Combating gas
Hmm..where do I even begin?
Avery has been a great baby from the very first day she was born. So great that she pretty much slept through everything in the hospital (including her hearing test, doctor check up, and some of her hospital photoshoot)
When we brought her home it was more of the same. She was a typical sleepy newborn. She rarely cried and was rather predictable. Her only problem was gas.
By the time Avery was 2 weeks old, we had switched her to Enfamil Gentlease. It seemed to work better than the Enfamil newborn, but Avery still suffers from gas on occasion. We tried adding gripe water into her bottles. This caused Avery to develop a rash all over her body (which ultimately made her more uncomfortable). Our most recent attempt revolved around Little Tummies. While the drops do seem to calm her, they only work temporarily. Oh, and Avery despises the taste of them (despite their "berry flavor"). Seriously, I'm waiting for her to foam at the mouth one day!
Ok, so you're probably thinking..why am I telling you all of this now?
Well..our little Avery is becoming more and more complicated.
Since her 2 month checkup (last Friday), Avery has become more spit-uppy (sometimes it is chunky, but mostly it's just liquid). She coughs A LOT (It's not a cough you would associate with a cold. It's very random and sounds more like she's trying to clear her throat.) She's had a loss of appetite. Probably the most noticeable change has been the way Avery stretches out her legs and arches her back. She grunts and cries in pain. (I should mention that she's comfortable if you rock her, bounce her, do bicycle kicks, or allow her to stretch out on the ground)
Meg and I were attributing all of these symptoms to the live rotavirus vaccine that Avery received last week, BUT the doctor said the virus would be out of her system in 5-7 days.
Her appetite seems to have come back today, but with it came severe gas pains. They were so bad that Avery couldn't sleep comfortably. We called the doctor and their only suggestion was sugar water.
We tried the sugar water AND little tummies, but Avery was only able to sleep for about 30 minutes before waking up screaming.
Pooping seemed to relieve some of her discomfort. That was, until Meg fed her again.
Today was by far the worst day Avery has had. Meg and I are at a loss. Every time we call the doctor the nurse calls back and suggests sugar water. At what point should we consider switching formulas? What about pediatricians?
What do you do to combat gas pains?!
For the record, Avery is a VERY happy kid. She laughs and smiles the majority of the time!
Avery has been a great baby from the very first day she was born. So great that she pretty much slept through everything in the hospital (including her hearing test, doctor check up, and some of her hospital photoshoot)
When we brought her home it was more of the same. She was a typical sleepy newborn. She rarely cried and was rather predictable. Her only problem was gas.
By the time Avery was 2 weeks old, we had switched her to Enfamil Gentlease. It seemed to work better than the Enfamil newborn, but Avery still suffers from gas on occasion. We tried adding gripe water into her bottles. This caused Avery to develop a rash all over her body (which ultimately made her more uncomfortable). Our most recent attempt revolved around Little Tummies. While the drops do seem to calm her, they only work temporarily. Oh, and Avery despises the taste of them (despite their "berry flavor"). Seriously, I'm waiting for her to foam at the mouth one day!
Ok, so you're probably thinking..why am I telling you all of this now?
Well..our little Avery is becoming more and more complicated.
Since her 2 month checkup (last Friday), Avery has become more spit-uppy (sometimes it is chunky, but mostly it's just liquid). She coughs A LOT (It's not a cough you would associate with a cold. It's very random and sounds more like she's trying to clear her throat.) She's had a loss of appetite. Probably the most noticeable change has been the way Avery stretches out her legs and arches her back. She grunts and cries in pain. (I should mention that she's comfortable if you rock her, bounce her, do bicycle kicks, or allow her to stretch out on the ground)
Meg and I were attributing all of these symptoms to the live rotavirus vaccine that Avery received last week, BUT the doctor said the virus would be out of her system in 5-7 days.
