Pyloric stenosis

[Maisie]

Yep there is nothing quite like the odour of baby sick! You will get used to it over time, especially if little Tessa is going to be a habitual sicker! Honestly, I only had to look at James sometimes with the intention of moving him, for him to start being sick! It really freaked me out to start with, but after time we just adjusted the way we handled him to minimise the throwing up.

 

[chrono]

Tacori,
I mentioned in the past that Baby C was also a big spitter. My ped thought that it might also be PS but decided to wait it out. She said that many babies will outgrow it and as long as Baby C was growing well, hitting all his milestones, etc. I didn't have to worry. Projectile vomiting, the baby's distress and lack of weight increase would be the key . Green BMs sounds like it could be something you ate (lots of vegetables?) or Tessa taking in a lot of foremilk. Runnier green poo sounds more like foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.

ETA
Depending on what I ate, Baby C was spittier on some days, less on others. Same with his poo. Has anything changed in your diet lately?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Chrono, I don''t think my diet has changed. I can''t think of anything obvious. Since she is our first child it is hard to know what is normal and what isn''t (amount of fussiness, amount of spit, quality of her sleep for example). She *is* gaining weight so I guess that is all that matters. She is 6 weeks tomorrow and still up WAY too often during the night (for me anyways!) I have been trying a new method nursing. I offer her the first breast for 10 mins or so (just enough to relieve/prevent any engorgement) then let her go to town on the second. So your theory is interesting since she is getting more foremilk. But she still goes 30+ mins on the second so she should be getting enough hindmilk right?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/14/2007 5:40:23 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Ellen, I can''t wait for the belly laughs

I just love seeing SOME personality developing.

Oh, I know! I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to wish away her milestone.

It''s just so fun when they belly laugh. There''s a commercial that''s run here a couple times, and this baby belly laughs through most of it. I can''t even tell you what it''s for, cuz I just keep laughing at the baby laughing.

And I hear you on the bibs. I never got to see and appreciate my first borns outfits completely, because I couldn''t let him go without a bib, ever. On top of spiiting up all the time, he drooled like a madman.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Oh, Ellen I hear ya! We did not find out the sex so almost all of our bibs (all except 3) are white/yellow/green so they cover her cute pink outfits (that I ran out to buy) so everyone thinks she is a boy. She doesn''t drool too much *yet*. Oh she looked so cute today. I take pictures almost daily to document her outfits. I am pathetic!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/14/2007 8:46:46 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Oh, Ellen I hear ya! We did not find out the sex so almost all of our bibs (all except 3) are white/yellow/green so they cover her cute pink outfits (that I ran out to buy) so everyone thinks she is a boy. She doesn't drool too much *yet*. Oh she looked so cute today. I take pictures almost daily to document her outfits. I am pathetic!

No you're not, you're just an adoring new mommy. And rightly so.

And I cannot tell you how much you'll treasure those pics some day.

 

[drk]

Tacori,

Sorry to hear Tessa''s having all this trouble. I''m an anesthesia resident just finishing up my 6 months training in peds anesthesia, and I think all the pyloric stenosis babies I''ve seen have been about 4 weeks old and male. I think most of them come in dehydrated and with electrolyte imbalances from the vomiting, which means they need IV fluids for resuscitation to get them in the best possible condition before going for surgery. Dehydrated babies, as others have mentioned, will not wet as many diapers, can become lethargic, have skin that doesn''t rebound as quickly as normal when pinched, and have sunken eyes and fontanelles. From what you say, Tessa''s not got any of those symptoms, which is a good thing.

The test for PS really is a simple and painless ultrasound these days, and the surgery is not a big deal. At our hospital, it''s often done laparoscopically, but if done open, the surgeons make an incision around the belly button that supposedly all but disappears when it heals. They don''t actually remove any muscle, just use a scalpel and other instruments to crack open the overgrown muscle that is keeping the stomach from emptying properly.

I guess Tessa''s age and sex, and the fact that it''s not projectile all the time are all reassuring, but with the holiday coming up, it''s probably a good idea to follow up with your doc next week to make sure it really is nothing serious.

