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#1
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Friend needs help (long)
I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I
really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): We're actually not doing very well. He is having a really hard time eating and is losing weight. We're not really sure what's going on. Because he wasn't eating well, my milk production has gone down so now he's getting some supplemental formula and I'm pumping like crazy to get my supply back up. Even taking supplements, he's not getting enough, since I can't feed him very much at a time or he projectile vomits (ever seen an 8 pound person shoot milk 3 feet? Think 'exorcist'!) We have had a couple of meetings with a lactation consultant and will be meeting again on Monday, and probably seeing the pediatrician again that day, as well. AND: I started giving him cup-feeds and got a supplemental nurser from the LC yesterday. The problem with the nurser thing is that he won't wake up enough to get my boob in his mouth most of the time. He likes it in his mouth at night or when we're napping, and he'll suck sporadically (and seems to be getting some milk, but not much). During his awake time of day, which isn't much since he's so lethargic/sleepy from not getting enough to eat, he'll take my breast with the supplemental tubing. It'll take a realllllly long time to feed him, though. It took us and hour and a half for an ounce and a half last night and I couldn't get him to take any more. There just aren't enough hours in the day to get him to eat enough if we try to do it just that way, so I'm afraid we have to bottle sometimes. We use the Avent, though, which is one of the better ones regarding nipple confusion. As my LC said, the first rule is 'feed the baby' and if I can't feed him enough other ways, we have to do it somehow. He does really like the boob (he won't go to sleep without it in his mouth) so I think he'll be okay if we could just get him to suck more. I've been looking up pyloric stenosis on the internet, since it's sounding more and more like that might be what's going on. The 'fix' for that is surgery, which would suck, but I almost hope he has it so that I could know what the hell is wrong and we could solve the problem. I'm only sleeping maybe 45 minutes at a time and worrying the rest of the time (and crying, and 'praying', and worrying some more). You should see the bags under my eyes. They practically reach my chin. |
#2
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Friend needs help (long)
"Elana Kehoe" wrote in message ... I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): We're actually not doing very well. He is having a really hard time eating and is losing weight. We're not really sure what's going on. Because he wasn't eating well, my milk production has gone down so now he's getting some supplemental formula and I'm pumping like crazy to get my supply back up. Even taking supplements, he's not getting enough, since I can't feed him very much at a time or he projectile vomits (ever seen an 8 pound person shoot milk 3 feet? ... snip I've been looking up pyloric stenosis on the internet, since it's sounding more and more like that might be what's going on. The 'fix' for that is surgery, which would suck, but I almost hope he has it so that I could know what the hell is wrong and we could solve the problem. I'm only sleeping maybe 45 minutes at a time and worrying the rest of the time (and crying, and 'praying', and worrying some more). You should see the bags under my eyes. They practically reach my chin. Projectile vomiting is a sign that something is physically *wrong*. If I were in this mom's position I'd arrange for an upper GI barium study - this will show physical abnormalities (if any), such as a pyloric stenosis or some other malformation. My daughter had a malformation of her stomach which was not discovered until she was 15 months old (but could have been found much earlier) and yes, it was accompanied by the kind of vomiting described, multiple times a day. And believe me, surgery was the best thing we ever did for her, when we realised it was necessary. --angela |
#3
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Friend needs help (long)
Elana Kehoe wrote:
I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): We're actually not doing very well. He is having a really hard time eating and is losing weight. [...] or he projectile vomits (ever seen an 8 pound person shoot milk 3 feet? Think 'exorcist'!) GO SEE A DOCTOR! When my husband was a baby, he was vomiting after every feeding. His grandmother realized that something was wrong and the doctors operated on him at 3 weeks old. I will forever be thankful to her that she was as observant as she was. -- Anita -- |
#4
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Friend needs help (long)
Following up again as I read more carefully...
