Please help, my 8 month old has developed a feeding aversion, failure to thrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should seriously look into donor milk or re-lactation if your DD was doing okay when she was nursing. How can you completely write off those options when she is actively starving to death?

You are a worthless sack of shit and I really hope your breasts fall off.

Why? If the child was thriving on breast milk why not give it to her?

[Anonymous]

Please post updates on this thread, OP. I hope everything works out for your DD.
I'm the PP whose DS fell off the growth charts. We went back last week and he only gained 5 oz in a month!
We did a blood test and urine analysis but it didn't show anything wrong.
Right now we're splitting the bottles. I find he eats more readily if it's 3 oz every 3 hours than trying to feed him 5 oz at once. I've also noticed that when he's tired and cranky and hungry he will cry when the bottle gets close to him but then drink vigorously once the nipple is in his mouth. I don't know what that's about.\
Good luck. And I think it's a great idea to take your D out when the weather is nice. Last weekend I fed him a bottle on a park bench and it was nice, although he got distracted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They supplement during relactatation with milk they've expressed?

Their country doesn't provide formula to poor people (which even the US does), and their country doesn't provide clean water to poor people (even the US does that), but they have access to a milk bank and to a SNS? (What kind of water do they wash the SNS in?)

What country is this?

Why do you want to know?

They keep it in the fridge and boil at night. After boiling the water they'll use inext day. The issue with formula is not just dirty water but the lack of education. Relatives try to "help" and convince the mom to water down the formula, to add corn starch to it or rice/oatmeal flour to make it thicker, etc. They prefer to tell mom to stick to BM. Which we all know is the best option.

Maybe when you say "milk bank", you mean something different from what I mean when I say "milk bank"?

When I say "milk bank", I mean an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and dispenses donor human milk. I'm finding it hard to imagine a country where the public infrastructure is bad enough for poor people to have no access to clean water, refrigeration, or affordable formula but good enough for poor women to have access to an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and affordably dispenses donor human milk (and SNSes). That's why I want to know what country it is.

That's exactly what a milk bank is in my country and there's also free baby care classes, free LCs, free supplies for moms who donate milk, the firefighters to pick up the donations twice a week from the donors house. While you keep talking like that you'll be left to do your own research. Show some respect and I might share the info you're looking for.

Please move this argument to a different thread. You are detracting from the OP's serious issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They supplement during relactatation with milk they've expressed?

Their country doesn't provide formula to poor people (which even the US does), and their country doesn't provide clean water to poor people (even the US does that), but they have access to a milk bank and to a SNS? (What kind of water do they wash the SNS in?)

What country is this?

Why do you want to know?

They keep it in the fridge and boil at night. After boiling the water they'll use inext day. The issue with formula is not just dirty water but the lack of education. Relatives try to "help" and convince the mom to water down the formula, to add corn starch to it or rice/oatmeal flour to make it thicker, etc. They prefer to tell mom to stick to BM. Which we all know is the best option.

Maybe when you say "milk bank", you mean something different from what I mean when I say "milk bank"?

When I say "milk bank", I mean an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and dispenses donor human milk. I'm finding it hard to imagine a country where the public infrastructure is bad enough for poor people to have no access to clean water, refrigeration, or affordable formula but good enough for poor women to have access to an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and affordably dispenses donor human milk (and SNSes). That's why I want to know what country it is.

That's exactly what a milk bank is in my country and there's also free baby care classes, free LCs, free supplies for moms who donate milk, the firefighters to pick up the donations twice a week from the donors house. While you keep talking like that you'll be left to do your own research. Show some respect and I might share the info you're looking for.

Please move this argument to a different thread. You are detracting from the OP's serious issue.

Pp actually asked a question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They supplement during relactatation with milk they've expressed?

Their country doesn't provide formula to poor people (which even the US does), and their country doesn't provide clean water to poor people (even the US does that), but they have access to a milk bank and to a SNS? (What kind of water do they wash the SNS in?)

What country is this?

Why do you want to know?

They keep it in the fridge and boil at night. After boiling the water they'll use inext day. The issue with formula is not just dirty water but the lack of education. Relatives try to "help" and convince the mom to water down the formula, to add corn starch to it or rice/oatmeal flour to make it thicker, etc. They prefer to tell mom to stick to BM. Which we all know is the best option.

Maybe when you say "milk bank", you mean something different from what I mean when I say "milk bank"?

When I say "milk bank", I mean an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and dispenses donor human milk. I'm finding it hard to imagine a country where the public infrastructure is bad enough for poor people to have no access to clean water, refrigeration, or affordable formula but good enough for poor women to have access to an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and affordably dispenses donor human milk (and SNSes). That's why I want to know what country it is.