Hope she grows out of this soon!
Kate

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Well, we had a rough morning! Around 8 am Tessa was hungry and I have been SO sore lately. She must be latching wrong b/c I have cracks and pain. Anyways I decided to let DH give her a formula bottle (she''s been having them maybe 5 times a week (once a day) to give me a break). She SUCKED it down very quickly (which was probably the first problem). She threw up all 4 oz right away. It kept coming out her nose too. We actually sucked out the formula with the bulb thingy they give you at the hospital. Well she was obviously upset but still rooting so after we changed her I began to nurse her. Well, nursing was not going well b/c her nose was still stuffed and she couldn''t breathe while nursing. Then I noticed her face was getting red (like right before she cries) but she was also getting raised white bumps (like hives) all over her face. Alarmed I called DH over and we examined her. She was getting them on her chest and legs. They were also getting worse. So I called the pedi and waited for the nurse to call back. AND I called my dad, DH called his. My dad said to wait it out and watch them. Perhaps she is allergic to the formula. I told him she has had it at least 10 times and he said they don''t get reactions the first few times. Then the nurse called and asked if her lips were swollen? No. Was she having trouble breathing? No. Were her joints swollen? No. She advised us to go to the ER anyways. So I start getting ready and call my dad who said to wait. He said we will be there forever, not get any answers, and she might pick up a bug there. Well as fast as they showed up they started disappearing. Within 20 mins they were completely gone. So strange.

Drk, my dad has been doing peds anesthesia for a million years. He doesn''t think she has it anyways but wants her to get an u/s just so we can cross that off the list. I guess I need to call monday and find out what other brand of formula to try (or if I should try to give her the same one to see if it happens again) and if we can get her tested for peace of mind. I know it is rare in girls but does happen. Thanks for your advice.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Yhe hives could have been from the stomach acid on her skin. Babies skin is so sensitive. Poor thing.

But when I see "hives" I worry about food allergies. If they were true hives - which I sort of doubt since they went away so quickly - then I would def. suspect a food allergy.

Both of my kids did have some skin issues as babies. But very very mildly and not until they were older. So I wouldn''t think that you can really rely on that as a guide.

My son was a massive projectile vomiter. It was actually a family joke at the time!

One thing that did help him was that I added some liquid acidophilis to his bottle of breast milk. Just a teeny bit for a few days. It seemed to help his tummy because you''ve got to think their insides get all messed up from all that throwing up & the acidophilis helped get him back into balance.

Also at about four months I added a teeny bit of rice cereal to his milk. We eventually worked up to the point where he was alomst drinking sludge bottles! It seemed like the addition of the rice cereal gave his tummy just enough to "grab onto" so he wasn''t so hungry all the time. That way he didn''t gulp down the bottle so fast and make himself throw it up again.

Of course my doctor told me not to do any of this stuff. But I could see how much it helped him so I ignored them.

So - take my experiences as you will. I don''t know what might be wrong with your poor little sweetie but you''ll get it figured out. You are the one who knows her best so if you don''t get an answer that works just keep looking until you do.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks Lady. My dad said we''ll probably never know what cased the breakout. It was pretty scary at the time. She has nursed twice since then and of course did spit some up each time (nothing like with the formula bottle).

 

[Ellen]

Tacori, do you notice any kind of pattern with the projecting? like more after a bottle vs. breast?

And I'm glad she's ok! Babies can be so scary, especially firstborns. And without all this! You're gonna be a real pro when the second one rolls around.

 

[lumpkin]

Tacori, I just caught this. I don''t know anything about Pyloric stenosis, but I have had friends whose babies had acid reflux. One''s baby had a terrible time everytime she ate any dairy. Even cheese on a pizza would do it. If you eat dairy, you might want to try switching to rice or soy milk products.

I''m sorry Tessa''s having these problems. It''s especially hard when it''s your first child because you don''t have any first hand experience with 24/7 parenting. I know with my first child I didn''t feel very self assured about a lot of things. How great your dad is right in there to help!

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 12/15/2007 3:53:31 PM
Author: LadyAmythyst69


But when I see ''hives'' I worry about food allergies. If they were true hives - which I sort of doubt since they went away so quickly - then I would def. suspect a food allergy.

you know, my daughter broke out in hives when she was 2. i could not for the life of me figure out what it was and took her to the dr. right away. I thought maybe she''d gotten into peanutbutter or something and it was a food allergy. he told me that most of the time with nut/food alergies there is breathing distress, not just the hives, so he didn''t think that was it. we went though a list of things from detergent, fabric softener, lotions, elimintating them one by one b/c she''d just randomly break out where i had to carry benedryl with me all the time. I never figured out what it was, after a few weeks they just stopped. I went back to all my favorite detergents etc. and she''s been fine ever since.

anyway, I sure hope tessa doesn''t have any type of food/milk allergy b/c food allergy''s are just no fun

I do wonder if the reaction had to do with her spitting up on her skin, that would sure explain it a bit.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Date: 12/15/2007 9:10:13 PM
Author: lumpkin
Tacori, I just caught this. I don''t know anything about Pyloric stenosis, but I have had friends whose babies had acid reflux. One''s baby had a terrible time everytime she ate any dairy. Even cheese on a pizza would do it. If you eat dairy, you might want to try switching to rice or soy milk products.

