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Question
My 7 week old son was just diagnosed with GERD and has been put on Prevacid to combat the pain and discomfort. Prior to this diagnosis, he was crying and shrieking at every feeding, loud noises in his stomach and throat, pulling off in pain, spitting up, choking when eating, having hiccups, and many other symptoms. It broke my heart to see him in such pain. I began to do research and was able to narrow his symptoms down to GERD. When I took him to his pediatrician, the doctor confirmed this. While the Prevacid is working well, he stills has episodes of loud noises and some discomfort. I decided, 2 weeks ago, that I would change my diet completely to help him as much as possible. I read so much information online, most of which confuses me because they all list different "bad foods" for GERD. I came across a list on this website by:
Expert: Sonita Lewis
Date: 4/20/2007
Subject: Baby Crying/pulling off while breastfeeding
where Sonita lists the foods she needed to eliminate for her son who had infant reflux. She lists chicken and beef and I'm wondering what is bad about chicken and beef? I haven't seen that on many "bad lists". Also, do you have any suggestions of really good foods to eat? I've sent my husband to the store 3 times already to pick me up new foods only to find that they are listed on other sides as potentially bad for infant GERD. Any help with good foods would be much appreciated. I can only live on apple sauce, rice, pasta, and water for so long! ha!!
THANKS for your time.
Dear MiMi,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him. I'm sorry to hear of the problems he is having.
Sonita Lewis, the expert you are quoting, is no longer an expert on the AllExperts.com site. I don't know whether she is currently giving advice on breastfeeding.
According to pediatrician Laura Marks, M.D., whom I consulted and who sees a great many GERD babies, there does not seem to be any evidence that GERD is affected by a mom's diet. It's possible that your son has food allergies in addition to the GERD. Beef is sometimes a trigger for an allergy, but chicken seldom is. In a case like this, the best thing to do is to eliminate one food at a time and see whether your baby is doing better. If not, try eliminating one other food. But you can certainly eat more than applesauce, rice, and pasta!
Good luck to you and your son!
Sally
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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with Laura M. Marks, M.D.
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Answers by Expert:
Sally Wendkos Olds
Expertise
What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.
Experience
I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.
Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.
Other points of interest
I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding.
To find out more about me, go to
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