Need some advice & support!! New breastfeeding mother....

[Maruschke]

I got a text from Ren this morning. Ava got diagnosed with silent reflux and now has medicine so she isn't in pain. Ren said she is a much happier mum now! Hopefully I will see her for 20 mins or so tomorrow. So it sounds like things are improving for Ren & Ava!!!

[Visitor8]

well that is great news

[~StarBright~]

Thats good to hear that things are getting better- poor little darlin- i hope she is feeling better now!!

[Janie]

Glad things are on the up! It's very hard with a reflux baby, hopefully things will be easier from now on for Ren and Ava

[Lenny]

Looking forward to hearing from you Ren. Hope that Ava is in a lot less pain now and you are settling in back home again.
Take care

[DANNIIM]

Oh poor little thing! At least you can move forward now.

[Shanti]

AJC & Oscar - thank you for updating everyone!
Starbright - thank you for your txt msg of support whilst I was in hossy!

Hi girls!! I'm sooooo very sorry I haven't posted in here (or on BB) for days probably nearly a week!? I have been so very busy it's been unbelievable.... as most of you would know!

Basically.... Ava was screaming and crying in pain most days for the last 3 weeks since getting home from hospital and since my milk coming in and I just thought this is what babies do but it was really getting me down as I wasn't getting any sleep during the day Ava wouldn't sleep at all and I thought most babies sleep at least some parts of the day! So i had been living off 3-5hrs sleep per night as she would sleep at night OK. from pure exhaustion from crying during the day
It was getting too hard and by Tues when we had a really bad day I had had enough and Dh was so worried about both of us. I wasn't coping and needed answers. I'd read about 'silent reflux' and another BB member had a baby with this and I'd asked her about it and it sounded like what her DD had suffered from in the early weeks.
Dr admitted us into hossy and kept us overnight, Paed saw us next day and said it sounded like Silent Reflux however it's so hard to diagnose in small babies so we treated her like it was and that seemed to do the job! Next day, we left hospital (can't stand hospitals anymore!!) and came home and she was a different baby since! Of course she still cries but thats' only unsettled cries.... no longer reflux cries in pain!!!
We have her on "Losec tablets" and hope to have her off them in 2 weeks time. And we have her on "Mariners Infant mixture" homeopathic remedy for wind, colic and reflux pain. So far, so good

As for BF'ing, it sure has made things harder as she can pull off at times thru the feeds and get a bit upset but it's calmed down now. There is a book at the ABA for $5 I am getting tomorrow off a lady (going to a ABA morning tea to meet other new mums!!) and it's called "silent reflux and breastfeeding" so hope that will be useful info for me and Ava in terms of feeding and how it can affect feeds.
Hopefully this Silent Reflux will pass in few weeks......

Also, still seeing LC. We are still having issues with her weight gain she isn't gaining weight as fast as we'd like. LC coming tomorrow to weigh her. Weighed her at a chemist Friday and Ava hadn't moved weight altho different scales, before a feed etc all affect it...... I'm exclusively BFing HOWEVER Fri and Sat night just gone, DH and I topped her up with formula..... as BAD as I felt and I did cry while DH got the bottle ready, we know it was the right thing for her as she sometimes won't feed off me properly and cries like she's still hungry yet won't attach...... this only happens now and then. Possibly from her reflux? not sure. Don't feel guilty about the formula because I know that she needs to be gaining weight and happy and it was only given as top up and not a normal feed. Offered breast first.

Still working through issues with my LC and I will continue to see her until my right nipple heals.... it's still SO painful even with correct attachment. There is a cream I can get for it that is prescription so probably this week will get Dr to write a script for me. Should help it heal faster.

That's our news - Sorry it's taken so long. Things have been so full on. I've had so many tears with BFing and days where I've just wanted to give up but I'm still going...... persisting.....

oh!!! and Ava sleeps during the days now aswell as night times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually get some rest now!!!!!!! DH told me the other day "i don't know how you coped during the day on your own when i was at work with her screaming in pain" and I said "I wasn't coping!!" lol HUGE difference between an unsettled crying baby and a silent reflux baby in pain!

[Shanti]

Hi Renstar, please forgive my very late reply of support but I just wanted to let you know you are NOT alone! It seems your post could be written by myself! Seems we had our little bundles at around the same time, and we both have had the same major BF issues. My ds was born on jan 28, and from the getgo we went on the same rollercoaster as you and your dd. Just letting you know I'm still struggling too, I cried when I read your posts because I finally found someone who could understand and share (and not in the past tense iykwim)! so if you ever want to catch up to talk or vent or just cry (just cause that's what I'm finding I want to do with even the nearest stranger) please don't hesitate to contact me (I'll be floating on BB and FYI I'm in Berwick Victoria)! Probably because I need it just as much as you do! Again I'm sorry I haven't given my words of sympathy earlier, but just have not been able to do much other than think about the next feed as I'm sure you know! And thank you for taking the time to share your story, it's more appreciated than you might think.

Hi hun
I'm sorry to read you are going thru the same thing as me!!! I can't PM you as you haven't got enough posts yet otherwise I would. Shame you don't live in QLD near me!
How are you coping?? Have you got help of an LC near you?? It truly is what is keeping me going, otherwise I am afraid I may have given up BFing already if I hadn't of gotten the help and support of a LC.
How are your nipples? My right one is SOOOOO incredibly sore and painful but I just put up with it.

[Snacks]

Aw Ren, I am so happy that you and Ava are doing so much better. What a relief! I hope things continue to improve heaps, and these troubled first couple of weeks will be a distant memory!

