posted
Lego's been having diarrhea off and on for the past three weeks. He'll have it for a few days, then not for a few days, and then back on again. When he has diarrhea, he also spits up a lot. Lately, the spitting up has been more acidic; he cries when it comes up. He used to be on a pretty regular sleep schedule, but now he wakes every 1-2 hours at night. He's also very fussy during the day at times, which isn't at all normal for him.
As of a week ago, I started noticing that although he would be showing signs of hunger, when I'd put him to the breast, he'd scream bloody murder. Eventually he would either give up and nurse or wear himself out and fall asleep. He has always loved to nurse, so much so that he would usually nurse every hour or two during the day and every two or three hours at night. His growth has been phenomenal, as can be expected.
Suspecting an allergy to something in my diet, I took him to the doctor. His pediatrician wasn't in that day, so I saw another doctor, who basically dismissed the possibility of allergies without a second thought and gave a long explanation of what reflux is.
But I really think it's an allergy, and his sensitivity seems to be getting worse. I decided to try an elimination diet on my own. The thing is, I can't see any pattern, so it's something that's in a lot of things that I'm not thinking about. I've been off dairy since Sunday, and if anything, he's had looser stools and more spitting up. Also, I've given him formula a few times (4?) in his life, and he's never seemed to have a problem with it.
The other possibilities (at least right now) are chocolate, wheat, and eggs. If it's one of these three, it would explain the worsened symptoms this week, as Sunday was my birthday, and I've been having a piece of chocolate cake each day this week. I've kind of also noticed worsened symptoms after I eat hamburgers or pizza, so that points toward wheat a bit. Then again, I eat chocolate quite often but not every day, so it's a definite possibility too.
Anyway, the thing that prompted this thread is that this morning, Lego was extremely fussy, sometimes screaming. He seemed hungry, so I'd try to feed him. When he'd see me unclip my nursing bra, he'd make these excited and relieved-sounding sobs, but as soon as my nipple was in his mouth--even before he'd started sucking--he'd kick and scream and turn bright red. After going through this series of events three times, I finally decided to try formula to see if he'd take that.
Boy howdy, did he.
Which confirms my suspicion that it's something in my milk.
But if he won't eat, I don't have three weeks to figure out which of those three suspects is the culprit. What do I do now?
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Take him to a different doctor; there are tests that can be performed that check for allergies. We did the same thing with my brother when he was about 6 months old. He didn't enjoy it, but it was better than the alternative!
Also, I think most insurance plans will cover the test.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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As an immediate response, however, if you want to be able to nurse him so he's getting nutrition and doesn't get too used to the bottle, cut all three possibilities out of your diet. Nurse for a couple of days, to get him back used to it being a good thing, then try adding small amounts back in of one at a time, so you can identify what is causing the problem and avoid it the rest of the time you're nursing. That way you don't have to take three weeks to figure it out, and can start NOW while you're waiting to get in to see your doctor or a different doctor.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
OK, this is a software debugging kind of answer based on zero knowledge of the actual subject.
Is it possible it's the mechanism and not the milk itself? Can you express (OK, I know the word express) some milk into a bottle and see if he would take it that way with no ill effects?
If there's a mechanical problem, then position would seem to matter a lot.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Superstation had difficulty when Mama ate onions or chocolate. Probably doesn't help you. Sorry, I got nothin'.
Posts: 6213 | Registered: May 2001
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posted
You could also try to obtain warranty service, although I've found that warranty repair centers tend to ship your product back to you poorly packed in a cheap cardboard box.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Do you hold him in the same position when giving him formula as he is for nursing? My second son weaned himself at six months because he had so many ear infections that tilting his head back to nurse was painful for him. Took us awhile to figure out why he wouldn't nurse. There were a couple (uncomfortable for me) position we could get in that allowed him to nurse without having to lie back as much.
posted
My thoughts are 1) ear infection or 2)sinus congestion. If it is an allergy, have you cut out citrus? That was a big one for both my sisters when my mom was breastfeeding them. However, I'm inclined to suspect ear infection or congestion first from what you described. Ems went through a thing at about 7 months where she was sick and didn't want to nurse, but if I sat her upright, tilted a little forward, she would drink from a cup; it just had to be the position she could breathe in!
Or, it could just be a nursing strike. Some kids do that at that age. Just keep offering it. Try walking while nursing. Try distraction, giving him something for his hands to play with while he eats. Just tough it out is all you can really do for nursing strikes.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Dag's suggestin is an excellent one. I thought of ear infection too - if it hurts him to nurse, he may be taking to the bottle not because it's formula but because it's easier to get the milk out of the bottle.
When you took Lego to the doctor, did the doctor check his ears?
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
He doesn't sound congested at all, and the position doesn't seem to be a problem except when he's nursing. He finally got hungry enough that he nursed for a while. When he finished, he spit quite a lot back up.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
I was thinking GERD (reflux) could be a possibility too. That would also naturally feel better with sitting up more.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote: When he'd see me unclip my nursing bra, he'd make these excited and relieved-sounding sobs, but as soon as my nipple was in his mouth--even before he'd started sucking--he'd kick and scream and turn bright red
...makes it sound like it has nothing to do with the milk you are nursing, because he hasn't even suckled yet. It's got to be position or something else.
posted
Here's a position that might help if it's his ears or nose: lay on your back. Get him on his knees, and bend him down over you to latch on. Alternatively, sit him in your lap, facing you, and try it straight-on.