That's exactly what a milk bank is in my country and there's also free baby care classes, free LCs, free supplies for moms who donate milk, the firefighters to pick up the donations twice a week from the donors house. While you keep talking like that you'll be left to do your own research. Show some respect and I might share the info you're looking for.

Please move this argument to a different thread. You are detracting from the OP's serious issue.

Pp actually asked a question.

It was a stupid argument and none of it is relevant in this thread. It wouldn't be even if OP had an interest in giving her DD breast milk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They supplement during relactatation with milk they've expressed?

Their country doesn't provide formula to poor people (which even the US does), and their country doesn't provide clean water to poor people (even the US does that), but they have access to a milk bank and to a SNS? (What kind of water do they wash the SNS in?)

What country is this?

Why do you want to know?

They keep it in the fridge and boil at night. After boiling the water they'll use inext day. The issue with formula is not just dirty water but the lack of education. Relatives try to "help" and convince the mom to water down the formula, to add corn starch to it or rice/oatmeal flour to make it thicker, etc. They prefer to tell mom to stick to BM. Which we all know is the best option.

Maybe when you say "milk bank", you mean something different from what I mean when I say "milk bank"?

When I say "milk bank", I mean an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and dispenses donor human milk. I'm finding it hard to imagine a country where the public infrastructure is bad enough for poor people to have no access to clean water, refrigeration, or affordable formula but good enough for poor women to have access to an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and affordably dispenses donor human milk (and SNSes). That's why I want to know what country it is.

That's exactly what a milk bank is in my country and there's also free baby care classes, free LCs, free supplies for moms who donate milk, the firefighters to pick up the donations twice a week from the donors house. While you keep talking like that you'll be left to do your own research. Show some respect and I might share the info you're looking for.

Please move this argument to a different thread. You are detracting from the OP's serious issue.

Pp actually asked a question.

It was a stupid argument and none of it is relevant in this thread. It wouldn't be even if OP had an interest in giving her DD breast milk.

She could learn to relactate for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should seriously look into donor milk or re-lactation if your DD was doing okay when she was nursing. How can you completely write off those options when she is actively starving to death?[/quote]

You must intend to respond to a different thread....her baby is not "actively starving to death".

You either made a mistake or you are a terrible, horrific excuse for a human being. OP sounds like a far better parent than you could ever be.

[Anonymous]

OP. PP who keeps talking about re-lactating thanks I seriously gave it thought over the last few days but my DH is so against it for my sake and I know it would be very difficult. Please don't try to make me feel any more guilty than I already am feeling about stopping pumping at 6.5 months. I was a zombie with the exclusive pumping and working full-time. However, had I known that DD would reduce her intake this much (we still don't know if it's stopping the BM that did it), I would have continued. That's just 20-20.

We saw Dr Sondheimer but she had already, it seemed to me, made up her mind based on what the resident passed on, before she entered the room, that DD has behavioral issues vis a vis feeding and that reflux meds are no good. I am back to square to one. I feel that there is something wrong structurally/anatomically. Weak sphincter. Some element of dysphagia whether it is due to the milk protein in the Gerber Soothe we gave or due to damage from reflux earlier or could be just birth or something else. I may try getting in to see an ENT.

Now in addition to the feeding issues which continue (new bottles - tommee tippee and podee ordered just in case those help), we are also concerned in the delay in development. Not sitting up independently, not crawling, no consonants, rolling only on the left side and what I see as hypertonia - the last two have led me to research CP which is real scary. The hypertonia (taut muscles) was also mentioned by the lady who came from the county for the initial evaluation though she is not an OT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They supplement during relactatation with milk they've expressed?

Their country doesn't provide formula to poor people (which even the US does), and their country doesn't provide clean water to poor people (even the US does that), but they have access to a milk bank and to a SNS? (What kind of water do they wash the SNS in?)

What country is this?

Why do you want to know?

They keep it in the fridge and boil at night. After boiling the water they'll use inext day. The issue with formula is not just dirty water but the lack of education. Relatives try to "help" and convince the mom to water down the formula, to add corn starch to it or rice/oatmeal flour to make it thicker, etc. They prefer to tell mom to stick to BM. Which we all know is the best option.

Maybe when you say "milk bank", you mean something different from what I mean when I say "milk bank"?

When I say "milk bank", I mean an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and dispenses donor human milk. I'm finding it hard to imagine a country where the public infrastructure is bad enough for poor people to have no access to clean water, refrigeration, or affordable formula but good enough for poor women to have access to an organization that accepts, pasteurizes, and affordably dispenses donor human milk (and SNSes). That's why I want to know what country it is.

That's exactly what a milk bank is in my country and there's also free baby care classes, free LCs, free supplies for moms who donate milk, the firefighters to pick up the donations twice a week from the donors house. While you keep talking like that you'll be left to do your own research. Show some respect and I might share the info you're looking for.

