Reflux, Constipation, Water, and Fiber in Breasfeeding Baby

I agree with those below who say this kind of reflux in a baby is grounds to ask your ped for a referral to a pediatric GI doc.

Breastfed babies don't usually get constipated on breastmilk, and it's when you start adding cereal, such as oatmeal or rice, that the constipation starts. So if he's having trouble now, it's probably going to get worse when you add solids. So there is no reason to put off the referral.

That said, do you keep the baby completely vertical for at least 20 minutes after you nurse, or after you give the nursery water? One of my kids had very bad reflux, and I ended up wearing him in a moby wrap almost all day because it was the easiest way to keep him in an up and down position, and keep all his food from coming back up. Even for middle of the night feedings, when I was done nursing, I would sit in the rocking chair in his room for 20 min after he was done.

use Reverse Osmosis water (Aquafina) -it contains no minerals and is much easier to swallow. Chew your food slowly and thoroughly (for your own benefit). Try to hold baby on his left side after eating-his esophagus will then be higher than his stomach. Increase fat in your diet. Rice cereal is the easiest to digest and is good to use when thickening food. I know they're sweet, and you should start at 6 months, but maybe a tiny bit of prunes (baby food, of course!)?? Check with the doctor, first. Good luck!

There's a difference between soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber that you eat stays in your digestive tract - so the doctors are correct about that. However, that's not the only kind of fiber. Soluble fiber is absorbed into your bloodstream and travels everywhere - it can (and does) clean circulatory systems (reducing cholesterol and allergies), gets into lymphatic systems, and can get into breast milk with positive results. It is difficult, but not impossible, to get both in the same product that will also reduce reflux.

I'm shocked that anyone would tell you a breastfed baby doesn't poop very often. I think it's well known that it should be the opposite! Most breastfed babies are pretty famous for pooping the second they finish nursing, or two seconds afterwards!

Drinking water should not end up in your sinuses. The trick is to have it absorbed into the cells without being refluxed up your digestive tract. That's simple to solve with a patented hydrating agent and/or digestive herbs in a patented and balanced formula. Please realize that it's extremely difficult to get a patent on a food product - very few products qualify. A patent also signifies that the product has been proven safe and unique, as well as effective. That's important for all of us, but especially for pregnant and nursing moms and for infants.

I have a good friend who had terrible digestive issues and constipation, and her newborn had them as well. She switched to patented products for herself, which relieved the problem in her baby. When her baby started to come off breast milk, she got the children's version (again - patented!) and had no problems. Baby #2 had no issues because Mom was already stabilized. No mama and no baby should be on drugs or miralax or anything else when there's something safe developed by a lead scientist in pediatric nutrition. What my friend used is also used in feeding stations for severely undernourished and compromised children, supervised by physicians. You want something manufactured in the US and heavily inspected.

It's not going to work if you just eat more lettuce and brown rice! That sort of fiber is not going to get through to the baby. Let me know if you want more info - I consult all the time with moms of kids/infants.

First things first. Get some medicine for his reflux. It doesn't matter the constancy, it's very painful when it comes up. It's also irritating his whole GI tract. Keep him upright after eating as long as possible.

Have you discussed the reflux with a pediatrician? I can't believe a doctor would let reflux that bad go unmedicated. It is a good set up for choking or pneumonia when it goes down his windpipe.

After you get the reflux under control, continue with the water. Your fiber makes no difference to him. Maybe a little watered down pear juice ocassionally but unless his reflux is under control, it will make it worse.
My son didn't poop but about every 11 days about that age. I think it's mostly the reflux problem that's the culprit. But most of all you need a doctor to really listen to you. You need to speak up.

Not sure if this will help, but I have struggled with some of these issues. I found that a lot of fiber things make me worse because they were grains. See Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type and find the diet recommendations for your blood type. I use Fiber Smart supplements which actually are vegetable and fruit fiber vs grains and it is great. I take it at night before I go to bed and have a perfect poop when I get up for the first time in my life. Also if you increase your intake of Magnesium it will help with this and may end up helping the baby. Magnesium is what the body needs naturally to help with this. I found a calcium that also had Vit D and Magnesium. Took extra Mag for awhile and now I just need the Calcium with it. I have no idea about the reflux but if you follow what is beneficial for your blood type I bet this would improve also. Good luck.

If I were you, I'd be making an appointment with a pediatric gastroenterologist. When the time comes that he starts eating food, and he will NEED to do that, mom, you need a doctor in place who can help you navigate this issue with his bowel movements. Eating food usually causes more constipation and you cannot afford for him to be going so long between bowel movements. Waiting til he's a year old to introduce food isn't a good option either, because babies need to have different textures and tastes introduced after 6 months in order to get them used to it. Waiting and waiting to offer food can cause food aversions and sensory aversions to food. You really don't want to deal with THAT problem.

I know you didn't ask about that, but I'm throwing it out anyway in case no one else has mentioned this part of the issue.

I would ask your ped while you wait for an appointment with a pediatric gastro doctor if you can give your baby diluted prune juice. It might help him have bowel movements more often.

I have no idea about your breastmilk and fiber, so sorry.

Good luck with all of this.

Our little guy took 0.09ml of Reglan about 10-15 minutes before he ate. It relaxes his lower stomach muscles so the food he takes in goes down into the intestines and bowels where it is digested faster.

It smelled like oranges and little one took it right down. We didn't let him cry much when he was hungry because that just go the stomach acid churning.

We also gave him gas drops. The way we did it was unique though. We used the dropper and put the drops in the bottom of his bottle then added the nursery water. When it came time for that bottle to be used we'd add the powder and swirl it instead of shaking it. The powder just took a moment longer to dissolve.

Then we never laid him down flat. We had him sleep in a bouncy seat in his crib. When he started turning over during tummy time we figured he was ready to lay in the crib flat.

He did really well with this routine. It was pretty easy to keep the food down if we did smaller feedings too. Many many small meals is so much easier for his little tummy.

Also, food. Don't. The earlier you start him on food the more problems you'll have. His tummy just isn't ready for it. The thicker stuff will just be more painful to get up his throat. If he's still having the muscle spasms that cause reflux he won't get better.

Please get the reflux tests done so they can see if there is something missing in his esophagus or if it's just that his acid producers in his tummy are over active.