Acid Reflux and Gas

I have to commend you, K., for nursing through a difficult situation! Many would give up. Keep it up, you can do it and you're baby girl's digestive system will mature. It does sound like a milk intolerance. All three of my daughters had reflux, 2 of which were on prescription meds and Mylanta. A couple of ideas: you have to be dairy-free (even dairy found in other foods, esp. processed foods) for about two weeks before it is completely out of your system and breastmilk. Tough! But try it and see if it helps her. Dierbergs, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes have lots of dairy-free options that you will hopefully grow accostomed to! My youngest has a milk allergy (different than intolorence) so we've tried it all! You should start to see her inproving w/i a wk. or so. But stay off dairy for a several weeks to see if there is a drastic change. She should be getting no dairy at all, through you or otherwise for a couple of weeks to get it completely out of her. If she is still having trouble it's probably something else. (But I'd be willing to bet it's the dairy!) Also, you can check out kellymom.com for all kinds of advice pertaining to nursing. I know it will be difficult for those weeks but you'll get the hang of your new diet and hopefully your precious baby will start to feel better! You can do it! Blesssings to you!

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I don't have great advice other than, I went through this with my daughter. She is now about to turn 1 and we still struggle with gas. She was also spitting up all the time when her acid would come up. I had to put her on the really expensive formula that was lactose free and she did a lot better. I was breast feeding and had to stop to help her. I found that when I gave her acid reflux medication it trapped her gas inside, while she was still passing gas she was screaming from gas pain. I know that every pediatrician that I went to told me to get Mylanta but they said to find the one that is Aluminum free (which they no longer make) so be very careful with that. We struggled and still do. Often times, this will work itself out. I know that I even tried to go onto acid reflux meds myself and I was increadibly gassy and very uncomfortable, so often times, that can be a side affect. So, my advice is to talk to her pediatrician more and tell them what is happening and maybe a different medication will help. We tried 2 different medications and neither worked for her. I understand how hard this is and I hope that you find something that works for her.

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K.,
You have had a lot of help from our local moms! I just wanted to support the moms who suggested chiropractic. I am a chiropractor in saint charles and I have treated many babies with the exact same problems as your daughter. It is very safe (I have been working on my two children since birth) I would be happy to recommend a pediatric certified chiropractor in your area. My office is currently in st.charles but I will be soon be moving to crevecouer and wenztville. If my office is in a convienent location for you I would be happy to give you and your daughter a free consultation and discuss how I can help. If you have any questions call me at ###-###-#### or ###-###-####. I hope we can get your little one feeling better soon!

Dr.Wilks

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With the foul smelling gas, it is very possible that your little girl is allergic to cows milk. This was one of my son's main symptoms that he was allergic. Some babies get an allergy to the sugars and proteins in cow's milk, which is passed from you to the baby through nursing. I was put on a strict "no dairy" diet that helped him. He was also put on Nutramigen, which is a formula that helps babies with the milk allergy, but it is very expensive. This was for when I went back to work and needed formula to help supplement him here and there. The milk allergy is different than being lactose intolerant. I'm not really sure what the difference is, but I have been told by my son's allergist that there is a big difference and I really didn't care to find out what it was at the time.

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Hi K.,

Your diet could have a lot to do with it. How much of the diet hot chocolate do you drink a day? Is it just one cup? I'm going to assume that because it is diet that is has some sort of artificial sweetener in it. I would suggest not drinking it and see what happens. Artificial sweeteners can really tear up your digestive system. Maybe the one cup a day won't bother you, but it may bother your baby. I would also suggest staying away from ALL soy products, if you can. Soy has a phytoestrogen in it that may be linked to cancer. I've read MANY studies done on soy and non of them have been good. Cutting out your dairy would be a great idea. The way our dairy is processed these days is the very reason why a lot of us are intolerant to it. You can get your calcium through other sources such as spinach; turnip, mustard,and collard greens; blackstrap molasses; swiss chard; kale; goat's milk(great for those intolerant to dairy, but not sure that you can give it to babies); basil; thyme; dill seed; cinnamon; peppermint leaves; Romaine lettuce; celery; broccoli; sesame seeds; fennel; cabbage; summer squash; green beans; garlic; brussel sprouts; oranges; asparagus;oregano; rosemary and parsley. The other thing I HIGHLY recommend is bringing your baby to see a chiropractor. I can't tell you how many babies we have seen in our office, for your exact symptoms, and what a difference. Not sure where you are but we are in Collinsville, IL. If we aren't close to you please call us and we will help you find someone in your area, if you are interested!!! ###-###-####. Hope this helps and good luck with your little one!

