Jonah update

Well...last Tuesday we had our appointment with the ped GI doctor.
first off, Jonah weighs 14lbs 8oz (62nd percentile), is 23.5 inches long (11th percentile), & his mellon is in the 70th percentile!

The doctor was super nice, & did validate what we have been going through. That was really nice because every time I turn around people are discounting his symptoms & saying he will just outgrow it. As a first time mom having people always telling you are wrong & basically they know what is right for your kid more than you do is a bit frustrating. Not only has it created a lot of internal conflict, but also some between Dean & I. So, long story short it was nice to talk to someone who isn't thinking it is something we are or aren't doing.

Our regular pediatrician was on the right track with the prilosec, but the dose was far too small. The gi guy tripled the dose and also told us that if over time (as Jonah is gaining weight) it seems to not work as well that he will up the dose over the phone. He also said that we should stay on the hypoallergenic formula as things have gotten better on it. He also does not want us to start any rice cereal till we see him again at 6 months old.

He did disagree with our pediatrician on several things, but the main thing was how we have been feeding him. Dr. H (the pediatrician) told us to feed Jonah small frequent meals so his system could move the food through easier. He went as far as suggesting 2 ounces every hour and a half to two hours. That just wasn't practical, so we were doing 4 ounces every 3 hours. (he was gaining weight on this so I was fine with it.) Most of the time that seemed ok, but there were times he would still be hungry afterwards. I attributed this to his reflux being a 'comfort eater...where he knows it felt good going down at whatever the cost later (which I still think played a major role) but, sometimes he could have taken another ounce or so. But, being a little desperate for Jonah to not be in pain I stuck to the 4 ounces only. The GI guy said that a breastfed baby never has an ounce limit & he wants to mimic breastfeeding with bottle feeding. So even though this formula is double the cost, we are feeding 'ad-lib'. The most he has done is six oz, and he usually spits up more with the larger feeds, but he seems more satisified.

After these changes that we have made, he is a different baby!!! It actually worked! I attribute the biggest change to the appropriate dose of prilosec. I mean really...I wouldn't expect if I took 1/2 a tylenol for a bad headache that I would feel better would I???

So life is great now, Jonah is so happy...I just feel so bad for him that he had to be in pain for 2 months before we got it taken care of. He still crys, but usually it is because we haven't met a physical need.

praise the Lord