Advice Please - AR formulas, reflux, vomiting issues, pediatrician

[setof3]

Hi to all on this thread

I have been reading your posts and I have tried the Nan HA Gold formula, but before that I tried the organic Bellamy's formula. When I introduced the Bellamy's formula in each feed last week and my boy got constipated - but am not sure if it was the formula or the introduction as he still drank it with no problem. I gave brown sugar water and he did a brown thick poo a week later. I changed to the Nan formula and he is now waking during the night and is really irritable between feeds. I don't know what to do cause I can't work out if it's the formula's I'm using or the introduction of formula. I was expressing breast milk exclusively before.

Does anyone have any advice as to whether it's the formula, the introduction of formula or an intolerance. I feel like I have a colicky baby, whereas before he was so content and slept through the night.

Please help!!!

[AnnaChas]

Hi Setof3,

Sorry to hear you're having problems - our issues haven't resolved themselves yet either (more on that later). I honestly couldn't tell you why your baby would be having problems - I'm so clueless on these things, but I hope they work out soon. If it helps any, we never had problems with the Nan HA Gold when we moved to it. Daniel was happy with it and never woke up at night unless he was hungry.

So an update on our situation. We changed from Nan HA Gold + Gaviscon infant to S26 AR and that was working ok. Not too much vomiting, and not too much crying/screaming during eating. Only problem now is, he WON'T eat much AT ALL. He has maybe 1/4 to 1/2 his 180 ml bottle (whereas before he used to eat the whole lot). We thought it might be the S26AR so we went back to Nan HA Gold (we have so many different tins of formula it's not funny) because he was eating that very well before. No luck - still refusing to eat. He pokes out the bottle with his tongue, wriggles around and eventually ends up screaming (it doesn't sound like pain). We've tried extending the time between feeds to see if that helps, but it doesn't. Yesterday he went for 5 hours between feeds (this is a baby who usually eats every 3 hours) and he only ate 40mls.

We have seen the dr again and he spoke with the paed and they agreed to give Losec a go. I don't think it's made much difference as I'm not entirely convinced he had reflux in the first place. Daniel's weight gain is slowing down, but he hasn't lost weight. He's still his happy old self and is peeing and pooping regularly. We just don't know what to do to make him eat more. We don't want him to associated eating times with crying and stress either. Any ideas, anyone?

[River]

first port of call with a refluxer in my opinion should be a dairy free diet. Dairy intolerance seems to be the root of a lot of reflux - every person I know who has had a reflux baby who has gone 100% dairy free has seen the reflux stop. If something with dairy sneaks in accidentally (easy with breastfeeding), the reflux will return.

[black_rose]

Maybe try a lactose free formula, everyone was telling me DD was suffering reflux and to try the AR forumla and thickeners as DD was a vomitor and losing weight. She would bite me when breastfeeding so I ended up trying the S26 LF formula and she stopped vomiting and has thrived ever since. Looking back at photos of her when she was breastfeeding she looks very pale and sickly. Your breastmilk contains lactose regardless of what you eat so it could be the problem, DD improved on the regular S26 Gold formula but the vomiting only completeley stopped once she stopped breastfeeding and went onto the lactose free formula.

It could be that he knows that he doesn't feel well when having a feed so he doesn't want it? DD was like that too but she was eight months. the S26 LF formula is available at Coles, Safeway/Woolworths and chemists.

[Janie]

I would tend to agree with River. There is a link between reflux and dairy intolerance in babies. (Certainly is in our case).

LF formula may help, but it is not dairy free. So if it is the protein, rather than the lactose, that is a problem then LF formula probably won't help. IHTMS.

[mamasmurf]

My dd vomitted and had the runs all the time I breast fed.She was diagnosed as intolerent by the paed and with reflux by the gp. Now looking back I`m not convinced of the reflux diagnosis nevertheless I do have experience of using various formulas. apparently HA formulas are always used as a first line before any lactose free, goat or soy versions as the lactose is partially broken down which is supposed to be most appropriate for intolerence as opposed to the latter for allergy. I used the plain HA-AR formula as opposed to gold which wasn`t available at the time. I wondered if the gold variety might be quite rich if the problems hadn`t occurred with the organic brand.
Due to constipation, I changed the routine to just HA in the daytime and HAAR at night.My theory being that dd was more likely to throw up whilst laying down if it was reflux. At 7 months after weaning onto solid and one or two prolonged episodes of gut problems i started dd on gold follow on normal formula and fingers crossed it`s working so far. She has always been an erratic feeder ie) whole bottle one time half next and sometimes a quarter if really distracted and excitable. I try not to worry about this and so long as she is otherwise healthy it`s okay.
As far as reflux is concerned, the paeds in my area tend not to like to diagnose reflux and in turn do not treat it.Some gps however will treat with meds sometimes zantac sometimes PPI drugs like losec.My dd hated the meds and they were an absolute nightmare to give her. They appeared to work in the short term but the formula feed really seemed to make a huge difference and I eventually told the gp I was stopping the meds.
I felt really bad for ceasing breastfeeding but now I look back and think that I did what I had to do to keep my dd healthy.

[setof3]

I saw a pediatrician on Monday and my DD was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy. He is now on a prescription formula which is sooooo expensive, but at least his irritability and abdominal pains will go away gradually, should take about 2-3 weeks to be fully out of his system. I am happy this situation has been resolved and I can get him onto the right track.

[AnnaChas]

That's excellent - at least now you know what was going on and it can get better. I hate not knowing what is wrong!

Losec seems to be working well for us, so fingers crossed eating will only keep getting better!

[luna moth]

every person I know who has had a reflux baby who has gone 100% dairy free has seen the reflux stop.

While I 100% agree that this is a great idea, and I highly recommend giving it a go, it doesn't work for everyone. I know someone who went fully dairy free, and it hadn't helped after 4 weeks. She ended up using Losec.