I hVe a 3 wk old who had milk allergy so now on alimentum. Still seems like he's in pain while drinking and burps then swallows some and coughs. Spits up now a good amt too. I have GERD so curious if any of you think he could have reflux. Seems it is to me...
It sounds like my son's reflux, except he never spits up. Before he was on reflux medication, he was arching so hard during his bottles that he would hurt my arm. I would take him to the doctor if I were you and describe all of the symptoms. I thought my son had reflux, but he was never spitting up so I wasn't sure. Doctor said it was silent reflux and putting him on reflux medication made a huge difference for him.
It's possible.
Keep him inclined when he isn't eating- especially immediately after. My DD wasn't able to sleep in her crib until around 6 months because of her reflux- she slept in her bouncy seat. Maybe hat will help. (She also had a milk protein allergy...)
This sounds exactly like both of my kiddos. Try using a Playtex Drop-in with the latex nipple. It lets you squish the air out, so it helps with the burping and inhaling gas/air. I found with the "continuous flow" ones that they never stopped so the baby couldn't catch his breath. Latex is softer than silicone so it is easier to latch onto, but your baby may not mind; mine did.
Try having him sleep in a swing or carseat. These are above the 30 degree angle you need to keep her at so the gerd isn't so bad. You may need to put him on Zantac or Prevacid. I also used Maloox to calm the tummy and help with the gas as well. I put it in a 1cc syringe (No needle) and let it drip into the side of the mouth. Usually 1 or 2 ccs were enough, but you might not need that much, my guy was over 10 lbs when he was born.
If it is GERD you may want to look into a Sweet Peace Soother from Graco. It takes the carseat for when the baby falls asleep in the car, and it swings either side to side or front to back. Each baby is different.
I wish you luck and patience and sleep. If you need more ideas, PM me.
ETA: As for spit up, I had one who did, one who didn't.
In my opinion, feed less and more often. This almost always fixes reflux. And sitting up for a while after feeding helps too.
A doc can give the baby a contrast to drink while being viewed with either X-ray or some tool like that. They can see exactly what the fluid is doing. If he's having spasms it will show.
Sounds like reflux to me. I missed it with my son, my daughter sill has it bad and she is 3. We had to feed her and keep her upright for 45 mins.. She also was on acid meds, still takes them from time to time.
Good luck.
Sure does sound like reflux to me. Are you sure he has a milk allergy? That's incredibly rare. Most babies put on alimentum are simply sensitive to milk protein... just FYI.
To help with reflux, keep him upright after feedings, have him sleep on an incline (not in a car seat - the leg position in a car seat makes reflux much worse), feed less more often, etc. If it isn't getting better, take him to a pediatric chiropractor. We had phenomenal results with a chiropractor for my daughter who had severe GERD as a baby/toddler.
