Stressed About Baby's Eating--but Should I Be?

Can you switch pediatricians...or go to a different one in the same office? First of all, I am not a doctor, nor did I study medicine. But,what you are explaining certainly does not sound like a baby that is distressed. If he is gaining (never loses, right?) weight, sleeps, is happy, and YOU don't think anything is wrong, then I would try and switch doctors, or even call some doctors and get their opinions.
Good Luck to you,
L.

I tend to go with my gut on stuff like this. If he seems happy, then I think I'd probably leave it alone. If you see a shift in his behavior, or developmental things are not on track, then maybe revisit the doctor.

The other thing I think I'd try is putting him in a Bumbo and tyring some watery cereal on a spoon. Thicker than what's in the bottle, but not a lot. You'll have to fight the tongue thrust reflex for a bit, but one he gets the hang of it you're gold.

I started giving both of my kids thin rice cereal on a spoon at 10 weeks because they were eating CONSTANTLY. It helped immensely. Neither had reflux, they were just hungry little critters and needed more.

I have an 11 week old baby girl that eats about as much as your son and she does not have reflux. She eats about 4-5 oz about 5 times a day. I was stressing out about it, too. However, there is no feeding this baby if she doesn't want to eat her recommended amount, and I can't do anything about it. She is gaining weight steadily by my scales at home and was at 50% for weight at her last checkup. She is perfectly happy and has plenty of wet/poop diapers. I am not going to stress about it anymore. I'll worry about it more if it's an issue at the 4 mo checkup. Just know you are not alone, and stressing about it only bothers you, not him. :) Take care.

If he is gaining, staying on the charts (about the same), and having dirties and wets, and is happy...relax and enjoy him. He could be teething, having a growth spurt, anything. You may also want to find a different ped, this seems like a weird thing to be testing for. And a second opinion can't hurt.

I agree that if he is gaining weight and stays right on his growth curve and has enough wet diapers a day there is nothing to worry about. If all that continues it is because he is eating enough and getting hydrated, so don't worry so much, but I know how hard it is not to worry. Just make sure he is gaining weight and has wet diapers. That's it!

If he were a breastfed baby he wouldn't be eating 5-6 ounces at a time so I never understand why formula babies get these enormous amounts.

If you really believe that he doesn't have reflux try leaving the cereal out, give him the 3 ounces at a time and see if he then wants to feed more frequently-a la a breastfed baby. BF babies will eat small amounts more often. The cereal is surely interfering with the amount he is able to take in (think about it-cereal plus formula in a bottle-that's a lot to handle) and what he can process. This is not to say that there are babies that need the cereal due to the severe reflux but you are questioning if he really even has it.

I'd experiment with smaller, frequent feeds minus the cereal and see what he does. Seems like you would know quick enough and you wouldn't have to put him thru testing that he might not need.

my daughter had the same problem (not eating as much as i thought she should) a baby will eat when a baby is hungry don't try to force feed, it will only stress you and the baby out then eventually the baby may learn that eating will/can become stressful, and not want to eat because of the stress it starts. i couldn't get my daughter to eat to save my life, but she is almost 8, healthy and can eat like a horse when she really wants to.

Follow your instincts. He seems fine. If he's growing and happy and not losing weight, don't force feed him. Monitor it and see how he grows. I second the idea to check w/ another ped. Sounds like your style and theirs doesn't quite mesh - I agree that at 12 weeks w/o serious need, all of the medicine is NOT needed. Also, keep in mind people are all different - sometimes we are hungry sometimes not. It's not a forced thing and shouldn't be. Think of those breastfed babies - who know how much they eat??? we just monitor growth and behavior. If those are good - he is good. Enjoy him and go w/ your mommy instincts - they won't let you down.

You need to trust you instincts. As mother's we tend to know what our children need but doubt ourselves when outsiders put things in our brains.

Now that being said, your baby really isn't eating much but as you said, he is very happy so how could something be wrong. I had a son that had a terrible case of what they called esophogealitis (sp?) or probably a close rendition of silent reflux. Basically his stomach acids would sit in his esophagus and just burn. He never spit up but he became very irritated with eating and did not eat much. He was ALWAYS an amazing sleeper, even with this condition but he did cry a lot due to pain during the day. Usually related to eating or how he was sitting. It was so sad. There was one prescription that helped a bit that we liked, but like you, I was never comfortable with all the scripts and procedures, etc.

Ultimately one day my husband and I were out, we saw a couple with a little baby that was just crying up a storm. The gave him some little drops and the baby was fine immediately. Of course we asked what it was and immediately went out and got some. It is called Baby Bliss Gripe Water. It is 100% natural and it WORKS! We never had a problem again and he would eat better.

I have no idea if this is what your baby needs but for a natural alternative, you might want to give it a try. You might also want to get a second opinion from another ped. just to be sure.

Good luck.

((HUGS)) I know where you are and how stressful it is.

Is he losing weight? If not, then I wouldn't worry too much about it. My first son had some terrible feeding issues due to reflux and a milk/soy intolerance. He didn't gain weight at the rate that most babies did, but he also wasn't losing weight. My dr told me it was imperative that he drink at least 16 oz/day to maintain proper kidney function. (I can't remember at what age/weight that was...I think around 16 weeks?). Obviously that amount needs to go up as baby gains weight.