[Janie]

Ren, I am so glad to hear how things are going, and that it's all improving! I hope you enjoy your ABA coffee morning It's great spending time with other BFing mums.

Just a thought, it may not apply to you guys at all. I would have a chat with your LC about allergies/intolerances in regards to Ava. Given the combo of silent reflux and low weight gain, it might be something to consider. If your LC isn't sure there are other people who can help you out. HTHs

[hj1981]

Hey Ren - im soooo glad all is going much better with u and beautiful Ava now

[Toomanytoomany]

Ren, silent reflux is so hard to deal with and just exhausting. Our dd3 had it and it was nightmarish - I gave up breastfeeding before I realised what it was, unfortunately.

I'm sure you've been given lots of great advice already, but these are things that really helped my dd get comfortable:

- Raising the head of her bed a few inches so that she wasn't ever lying flat.

- A dummy - sometimes babies will self medicating by just wanting to feed constantly because the milk is soothing, but then of course their tummies are over-full and the reflux gets worse! Sometimes a dummy would alleviate that sucking need without overfilling the little tummy.

- Thickeners - you can give a little of these prior to a breastfeed and it will help stop regurgitation.

Some people also believe that reflux is a symptom of allergies. There may be some high allergy things you could try eliminating from your diet, such as milk, eggs, chocolate or the like, and see if that makes a difference.

[Maruschke]

Ren I am so glad you have some answers and direction now! Ava is just gorgeous . I hope the silent reflux is gone in a few weeks. You are a great Mum (and DH is such a proud daddy!). Don't feel bad at all about the top up formula feed, you are doing what you need to do!

I'm still amazed at how gorgeous she is. Awww....

[Jennifer13]

Ren, hope things improve from here. Let us know how you go with the LC.

[Beautitude]

Hi Ren

I just wanted to say what a great job you are doing! The early weeks after having a baby are hard enough without having to go through all the issues you have.

My story about attachment and supply issues was so similar to yours but I had to put my ds on formula early on due to increasing risks of pnd and my inability to cope with the situation. My ds was such a lazy feeder, he would attach and then not suck, suprised many a midwife in the hospital! When I read your story it gives me hope that I will be able to bf with my next baby. I am interested in baby led attachment as we were doing the right attachment thing in the hospital which didn't work for us and may have led to me not being able to cope.

My ds is coming up to 12 weeks now which has come soo quickly so please enjoy the beautiful moments with ava as they grow up so quickly and you dont get that time back. My ds is alot more settled now then in the early days so it does get better!

So just wanted to say thank you for giving me hope!

[Shanti]

Isabel - glad I've given you hope for your next baby with BF! It sure is hard work isnt it, on top of just looking after a newborn... having to express, worry about how much they are getting, etc its stressful.

Here's our update -

LC came over today and watched me attach. I had forgotten the 'chin to breast' part and she wasn't at the correct angle so that was what was causing the pain even though i'm sure i was doing it right!! It was only something slight but that was enough to be hurting my nipple. Showed her my right nipple and she said to not BF with it for a few days and only express from it. So i'm only feeding from L side and expressing R side after feeds and feeding her EBM top ups and if she is still hungry after that (i have to express 100ml each time!) then formula top ups too.
I'm disappointed to find my milk supply has dropped. This is due to Ava's inability to suck/feed effectively each time. She's lazy at the breast but mainly because she is too tired (or too hungry) to feed well and hence this affects my milk supply.... its a bit of a vicious cycle we've been in
DD is still hanging around her birth weight.... still not really gaining much.

Anyway, still persisting through..... I'm not yet what you'd call a "Breastfeeding success story" but I am DETERMINED to be one.

Oh, and LC believes the Paediatrician has diagnosed Silent Reflux incorrectly and that she is just hungry when she screams and not a reflux baby. So thats very confusing!! Although I believe more what my LC says then the Paed as I don't think he was very good. Seeing him tomorrow anyway and getting prescription off him for Maxalon to increase milk supply.
Hope to get Ava off the "Losec" tablets soon as LC doesn't believe she even needs them.... how confusing!!! To think she's been on drugs and didn't need them

Oscar - thanks hun glad you could meet Ava!!

[Janie]

Ooooh Ren, I would seriously look into getting Motilium over Maxalon. Maxalon is not used that much these days as a galactologue, Motilium is much more common as it has less side effects in long term use.

I know it's very confusing, and hard to know who to listen to. I'm still working through that now!!!! YOU are with your baby all day, YOU know what she responds to best. You choose who you think is the most knowledgeable, and who most supportive of you and Ava continuing BFing. Given that you're on the Losec I don't personally think it would hurt to leave her on it for a bit, as she's has such a good repsonse, while you sort out your BFing issues and get her gaining some more weight.

How would you feel about seeing someone like a naturopath/osteo/chiro? It could really help with the reflux situation, which might make the BFing thing easier over time.

Did you manage to get to your ABA meeting, and grab the booklet?

[Lenny]

Sweetie, don't stress about the Losec, I'm sure it's not doing any harm at all. It's a shame not to feed from the sore side - but as soon as you can bear it, get her back on it.
It is a vicious cycle, you are so correct, but you know about it and are getting help and that's so important.
You will look back like so many of us do, and be proud of what you went through and that you did so well.
Also, don't take my word for it, but try not to stress about weight gain too much either. They are so tiny and having a full tummy, or having a big poo can make a big difference.
Take care and i'm sending you lots of supportive vibes!!