thickening feeds

[LISAR26]

those of you who have their babies on Zantac, I have a question for you. Do you also thicken their feeds?

I ask because over the past 3 days or so I have begun having trouble with Nicole again. Her old reflux type symptoms. The fussiness, back arching, needing held continually. I thought maybe she was just coming down with something but it certainly is not getting better and no signs of any virus. Plus I notice that an hour or two after her Zantac dose, she seems a little better.

How often do they need to increase the Zantac. She is on 1 ml three times a day. She is also on Alimentum formula for her sensitive tummy. We went the Zantac route because in the past when I thickened the feeds she did not tolerate the rice cereal real well. I figured its been 3 weeks or so since her diagnosis and starting the Zantac so maybe by now her system has matured a little more and she can handle the cereal. I put 3 tsp. on a 4 oz. bottle which is much less than the recommended amount by the pediatrician. I figured it best to start slow to see if she digests it okay before I thicken it any more than that.

Also, do you thicken every bottle? and, did your baby have any trouble with gas and/or constipation with the rice cereal?

I'd appreciate any input I can get.

Thankfully, we are going into a long weekend and we have a trip away from home planned. Unfortunately, we are taking a cranky baby with us unless I can figure something else out soone. :confused:
Thanks!

Lisa

[LISAR26]

P. S.

Real quick here. From what I read, Zantac actually reduces the stomach acid, not really does anything for the spitting up. However, the thickened feeds should helpt he spitting up part. So in my theory, if the Zantac is just not quite enough to reduce the stomach acid and irritation on her esophagus when she spits up, the thick feeds should do the trick. That is as long as the rice cereal does not cause her to become too gassy again.

Lisa

[supermum?]

hi lisa

just wanted you to know that both my reflux boys had trouble with zantac causing stomach cramps. i think this can be common for sensitive/colic babies. my baby is now on losec (prevacid in the US) but this appears to be causing diahrea. i have always kept up the thickened feeds as well and think this really helps.

[L&M's Mom]

If you thicken the formula, I would suggest the Dr. Brown bottles with the y-cut nipples. They make it so easy for the baby to eat the thickened formula. You will see much less chocking, fighting the bottle, nipple collapse and gas. Also, my pedi recommended 1-2 teaspoons cereal per ounce. I currently use 3/4 to 1 teaspoon per ounce of formula and it works great. My baby is also on Zantac and the dosage has to be increased often as they gain weight. Right before her 4 month visit, she started having bad flair-ups again with her reflux. Sure enough, they increased her dosage from .6 ml three times a day to 1.2 ml three times a day. It started working again within 2 days.

[LISAR26]

I do use the Dr. Brown's bottles and those Y cut nipples do work great! However, once again, she seemed more fussy and gassy with the cereal feeds. She don't seem to digest the cereal real well just yet.

Hopefully her digestive system will take a big leap and mature in the next month so we can start feeding her solids.

Lisa