Mother's Intuition: Hazel's GERD Story Part 1

If you're a mommy then I'm sure you've felt like something was off about your child at one point or another. It can be very disheartening when no one else believes you or won't hear what you have to say. Well, this is and isn't happening to me. My baby girl, Hazel, has a great pediatrician and hears all my concerns for her, but I know there's something wrong. I believe she has gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, even though she wasn't formally diagnosed with this.

It started with frequent spit ups more noticeable at about 3 or 4 weeks old, then she started vomiting. My first thought was lactose intolerance, but her symptoms didn't quite fit the bill. After more thought and talking everything over with my mom, it more led to milk protein allergy (MPA). With this, the spit ups and vomiting tend to get worse and that's exactly what was going on. After being on the same formula for two weeks, I noticed more projectile vomiting and more frequent spit ups. But, after speaking to her doctor, I thought maybe it's not MPA. She would also have watery, possibly bloody, diarrhea if it were.

Pyloric Stenosis also crossed my mind after remembering that my husband had that issue when he was a baby. Even though this condition occurs more in first born males, if a parent had this, chances for the baby can go up by 20%. Hazel's doctor told me this would be unmistakable, vomiting out the wazoo and noticeable weight loss, so this theory quickly, and thankfully, went out the window.

Flash forward about two more weeks and symptoms kept progressing. At this point she has started a new formula after talking to her doctor for a third time about the frequent spit ups. She's now been on the Similac Alimentum for a week and I have noticed a pretty significant decrease in the amount of spitting up and vomiting, though I've seen new symptoms related to heartburn. He had not started heartburn medication before because Hazel had gained weight nicely at her last appointment. Her doctor also mentioned that with infant heartburn they will cry even after having a bottle. This is something I hadn't really noticed before, but since he mentioned it I really noticed her screaming during and after bottles, and it's not because she's still hungry. Absolutely nothing about her feedings is normal for a baby. Of course, this was all over the long Labor Day weekend so I couldn't call the office about it until this morning. I'm hoping they will call in a heartburn medication for sweet Hazel. I know she's in pain as I can see it in her face. Some of her other symptoms are constant arching, clearing throat, coughing, taking less and less formula, and excessive swallowing and drooling.

All I can say is I wish I had fought more earlier for heartburn medication for her. Not that I want to start her on medication right away, but nothing else I've done for her has helped. Even though I'm at my wits end, after some research I'm hesitant to use heartburn medication with her being so young.

When we first suspected reflux, we tried all the things:

• Pacefeeding

• Frequent burp breaks

• Sitting up for at least 30 minutes after a bottle

• Eating less more frequently

When things started getting worse over Labor Day weekend, it got to the point where I couldn't lay her down at all. We "slept" upright in the recliner all night and the only place she can be during the day is her swing. I know that sleeping in the swing increases risk of SIDS, but I'm literally sitting on the couch in reach of her the entire time until she wakes for her next feeding. I'm just at a loss and SO exhausted and I know baby Hazel is too. For other moms going through this same thing, don't give up hope. I've heard that it gets better and that they typically grow out of the GERD phase around six months old or so.

Stay tuned for part two of this GERD adventure. I'm hoping she'll get some medication and this will start to resolve.