Her appetite seems to have come back today, but with it came severe gas pains. They were so bad that Avery couldn't sleep comfortably. We called the doctor and their only suggestion was sugar water.
We tried the sugar water AND little tummies, but Avery was only able to sleep for about 30 minutes before waking up screaming.
Pooping seemed to relieve some of her discomfort. That was, until Meg fed her again.
Today was by far the worst day Avery has had. Meg and I are at a loss. Every time we call the doctor the nurse calls back and suggests sugar water. At what point should we consider switching formulas? What about pediatricians?
What do you do to combat gas pains?!
For the record, Avery is a VERY happy kid. She laughs and smiles the majority of the time!
If it was me, I would switch to a soy or lactose free formula. Apparently lots of bubs are lactose intolerant (something like 50%). Their little tummies just aren't mature enough to digest it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for responding. It seems as though that is the general consensus. Do we stick with enfamil or do we go the similac route?
DeleteEek I have no idea sorry! i breastfeed so not well versed on formulas sorry.
DeleteMy suggestion is try similac sensitivity I had the same problem with Jakson he is 6 month now and started all that around 6 week too we use gas drops every bottle and that one seems to work we tryed other ones no go. Also try giving her alittle apple juice with water and it will help clear her out . Our little guy used to get constipated so bad has done alittle better since eating baby food
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for responding!
DeleteOne of our friends also recommended similac sensitive. That is definitely one possibility
Hi! I stalk your blog but I thought I would stop lurking to comment on your post. We have struggled with gas issues with one of our twin boys who is about the same age as your little one. We tried everything under the sun but eventually had to put him on Zantac. It has really seemed to help. I think formula can just be rough on their bellies. We also started using probiotics. They are a bit pricey but they have also helped a bit. BTW you have a great blog and a beautiful family.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you stalk!!! Thanks so much for responding!
DeleteDid the doctor prescribe the zantac?
Can you tell me more about the probiotics?
Yep. The pediatrician prescribed the Zantac. It is essentially the exact same thing as OTC Zantac but in liquid form for an infant. We give it to Jakob 2x a day and we just mix it in his bottle.
DeleteThe probiotics aid in building a healthy digestive system. We have used two different types. Both of which we just mix in the bottles. We first used Biogaia (http://biogaia.com/home) and saw some positive results but they were extremely expensive. Especially because we were giving them to both boys. You can find them at Walgreens. We now use Udo's Choice (http://udoerasmus.com/products/probiotics_infants_en.htm) as recommended to us by our pediatrician. This is a powder form. You can find Udo's Choice at Whole Foods.
I hope this helps a bit and that you find something that works for Avery. Good Luck. I know it is hard to watch them wiggle around in pain.
You may want to try Similac Alimentum. It is considerably more expensive than some of the other formulas, but works very well for many babies that are experiencing similar symptoms. I have two babies at the day care that have all of the symptoms that you are describing and both are doing better with the Alimentum. Good luck and hope she feels better soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for responding! Do you think the alimentum is better than the similac sensitive?
DeleteHow much more expensive are we talking? (not that I care if it will make her feel better...just curious and a feeling a little too lazy to research right now!)
Do you think she would have a hard time switching from enfamil to similac?
Hi! I'm not a mom, but my close friend's little girl had acid reflux as a baby. It caused her to be very uncomfortable- ultimately, they did end up giving her an antacid and they had to keep her upright after eating to let gravity help in keeping everything in her tummy. Hope she feels better :/ megan
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your support. I appreciate it! She's starting to feel better, I think! (fingers crossed that it stays that way!)
DeleteMichaela never had stomach issues, just a hard time with bowel movements. This is typical with her issues. My doctor recommended colace, which is a stool softener, and I would add it to her bottles. Just a tiny bit and it worked. Once they start on food you can give her the fruit and that helps to keep things moving and easier for her.
ReplyDeleteAH...I fear many days of constipation ahead! Definitely will give her a lot of fruits and veggies when we get to that point!
Delete