Smaller feedings more frequently throughout the day is very common for reflux babies. They get caught in a catch 22. No food in his tummy is not comfortable, but too much food in his tummy will cause pain due to the reflux. At 12 weeks I think my son was drinking 3 oz/feeding if we were lucky! They know the right amount for themselves...don't push him. It will only make him more sick. He will need to eat more often than the "normal" baby, but that is OK.

I'm shocked that your pediatrician is pushing for such invasive tests w/o weight loss. I would get a second opinion by a pediatric GI dr if you are considering these tests.

Oh, BTW - trust your instincts mama. Only you know your baby, the dr sees him for 10 mins at a time.

W.---I think your instincts are right on. Why would you give medicines to a baby when he doesn't show any signs of distress? Besides, none of these meds have ever been tested on babies. I think the medical community is making a huge mistake jumping on the reflux bandwagon. There are many options for relief that do not have the side-effects and dire consequences of reducing the strength of stomach acids.

First, to be more direct in answering you concerns. Your little guy will tell what he needs. It sounds like he is getting it or he'd be showing more distress. He may not need much food right now but may need more in the future as he undergoes a growth spurt. FIND A NEW DOCTOR.

Back to the reflux issue. There are many healthcare professionals who believe that we are on the wrong track for the millions of people suffering from acid reflux. Stomach acids are essential for the digestion process, breaking down food so that it is more easily absorbed in the intestines. Antacids interfere with this process, such that people who use them regularly will be suffering from malnutrition sooner than later. As time goes on, their risk for other diseases increase as their bodies are starved for the nutrition necessary to function properly.

These researchers feel that most people are suffering from a lack of adequate amounts of stomach acids. The dynamics of how this works is fairly detailed, and if anyone wants additional info on this subject, they should feel free to contact me.

Bottom line...you are right and the doc is not. Keep an eye on him and as long as he shows regular growth, I'm sure that he's fine. One quick resource to check, www.AskDrSears.com. If he doesn't have anything posted on the subject, I'm sure there is a place where you could share your experience and ask him this same question. Good luck. D.

Why do doctors think that every baby is the same? Your indicators, weight gain, wet and dirty diapers, and so on, are right on. I would just do what your baby seems comfortable with for the next 3months and then see how his next check up goes. Especially before you submit him to any testing....stop agonizing over it and enjoy your baby during these months of his infancy. Sometimes our habit of "measuring" can be counter productive to say the least!

I just wanted to say that my daughter never took more than 4 ounces at a time, even at 10 months. We wasted quite a bit of breastmilk with that. I first thought it odd but the doc did not worry about it as long as she was growing. She also had times where she did not eat much at all. He probably is reacting to being forced. Maybe you could offer him a bottle a hour after he had one.

Go with your gut and your child's behavior/symptoms. That's what I've learned after four years and numerous medical issues (saw 14 specialists in the 1st year - many of them 2nd and once, a 3rd opinion) with my son.

If your baby were breastfeeding, no one would know how many ounces/feeding or /day your son was getting. The drs. say to watch the baby. When baby seems full, stop feeding. When baby seems hungry, give baby food. Check the wet/poopy diapers, weight gain, and behavior to ascertain whether there is a problem.

I love our new drs at Pediatric Pathways if you need a second opinion. Good luck! You're learning that you are the best judge of your baby and you get to question the "experts" if it doesn't feel right. It's a powerful journey that shakes up the beliefs we were raised with.

I just want to say that what you are talking about sounds so much like what we experienced with our youngest child (the youngest of 4). I also wanted to mentioned that I would never knew he had reflux because he would reflux into his nasal cavity and he is such a content baby I would not have realized that he had reflux, if it wasn't for his constant congestion.
We started with axid at 8 weeks old. He was breast fed so we never thickened any feedings, but I can tell you honestly that giving him the axid made a huge difference. I didn't think it would since he seemed so content before we started it, but he took less time to eat, would eat more in one sitting, and ate less often. He sleep through the night, had less problems with congestion, and overall became more happy than I ever could have expected.
Today, he is almost 20 months old and he still has to take axid some days, but not all. I can hear when he refluxes now and I keep his script on hand, because when he is having problems, he will not eat.
I hope that it all works out for you. I also think you should get a second opinion. It sounds as if you don't trust your Doctor and you SHOULD trust your Doctor. They are very educated and know what they are talking about.

My heart goes out to you. My son did have reflux for a while but it cleared up around 4 months and he never ate much compared to my daughter. I constantly stressed and dreaded doctors appointments. Luckily, I have a wonderful doctor who basically reassured me that he was fine. My son has ALWAYS been skinny, like not even on the chart for weight but 50th for height and I freaked out. He turned 2 a month ago and now eats more than my 4 year old. But he still weighs nothing. It's just his build (which will serve him well when he hits his 30s lol). I honestly think that we now track every tiny detail of a childs life and then compare them. If your son is healthy and gaining (even a small amount) he's probably just fine. Let him eat his fill. He will tell you if he wants more. I know it's hard to feel like your going it alone (without your docs advice) but try it. Nobody knows your child like you so do not dismiss your instincts.