Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

History: DD has been gassy from the beginning, and not a good burper. She farts a lot. We use the Dr. Brown's bottles. We tried switching her formula to Gentlease, but she became very cranky on it, so we switched back to Enfamil Newborn, and began using mylicon drops. Also, DD began arching her back during feedings and seemed to be regurgitating after eating, but swallowing it back down. She also often sounds congested after eating, like there's mucus in her nose or throat. The pediatrician prescribed Axid for reflux. We gave the Axid several days, and it seemed to work. She was happier for a few days, began wanting more per feeding, and was eating 3-4 ounces every 3.5-4 hours. That lasted for a couple of days.

Currently, DD will happily eat 2-2.5 ounces, and then rejects the bottle, screaming. I try to burp her, and sometimes she does, sometimes she doesn't. It is a struggle to get her to drink anymore, and even when I put her back into feeding position, she starts screaming. If I try to burp her earlier, she won't go back to the bottle at all. So for the last two days, she has consumed several ounces less than she should be.

As of last night, we are trying Gerber Good Start Gentle to see if that helps. She definitely has a lot of gas, and her bowel movements for the past three days have decreased to one per day, and it has been greenish, not her usual yellow-brown. Previously, her ped said that if the Axid didn't help, he wanted to test her stool for an allergy, so I am going to stop by the office later to get "stool cards" for three different samples.

Has anyone experienced their child rejecting the bottle and screaming during the feedings? Does this sound gas related? What worked for you? TIA!

ETA: DD is 7 weeks old and it is now taking her 45 min - 1 hour to finish 3-4 ounces, and she spits a lot of it out after her initial 2-2.5 oz.

Message edited 8/3/2012 8:02:36 AM.

Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

This was how my daughter was when she was about 3 months. She would start drinking fine and then about 3 oz into it would freak out and just not want the rest, but I knew she was hungry. At my request, our ped. prescribed her zantac. She still wasn't a great bottle taker, but it didn't take over an hour to give her a 6 oz. bottle anymore. I had tried switching her from regular similac to the sensitive one, but that didn't seem to make a difference.

Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

My dd went through a period similar to that. I couldn't understand why she would be screaming and just attributed it to gas. Hr stomach would be rock solid as well. We use dr browns as well but she's on BM only. Dd is def not a burper. I now let her finish the whole bottle without burping and it seems like she farts it out instead but is no longer in pain.
Guess her system just needed to develop more. My dd had weird poop at this time as well along with the smelliest farts/poop ever. I kept thinking she had some kinda bug bc it looked like diarreah but no fever so I let her ride it out.

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

My DS was almost exactly the same. We decided against putting him on meds for Reflux and wait it out. 2 weeks later (11 weeks) his stool tested positive for a milk protein allergy. I would bring the diaper in to the Ped and if it's negative, bring it in again in a few weeks. Also, check the diaper carefully for any signs of blood (sometimes its specs).

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

The nipple flow could also be too fast. We had that issue w the dr browns bottles. We switched to playtex ventaire slow and she kept the formula down.

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

This was my DS 100%!!!

We got him home from the hospital and he was eating like a champ, all of a sudden about 2 weeks later all hell broke loose. He was screaming, would take an hour to feed him a few oz. of formula and it was getting worse, not better by the day. We were at the Ped's office sometimes 2X a week & we tried EVERYTHING and I mean, switched formula a good 5 times, gas drops, gripe water, rice cereal in the bottle, you name it. We took him to a GI doctor and had him checked and then back to our Ped, they put him on Zantac and it did nothing.

Turned out, he had a milk allergy and we switched to Nutramigen and they put him on prevacid and within a few days he turned into the best & sweetest baby, was taking down formula like it was his job!

Our ped kept telling us to just hang in there and it will get better, we were almost in tears walking into his office sometimes and he would just try and make us laugh and kept saying we have a healthy baby boy and once the 3 month mark hits, we will see the light and he was 100% correct.