Elana Kehoe wrote: I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): [...] I've been looking up pyloric stenosis on the internet, since it's sounding more and more like that might be what's going on. The 'fix' for that is surgery, which would suck, but I almost hope he has it so that I could know what the hell is wrong and we could solve the problem. Speaking to my husband next to me, pyloric stenosis is exactly what he had, 40 years ago. He survived the surgery just fine, so it's probably even better now. PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR ASAP. -- Anita -- |
#5
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Friend needs help (long)
Leslie wrote:
Poor thing! I don't have any advice for her, Elana, but I hope she finds help. IT sounds miserable. Thanks Leslie. I'll post a followup when we hear more... E |
#6
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Friend needs help (long)
Irrational Number wrote:
Following up again as I read more carefully... Elana Kehoe wrote: I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): [...] I've been looking up pyloric stenosis on the internet, since it's sounding more and more like that might be what's going on. The 'fix' for that is surgery, which would suck, but I almost hope he has it so that I could know what the hell is wrong and we could solve the problem. Speaking to my husband next to me, pyloric stenosis is exactly what he had, 40 years ago. He survived the surgery just fine, so it's probably even better now. PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR ASAP. Thanks Anita...I'll pass it on. And waves hi at hubby... E |
#7
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Friend needs help (long)
Sounds to me she needs to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. It does sound
like the baby has some sort of medical problem that needs to be straightened out. -- Sue mom to three girls Elana Kehoe wrote in message ... I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): We're actually not doing very well. He is having a really hard time eating and is losing weight. We're not really sure what's going on. Because he wasn't eating well, my milk production has gone down so now he's getting some supplemental formula and I'm pumping like crazy to get my supply back up. Even taking supplements, he's not getting enough, since I can't feed him very much at a time or he projectile vomits (ever seen an 8 pound person shoot milk 3 feet? Think 'exorcist'!) We have had a couple of meetings with a lactation consultant and will be meeting again on Monday, and probably seeing the pediatrician again that day, as well. AND: I started giving him cup-feeds and got a supplemental nurser from the LC yesterday. The problem with the nurser thing is that he won't wake up enough to get my boob in his mouth most of the time. He likes it in his mouth at night or when we're napping, and he'll suck sporadically (and seems to be getting some milk, but not much). During his awake time of day, which isn't much since he's so lethargic/sleepy from not getting enough to eat, he'll take my breast with the supplemental tubing. It'll take a realllllly long time to feed him, though. It took us and hour and a half for an ounce and a half last night and I couldn't get him to take any more. There just aren't enough hours in the day to get him to eat enough if we try to do it just that way, so I'm afraid we have to bottle sometimes. We use the Avent, though, which is one of the better ones regarding nipple confusion. As my LC said, the first rule is 'feed the baby' and if I can't feed him enough other ways, we have to do it somehow. He does really like the boob (he won't go to sleep without it in his mouth) so I think he'll be okay if we could just get him to suck more. I've been looking up pyloric stenosis on the internet, since it's sounding more and more like that might be what's going on. The 'fix' for that is surgery, which would suck, but I almost hope he has it so that I could know what the hell is wrong and we could solve the problem. I'm only sleeping maybe 45 minutes at a time and worrying the rest of the time (and crying, and 'praying', and worrying some more). You should see the bags under my eyes. They practically reach my chin. |
#8
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Friend needs help (long)
The projectile vomiting combined with everything else says, "Screen for
pyloric valve stenosis". Jenrose "Elana Kehoe" wrote in message ... I have a good friend who has a 3 week old who isn't gaining weight. I really want to help her, so any ideas welcome! Here's the info (with her permission): We're actually not doing very well. He is having a really hard time eating and is losing weight. We're not really sure what's going on. Because he wasn't eating well, my milk production has gone down so now he's getting some supplemental formula and I'm pumping like crazy to get my supply back up. Even taking supplements, he's not getting enough, since I can't feed him very much at a time or he projectile vomits (ever seen an 8 pound person shoot milk 3 feet? Think 'exorcist'!) We have had a couple of meetings with a lactation consultant and will be meeting again on Monday, and probably seeing the pediatrician again that day, as well. AND: I started giving him cup-feeds and got a supplemental nurser from the LC yesterday. The problem with the nurser thing is that he won't wake up enough to get my boob in his mouth most of the time. He likes it in his mouth at night or when we're napping, and he'll suck sporadically (and seems to be getting some milk, but not much). During his awake time of day, which isn't much since he's so lethargic/sleepy from not getting enough to eat, he'll take my breast with the supplemental tubing. It'll take a realllllly long time to feed him, though. It took us and hour and a half for an ounce and a half last night and I couldn't get him to take any more. There just aren't enough hours in the day to get him to eat enough if we try to do it just that way, so I'm afraid we have to bottle sometimes. We use the Avent, though, which is one of the better ones regarding nipple confusion. As my LC said, the first rule is 'feed the baby' and if I can't feed him enough other ways, we have to do it somehow. He does really like the boob (he won't go to sleep without it in his mouth) so I think he'll be okay if we could just get him to suck more. I've been looking up pyloric stenosis on the internet, since it's sounding more and more like that might be what's going on. The 'fix' for that is surgery, which would suck, but I almost hope he has it so that I could know what the hell is wrong and we could solve the problem. I'm only sleeping maybe 45 minutes at a time and worrying the rest of the time (and crying, and 'praying', and worrying some more). You should see the bags under my eyes. They practically reach my chin. |
#9
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UPDATE: Friend needs help (long)
thanks for all the replies...got more from her today:
He's gained 1/2 lb. since Friday (back up to birth weight) Doesn't have anything wrong that they can see, maybe a high palate and a short tongue, but that's it. She's pumping and doing herbs and prescriptions to keep her milk up So things are a bit more positive. She thinks that he was sick cause he wasn't used to getting a large amount of milk from her, and so all of it kinda upset the tummy. So thanks for all the replies again. When she's up to it, I'll see if she wants to come in and lurk :-). E |
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