Well Child, Vaccines, and Reflux

On Thursday, we had Carder's 2 month Well Child Check up.  The doctor is very happy with his growth and development.  There are a couple of 2 month milestones that Carder is meeting that his pedi is very happy about.  Due to his prematurity, some of these milestones may come a bit later for Carder than for some other babies.  Each situation is different and we will just have to be patient to see which milestones he meets on time and which ones are delayed.  His weight gain has been good - he has gone from barely being on the growth charts for his weight to being in the 10th percentile.  The doctor seemed to think that by 6 months, his growth will have caught up.  We are crossing our fingers that the doctor is right.

I was dreading the vaccinations terribly.  From a few face plants on our chests, I already knew that I don't like the sound of the wail my baby makes when he is in pain.  Derek already had his orders that he was to do any holding down necessary.  Carder took his oral vaccine like a champ (although part of it did get spit onto the Nurse).  He also took his 3 injections very well.  He wailed in pain, but nuzzled into my chest and clung to me closely for comfort from the pain.  Derek said that it was really very cute.  It still broke my heart to hear him cry.

Just before Carder's 2 month Pediatrician appointment, he began having a few symptoms that concerned me.  He had begun eating quite a bit more at each feeding, but the amount of spit up had increased as well.  In addition, towards the end of the feeding, he began crying while being fed.  This alarmed us both.  After discussing these changes with the Pediatrician, it was determined that he probably has acid reflux.  This isn't what I had hoped to hear - after all, I have several friends who have suffered through reflux hell.  I got his prescription for Zantac filled that day and started giving him the meds that night.  I don't know how much of the first few doses that he got - he spit quite a bit of them back out.  I tasted the medicine and figured out that perhaps it needed to be flavored.  The pharmacy then flavored the medicine, but I don't think it tastes any better.  It actually may taste worse now.  Anyway, I have been putting the medication further back in his mouth and I think he is getting more of it now.

BUT

Since the vaccines, Carder's appetite has decreased drastically.  He went from eating 5 ounces at almost every feeding to eating barely 3.  And the crying at the end of a feeding hasn't improved much, if at all.  Derek isn't convinced that he has reflux (but he doesn't see every single feeding like I do) and he thinks we shouldn't be giving Carder medication if he doesn't need it.  I agree that we shouldn't use a medication if we don't need it, but at the same time, I know that he can't quite tell us if it hurts. 

And I know that something isn't right.  Babies don't cry at the end of a bottle unless it is empty and they are still hungry.  Carder is crying with the bottle in his mouth while there is still plenty there AFTER he has finished an ounce or more.  And I also know from reading the stories of other moms online that NOT treating reflux can have terrible outcomes as the baby begins to avoid feedings due to the pain.

I wish that I had waited to start the medication until after the vaccines had a few days to get out of his system, that way I would know if the decrease in appetite was a side effect of the vaccine or the Zantac.

I did put in a call to the Pediatrician today to get his input on what could be causing the decrease in appetite.  He indicated it could be either the vaccines or the Zantac and he said we should stop using the Zantac for a few days to see if the amount of feeding increases and then to call them back with an update.  Since the immunization side effects should be wearing off any time now, I don't really know what this will accomplish - other than delaying the medication from helping him if it is going to.

I am going to go with the Pediatrician's recommendation to stop the Zantac for now.  And I am going to do some more research online.  However, if the crying at the end of a feeding doesn't get any better, I am going to schedule another visit with the Pediatrician to see if we can get to the bottom of this before it gets worse or before the damage is irreparable.