Aeva went to the doctor this morning for her reflux. I'm at my wit's end with it, and I'm pretty sure she's in pain from puking. The last thing we want is for her to get scared of eating from the association of eating with puking, and develop an oral aversion.
SO...We went and visited Dr. Engler. She is still gaining good weight, so he's not worried about her puking, but I am worried about her puking (any mother outranks doctor any day, right?). Her puking is interfering with developmental play time...I can't lay her on her back to play in her floor gym, or give her a lot of tummy time because...yes, she'll hurl.
So he agreed...we'll fix this. First thing first, reflux medicine...Zantac...or at least the generic version (Tricare doesn't cover name brand meds, only generic). When I gave it to her she spit it out. Strike one. We'll give it to her again later. (It's a twice daily med.)
Also, doc said to thicken her formula a wee bit, with either rice or oatmeal cereal.
I went straight to drop off the prescription, and to Wal-Mart to pick up some cereal.
Well WTF is the difference between oatmeal and rice cereals?! First I had to pick what brand I wanted. I knew I wanted organic, because it's the best for her. There was no organic rice cereal, but the Gerber said made with all natural single grain rice. Gerber it is.
There's a rice cereal (oatmeal too) that Gerber makes that is fortified with DHA, which supports brain and eye developement. Fortified rice cereal it is.
Rice cereal will also increase her caloric intake...so she'll gain even more weight now, lol
FYI: The only difference I saw on the nutritional labels was that oatmeal cereal had 2g of protien, and twice as much potassium. She gets vitamins once a day, so extra potassium isn't required.
So we tried this all AS SOON as we got home. She spit out the medicine. Super. I put in 1/2tsp of rice cereal per ounce of formula, and it seemed to work. So far so good. Let's see how this goes.
Maybe later on today she'll take her medicine!
She threw up a bit (eh, not much, really) with the second feeding of thickened formula. Super, its not working. Maybe in conjunction with the medicine it will work. Only a few more hours til I'll give it to her again.
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The other day, while waiting to get her hip ultrasound, a girl sat next to me with a beast of a baby. She looked at Aeva and said "Awwwww so cute and so little, how old is she?"
Almost 4 months, I replied.
"Seriously? My baby is 3 weeks old and is almost 11 lbs."
Thank goodness they called Aeva back because I wanted to punch the bitch in the face.
I read in a book (Ant and I got some preemie books after Aeva was born, and one was on the emotional side of the event) that hearing people say ""awww so little" would be hard.
TURNS OUT IT WAS RIGHT. Saying that she is so little not only reminds me that she IS so little and WAS even SMALLER, but it neglects to acknowledge the fact that she's grown so much and is GINORMOUS. That's right: Huge.
Weight: 8lb 11.4oz
(.4 less than a WHOLE POUND gained in 2 weeks) Rock on.
Some babies can't eat rice cereal. People say that oatmeal is more healthy and has more fiber. I have tried both for my daughter and she is now 8 months. my daughter loved the Oatmeal more. She ate more and has an issue of having hard stool so I went with the oatmeal to see if it would help. She refused to eat the rice cereal from then on. Plus, if you are giving her the rice cereal or even the oatmeal kind, you can put a little of peaches or pears baby food to sweeten the taste of the cereal.
ReplyDeleteDoctors from different parts of the country will tell you what to do differently. It just depends on where you live.
Mother's tuition is always right and you can never be too careful of your little one when she has a medical issue. Follow your gut and get a second opinion. If you continue to feel that the pediatrician is not hearing you and not checking what you want them to check out, you can always try to get a new one. I hope this helps you out. Good luck with everything and enjoy the precious little moments you have with your daughter. Nothing beats being a mom for the first time!
Oh by the way, my daughter is 14 lbs and like I said 8 months. That women's baby was HUGE and thank god I have a small one to carry around. Every baby is different, and I know now I can't compare mine to any because she is her own person.
ReplyDeleteLilacmay...may I ask who you are? :) I cant tell from your name.
ReplyDeleteThe medicine and cereal isnt working...she's still throwing up. I think its an air issue, and will jsut we a puker. All well. Im going to give it a few more days, and if it doesn't start to work, then Im going to take her off the medicine. I prefer her not to take medicine if avoudable.
