ACID REFLUX!

Lucas is a pretty easy going baby for the most part, but he cries A LOT!  It's not so much the crying that has us concerned, it's the constant arching of the back, straightening of the legs, choking while nursing, etc.  At first I thought maybe my milk flow was too fast and he couldn't keep u which would account for the gagging/choking.  But he screams in pain a lot and he is not constipated at all.  I finally decided to take him to Sioux Falls to see a pediatrician who would be more familiar with Acid Reflux as I had suspected it.  The doctor examined him and concluded that he thought it was more than just a case of colic!  He agreed he probably has Acid Reflux or in Lucas case "Silent Reflux" because he doesn't spit up much.  He put him on Zantac and said it would take up to about 4 days before we notice a difference.  In the meantime he said we can give Lucas adult over the counter Maalox when he's in pain.  We can give it to him every 4 hours as needed and he gets 1/2 tsp.  He also said that if the medication does not work it could just be a bad case of colic or something in my diet. 

We started the Maalox that day and we noticed immediate improvement after giving it to him.  He would basically relax after giving it to him and stop screaming.  It is so hard for a Mom to see her baby in pain.  After about a week we noticed a big difference in his mood and sleep.  He was a much happier baby when he wasn't in pain all the time.  The doctor said if we saw immediate improvement with the Maalox, that was a sure sign that the culprit was Reflux.

Hopefully this will be the end of his tummy troubles and the meds will continue to work for our little guy.  On a side note:  at Lucas appointment he weighed 9 lbs 12 oz and in the 52nd percentile!  Skinny boy!