How to handle a gassy and fussy newborn while nursing

Why don't you try boosting up your breast milk supply. There are a variety of techniques and even some perscriptions, ie: Domperidome, that can help. My son was a very sleepy feeder for the first month/ month and a half - that coupled with several other factors caused me to have a low milk supply. However, by the grace of God and a little help from a hospital grade breast pump, I was able to wean him off of formula. It is worth the effort and will be easier on her digestive system.

Lots of babies have heartburn. It is very common to give them Zantac to help ease their discomfort. Don't be afraid to give it to her. Our son used it for about 6 months and then he was fine.

Also, at 3 months, the digestive tract seems to start maturing, making things so much easier. We took our son to a digestive specialist at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. They provided us with a very special formula that you can only get from a doctor. You might want to try that if you can.

Hope you find something that works for you...

Hi T.,

How is your milk supply? If it is up, I would say try transitioning completely out of formula - as it sounds like this is where the issue is likely coming from. Are you pumping when she is taking a bottle of formula? Just wondering - as that will help to increase your supply. Best of luck.

Camden has a very sensitive stomach also! We use Bright Beginnings Gentle, it is like a cross between Good Start and Similac Sensitive. It has only 1/4 of the lactose, and it has the pre broken down whey protein. It really has helped with the spitting up and the stinky gas/ bowel movements. The only down side is that it can be harder to find, I get it at diapers.com for $19.99 a can.

She may have a milk/soy allergy. I would seek out specialists. You should have her see an allergist and perhaps a Gastroenterologist! Our son had the same problem! He was put on Elecare formula (basically the last line if formula out there!!)

hope that helps!
Andrea

Hi T.,

Im going to throw some ideas around. Please consult your doctor about medical advice.

My recommendation is to stay far far away from Soy of any kind. It is estrogenic, and causes huge problems. You can look up "the dangers of soy" online. I used it for my baby 12 yrs ago by a doctor's suggestion. and now she has thryroid problems and arthritis. She is very sick, at 12!The web is covered with research (40 years worth)that scientists published about soy, yet it is STILL on suopermarket shelves and recommended today. Criminal.

I think you are very wise to not use the Zantac. Not only are most GERD drugs floridated (florine is a poison and it prohibits the pituitary gland from making TSH), but they cause severe vitamin deficiencies because they reduce stomach acid and stomach acid is there to help digest and uptake the vitamins in food. They cause lower growth, and digestion difficulties. Zantac is the most common GERD drug prescribed, but very few GERD drugs are approved by the FDA or have any research done on children. 'Off label' is the term that the doctors use when they prescribe a drug that is not FDA approved for the child. When people say they have not seen problems in their children after the drug, it doesn't mean that the drug hasn't caused problems that can manefest later in life. Although my daughter's first problems started out 7 years ago, they started small and I didn't link them to the soy until I did some research. of course her problems are huge now. Just because something is legal, commonly prescribed or available on a shelf doesn't mean it is good for you. In fact, drugs don't just have side effects, they have MAJOR effects on the body.

When doing my soy formula research, it said that most of us assume formula has some kind of 'standard' industry recipe on which it is based. It doesn't.They can put anything they want in it. Do you think you could try to increase your milk supply? Drinking more water can help with that. Water makes ALL the difference. If you body is dehydrated it cannot produce milk of any volume. Normal water intake is 8 oz a day for ever 25 pounds of your body weight. So lactation would increase that requirement even more.

Iron supplementation can cause GERD in infants. Children are born with enough iron to supply them for a year. Children cannot excrete Iron. It becomes toxic and even lethal as it builds up in the body. Most Iron overdoses occur in children under 1 yr old. So don't supplement with vitamins with IRON in them without a doctors advice, and if anemia is present. Don't choose formulas with Iron. Don't feed iron fortified cereals. Iron feeds bacterias.

The flip side of this is that low Iron can cause GERD symptoms as well- specifically not being able to swallow food and spitting it out perpetually because of esophegeal webs. Magnesium deficiency can occur in pregnant women easily. I have read MG deficiency can pass on to babies. Magnesium Plasma levels are only 1%. so it's not feasible to check MG deficiences with a blood test. BUT it is safe to administer transdermally daily by using magnesium oil and rubbing it on the skin and letting it dry. Mg def. can cause spasms in esophagus and choking on food, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, apathy, IBS and constipation, tantrums.

