Screaming After Eating Update

[@llli*sidnlilly]

After visiting with my pediatrician yesterday and speaking with a lactation specialist today I have a much better insight into why my daughter is spending most of her day screaming.

Yes she has reflux. However, the lc did a feed and weigh and determined that she was only transfering an ounce and a half in a 45 minute feeding.

I was told that she has a very weak suck and is swallowing a lot of air when she eats. Obviously since she isn't transfering much she is also hungery which explains why she seems to want to eat all the time.

It was reccommend to me by both the doctor and the lc that we try occupational therapy to strengthen her muscles.

Has anyone tried OT? Does it help? Or is this one of those things that we just have to wait and let her get bigger and stronger?

As always any adivice is appreciated.

[@llli*mommal]

Letting her get bigger and stronger is always a good strategy, but why not try the OT? At worst it does nothing. At best, it's helpful.

Be careful about basing too much off that one weigh-feed-weigh. A single feeding is just a snapshot, and the average feeding could be a lot better or a lot worse than what was recorded at the LC's office. When I took my LO to the LC, she got 1.5 oz in about 40 minutes of nursing, so just a little scanty. But when I did weights at home, I discovered that her average feeding was under an oz.

[@llli*love2knit]

I am a speech therapist, and work with kids with feeding problems all the time. (i know mechanics of feding, but am far from knowledgable regarding breast feeding). I think OT or even speech could be very helpful. Even if insurance doesn't cover much, I say go for it and ask for a home program. There are lots of "exercises" and techniques you can use to help the muscles of feeding.

[@llli*sidnlilly]

Thanks for the advice. My husband and I discussed it and I think we are going to try and set it up. Just thankful to have some explanation for what is going on.