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.

"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

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 --

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 --

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

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

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.

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.

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