Please move this argument to a different thread. You are detracting from the OP's serious issue.

Pp actually asked a question.

It was a stupid argument and none of it is relevant in this thread. It wouldn't be even if OP had an interest in giving her DD breast milk.

She could learn to relactate for sure.

Just shut up and leave already. Why would you harass an already stressed out parent. OP's case is dire and you are just harping the same thing again and again and again.

OP hang in there. I would suggest you seek a third GI opinion.

[Anonymous]

OP, I agree, seek out another GI and new pediatrician who deals with special needs kids. I would not rely on a resident for diagnosis. You clearly know something more is going on and you sound like a great mom trying everything. I would continue to different formulas. Forget breastfeeding and ignore the previous posters. We had severe reflux and went through at least a dozen formulas (we ended up mixing two to get the right consistency but same brand) and many bottles. We went through many medication changes but once we found the right one, it was amazing (till we had weight gain and had to adjust it). It very easily could be something else and the doctors are not seeing the signs in their 10 minute visits. Keep trying. Our reflux did not get better till 11 months and was not fully resolved till about 2. We had terrible eating problems, still do but they are better. My child now eats but it took lots of patience, lots of trying and just time.

[Anonymous]

PP who went to Sheila Skinner / ENT. We also went to Georgetown GI and didn't find it helpful. We did a swallow study and they all thought it was behavioral too. I think I mentioned earlier that my ped thought DD's problem was infant anorexia and basically told me everything was my fault. Sheila Skinner was SO helpful and basically fixed DD's problem along with the ENT (Dr. Harley). I know how frustrating it can be when doctors dismiss you and you know something's wrong. In our case, DD had severe tongue tie - sch a ridiculously simple problem that nobody caught (not the NICU, lactation consultants, ped, or three GI docs). The first thing Sheila Skinner did was actually inspect DD's mouth, which nobody else had really done for more than a second. It's so infuriating that the doctors didn't start with the basics. What I'm getting at is even though it's unlikely that your child has tongue tie, the child may have something else that the doctors are missing, hence why I keep pushing for a speech pathologist. She actually watched us try to feed DD and made all sorts of observations from that. This is something nobody else did.

[Anonymous]

Pp whose daughter had crohns. Prevacid did nothing for us - we used nexium and zantac. Periactin is an old remedh for stimulating the appetite. We didnt go down a fruitful diagnostic path until we had a bunch of bloodwork done showing how badly her immune system was reacting. As for dysphagia - are you noticing your child choking or gagging on liquids?

As for breastmilk - I breastfed and my child fell of the charts anyway. If your kid has a medical or behavioral reason for ftt it really doesnt matter thAt you went to formula. The gi doc told me that ftt from medical reasons tends to start at 6 months. So its not because you gave up pumping. The drs wanted me to wean to elecare because if you are breastfeeding it is impossible to estimate how many ounces your child is drinking.

Does your child seem in pain?
Do you have any genetic or metabolic conditions in the family? My daughter had hypotonia in her lower legs too - it improved when the nutrition improved.

Something that helped me a lot was putting my daughter in the jogging stroller and running.

[Anonymous]

Same pp again - did your dds height and weight go down together or did weight fall first? If its the former, make sure you mention that to your third gi consult - it tends to mean it is medical rather than behavioral. We used a speech language pathologist from infant toddler connection who was wonderful.

[Anonymous]

OP, would she latch if you offered the breast? You could try the formula through an SNS which might be less stressful for her as it is a very small tube. Might be worth a shot.

[Anonymous]

OP. PP who mentioned the tongue tie, that made me angry on your behalf. So sorry that you and your LO had to go through that but glad that it was diagnosed.

I am still trying to get another consult at children's and see a ped GI there. Also planning to make an appt with a speech pathologist.

Height and weight went down together which is why I think its troubling. She coughs and gags sometimes while drinking. If she is totally distracted then there is less likelihood which is why I think there is some element of dysphagia. Also now that I think of it, she used to gag at the breast whenever I did attempt it and I used to think its either reflux or fast flow from me. Maybe it was dysphagia. But from what I have read it's not easy to detect from the modified barium swallow study.

I will try different bottles but at this time am stuck with elecare in case this is esophageal esophagitis that is milk protein induced.

We don't have any metabolic conditions in the family and DD does not seem in pain. The ped GI at Georgetown did recommend the metabolic panel. PP who mentioned bloodwork can you please elaborate what was done and what that revealed.

My gut instinct is that since the low feed is due to something medical, once it is resolved if it can be, she may be able to pick up developmentally.

She never latched and I doubt she will now PP.

Thank you for sticking with me this long and please please keep those suggestions, experiences coming. She has not gone up in any weight and its heartbreaking every time someone asks me if she is 4-5 months old.