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Breastfeeding/3 month old baby won't eat anymore
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Question
Hi,
My son is 3 months old and weighs 15 pounds. He is exclusively breastfed.
During the past 2 months he refuses to nurse in my arms and will only eat lying down after I get him to sleep. This is a constant struggle. He often cries while breastfeeding during the daytime and will often refuse to nurse even if he is very hungry. He nurses 15 per breast in 24 hours for a total of about 10 feedings. I pump 4 times per day and take domperidone to ensure that I have an adequate milk supply.
He has been treated for thrush. He has also been treated for acid reflux which he did not have; this was confirmed with an upper GI.
Even though he has gained weight, he spent 1 week in the hospital for dehydration and to treat a urinary tract infection for which he is still taking antibiotics until Christmas. Sometimes I think the infection is still there since he acts like he is in discomfort while we carry him and while he sleeps at night.
Pediatricians and our family doctor don't take my concerns seriously since he is such a big boy. Every day keeps getting worse and worse and my husband and I don't know what to do anymore. I am very worried for his well being and it breaks my heart to see that he is not able to eat t'il he is full.
My son has a very good latch. We work closely with the lactation consultant at our local hospital and attend monthly Leache League meetings.
I had gone on a no-milk diet for 5 weeks where I completely eliminated all dairy products and by-products. I had also gone on a gluten free diet for a week. Neither brought any changes.
Out of desperation to keep him hydrated, we even tried feeding him with many different types of bottes... nipples... my milk in bottles... formulas... but he refuses them all.
Do you have any suggestions for me? Have you ever heard of anything similar?
Dear Melanie,
First, congratulations for giving your son the best start in life by breastfeeding him.
Second, I am so sorry to hear of all the problems your son has been experiencing. It sounds as if you have been doing all the right things -- by consulting your pediatrician and family doctor, a lactation consultant, and La Leche League leaders. I have contacted the pediatrician I will be working with for the next edition of my book (see below)and will let you know if she has any good ideas. Meanwhile, to answer your questions: No, I have not heard of such a severe refusal to eat. And as for what you should do: My initial thought is that you get a second opinion from another pediatrician, who may be able to diagnose and treat your son's problems.
Good luck!
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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