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Cut out onions, garlic, and gas producing foods like cabbage and beans. Basically, if it could cause gas for you, it will cause gas for her.

K.-
Has anyone suggested pediatric chiropractic? The majority of the babies that I see are for this issue, and I find that often one or two gentle adjustments do the trick. Sometimes minor misalignments in the hips and/or low back can cause tension that squeezes on the stomach and intestines, making it hard to get gas out. That's where the gentle adjusting comes in.

Another concern with the medications for babies is that they affect the acid content in her stomach, which in turn affects her ability to process her food (breastmilk or formula).

I also agree with the last comment on sucralose and diet products.

You can find a chiropractor specially trained in the care of newborns here:
http://www.icpa4kids.org/locator/index.php

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to write.

Yours in health,
Dr. Alyssa

My son had really bad gas too, with the reflux. He was prescribed zantac. He hated the taste, and after he was about 6 months old i tried not giving it to him and he seemed to be better. the acid reflux usually goes away on it's own, as your baby gets larger. The gas is still sometimes an issue with my son, especially when he's cutting a tooth. I never could get him to latch on good so I put him on formula. Finally, when he was 9 months, I put him on a lactose free, hypoallergenic formula (thank God I was on WIC), and he did great, and was able to pass the gass with much more ease. It is more and more common now for babies to be lactose intolerant, however, many of them outgrow that by the time they are 3. What I did was just got online every night and did a lot of research. Good luck, and dont' be afraid to give tylonol if the gas is really bad. Also, holding her and sitting on the edge of your bed while you use your legs to bounce up and down on it will probably help her get a lot of burps out- i know, it sounds silly ;)

K.,

I almost didn't read this post since I am Way past the infant stage but here are my thoughts.

I am a wellness educator with a primary focus on chemicals in our foods. What caught my eye about your post was the "diet hot chocolate." My assumption is that it is sweetened with nutrasweet, (aspartame) or splenda (sucralose). Artificial sweeteners is the one thing I will NOT allow in my house. There is a ton of evidence of the dangers of nutrasweet which generally have neurological effects (headaches, muscle weakness, etc).
But there just recently was a study done showing that splenda is messing with the good bacteria in the gut/intestines. I don't have it right in front of me but can get the specifics if you want them.

Anyway, I personally would suggest giving up the diet hot chocolate but stick with the occasional yogurt.

L. Krause
www.YourKitchenCoach.net

Hi! My children didn't have trouble with acid or gas, so I'm not sure why I think I can help....I had great luck with the lactation specialist at our hospital. I was there several times (I really mean a lot of times) after my second daughter was born. I did learn that I couldn't eat chilli. Even when she was almost a year old, I tried it again, and it was terrible. She cried all the time for a whole day. Everytime we had a situation or questions, the lactation department at our hospital was wonderful.

We had the exact same problem with our son late last year. Like you, we tried medicine, but the only thing that really worked was letting him grow a little more (unfortunately). He grew out of it around 9-10 weeks.

My three month-old has acid-reflux as well as gas (and her two older sisters had a lot of gas too). I have always given Gripe Water (made my Baby's Bliss). It takes some checking around to find it. I know you can buy it online, and i know that Hy-Vee claims to carry it (although its never in stock). It's made with ginger and fennel, two very natural substances that calm the digestive system. But it seems to work instantly. Also, for the reflux, I keep my daughter upright for at least a half hour after nursings and I make sure to give some good "cupped hand" burping pats to help free the trapped gas bubbles. I hope that helps. BTW... the last time I checked, Whole Foods has a gripe water not made by Baby's Bliss that my kiddos didn't seem to like the taste of. All three of my baby's like Baby's Bliss gripe water.
K.

Yes your diet can cause the gas in your daughter since you are breast feeding. I know that one food that I could not eat was brocolli. It did not matter if it was cooked or raw it gave both me and my son really bad gas. Any food that gives you gas can give your daughter gas as well. I know that a friend of mine had to write everything down that she put in her mouth even if it was a stick of chewing gum or a drink. She discovered that her son's gas was caused by all the veggies that she was eating. I know that taking out your dairy can be really bad for you. I am not one that would drink milk at all as a child. When I was pregnant with my first child I craved milk during the pregnancy and then during the 3 months that she nursed. However when I was pregnant with my son I drank milk and then the 18 months that I nursed him. I still have to have my 16 oz glass of chocolate milk every morning just to function (like those that drink coffee) and I have not nused him for almost a year now.
Also spicy foods can efect breast feed babies. We really have to watch what we put in our mouths even if it is medicine because our babies can get it through our breast milk. Be sure to let her dr. know what you are cutting out of your diet because they might tell you that you and your baby need the nurtition. Your body will deplete itself of nurtition to feed your baby. I had a friend that this happened to. She thought that she had the flue because she felt achy in her bones and joints. Come to find out between nursing her 3 month old and the baby gowing inside her they were taking away what clacium she was getting through suplements becuase she is not a milk drinker. Not sure how much dairy she was getting but I do not think it was much.
I just do not wish to see you get run down when you need all of the nutrtion you can get so that your baby girl is healthy.

