Tuesday we took another sample to the pediatrician's office, and it tested positive for blood again. Our pediatrician was not in the office, so his partner recommended we change John's formula (one used for infants with a protein allergy)... and stop breastfeeding! It was extremely hard not to breakdown and cry in the office (the lobby since I didn't go into a room) . It was hard to get my milk supply going while John was in the NICU. And I had worked hard to adhere to the lactose/dairy-free diet and I was still harming him. ARG!
After much discussion and deliberation, a week ago we made an appointment to transfer to a new pediatrician. Thankfully, we had our first appointment today. We feel comfortable with our choice. Dr. Z was extremely thorough in her examination. I was pretty impressed that she had read all the paperwork we brought with us and listened carefully to what we said. Dr. Z had even read the HIPAA forms! She believes it may be a dietary issue AND a fissure (after she finished her examination). She explained that soy may also cause an allergy; I had recently started drinking soy milk since I couldn't drink regular milk! No one had told me to avoid soy.
Dr. Z recommended we continue breastfeeding since John benefited from it but continue to use the new formula when needed. We will make an appointment with a GI doctor just for peace of mind. She also put us back on Poly-Vi-Sol (the multivitamin) in order to protect John from an iron deficiency. We will give John the daily dose in small portions before several meals to avoid any reflux problems. All in all, we left reassured and confident with our new pediatrician.
Somehow we failed to mention that yesterday John turned 5-months old! He is so adorable and is doing great. He now weighs 11 lbs 12 oz! He is in the 30th percentile for weight and length adjusted for his prematurity. But, he is in the 80th for his head! It helped explain why he was having trouble holding his head up on his own.
John holding his bottle!
He has now found both hands and both thumbs. However, John still prefers his pacifier. Yesterday, he found and grabbed his foot for the first time. He has also reached out to grab my fingers multiple times!!!
Enjoying his right thumb...
... and now his left thumb.
And Monday night John slept for 8 long, wonderful hours!!! He was back to his normal one-feeding-at-night routine yesterday. But it means that he is getting ready to sleep through the night. John does something new almost every day!
Lari enjoying the thrills of being an aunt.
John also talks his head off. He will conduct a conversation with anyone and anything that catches his eye. If everyone is talking, John will not hesitate to make his voice heard. He is so "talkative" already that I am worried about how much he will talk when he learns to speak.
Chillin' at the hotel in DC.
2 comments:
I'm so glad you found a pediatrician you trust better. It is a frustrating thing when you and the Dr. don't see eye to eye. And it is a hard thing to make the decision to stop breastfeeding. I think I cried both times.
I would have never thought that a pedi would recommend NOT breastfeeding! That's crazy! Glad you are liking your new one. We loves ours and it makes it so much easier to deal with things that are going on with the little one!
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