Another issue could be gluten intolerance. Many formulas have gluten in them. Gluten intolerance, or celiacs disease, can cause low weight, crying, vomiting and other symptoms. There are many reasons for celiacs but infection with yeast or bacteria is one reason. Again, since IRON makes pathogens grow, formula with gluten and iron should be avoided.

I want to leave you with another thought. I read a book many years ago, and I beleive it was called something along the lines of Colic No More. This doctor said that babies will cry for 3 main reasons. 1.Hunger, 2.the need for sleep, and 3. pain or extreme discomfort. He says entertainment and boredom are not crying triggers. Sleep is an often overlooked need, because people assume when a baby is screaming, (and already fed,) that it is in pain, or wants stimulation. Since babies can only relate their need with a cry, the need for sleep will start with crying. (indeed extreme exaustion is painful-a baby kept up for hours is equivalent to an adult being kept awake for days.) But if the need doesn't get filled, the baby will increase the intensity of the scream to get the attention of the parent. This is usually responded to with even more bouncing, walking, swinging, and the baby cries even more as he get's more fustrated, and more stimulated, exactly the opposite of what he needs.

Red face, pulled up legs, cenching fists, and more agressive crying will occur in an unmet need and a fustrated baby, but many people associate it with pain. Excessive air intake from crying can cause more gas.

Young infants should be sleeping almost all day, with the exception of the time for feeding, a diaper change, and maybe 10 more minutes after that. If your baby is awake for an hour after feeding - It's a good probability this could be at least part the problem. If it is indeed time to sleep, placing the child in a quite room/bed is needed. The child will continue to cry, but only because his nervous system need (shut down into sleep cycle) hasn't occured yet. let him cry a little bit and he will fall asleep. Ps...infants that have gotten into a frantic agitated state will take longer to fall asleep, or may not be able to. Sometimes they may need another ounce or two of formula (especially if they have been crying for a while and now are hungry and tired both).
What I did is I kept a log book of the time she woke, ate, and went to sleep. Quickly I started seeing her natural pattern, and i'd quickly see when I screwed it up. Sometimes I didnt figure out why she was crying, I'd go to my journal , only to find she had been up WAY longer than I thought. It seemed only a liitle bit and because I was busy, time flew. In reality it was way over her sleep schedule! Journaling was a godsend. I also journaled symptoms. I still journal medical symptoms to this day, and it has helped me see "issues" much faster than if i didn't. When you have ALL the symptoms written down and remembered, it helps the doctor diagnose conditions as well.

http://www.emsresponder.com/features/articles.jsp?=3688&a...
Good luck.
G.

Hi T.,
Oh boy, I remember how stressful those first few months are with a fussy unhappy-tummy baby! Sooooo hard. Keep you chin up!

My strong advice: get yourself to a lactation consultant a.s.a.p. Your baby might be gassy from a poor latch. This mgiht be the source of your troubles from the beginning. Breastmilk is the BEST food for your baby, without exception. If your supply is still down, you may be able to use a "lactation aid" which is a tiny tube that goes into baby's mouth as they breastfeed. As your supply goes up, you gradually stop using the lactation aid. Point is, baby is getting nourishment at the breast only. You would get much more detailed information about how to use this from a lactation consultant.
You mention that you've cut out a lot of potential allergens from your diet-- that's great! I would also add onions to the list. And it takes a while for these things to clear out of your system so if you just stopped eating these foods you shouldn't expect to see the effects for at least a week.

I had trouble with my daughter when she was very young too (spitting, up, crying, arching her back in pain after a meal), though I never had to supplement with formula. I gave her Zantac for a while and, honestly, I think it was the ALCOHOL in the liquid Zantac that "helped" her more than anything else. Of course she slept better after that! What did help was seeing a cranio-sacral therapist for just a few months. If your birth was difficult in any way she may have some residual trauma from the experience that is upsetting her whole system.

A great resource online, with lots of video you can watch about improving the latch:

http://www.drjacknewman.com/

Good luck!!! I hope you can ditch the formula soon and simplify your life!
Best,
A.

