Acid Reflux or Allergies?

Hi Everyone,

*warning* long entry!!

I wish this entry would be more upbeat & happy but this past week has been a challenge for all of us on this end. On Sunday, Elias started to scream & cry when being breastfeed. It started at the mid morning feeding and continued ALL day. He would unlatch, arch his back and cry uncontrollably. I felt like I was force feeding him and could tell he was uncomfortable anyway I tried to nurse him. It got to the point where I pumped my breast milk and bottle fed him just to make sure he would put food down but that too seemed to be a struggle.


I figured it could be acid reflux & I called the doctor on Monday morning. The doctor suggested it sounded more like an allergy right away but since I haven't changed my diet at all I kept with my first thought that it was acid reflux. He prescribed medicine for the reflux and told me to try it out for a few days. We did just that and really no improvement. During this time, some breast feeding sessions went ok but not great. I eventually pumped bottles just to make sure he was getting some food down again but I felt like I was force feeding. I soon began connecting the dots with his symptoms.

• mucus in his stool for weeks now


• nasal congestion that has never gone away but is clear- even with constant saline drops & suctioning


• excessive frustration with gas and digestion so bad we could here the bubbles & gurgling his tummy since we brought him home


• jumping off the breast and arching his back in pain & frustration while trying to feed


• Sleeping much more during the day for the past week & much longer stretches at night


• sneezing from time to time

The hardest thing with this situation is that there were always a few feedings a day that went well. So, I always thought some of his other symptoms were just "normal" for him. I felt that the mucus in his stool would eventually disappear when his nasal congestion finally left him. The sneezing was never excessive so I figured that was just normal too. Then onto his tummy trouble- we have been giving Mylicon drops consistently & it has seemed to help the problem but we never have seen him comfortable with his digestion after eating. Sometimes his discomfort was immediate after feedings and sometimes it was an hour or two following.

After spending the majority of my day yesterday researching what Eli was experiencing & no improvement from the acid reflux medicine, I called the doctor back last night. He said it really sounds like an allergy to milk protein which means I need to remove all milk proteins from my diet (all dairy/whey & caisein). My other option was to put Eli on the Similac Alimentun Based formula. That would be more of an immediate improvement and after seeing him suffer so much I decided that was what I would do. I left the conversation with the doctor that I would continue to pump my breast milk during this trial period so that I don't loose my supply. Eli's 2 month appointment is Friday so I figured by then we will see how this all shakes out.

I have to say I was hoping the doctor was thinking it was my caffeine consumption (I only have 1 cup a day, on occasion 2 but I make sure the 2nd is 1/2 decaff....). But the doctor said that would not cause this issue. I can't believe I almost thought I could figure out a way to give up caffeine but dairy is just too hard for me. Needless to say I am struggling with this situation because I finally have a huge supply of breast milk pumped in my freezer in preparation for returning back to work on November 2nd.

So this is where we stand - Elias is on this new very expensive formula since last night and to be honest I think it is working. I could be too soon to tell but he has had 3 bottles and I haven't seem him screaming/arching his back yet and not nearly the amount of bubbling/gurgling noises coming from his belly. I just have to let this run it's course for a few more days to know for sure. Also, Eli's congestion/mucus in his stool will take some time to clear up but the first immediate improvements we are seeing are promising so far.

Pumping breast milk during this process is not easy either. I have to feed Eli with a bottle of formula & then pump my milk right after to keep my supply going as he would demand it normally. Yes that means even in the middle of the night. Ugh....

Breast feeding is all supply & demand so once the demand goes your milk eventually goes. The other complex I am dealing with is that the milk I am pumping now & have stored in the freezer could be all a waste. I can't begin to tell you all how frustrating that is for me. I not only have a very expensive breast pump that will be useless but "liquid gold" in the freezer pumped that I will have to toss out, not to mention the effort & time I have put into it all.

Right now the only thing that is making this situation ok is the hope that Eli gets better fast. If this is what is going to take to see him more comfortable and is our solution to the problem I have to find a way to deal with it. A happy & healthy baby is the number one priority right now but this mommy guilt of not being able to breast feed or at least use my pumped milk is killing me.