I''m sorry Tessa''s having these problems. It''s especially hard when it''s your first child because you don''t have any first hand experience with 24/7 parenting. I know with my first child I didn''t feel very self assured about a lot of things. How great your dad is right in there to help!

Yes - it''s totally possible that she might not have an actual allergy but rather just a sensitivity to a certain type of food.

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Date: 12/15/2007 9:32:29 PM
Author: mrssalvo

Date: 12/15/2007 3:53:31 PM
Author: LadyAmythyst69


But when I see ''hives'' I worry about food allergies. If they were true hives - which I sort of doubt since they went away so quickly - then I would def. suspect a food allergy.

you know, my daughter broke out in hives when she was 2. i could not for the life of me figure out what it was and took her to the dr. right away. I thought maybe she''d gotten into peanutbutter or something and it was a food allergy. he told me that most of the time with nut/food alergies there is breathing distress, not just the hives, so he didn''t think that was it. we went though a list of things from detergent, fabric softener, lotions, elimintating them one by one b/c she''d just randomly break out where i had to carry benedryl with me all the time. I never figured out what it was, after a few weeks they just stopped. I went back to all my favorite detergents etc. and she''s been fine ever since.

anyway, I sure hope tessa doesn''t have any type of food/milk allergy b/c food allergy''s are just no fun

I do wonder if the reaction had to do with her spitting up on her skin, that would sure explain it a bit.

With my daughter our first sign was hives. Often children will have hives a few times first before they go into full blown distress. With my son it was mostly vomiting. In fact he had peanut butter twice (and threw it up both times) before he had full blown anaphylaxis the third time he had some. Also - if the allergy is to soy or egg or one of the other more "minor" ones often children won''t have breathing distress but will have all of the other symptoms. Some food allergies are more dangerous than others.

Anyhow - I hope you find an answer soon. I know how hard it is when you don''t know what is going on!

 

[tulip928]

Baby''s skin is so sensitive, that just normal sweating can cause a breakout - like sweating from getting overheated while crying.

It sounds like regular reflux to me - it can be frustrating, but you''ve got to make sure she''s not lying down without a good burp!

Have you seen those foam rubber wedges that can be tucked under the bedding so that the baby''s upper torso is elevated above stomach level? I was a NICU nurse, and the doctor''s would order those for our babies diagnosed with reflux. Side lying the baby with her right side down can also use gravity to keep stomach contents going the right direction.

Also, there is a formula by Enfamil - AR for those times that you fill in if not breastfeeding. It has a little rice starch in it that makes slightly thicker and hopefully stays down.

I hope your little one feels better soon! She''s a cutey-pie!

 

[mrssalvo]

LadyAmythyst69- that''s interesting about your kids and the hives thing. I think it''s so interesting how different dr''s can say such different things. I notice it a lot in the preggo thread and how some ob''s are completely different almost opposite others. anyway, i''m glad you figured it out with your kids and sorry about the peanutbutter allergy. My cousin is VERY allergic to nuts and a ton of other stuff and it''s so hard on him, he''s only 10 and his mom has home schooled him rather than risking him being exposed in regular school. good to know too that a few bouts of hives can be an early indicator of a food allergy too.


sorry for the little threadjack tacori. honestly, the fact that tessa is gaining weight really does say a lot when it comes to her getting enough to eat, despite all the spitting up. My first spit up some, but nothing like your sweet Tessa and Lily was never one to spit up so I don''t have much firsthand advice to give. But you''ve got the best with your dad and FIL!!!

 

[diamondfan]

My middle son had terrible reflux til he was about one year and would projectile vomit even hours after eating and it would not even be partially digested.

