How to continue with EASY with a baby who has reflux

[Rimma - Mommy to Solomon]

My little guy has not been gaining the necessary weight over the
last 1.5 months. He was 8.5 lbs when he was born and gaining nicely up until recently.
He is currently 3.5 months old. He weighs 12 lbs and 11 oz.
I became concerned and rented a scale.
He only eats about 22-24 oz. of breastmilk a day.
He eats on one side for 8 minutes and was going for 3 hours between feeds during day and 4-5 hours between feeds at night.
He's a textbook baby and he has such a happy disposition, that it was hard to notice that anything was wrong.
How do I incorporate more feeds and stick to the EASY plan?
He doesn't fall asleep while eating, he just won't eat. I have to sort of trick him into eating when he is sleepy before a nap.
Ideas?
Appreciate advice! ;-)

[GraceKellysmom]

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/growth/index.html

I'm including a link from kellymom regarding average weight gains for breastfed babies and tips for increasing weight gain if needed. Why are you concerned about weight gain?

You mentioned reflux in the title but not your post. Has your ds been diagnosed by a doctor, is he on meds?

[teezee]

i understand how hard it is and my heart goes out to you...it's soo hard coming to terms with having your lo one in any kind of pain. :cry: as far as easy goes just do whatever u have to do to keep your lo most comfortable for now.  is lo on any meds??  if so when they start taking effect, u can go to more of a routine per se.  i had the opposite prob dd wanted to eat non stop for the first few months b/c it soothed her tummy momentarily...not realizing that in the long run it actually hurt her tummy having it soo full.  after a few months of constant, long nursing sessions she started eating less and i got very scared.  when i asked the ped she said that she was basically self medicating by taking smaller meals ( i guess she finally caught on) but eating more often.  it wasn't until well into the 4th months that we actually had a consistant routine going...i stressed about it at first but whatever u do is supposed to make baby more comfortable so i say relax..maybe try smaller meals so lo can "stomach" them..just a little advice whether u want to take it or not...hope i could help a little.

[Rimma - Mommy to Solomon]

Thank you for your responses. That was my first time in  forum.
Thank you for the kellymom link. He's gaining less than 2 oz. per week, well below the average necessary. The lactation consultant/nurse said it was reflux. We see the dr. in a couple of weeks. I don't want to put him on any medication. I have had problems with digestion for 7+ years and when I was on meds, I felt worse in other ways. So, I want to avoid meds, if possible.
It sounds like what he is doing is self-medicating also (good way to put it), by taking in smaller meals. However, if I didn't sneak in feeds when he was sleepy, he wouldn't request it and would go for 3 hours.
I just feel like I'm ruining the activity then sleep, I have to do an eating session before sleep. The funny thing is, I trained him so well, that he won't sleep after eating, unless it's after 9 p.m... ;-) He stays up a bit longer and talks to me before going to sleep.
I feel like I'm doing everything wrong per Tracy's way and I really like her way. ;0(
Tips? Other ideas? I'll read and take anything you guys have in mind!

[teezee]

don't be too hard on yourself and go with the flow...it will get better and then u can start being more consistant.  do what u can now and the rest will come later when it isn't going to be as stressful for both of u.  i felt the same way after reading bw and just found it impossible to do some of the things she suggested with a not so perfectly healthy lo and i just seemed to stress myself and dd more when i tried all the timel.  do u keep lo sitting upright after meals, slant mattress or let sleep inclined?  u could try a bit of cereal but he still is a bit young...i was very apprehensive about lo being on zantac as i rarely take meds myself for the same reasons u don't like them but after a few weeks i felt much better just watching her be a "normal" baby again with seemingly nothing wrong.  they don't have a pain tolerance like we do i don't think...but ultimately u are mom and u will do what is right for your lo.  let me know how things are going...and remember it does get better... :wink:

[Erin (redstarfalling)]

I feel like I'm doing everything wrong per Tracy's way and I really like her way. ;0(

I disagree! It sounds like you're doing BW!  Just because you have to do EAESY because of reflux doesn't mean it's wrong.  As long as you're not feeding TO sleep, your lo is learning to fall asleep on his own, and that's what's important.  Reflux babies usually do better with more frequent small meals, so that type of routine is great.  I'd hesitate to start cereal though - it can cause worse digestive problems if he's so young and not ready for it...

Tawnya is absolutely right though - it WILL get better!  Once his stomach starts maturing, he may outgrow the reflux!

[GraceKellysmom]

I agree with Erin.  :wink:

I had one medicated refluxer and one unmedicated refluxer. I understand the pros and cons of meds and have been there! You have to trust your mommy instinct on that one.

Read up on reflux and the different meds available, and try to have an open mind to what your doctor tells you. If the reflux isn't that bad (and boy you would know if it was) then maybe outgrowing it is the only medicine you'll need.

I absolutely agree on the EAEASY or EAESY, or even short cycles, EASY every 2 hrs. Whatever works best for you. The most important thing Tracy taught us was not to nurse our babies TO sleep, making them dependent on our breast to fall asleep. Anything else and you're whispering!