Of course, if his tubes are so clogged that it hurts to suck, position may not matter as much. Pull gently on his ear and see if he screams more than is warranted. If so, you probably have an ear infection on your hands. (You didn't mention fever, but I used to-- and still do-- get both OME and AOM without fevers.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Your baby may be having a nursing strike. It can be caused by a variety of reasons. Sometimes it can be a new personal care product (such as perfume, deodorant), or a laundry product with an unfamiliar smell. If the baby is teething, it may hurt his gums when he sucks - giving a cold teether before nursing can soothe the gums.
These links contain some helpful information on babies who suddenly refuse to nurse.
I would like to say a bit about the baby being sensitive to something in your milk. The most common food to cause a reaction to mom's milk is cow's milk in the mom's diet. The cow's milk proteins get into the mother's milk and can cause problems in some babies. Some moms whose babies have this sensitiviy have found that they have to eliminate all dairy from their diets, including hidden dairy (read labels) in breads, crackers, etc. Soy, wheat, citrus, corn, nuts and shellfish are also common allergens.
If you do an elimination diet, it is best to do it by eliminating one food from your diet at a time, for about two weeks. You can then reintroduce the food and see if baby has a reaction. If you eliminate many foods at one time, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to tell which food is causing the reaction.
The good news is that most babies outgrow these food sensitivities as they get older. If you have a family history of food allergies, though, you may wish to be more careful about what you eat and how soon you introduce solids.
posted
Chocolate is a common food that babies don't enjoy beiing transferred to milk.
Also ear infections are stubborn buggers that can crop up without any other illness or other symptoms. And they can literally spring up for a few days then disappear as soon as you take the baby to the doctor. Or it finally won't be manifest to the Dr. for another 24 hours after your first visit. :S
That and all the things everyone else already said.
Come on Lego! Eat! Feel Better!! Posts: 995 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
At about 3 p.m., he decided to nurse. He ate a long time, slept, and then ate a long time again. He has been much happier ever since. I wonder what caused the turn.
By the way, no to crying harder when gently tugging on his ears, no fever, and I almost never eat citrus.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
If it is an allergy, whatever the offender was (I always tend to suspect chocolate, but I expect that's because one of my brothers had a strong reaction to it in breast milk, rather than anything more relevant to other people) might have no longer been present.
posted
Superstation was allergic to milk. He is still allergic to eggs and peas. I drank lots of milk while nursing, but for some reason he only reacted when I ate chocolate. His excema always got worse after I ate it.
Posts: 399 | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: You could also try to obtain warranty service, although I've found that warranty repair centers tend to ship your product back to you poorly packed in a cheap cardboard box.
You DO still have the bar codes, right? Because without them you can't get your rebate either. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Actually, chocolate in the mother's diet is not one of the most common culprits of discomfort in breastfeeding infants. But it is a common myth that it is.
Cow's milk in the mother's diet is the most common food to cause problems in a breastfed baby
Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
First, I am not a doctor, so I am only making suggestions based on my experiences as the mother of a refluxer. It doesn't sound to me like Baby Lego has reflux, though if he does, there's something else going on.
Diarrhea is NOT a symptom of reflux. Aerin has never had diarrhea (thank G-d) and she's had reflux her whole life. Also, reflux in infants doesn't come and go, like Lego's seems to. Lastly, refluxers generally don't develop nursing aversions. You might want to ask your doctor (your own, not the one who dismissed your very legitimate concerns) about Reglan, Zantac, or Pepcid, all of which have worked for Aerin (she's down to Pepcid twice a day, which is the least medication she's every been on).
When I was pumping, they told me to avoid tomatos and dairy to help Aerin's reflux.
Have you tried pumping and giving the baby breastmilk in a bottle? That might be a way to figure our if it's a nursing issue or a milk issue.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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quote:If the baby is teething, it may hurt his gums when he sucks - giving a cold teether before nursing can soothe the gums.
Is it possible that he is teething right now? He's only 2.5 months old, but . . . I kind of think he might be. Lately, he's been really drooly, and he just chows down on his fists between feedings. If I give him my finger to suck on, he bites rather than sucks. He seems fussy, but he also seems to enjoy sucking on the cold teething ring. Finally, I feel definite tooth-like shapes on top, and the one on the right looks whitish at the tip, like it's just about to emerge. Maybe this is perfectly normal and maybe he's not teething, but it actually did occur to me that teething might be causing his distress and problems nursing.
Then again, babies are supposed to teethe between 4 and 7 months of age, and the bottom teeth are supposed to come through first.
I haven't said so, but I really appreciate the responses on this thread.
Posts: 1903 | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
My kids' first teeth all came in around 4-5 months, but they started "teething" long before that. They'd drool and chew on everything. And even though I noticed hard bumps on their top gums, all of their teeth came in on the bottom first. So from my experience, yes, your baby seems right in line ... although the teeth may take quite a while to show up yet.
I didn't notice any nursing problems related with teething though (except for biting, which is a whole 'nother issue....).
Posts: 1522 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Teething patterns are hereditary, so you could find out if anyone in your or Jon's family got teeth really early. Most babies start getting teeth around the time you indicated, but it can be earlier or much later.
Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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