We had an endoscopy and a barium test to see if it was pyloric stenosis or webbing. Webbing is when there is blocking in the esophagus and it is in a criss cross pattern throughout so food gets caught. Stenosis means narrowing, and it has to do with how things move through the stomach and intestines I believe, and that the muscle that is at there does not aid in keeping things down as it should. My son was on zantac and cissipride, which was later recalled as it caused heart issues and some kids died! Lovely. But he is 12 now and I had his heart checked so I feel better. I think kids died during treatment and he was only on it a few months. He did gain weight, but colic combined with this issue was a mess. He could hit a wall 15 feet away and never lasted long in clean clothes. I had to use Nutramigen which stunk when he vomited and stained like crazy. He also always seemed sad, his esophagus was so inflammed and painful I can imagine how much it hurt. But he outgrew it once he started walking, and has had no residual issues.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ellen, my dad told me to hurry up and have a second child so I won''t worry to much about Tessa

lumpkin, I *hope* it is not my diet b/c I LOVE dairy and eat it daily. I am going to give the medicine a little more time and then if that fails I will try taking diary out. She is worth it obviously but it will make me very sad. I am not a very confident mom yet. I am doing SO much better but am still a bit overwhelmed.

MrsS, could be. My dad said to wash her off in case some formula/stomach acid was on her skin. A doctor we met last night (full story in the preggo thread) said he thought it might be from the trama of vomiting since it was pretty bad. I thought that was an interesting theory. Don''t worry about the threadjack. That is scary about your cousin! Poor thing!

Lady, thanks we are going to try another formula bottle later this week. If she has the same reaction we know for sure it is the formula. If not...

we may never know.

tulip, we are not taking a break during feedings to burp her. It is hard b/c she doesn''t always burp but at least we try. Where can you buy one of those wedges? As it is we have her sleep in her bouncy chair so she is at a 45 degree angle. She seems to have less episodes than when she is in her bassinet. I should try Enfamil. Too bad I just threw away a bunch of coupons!

DF, your poor son! I am sure it was horrible for all of you. luckily if it is reflux she should outgrow it.

So now I am convinced that my milk supply is down (I don''t feel as engorged and leak) is it just my body adjusting to Tessa''s needs?

 

[lumpkin]

Tacori, do you have a copy of the La Leche League book, "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding"? If not, see if you can get a copy. It will answer a lot of basic questions about supply, latching, etc. Yes, your body will adjust to Tessa''s needs and it''s not unusual to not be engorged and leaking at this point. But some women still do and need to wear pads. Lansanoh (SP?) is great for the chapping and cracking, but if that continues make sure you are holding Tessa in a good position. Most of that kind of problem is due to poor latch or positioning.

I hope it''s not a dairy issue, but it very well might be. It''s not uncommon at all for babies to have problems with mom eating dairy, and since she didn''t tolerate the formula, it could be an indication. But maybe not....it''s hard to tell with babies! She sure is a doll, though. You guys do good at making pretty babies!

Don''t fret! You will get the hang of this. This part of child rearing is going to go by super fast and in super slow mo at the same time. It''s a weird time for first timers, so take heart! You have a good support system and that''s half the battle. The other half is that you are being very proactive.

 

[mrssalvo]

tacori, your body will adjust and you''ll stop getting engorged all the time unless you really wait an over long time to feed or pump. after the first few weeks, for me anyway, I never got engorged, I assume my body just adjusted.

 

[Haven]

Hi, Tacori--I don''t know much about pyloric stenosis, but I was at a party last night and met a couple whose son had surgery for pyloric stenosis a month ago. I thought of you immediately, and asked them a zillion questions.

They said the surgery was pretty simple, their baby was absolutely fine afterward, and although it is absolutely torturous to send your little baby off to surgery, it was not an enormous ordeal. The father had the same condition when he was a baby, so they figured out what it was very quickly.

I guess what I''m trying to say is that if your baby DOES have pyloric stenosis, this one couple''s experience seems to show that it WILL be okay.

Good luck!

 

[tulip928]

I think they sell those wedges at Babies ''R Us, or any store like that it the bedding area. Even sitting in the bouncy chair, there can be pressure on the stomach that pushes the milk right back up if it''s full. The babies little back muscles and spine don''t always keep them in a proper sitting position.

As well as being a RN, I''m also a postpartum doula. (and pt. time nanny! oh my) I''ve been helping a family with twins for 13 mos. now. The little guy had severe reflux, too, so I know what you''re going through. The mommy ended up going with formula because breastfeeding the two of them didn''t go so well (she was exhausted!). The baby girl had latching problems and was confused by the use of bottles. With the formula feeding we were able to guage a half-way point to burp the little guy. That being said, breastfeeding IS the way to go! After the first few weeks, it really gets great. Just be sure to get a good burp at the end of the feeding.

