorry for all the silly questions, I just dont know whether this is something I should call their pedi about.


Definitely call the Ped. Those are classic signs of reflux. If she is arching and refusing the bottle she is probably in pain. There are meds that will help with that and then her appetite will probably increase as well as her weight.

 

Yes, this sounds exactly like reflux. Reflux can start as late as 3 or 4 months of age and continue until about 9 or 10 months old, or much longer as in severe cases. Talk to your pedi about reflux meds, make sure that you keep her feeding routine simple and the same. Start off with keeping the room calm, quiet, dark, and comfortable for her. As she gets older she may grow out of this or it can get worse. We are at the point where I have to distract the boys just to get them to take the bottle because they now have behavioral food eating avoidance because of the pain of reflux. Most kids can be easily treated. The best reflux med is Prevacid but talk to your pedi as there are others that may work well for your little one.

 

Thanks so much for the responses!
I called the Pediatrician and made an appt for her to be checked for this. I feel terrible for waiting so long if this is what she has.

I wonder if she has always had it and it just recently got worse? She always spit up alot since she was a newborn but just recently started arching her back, pushing her feet like she is trying to get away from the bottle. Then when you reoffer her the bottle she eagerly takes it then a few sucks later arches her back again. Poor baby girl.

 

QUOTE(lilsteff @ Jan 15 2009, 09:26 PM) [snapback]1149304[/snapback]
Thanks so much for the responses!
I called the Pediatrician and made an appt for her to be checked for this. I feel terrible for waiting so long if this is what she has.

I wonder if she has always had it and it just recently got worse? She always spit up alot since she was a newborn but just recently started arching her back, pushing her feet like she is trying to get away from the bottle. Then when you reoffer her the bottle she eagerly takes it then a few sucks later arches her back again. Poor baby girl.


I hope she is feeling better soon. :hug:

 

QUOTE(lilsteff @ Jan 15 2009, 10:26 PM) [snapback]1149304[/snapback]
I wonder if she has always had it and it just recently got worse? She always spit up alot since she was a newborn but just recently started arching her back, pushing her feet like she is trying to get away from the bottle. Then when you reoffer her the bottle she eagerly takes it then a few sucks later arches her back again. Poor baby girl.

we go through this push-pull quite a bit. they push away, then eagerly accept the bottle again, then grimace and push away again after a couple of swallows. they're using their hands more, now, so they're starting to use them to grasp the bottle and shove it away from their mouths, too. that's when we know they may need a dose of mylanta for the next couple of feedings until the break-through eases up and their regular meds go back to being effective again.

 

Our DD demostrates very similar behaviors at feeding time. I posted last week "Is this reflux?" for some input from fellow Moms. We went to our pedi under the suspician of reflux and she prescribed us zantac for relief. We just started the meds yesterday and we're hoping it makes her more comfortable. It might be our imagination but she seems happier and feeding better already this morning.

Good luck and I hope she feels better soon.

 

sounds like my dd. When she was about a month old she started having a decreased appetitie. She too would arch and occasionally cry through bottles but she didnt spit much. We were put on zantac...didnt do anything. A lot of times she just seemed full or uninterested. She wasnt too fussy and was a great sleeper (which a lot of reflux babies struggle with) it seemed like a minimal case of reflux but nothing was helping! We were put on prevacid and referred to a GI...we just had all of these tests done on her and all they found was some irritation in her esophagus which is probably from refluxing. We put oatmeal cereal in her bottles to help it stay down for what spit up she did have. Her weight gain slowed but she was still hydrated and happy as can be. We eventually started feeding her while she was sleeping (dreamfeeding) and she seemed to eat a little better than. Just recently she has started eating a little better...she was averaging 12-15oz a day and is now averaging 16-20; we think she might just be growing out of it or her tummy is finally adjusting to the oatmeal or we have no idea.
Anyway, I know how frustrating it is...especially when you have another baby who is eating like a champ to compare it to. I hope you get some answers soon or this just blows over and it was just a phase or something.

keep us posted!!

 

My DD2 had reflux at 2 months old. She kept screaming cause she was in uncomfortable pain and projectile vomited a few times before we knew what her problem was.. We haven't had a problem since though - thank God.

DD2 likes to thrust a LOT. Sometimes she thrusts like a mad-woman. [I think she gets a kick out of it] She'll do it when you try to change her diaper, clothes, and during feedings. A few times she's actually chocked on her formula because of it. It gets a little old and frustrating at times, but it's not causing her pain. I call her a little spazoid when she does it :lol:

DD1 is starting to do it now too. They both like to kick one leg while feeding and also try to grab toes!

 

My one had reflux but it was due to a medication which caused it. she was on Zantac. We found as the medication increased so did her reflux and she had to sleep in a infant-to-toddler rocker so she was more upright. She also slept in it very weird with her back arched. things are fine now....

another thing to look for is any red rash on her cheeks or changes to her bowels... could be a sign of milk allergy as well.

heather