Too Late??

Hi,

I am new to this website and an blown away by all the helpful advice and the huge group of people who actually share my experience. I am sick to death and really angry with all the people who told me, “all babies spit up”.

So, here are my issues. I would appreciate any and all advice that you can spare a moment to send.

1) GUILT. I think my poor little guy, now 6.5 months old and very big, was undermedicated for the last 5 months. I feel so awful about not being able to help him properly. He has had to fight and fight to eat properly, to sleep properly and to just try to enjoy his little life, which has only been characterized by discomfort. I pretty much carried him for 12-14 hours a day for 4.5 straight months, because I didn’t know what else to do. The absolute worst days of my life were watching him go through round and round of eating, throwing up, soothing his tummy by eating tiny dribbles of milk for an hour, trying desperately to fall asleep but unable to when he started throwing up again. THis would go on for seven straight hours. How do I start to feel good not guilty about caring for him?

2) MEDS. He has been on Zantac which has mostly worked. He is also on domperidone to help increase motility as he is extremely slow to digest his food. He has thrown up food 4.5 hours after eating it. THe great difficulty has been making sure he does not throw the meds up. I cannot understand why all the meds for babies who vomit excessively are given orally. Does anyone know of another method? Are there suppositories? Are there ones that can be absorbed through the skin? At this age, what is the best medicine for acid suppression? Is there an ant-acid I should ask the pediatrician about? He seems to worst first thing in the morning after breastfeeding when he still arches away from me, crying and writhing.

3) FOOD. He has started solids which has caused more vomiting because the muscles he uses to have a bowel movement is pushing food out of his stomach instead. I have made his food as watery as possible. He has terrible gas from rice, apples, pears and peaches. Any suggestions as to good foods for a gassy, air swallowing gerdling?

4) SLEEP. My little guy has pretty much been sleep deprived for the last 5 months. He has gotten 9-11 hours in each 24 hour period. I would appreciate any advice on increasing sleep time, and ways to increase his napping, which is his big problem.

5) LOST FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Anyone know how to reconnect with people who used to be in your life, but because you have spent the last six months completely house bound are no longer there? I didn’t have time most days to eat or go to the bathroom because my little guy needed constant attention, nevermind phone anyone.

6) DOCTORS. Be careful! We have had both good and bad. In general, they are good for the medications, but know absolutely nothing about day to day care of a gerdling. The worst was a pediatric gastroenterologist who told us he does not believe in acid suppression because we don’t know if babies are in pain, and that my baby was just colicky. At least the regular pediatrician is great at recognizing babies expressions and noticed our guy grimacing when he vomited. Big surprise – that’s a sign of pain!

Thank you to all who have posted and shared their experiences. I don’t feel so completely isolated anymore.

Joan, mother of 6.5 month old baby boy with GER diagnosed at 6 weeks