I have a bit of a long story to tell but will try and condense it down. My ds is now just over 18 weeks and have almost exclusively bf to date. Since he was 4 weeks old we have had problems feeding. Some feeds have been ok and I've felt he's had good feeds on occasions, but overall I have been struggling. Ds started out feeding well, had a great latch and gained weight really well in the first 4 weeks. Since then I have come to dread every feed. At 6 weeks I sought help from the hv as he had been fussy at feeds, arching his back, latching on then when my milk started coming he would pull off, latch again then keep going on and off. He has always fed well at night lying by my side in bed and hv just advised to relax more and feed on the side as often as possible. Things improved a little for a short time after this but in practice this was so difficult with having to look after my 2 year old aswell.
Weight wise he has dropped through the centiles, starting well on the 75th centile but now hovering around the 2nd line. Feeding wise he has been feeding more and more often to the point that I am latching him on every hour at least and I am just exhausted and stressed with it all.
3 weeks ago I had really had enough of the fussiness and seeming not to satisfy him and made the incredibly difficult decision to try and combi feed, starting with a bottle of formula a day. The first day he took 4oz no probs, the second day 2oz, the next three days refused the bottle, then took another 2oz. 2 days later my hv weighed him and we wete both shocked to see he had lost weight from 3 weeks earlier We went to the hosp. the following day and reflux was mentioned, am now kicking myself it wasn't pursued further. Docs checked him over, said he was fine and it was just a feeding issue. We are now under the care of a dietician who prescribed Similac high calorie formula, to give 2 x 4ox per day, to try and bump his weight up. He took very small amounts of thid the first two days and since then has absolutely refused to take a bottle. He now hasn't taken a bottle for nearly 2 weeks and have been ebfing since.
So now we are at 18 weeks and although ds put a little weight back on last week he has stayed the same at weigh in this week. I am wondering if all our feeding issues are down to reflux? I think this may be because:
* very poor weight gain and some loss
* fussiness during feeds, arching back, grizzling, latching on and off frequently
* although a happy baby, and developing really well, he seems uncontent between feeds
* feeding very very frequently in the day (is better at night though), more than the normal growth spurts
* spitting up a lot after feeds; he always does a burp, then like a hiccup and spits up. Sometimes it's rather a lot and he will spit up anytime, sometimes a while after a feed and even just before the next.

So sorry for the very long essay but wanted to give the background and ask for some much needed advice and support. Any thoughts/ideas anyone??? Many thanks xx

Your LO sounds very much like my LO, she dropped from 75 to 9th centile. I too was very pressured to top up with formula but it made no difference and she was in Pain with bottle feeding.

Thankfully we were diagnosed reflux at about 6 weeks and put on meds but they made no difference and a few weeks later a good GP said there was a possabity of cows milk protein intolerence.

She has been much improved since then and is off the meds but I stick to a strict elimination diet.

If it is reflux get meds quickly, don't let them palm you off with gaviscon, this only really helps babies with normal reflux not silent reflux.

Ask if you want to know more about our experience x

Hi Evasmum, thanks so much for your reply.... are you still breastfeeding at all? When did you do try and introduce bottle feeding? Just curious to see how this has made a difference, as this weekend I was just thinking about getting DS over to formula and just perservere with it... but having read your post now I'm thinking twice! Also what other meds apart from Gaviscon would be prescribed if reflux was diagnosed?
The difficulty is I also need LO to take a bottle in the near future as I go back to work in a couple of months (really REALLY don't want to, finances dictate that I have to blurgh). I won't be able to express milk, this just won't be possible where I work, so he will have to take formula of some description. This whole thing is such a mess; I want my lovely boy back and I know something isn't right with him and I'm stressed and desperate to get it sorted before going back to work.
Has anyone else had anything similar or have any suggestions? Huge thanks xxx

Oh you and you poor little man are having a time of it
My LO has reflux, gaviscon did not work, only made his sick and poo thicker, nothing else changed.. We've now started domperidone, (day 2) so far still no change!!!
His symptoms are:
Coming off latch almost angrily
Arching back during a feed
Vomiting - at any time not just straight after a feed
Coughing
Choking on milk (scary!!)
Was worse at night whilst lying flat

Nothing helps really, people say that sitting baby upright after a feed helps, but my LO vomits anyway!!

I'm so anxious at night Incase he vomits so have tilted his bed.

Lying on your side may help as I think I've read your milk/letdown is slower so not so forceful. I've recently tried lying back (slouching) and having Alfie tilted slightly upright and tummy to tummy.... This seems to stop the choking and pulling off the latch...

I would ask them to treat for reflux, if it helps then you both will be so much happier.

Update.... well my LO fed (bf) very well at the weekend, feeding less often and having a decent feed each time. Seems a bit more relaxed too... not sure what changed? He had also been having more frequent nappies too, like he is finally getting more calories. Who kniws what's going on???!!! Still umming about whether to take him to the docs, his symptoms just aren't consistent day by day. Is this normal for reflux or am I really barking up the wrong tree? Xxxx

Anyone?? Danny is still seeming a lot more settled and in fact last night slept for 9 hours straight!!! Am actually thinking this prob isn't reflux. Otherwise his symptoms would be more consistent and he would surely seem to be just unhappy most of the time? He's being fab atm, hoping it continues and thankful it's turned itself around

this sounds like dom and i just assumed he was a fussy baby!!! after this post im pondering whether to book him with a HV or doc, dom is fussy with bottle too hes meant to have 4oz im lucky if he has 2oz so BUMP!!!!!! xx