Both of my girls have had this problem and it seems to peak about 6 weeks and last a few months. One thing that may affect her tummy is switching formulas a lot. It takes a couple of weeks to get used to any formula. I tried Similac with my 1st daughter and it was horrible- fussy and gassy. I decided to switch her to the brand Nestles Soy (which my pediatrician said is easier on the stomache). Soy can be really constipating, but it worked well for my 1st child, but we had to give 2 ounces of pear juice to counter the constipation. My 2nd child I started with regular Nestles and it was fine. I used Gripe Water and Mylicon a lot for the first few months. You can also put Mylicon in the bottle and it will get rid of all the bubbles in the bottle. When I was nursing it seemed that everything bothered my 1st child, especially carbonated drinks, ice cream and most dairy, gassy vegetables, things with garlic or cinnamon in them. You can also try Nutramigen which is triple the cost of regular formula, but will work.

You've gotten a lot of good avice here. I also agree w/Cheryl L. about switching the formulas so much. Your daughter is only 7 weeks old & if I've counted right, she's been on 4 formulas already. I'd guess that means one formula per week? Her body might need more time to adjust to it than that. It is also common for babies to not poop much around 6 weeks. Both my boys did & w/our 1st son, I rushed him right off to the ped. who told me not to worry, that a lot of babies go on a poop strike about 6 weeks. I was worried that he was constipated but he was fine as your daughter could be. Just relax, pick a formula & stick w/it. Best of luck!

Hi. Congratulations on your new baby! We had this same problem with my son, I was nursing but he became dangerously jaundiced and we had to supplement with formula for awhile. He was so gassy and cried and you could just tell he was in pain. We tried something called Gripe Water, and everytime we used it within about 20 min. he was better, alot better. I found it at a pharmacy, call around your area to see who carries it. It was a life saver for us. Good luck! By the way my son is now 4 months old and is mostly over the tummy troubles ( I nurse and we sometimes give him a bottle of formula - Gentlease Enfamil, and he is fine).

Maybe it is the similac brand. Try something else. My daughter uses Earth's Best because it was the one that didn't make her constipated. And maybe it's the bottle you are using too. They have many out there in the market w/ venting systems. Good luck.

Hi, congrats on the new baby...I can tell its been rough for you, and it is for most new mommies so you are not alone...and it will get better, I promise : - )

We went through the same thing...here is what we tried:

1. Nestle GoodStart formula, thinner, and less smelly, and MOST like breastmilk (I mostly breastfeed and this is the only formula she liked.) Costco brand is also great.

2. Mylicon - i used A LOT of this stuff and I feel like it worked the best. I really don't think you can overdose on Mylicon (unless you get extreme with it) so dont be afraid to use it : - )

3. Grip water...very sticky stuff and I am on the fence as to wether it works or not. However, I have one thing I wish someone would have told me when I started useing it...it can cause a thick/takcy yuck spit up in your little one in the first few times you use it. My daughter threw up this "stuff" and I almost rushed her to the ER I was so alarmed by it...turns out that it was the grip water. But this goes away within a couple days.

4. Try to PUMP, PUMP, PUMP!!! Get your supply up because babies are WAY more colicky on formula...very few breastfed babies are as gassey as a formula fed. I mean pump every hour ALL day and night, within 2 days your milk WILL increase...its all about supply and demand with your boobies, they respond to demand. They are actually pretty amazing I thought when I was breastfeeding : - )

Good luck and it WILL pass eventually! Just try to enjoy your time as a new mom!

my son went thru the same thing, try switching formula brands, not just types. I had a REALLY good experience with Enfamil A/R with my first son, but my second son would only take the GoodStart (orange can, not the green one). See if switching helps.
My oldest son was prescribed the Zantac too, please read a little more in to it before giving it to her. When were prescribed it for a lot of spit up, I switched from the regular Enfamil to the Enfamil AR and he went from spitting up 10-15 times a day, to spitting up once or twice.

good luck
K.

Okay hang in there you poor thing. As for the gassiness (mine was too), I used Mylicon drops (great for gas and give immediate results for the poor baby) and I also bought Gerber silicone nipples made w/vents to aid in colic. They helped alot. Baby took in less air when eating formula from the bottle. Try to find a formula and stick with it. Not sure I'd change it again to the last one you mentioned with the thickening rice starch in case it does upset her tummy. As for the spit up, babies do spit up and mine did quite a bit but check with your doctor about GERD. Okay I hope that helps. Good luck!

Have you tried chiropractic work? Sometimes with labor and delivery the cervical vertebrae can become misaligned, causing inflammation of a nerve that runs from the cervical vertebrae to the esophageal sphincter (flap that close between the stomach and the esophagus. I good chiropractor can remedy this with very gentle adjustments! This is what I recommend first for my clients, otherwise, fennel tea or slippery elm bark and probiotics can do wonders! Please let me know if you would like more info.