I think the hardest part is you are going through all this on no sleep and it makes it so much worse.

It will get better, just hang in there and once you find what works for your DC it will fall into place.

I wanted to add...We took DS off the med's at 4 months and he grew out of the allergy as well because we started giving him yogurt, ice cream, etc.. and he had no reaction to dairy.

Message edited 8/3/2012 11:30:13 AM.

Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

my sons both did that a lot- what worked for us was using a probiotic from therrefrigerated section of whole food - i did 1/8 teaspoon in one bottle a day and the gerber good start - and the colic calm when they were really upset - then i would try the bottle 15 minutes later

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

That's exactly how my DD was, although I never put her on meds for reflux. But we'd switch formula, it would work for a couple of days and then she'd reject it mid-bottle.

I took her to an allergist and we discovered she was allergic to dairy. Switched her to alimentum and she was a new baby.

Take her to an allergist - this was the age when I took my DD. Based on your previous post, I think you'll get an answer this way.

Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

My DD was similar in that she rarely took a bottle more than 4 ounces at ANY point..so in terms of that, she might just be full..I always fed on demand and if she took 2 ounces, it meant she might take another 2 in 2 hours instead of 4...mylicon seemed to work when she cried and dissolved any gas she had..we used a combo of Medela bottles, avent and playtex (the angled ones)...I'm just throwing everything out there that might help..gl!

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

Same as my son. He was diagnosed with a dairy allergy. We put him on Nutramigen amino acid formula and he did great. Now he is allergic to egg and nut but can eat dairy.

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

My baby too had problems and its so frustrating with all the choices for bottles, and formula. It could be anything. He was fine for the first month on regular formula - I forget which one- he soon started screaming after meals- we tried them all.. eventually gerber goodstart gentle worked for us and he has been on that since ...now 7 months old. for many months all he would drink was 2 oz every 2 hours up until 4 months at least.. even now he only does 4-6 oz max, usually just 4 (but he started stage 2 food too now) some babies just take fewer oz per feeding while others drink 6 oz right away. hopefully ur doctor can help you figure this out. good luck!

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

ps: baby bliss gripe water worked best for us

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

Thanks for the feedback everyone. This is so frustrating. DD starts daycare right after Labor Day, and I would like this resolved before then. We took DD to the doctor yesterday, and basically our conversation recapped all of the possibilities...change formula, bottles, change when we give the mylicon, dairy allergy, etc. My ped's office tests three stool samples for dairy allergy, and DD happened to have one while we were there, so they tested and it was negative. On one hand, I'm glad, but on the other hand, it would have been a clear-cut answer about DD's behavior. Thank G-d, she is happy overall between feedings. She has gained weight since her 1 month visit, but it is only in the last few days that the extreme fussiness started (it's funny how what seemed extreme a few weeks ago now looks mild in comparison), and her total ounces consumed decreased.

For now, we have started giving the mylicon 10-15 minutes before every bottle, and will continue with the new formula for at least a week or so to see if it makes a difference. Next step will be to try different bottles, as sometimes it seems that DD is gagging on the formula (but this may be due from the reflux, as it causes her to have mucus in her nose and throat).

Thanks again to everyone for sharing your experiences and giving me some ideas!

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

She is probably just full on the 2.5 oz. My DS is 3.5 months and only drinking 3.5 to 4 oz now. At 7 weeks he would drink 2.5. I think you are fine. And also in reference to the burping thing, early on they tend to do that. They will not always burp and its ok. Just follow her lead. Once she is gaining, she should be fine.

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

Try Alimentum - it worked wonders for a friend of mine.

Also, do not make the milk too hot - this use to make my DD spit up more.

Re: Concerns about DD's eating: Anyone experience anything similar?

maybe she was just eating more during a growth spurt? my dd often drinks only 2-3oz at a time still and she is almost 3 months. my first dd was like this too.
the only times she will drink 4-5 oz is in the morning or after a long nap...