Probably 2 ounces of soy FORMULA every 2-3 hours and the infant pepcid. Then you might get some sleep and have time for a shower!

Hi K.,
When we thought our infant son had gas, we used the baby gas drops.
My friend's son had terrible reflux; she bottle fed a little at a time, then kept him in a sitting position for 30 minutes after every feeding to reduce his projectile vomitting. I don't know if this applies to your daughter, but I hope it helps in some way. I will pray for her and you. :)
C.

If you feel it may be dairy related, you are going to need to read a lot more labels because I think you might be surprised at the vast number of things that contain whey, which is a dairy product.

Good luck in your journey!

The caffeine from the diet hot chocolate could be bothering her. Caffeine can cause gas and other problems with the GI system. Have you tried elevating the crib mattress? A good GI doctor would recommend this. Also, the md may need to prescribe a different medication because the ones she is on may not be working. Sometimes Maalox may cause gas. Also, a word of caution since you are using a diet drink. Artificial sweeteners are not recommended for developing children. They can cause different learning disabilities. We were instructed this by 3 physicians and therapists who have worked with our autistic son and our ADHD son. 2 children I have known from birth have developmental problems due to mom using artificial sweeteners while pregnant and giving it to the kids since they were born. Good luck! Reflux in infants is frustrating, but there is hope!!!!

Hi K.. Poor little one! My daughter had terrible gas and pain with it as well--though not the reflux issue. I cut out cow's milk for awhile while nursing and also found that my girl was not happy nursing after I ate my favorite Chinese food. Some of it is just finding the pattern.

As for the gas, the gas drops never helped her much, but we found that Gripe Water--the all natural, no preservatives kind--helped her a bit more. Also, you might have heard this, but bicycling her legs sometimes helped her pass the gas and be more comfortable. A warm blanket or hand on the tummy can be comforting too.

Best of luck!
M.

I would contact a good lactation consultant and a La Leche League Leader. This is a different angle to explore but my son had a lot of gassiness due to foremilk/hindmilk issues. He was great at latching on at first. After he was 1 1/2 month old he had issues wanting to latch due to the fact that I developed an overactive letdown.

If the baby gets too much foremilk they are getting the sugary milk that can create a lot of gas. Their poop is sometimes more green and watery due to the sugary content. With the overactive let down It can sometimes look like reflux issues. They can act like they are in a lot of pain because they can't control the flow. They have more milk going down than they can handle. The flow can be very forceful.

My son would latch on at first. When the let down came he would unlatch, thrash around, cry and be totally frustrated with trying to nurse. It is extremely frustrating for the baby and the mother. The good thing is that as the baby gets older than he/she is better able to control the flow. Also, you can do things like prepumping to reduce the let down reflux. With this, you want to make sure that the baby gets to the fatty hindmilk that comes at the end of a nursing session. I had no problem whatsoever with this with my second child.

I know babies sometimes have issues with reflux and food sensitivities. I kept track of all of this with my first and couldn't figure out anything until I stumbled across the possibilities of foremilk/hindmilk and letdown issues. I wanted to throw this alternative thought out as something to rule out. Again, either way I would encourage you to contact your local La Leche League or a lactation consultant. Pediatricians are great people. However, they are not always the foremost authorities on breastfeeding.

Good luck.

I didn't read your responses so if I am repeating advice, I apologize. I have known lots of moms who have to avoid chocolate completely because of the problems it gives their little ones while nursing. I know, how can you live without the chocolate! Also I have heard that brocolli is a big problem and that you have to be careful with the soy too. We used the infant gas drops a lot when ours were little and they really do help a lot.

Have you tried chiropractic it is very safe for children and I know of several people who took their children to the chiropractor for what you are dealing with. One lady had a 6week old infant and the pediatrician had them mom stop breast feeding and tried every formula possible and finally told the parents the child who have to grow out of it. Can you believe it the baby had become colicky not sleeping crying all the time gas etc. Once the chiropractor treated the child he was fine. Try this Dr. Rockers ###-###-#### he is great with kids. good luck!