Also, she really likes the cereal in her formula. I gave her a bottle without it last night, and she wasn't a fan. I think the thickened formula is helping a LITTLE, but nothing major.
Thanks for the tip about adding fruit. The only problem with that, is that since she is not on solids yet, adding multiple ingredients could trigger an allergy. She's only considered 2 months old, and she will not be introduced to spoonfed solids until August, when she is considered 4 months old (6months chronologically)
I am a friend of a friend and just saw that you had a baby. I saw your quotes on myspace and am sad to admit that I have been following since i was concerned for the baby and your well being. Then I saw this link and checked out the blog. I am a stay at home mom with a baby that loves to sleep so my time on the internet has increased with my boredom.
ReplyDeleteI know the doctors said to wait, but it is not going to hurt to try and feed her some cereal through a spoon. Just trust your gut. She is eating it through the bottle, so you can honestly say she can eat it. I never put the cereal in my daughters bottle. my doctor said it is more hassle for me to do that, but if I want to I can. The first spoon feeding is interesting. My daughter still has a hard time because she wants the constant flow instead of her swallowing and waiting for the next spoon full. Maybe your daughter needs to eat slower for the food to settle in her stomach until the medicine can be held down. May I ask what type of nipple you are using? The flow of the nipple might be the cause of the reflex. It may be too fast. Have you, or can you, give her the medicine in a small suction tube that is used when giving tylenol to babies? Since she has a reflex and, if it's possible to give her medicine through that, to give her the medicine slowly and not put the whole tube in her mouth. Babies and kids love to spit it out especially if you can't get it down her throat. It will take time. i know it is frustrating and tiresome, but trust me there are ways to get through this. Just need to find the right way through all the wrong ones. :(
The cereal is helping your daughter grow more and fill her up more. I hope everything I am suggesting at least gives you comfort in knowing that you are not alone in this. i am sorry that a fellow mother has to go through this and not able to find an end to it. I had no idea they still considered her 2 months. I am out in Cali and the doctor said i can start solids at 6 months, meaning baby food, but my friend started her kids when they were 3 months. It all depends on the doctor I guess. My friend was right. My daughter was hungry and can eat more than I thought. I would suggest to just play with what you think might work. you know your daughter more than anyone. And babies will surprise you, especially when they become mobile. I love hearing the prgress of your beautiful daughter! :) Thank you for sharing
Lilac,
ReplyDeleteAeva is fed from a Haberman nipple, a nipple special for "poor feeders." It has a slow, medium, and fast flow, all in one nipple, so that the feeder controls the flow of the fluid rather than the infant.
Read the newest blog, it updates all the feeding crap. lol
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement, advice, and interest in the progress of Aeva.
lol gotcha. My daughter couldnt take the recomended flow for her age. It was too fast for her and she began to have a reflex. I quickly changed back to the one I used before, so that way she could control the flow herself and get the suction down by herself. Some how my daughter learned in the womb to put her tongue on the roof of her mouth to sooth her. This became a challenge to over come when she was learning how to eat. I am sorry that you are still struggling. i agree with you 100 percent that its not just feeding your child.
ReplyDeleteI worked for a school and had a kid who had a gag reflex really bad. he had to watch what he ate, how he ate his food and still had problems. He was in the 3rd grade. I believe your daughter, no matter what, will be able to learn to either grow out of it or have a different aproach to food. She is still very young and learning something new every day. I hope you find answers soon! i know how nerve racking it is and how hopeless a mother feels when you see your child struggling.
Sorry I haven't been on in a while, my ccomputer took a dump, and I had to get a new one. Aeva is beginning to grow out of her reflux, but we went on a trip for a week, and she decided not to eat. Its like teaching her to eat ALL OVER AGAIN. I'm hoping that being home again will get her on the right track. She's also beginning to teethe.
ReplyDeleteThe eating habits will fluctuate. teething is a huge factor. I still have problems with feeding. My daughter is getting her teeth all at once at a very young age. It hurts her too much to eat baby food, so sometimes I have to just bottle feed her. My doctor said she will still be getting all the nutrients she needs from formula. motherhood is so frustrating because the baby changes so fast and often. I am glad your daughter is doing better and growing!
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