I would also like to clarify something from another post, "All this time he was lactose intolerant! See, even when they partially break down the milk protein with the expensive alimentum formula, it's still a milk protein, and a lot of kids have a hard time digesting that. When a formula calls it "lactose free", it means the milk protein has been removed.:
Just to be clear. It is EXTREMELY rare that an infant has a lactose intolerance. Furthermore, lactose is not a protein, it is a sugar molecule. Whey and casein are the predominant proteins in cow's milk. When you are buying a more expensive "partially hydrolyzed" or "hydrolyzed" formula, it means the PROTEIN has been broken down, not the sugar. "Lactose free" means there is no lactose, there is still protein (probably not broken down any further).

Also, I would just like to pose a question to the group of moms..."Why do you think that "reflux" and "GERD" have become WAY more prevalent in infants these days?" I don't believe it is a Zantac deficiency. In fact, most babies have LESS stomach acid than adults, not more (or too much). Perhaps we need to take a step back and consider the bigger picture. Perhaps our increased amount of stress in our lives, poor diet, and increased exposure to toxins has something to do with our children having more digestive issues (among other things?) My heart goes out to all the moms and dads struggling with a colicky or irritable baby. I just hope we can figure out a more holistic method to treating these babies rather than only having prescriptions offered to us by the doctors. There are other practitioners (Chiropractors, Naturopathic Doctors, Nutritionists, Acupuncturist, etc) that DO have a lot of success treating these (now common) problems in infants. I urge everyone to make an informed choice when treating their babies, not a decision based on fear.

I wish all the hard working, sleep deprived moms the best. You are all great at what you do; loving your children!

L. Vachani
Certified Nutrition Consultant
hfwellness.com
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Hi T.,

I definately feel for you! I went through the same thing as you are going through. Both my girls were gassy and had tummy problems and both ended up having different forms of reflux. It took a lot of persistance with the doctors to find out what was wrong (they kept wanting to call it collick) but eventually the end result was reflux. With my oldest she spit up a LOT and had gas and pain. My youngest had pain but instead of spitting up she was really gassy and pooped a LOT (we would go through ~15 diapers a day!). With my oldest I was hesitant to put her on any medication (Zantac) but did with my youngest and in retrospect wish I had with my first. It would have saved us both a lot of misery. The Zantac worked wonderfully with my youngest and the issue resolved within a month. I understand your hesitation but suggest you give it a try. Good luck! K

I am sorry you are dealing with this. It is so hard when you can't help your baby feel good. I went through the same thing with my second daughter. In our case the issue was gluten. She couldn't even tolerate the gluten I ate and she got from the breastmilk. It is good for you to stay off milk/dairy also. Soy is hard to digest even for adults so I don't think soy formula is the greatest. What has worked for many is goat milk - in powder form, used as formula. My daughter drank almond milk for years, but at seven weeks that's too young to start on a nut milk. I hope you can figure it out for both of your sakes. I always recommend seeing a naturopathic doctor as well as your pediatrician because they have so much insight into how the gut works and the importance of what you and your baby eats.

For my little girl it was the bottle I used that caused all the issues and believe me she was a MESS! The Playtex vent-aire bottles really worked miracles and brought what we thoght to be a colicky baby to a happy baby! I hear the Dr. Browns are good too! I wish you lots of luck - gassy babies are hard on the heart... :(

Hi,

My daughter was colic baby for 3 mo. I use GRIPE WATER that a purchase at the HEALTH FOOD STORE and I also massage her tummy and back tummy before we go to bed at night. It worked for her and us. I supplemented for only 3 weeks because she was 5 weeks early(but a healthy one)then I exclusively made sure I gave her my breast, she didn't want it but at the end it worked out well.

Good Luck.....

M.

