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Q.I have a 10-week old baby girl with acid reflux, currently on Prevacid (1 tablet a day). Her feeding has been quite erratic - though lately she only feeds for 5 mins and then falls asleep. Upon waking her to resume the feed, she becomes very fussy - crying and kicking her arms and legs. Frequency of feeds has shifted from every 3-4 hours to every 2 hours including through the night. It has been challenging for my body to adapt successfully to her needs. Twice when my husband has bottle-fed her, she has gulped through 4oz+ and so he fears she is not getting enough through breastfeeding alone. Her weight gain, however, has been consistently in the 75th percentile. He suggests feeding her with a bottle more frequently and I wondered if it is common for babies with GER to do better with supplemental bottles or should I persist wholeheartedly with the breastfeeding alone?

- Alison; Boulder, CO ( 12/11/2007 )

Answer #1

I would recommend keeping on with the breastfeeding. The more you give her bottles, the more your supply will go down. Obviously, you need to keep her awake on the breast. Feed her wearing only a diaper. A wet (not warm) washcloth can be put on her face and back to stir her a bit if she starts to fall asleep. You can take an herbal supplement to increase your milk supply, if that is a concern. It can be found at a health food store and is called Fenugreek. Take 3 tables, 3 times per day. she may also be going through a growth spurt, which may account for the increase in frequency. This is a phase and she should resume back to the 3-4 hours. Please let me know if this works, or email me directly with more questions. lindywink@msn.com Dr. Winkelbauer

- Lindy Winkelbauer; Boulder, CO ( 12/12/2007 )

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