What positions do you use for burping? If you do the over the shoulder, you want the baby''s tummy to actually be on your shoulder, with her draped over (be sure to have a good burp cloth!) There''s also the baby sitting on your lap position with the burp cloth tucked under her chin. Rub the baby''s mid back or pat the back. Alternate the positions if the burp is being stubborn.

Everything will fall into place shortly for you, I''m sure of it. Just make sure baby has a wide open mouth at latch on, and that she is supported well with pillows or boppy so that there is no pull on the nipple.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Lumpkin, you are too cute! The nurses at the hospital told me that DH and I made pretty babies too. I think that extra week of baking helped. She never had that smashed/wrinkly newborn look. I don''t have that book but I do use Lansanoh (or whatever it is called) after almost every feeding. The strange thing is last week I was doing good but this week I am so sore (like when I first started BFing) and I have a cut (or something on one of my nips). It is hard b/c it takes days to heal and meanwhile she might be irritating it more...oh well. I bought some soothing gels today. Gonna try them. I sometimes do get lazy/bored and don''t pay attention to her positioning OR I fall asleep and her latch slips.

My fault. I hope its not dairy but I was running out to Target so DH gave her a formula bottle. It is the same brand (Similac) but one of their different kinds (their soy base/dairy free) and I guess she did great. She did spit a little but nothing huge and he fed her slow and burped her. No hives

So that is a relief.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

MrsS, I figured it was my body adjusting. I just noticed little things, like how the nipple shield doesn''t fill with milk after she is done like it used to. Being engorged is NOT fun so not that I am complaining or anything

Haven, how sweet of you! Thank you for thinking of Tessa! I read that if a parent has it the child is 20% more likely to have it too. I am starting to think she does not have PS. But it is good to know there is an easy and quick fix. Thanks for investigating for me! How did it come up in conversation?

tulip, I will have to check out BRU for those wedges. She does slip and slide sometimes in her chair (or bassinet for that matter). Once I work up and she was laying sideways in the bassinet

I wish you lived in NC to help me!

I can''t imagine BFing twins

I have been doing it for 6 weeks and for some reason it got painful again. At first I had a fungal infection (I was pumped with antibotics in the hospital, not sure if you read my birth story) Is it possible it came back? Week 5 went well. I am just cracked and I notice white marks (is that dried milk or something?) and I have a blister.

I think we are burping her too low. We do over the shoulder but her chin is right above my shoulder. I''ll try moving her up. Thank you for all your advice!!! You are a wealth of knowledge!

 

[lumpkin]

LOOK at that little face! She could be a baby model!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 12/16/2007 10:23:39 PM
Author: lumpkin
LOOK at that little face! She could be a baby model!

Awww...thanks! I just took that pic today! I can''t help but change my AV all the time now!

 

[tulip928]

Check baby for thrush! Does she have spotty or white coating in her mouth? You and she can pass that back and forth and it can cause you to have cracked and painful nipples! Treatment would be for both of you and it''s not too complicated, but I''d give the pediatrician a call and tell him/her about this.

 

[chrono]

To relieve engorgement in the first few weeks, I''d hand express an ounce or two into a bottle while baby C is nursing on the other side. If you have been giving Tessa formula without pumping to replace that missed feeding, your supply could decrease. This is especially critical during the first 6 weeks while your body is trying to establish a milk supply. It could also well be your body adjusting and not overproducing anymore. It''s hard for me to guess the reason on the other side of the screen. If Tessa is signs of fullness after her nursing session and is gaining well, then I would not worry.

 

[aprilcait]

I had pyloric stenosis. From what I''ve heard from my parents, I had trouble gaining weight and projectile vomiting was a frequent event.

I had the surgery to correct the problem when I was an infant and only have a little scar... it''s about two inches long and runs horizontally on the upper right side of my stomach. That was 23 years ago, though. Now, I''m sure any scarring would be even less noticeable.

From what I''ve heard (and I could be wrong here), pyloric stenosis is hereditary. My grandfather had it, my aunt had it, and I had it. If that''s the case, you might want to ask if anyone in your family or your hubby''s family has had it.

I hope you little cutie gets better soon!