Hello all. I promised an update after the doctor visit...
After seeing the GI yesterday, we've determined that our ds does indeed have reflux. (Our first child did too...didn't think I'd have another refluxer...sigh.) We didn't think he had reflux because he doesn't spit up a ton, he's just unbelievably gassy! But, she said the reflux could still be coming up his esophagus, just not out his mouth. She prescribed Pepcid and we started giving it to him yesterday. She also recommended:
1) Keeping him elevated for 30 min. after each feed
2) Putting him to sleep in an elevated head position (at a 45º angle, like in a car seat)
3) Cutting out all gassy foods from my diet and spicy foods (in addition to cutting out dairy and soy, which I'm already doing).
4) Giving him "tummy time" to help expell gas. She suggested putting him face-down on my knees, so he's looking at the floor (put something on floor for him to look at while doing that), while rocking him back and forth.
5) Smaller feedings (pop him off sooner)
6) Burp him more frequently
7) Stick to a regular feeding schedule (at least 2 to 2-1/2 hrs. btw. feeds)
As wearying as it is, I've been keeping him up for that 30 minutes. I have one of those snuggly baby carriers and he seems to really like it. I can make dinner, do laundry and other things while holding him in that thing. Problem is he usually falls asleep right after feeding then, which is too early! I need to keep him up for a while longer, otherwise he won't sleep until his next feed.
At night we still put him in the bassinet, slightly elevated, but we've been trying to have him nap in the swing or in his "bouncy seat" (don't know what you officially call those) during the day. It's still a pain and a half to get him to sleep, but I did notice slight improvement.
Re: diet, I've been trying really hard to cut out dairy and soy, but I wasn't thinking about certain spicy or irritating foods like onions and garlic. I LOVE spices and garlic, so I pour them into everything! The GI suggested using garlic powder instead of garlic cloves. She also gave me a handout on foods to stay away from. I knew things like broccoli and beans were bad news, but I didn't realize mushrooms were included in the gas causing foods! (I also eat a ton of mushrooms...love em!)
The GI seemed to think that my milk supply is overabundant (I do leak all the time!) and that part of the problem is that ds is actually eating too much! He pees like crazy, and is growing at an unbelievable rate, which both support the idea that he's eating quite well, if not too much. I don't demand feed, so it's not that I feed him too frequently. She suggested that I take him off the breast a little sooner. (I would leave him on for about 12-13 min per side...she suggested try 10 min.) And sometimes I would feed him after 2 hrs. or after 2-1/2 hrs. because he was crying like crazy and I just wanted to try and calm him down. She suggested having him wait a bit, as giving him more food that soon would actually make him more irritable.
So, we'll see if any of this works. It was nice to at least have a professional acknowledge & validate our concerns, while giving us some helpful advice and the medicine!
Thank you again to everyone for your help.