First I want to say, hang in there! I know right now things seem VERY bleak and hard to get thru, but you and your baby will get thru this! =)
I had the same thing with my son. We didn't sleep much that first year. He ended up having acid reflux AND lactose intolerence (which we didn't find out the milk issue til later because of formula switching also). The doc put him on Zantac also but that still didn't work, so be prepared for that too. The next step was Prevacid liquid. I hated giving it to him but it was the only thing that seemed to help some.
But he still was colicky. After multiple formula switches I finally stumbled upon Parent's Choice Sensitive Lactose Free (it's Walmart brand, they also make it in the expensive brands but we couldn't afford it - and every brand calls it something different!). After paying for Similac Alimentum @ $28/can I was sooooo relieved this new formula seemed to sit well with him. All this time he was lactose intolerant! See, even when they partially break down the milk protein with the expensive alimentum formula, it's still a milk protein, and a lot of kids have a hard time digesting that. When a formula calls it "lactose free", it means the milk protein has been removed. So you might want to give it a try.
I might also want to mention to you that I was also breastfeeding and formula supplementing because of the colic issues and my doc had me go off ALL dairy, nuts, soy, ect. til i could practicaly eat nothing, stressing me out even more as a new mom, and come to find out if was the formula the whole time! Crazy thing....
I hope all works out, sometimes it's trial and error, but you are not alone!!! Hang in there, and GOOD LUCK =)

The Zantac REALLY works. My baby uses it and it really helps.

I found that Good Start formula and Dr. Brown's bottles worked best for my kids.

Give her the Zantac. She is having Acid Reflux and she will not feel better unless she gets the meds. It is perfectly safe and she (and you) will feel a lot better.

Just two pieces of advice:
1) Enfamil Nutramigen formula worked great for our son! A little pricey, though.
2) To help with your milk supply, yeast tablets or drink a beer.

T. I'm so sorry. I had a collicky baby too and I remember the heartache. If you can do one thing it should be to get her on 100% breastmilk. If you're having trouble, it would be worth it to see a lactation consultant. Pumping can help bring up your supply too. Formula is simply very hard on their system. DEFINITELY stay away from soy... it's worse than cow's milk. If you can find a goat's milk formula, try that since it's gentler than cow's milk. You're doing well by keeping your diet mild... no spicy foods, no acidic foods (tomato sauce etc), no high fatty foods. We had good luck with keep the baby distracted... lots of movement, rocking, changing positions, walks outside... distraction is the key! It does end at around 3-4 months but that's a ways off still and I think breastfeeding full time could really help (even though nothing can completely cure except time). Good luck and email me if you want to talk more. PS, the simethicone gas drops to provide some relief.

I had the exact same problem at the exact same age with my daughter. I bought a few different type of bottles also. I made sure they were all slow flow nipples and she seemed to do the best with Playtex Crystal Clear bottles for some reason or another. I also used the Born Free slow flow and that seemed to help as well. Not to mention I did one day of all formula and 1 day of all breast milk. I noticed the day she had all formula (I used Good Start Orange Can) she did 100 times better. I was almost thinking she was developing Colic but within 2 days of all Formula and good bottles she seemed to be just fine. Never another problem. I did have to pump her legs to her chest and while she was on her back roll her hips from side to side to push out gas if she had any. She also LOVED being carried on my forearm with the pressure on her belly.

I hope you find the answer soon. It is SOOO Hard to know whats really going on at that age. Their systems are tryign so hard to work.

try adding gripe water to her formula, worked wonders for us when our little girl was your baby's age. They sell it at CVS or Longs in the baby section, also we had to switch to soy formula as well. Since age one she has been back on regular milk. Best of luck and congrads on your new baby.
M.

Hi T.,

It looks like other moms have good advice about the formula/breastfeeding thing. I just wanted to say my son, from a set of boy, girl twins, had terrible acid reflux. He spit up a lot but I also remember him being fussy and very uncomfortable. I didn't want to go the Zantac route either but eventually realized he needed it. It completely changed his behavior around feeding and he was much happier. He was on it for maybe 6 months, then he grew out of the problem as the doctor predicted. He is now an incredibly bubbly and bright boy and had no side effects at all. Take care. It's a really hard time, but it gets easier.

Is it possible to cut out formula? Also, a carnio-sac therapist may help. Has for us. I actually am about to take my 4 month old back because of gas issues. I too cut out dairy (at 3 weeks) and watch what I eat but she seems sensitive. I would consider contacting Nancy Burke. She would be a great help?

Have you tried contacting LLL? Or WIC? Even a lactation specialist? I keep hearing that doctors prescribe formula when it's not necessary; it may not be your breast milk that is affecting her tummy negatively, it might be the formulas. Formula is harder for babies to digest...breast milk is gentler on her tummy. Have you done a wet/dirty diaper count? Is your ped using a growth chart? If so, she may be using a growth chart for FORMULA fed babies, which are typically heavier than breastfed babies...you should look up a growth chart for BF babies. Trust me, both my boys were on the light side; one was also born 3 weeks early (induction due to preclampsia...after months of the ped saying they were not heavy enough, she finally admitted that they were just on the light side of the scale.
I highly recommend you go to www.kellymom.com This site has lots of information on breastfeeding, and all sorts of other tips I've found helpful.

