Breastfeeding/foremilk hindmilk

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Expert: - 9/13/2007


Question
QUESTION: My baby is 4 months old and I think I have a foremilk hindmilk imbalance. She is very gassy, extremely uncomfertable.Her stools have been green, mucus, watery, foul smelling and explosive since birth. Seriously, she has had only 2 or 3 slightly seedy stools. She chokes and coughs during feedings, and not just during the let down, all throughout. Sometimes she refuses to eat and sometimes she eats only for 5 to 7 min. Her weight gain I think has slowed but the doctor isn't concerned. At birth she was 6lbs and 5oz, at 2 months 9lbs and?ozs and yesterday 4 months and 1 and 1/2 weeks 11lbs and 10ozs. I have tried one breast per feeding but she eats on the first side then when she seems finished she will not accept that side its like she knows she wants the other side. Do you have any suggestions and can I respond back to you if I need to. I am desperate for help. Oh, I also don't eat dairy or nuts and I stay away from gassy veggies and I don't eat wheat.

ANSWER: Dear Cheryl,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her -- even through all the problems.

It's hard to know just what the issue (or issues) may be. I consulted the pediatrician I am working with for the next edition of my book (see below). She sees many breastfeeding babies, and she says that your daughter may be suffering from a combination of food allergies and reflux. The stool composition and your baby's gassiness are suggestive of allergies. And the choking during feeding and feeding refusal are suggestive of reflux. Has your doctor explored these possibilities? If not, and if she or he does not seem experienced and knowledgeable in these areas, you might want to consult another pediatrician.

Good luck!

Sally

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.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have mentioned food allergies and the doc. seems to think not. What could I do to determine if it is? I don't eat DAIRY, but I do eat things like animal crackers and vanilla wafers, it seems like everything has milk or milk substance in it. Or should I ask to see a nutritionist? And when she was newborn we tried zantac efferdose for about 2 months but didn't see any results. Maybe we should try it again? I appreciate you consulting with me. It is nice to have another brain weighing all the factors other than myself.


Answer
Dear Cheryl,

Seeing a nutritionist sounds like a good idea, assuming that she/he is knowledgeable about breastfeeding mothers and babies. And on the medication for your baby, again it's not a bad idea to try the zantac again. Sometimes what doesn't work at one time will at another. Also ask the doctor whether there is anything else you should try.

Good luck!

Sally

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.  

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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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