Reflux, a follow up

Some time ago, I mentioned the infant reflux Mason was battling along with our discovery of his food allergies. Back then, I said I would talk more about that later, and before it becomes a whole year later, now seems like the time.

Breastfeeding for a new mother is a challenge. Any mother will tell you that the rewards are great, but fine tuning this very specific skill is difficult. Don't let anyone tell you it's easy, because it's not. Without getting into the specifics of should you or shouldn't you or debating the benefits of breast milk over formula I'll share my journey with you in relation to Mason's reflux and his milk allergy.

While pregnant with Mason, I craved milk. Couldn't get enough of the velvety white elixir. Now this is strange because I myself have a milk allergy and can't tolerate more than 1/2 c. without feeling ill. Pregnancy afforded me the pleasure of consuming a half gallon during my lunch hour. It was so delicious!
Weeks after Mason's birth, after trips to the Pedi and a brief visit with a Lactation Consultant, we were told I was doing everything right. Some how, Mason wasn't gaining weight as quickly as everyone had hoped. He wasn't in danger of being underweight, but I was asked to breastfeed(BF) as often as possible and to wake him every 2 hours overnight, just to make sure he was getting all the needed nutrition.
No matter what position I tried, how many times I burped him, what position he was left in after a feeding - Mason expelled most of what he ate. We used receiving blankets as burp cloths and I always leaned against a bath towel while nursing and burping because I knew it wouldn't stay in him long. I changed shirts at least 3 times in a day, and sometimes had to change all my clothes because the volume of "spit up" was so much.
Not only did the volume seem extreme for such a little bundle, but the behavior while BFing and after was concerning as well. Mason would writhe and arch and scream as I brought him in close to nurse. I tried every position short of standing on my head and nothing seemed to be comfortable for him. I felt awful. I was failing him. I couldn't make my body do what it was made to do.
I mentioned the volume and the behavior to his Pedi at the time. Like I was expecting, I was first brushed off as a new mother, who just didn't know what to expect or had unrealistic expectations. And as long as he's gaining some weight, he should be fine. My heart couldn't take watching my baby go through this ordeal. Meal time is supposed to be a pleasurable experience for a baby, and Mason was definately not in a state of pleasure.
I did some research in my Infant Development books and some more digging online. Everything that Mason and I were experiencing sounded an awful lot like reflux. So, I pushed the issue with his former Pedi. I couldn't believe it when he told me, "We can try this antacid. It won't hurt him if he doesn't have reflux and if it does work, then we know that's the problem." It was as if I was getting the Rx like a pat on the head. I was furious, but satisfied that I could at least try something to ease Mason's discomfort.
First dose and there was a huge difference. He didn't arch or wriggle, he latched for much longer. And although there was spit up with burping, it was just that... spit up. It wasn't vomit, he wasn't screaming, and it wasn't all over me. Yay!! Finally, we could establish a pleasant BF experience - for the both of us.
It wasn't long after the reflux was managed that I noticed the reaction to my milk intake in Mason. I quickly cut out dairy and it was smooth sailing in the BF realm from there on out.

Moral of this story: Give yourself more credit. You know your child better than any one. Sometimes Dr's don't know it all and need to be knocked back down to the human level.

Needless to say, we no longer see that doctor for Mason's care. Our current Pedi is fabulous and the one we eventually went to about Mason's food allergy concerns. He continues to be a source of support and guidance for our family and I hope we are able to call on him for years to come.