That's a lot of changes in a short period of time. You need to give her system time to adjust, her body is just learning how to work. My son had a similar issue and I had used Similac with my daughter no issues, but it didn't work well for him. We then tried sensitive and it didn't work well. Maybe it was 3rd time's a charm, but the Good Start formula was much easier on him. Not saying this will be the same for your little one though.

Have you tried doing the bicycle legs with her to try and expell some of the gas for her? As much as you can do for her the more comfortable she will be. Also try giving her some tummy time while she's awake as the pressure sometimes helps relieve the gas.

I also recommend the "Happiest baby on the Block" DVD. He shows some AWESOME techniques on how to soothe babies, they really work, my son responded to these techniques in seconds - he's like the baby whisperer. At the end he has some Q&A and they talk a little bit about gassy-ness too.

Good luck, this phase will pass and you will eventually get into a nice comfortable routine.

Good luck-
Steph

WIC provides free lactation consults for ANYONE, not just those who are on WIC. La Leche League is also a great resource for ideas to help get your milk production up. Mostly though, get your hands on a high quality pump (rent one from the hospital) and pump pump pump to boost your milk supply to try to reduce the formula, since it's generally more difficult to digest.

My daughter had major reflux and was quite sensitive to what I ate. I found that dairy, onions, and strawberries seemed to be the worst culprits, so avoiding those really helped. Before I changed my diet she would SCREAM every time I laid her down for a diaper change.

She also went on Zantac. The liquid tastes nasty. Get your doctor to give you a prescription for "Zantac Efferdose Tablets". They were more expensive than the liquid, and you have to give it in a larger volume, but they taste sooooooooooo much better! My baby refused the liquid after two doses, but willingly took the dissolved tablets for about five months. It's a little nerve wracking putting your precious baby on meds, even if they have been used extensively in infants, but believe me it was so worth it! She was less spitty and it eliminated the pain from the reflux.

Good luck!

H.

I agree with those who suggest getting off formula if possible. There are many teas you can drink to help boost supply. I have a friend who swears by a small amount of beer - she say the hops help but I think it just relaxes her enough to get things going. Unfortunately stress and lack of sleep hurts your supply, but of course the less milk you make the more you are stressed about it!
One thing new I can suggest is chamomile. Before you try more complicated medicines try brewing a strong cup of organic chamomile tea. Let it cool and give the a baby a spoonful or so. It was a part of our bedtime routine for a month or so, and it was a god send. Chamomile is usually in gripe water anyway, it's just not so sweet.

Hi T.
When my son was little, we tried sooooooooo many different types of formula and both Enfamil and Similac were the worst, the BEST was carnation goodstart.. it was the THINNEST and seemed closest to breastmilk... Orig my son was on Enfamil but after about a week, he went from NOT crying to being so upset along with gassy and bloated. it was terrible.. try the carnation goodstart.. I highly recommend it..

Hi T.,

I sounds like she might be colic. I have some ideas that will help her if you are interested.

Have a great day.

N. Marie
____@____.com

Dear T.,
I know how upsetting and frustrating this is with a brand new baby. We want to do anything and everything to comfort our new babies.
Things will get better.
It sounds to me like for one thing, your baby's formulas have been switched too often. Babies go from getting everything they need while in our tummies to coping with the outside world, breathing air, swallowing air and their tummies getting used to ingesting breast milk and/or formula. They have to get used to digesting as well as keeping the food down. My first baby threw up everything she took in for the first several weeks because her epiglottis or some darn thing hadn't "matured" enough to keep the breast milk down.
I had to feed her less at a time a little more often until her little body got used to it. My son was the gassiest baby in the first few weeks. He was a champion air gulper until he got breathing and nursing at the same time down.
I don't pretend to be an expert by any means, but I think you need to try one thing and stick with it long enough for your baby's system to have a chance to get used to it. Barring any severe allergic reactions to one thing or another that you've tried, try to stick with one routine and give her little body time to adapt.
If the doctor recommends zantac, I don't think it will hurt to try it because it may provide relief and in the end, that's really what you want for your precious baby.

Hang in there and keep in close touch with your pediatrician.

I wish you the best.