Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Experiences with acid reflux and breast feeding

Since Squirrel was tiny, I told my husband that I thought that Squirrel might have acid reflux. He would do a strange gagging type thing but nothing ever came up and spit up often. After taking him in for his 2 month appointment, the doctor became concerned that he isn't gaining weight like they would like him to, diagnosed him with possible acid reflux, and put him on medication to help him gain weight.
Since getting the diagnosis, he is getting medication twice a day and I have to make sure that he is eating at least ever 3 hours for 20-30 minutes at a time.
It has been exhausting to say the least.
Today was a particularly bad day, which prompted me to start writing about our struggles through our hopefully long breast feeding adventure.

Due to his reflux, Squirrel will have days where he prefers to be kept in an upright, almost standing position all day. Those days I usually carry him everywhere in one of my 2 front pack baby carriers. He eats there, sleeps there, is cuddled and it allows him to keep most of his stomach acid where it belongs. 
Today was one of those days where he had to be held up right all of the time. 
The bad thing is that after a bit, he tends to get mad that he is in a carrier and just wants to be held. But he must be held the way he wants to be held, or face his wrath.

To help his stomach issues, I have taken dairy out of my diet and if the medication and increased nursing sessions aren't helping him gain weight, I plan on doing a bigger elimination diet to try and find out a way to nurse him until at least a year and cause him as little discomfort as I possibly can.

Our first weight check appointment is on Friday and I can say that I am a nervous wreck already. To feel like your body could be failing to do one of the few things it is designed to do is absolutely devastating.
So if you have any extra good thoughts, throw a few our way on Friday. We'll need them.

Here were Squirrel's preferred ways to eat today. Poor guy got upset if I had him in any other position.



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