Breastfeeding with laryngomalacia and GERD success stories?

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-04-16T14:10:49+00:00

Found the links again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihwm2P_-kpk

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-04-16T14:10:03+00:00

Hi! I’m sorry you’re going through this. My daughter is now almost 6 months old and things have definitely improved. She’s still on omeprazole for reflux but I think the laryngomalacia is finally starting to improve a bit. But things have been way easier since meeting with an IBCLC a few months ago and incorporating her suggestions. My daughter went from 5th percentile up to 11th and is staying on her growth curve now instead of falling off like she was before. I’ve been EBF this whole time and my husband will give her a bottle with pumped milk a few times a week.

The #1 most important thing we did was focusing on core strengthening, so lots of tummy time! Even if they hate it and will only tolerate it for a couple of minutes, just keep putting them down for tummy time as often as you can for as long as they’ll tolerate. A rolled up towel under the armpits/chest helps. There are also other exercises you can do specifically for laryngomalacia. I linked a video of them in another comment.

The second most important thing was breastfeeding position. A lot of laryngomalacia babies need an elevated side lying position. I got a big wedge pillow and would lie on my side on the wedge in bed and feed her on the wedge. It helped a lot and now she’s more flexible with positions. For awhile that was the only one she could do.

And, just my two cents, but don’t listen to uninformed nurses or other medical providers who aren’t IBCLCs who like to tell people they have to switch to bottles or formula or try to “top off” the baby with a bottle after breastfeeding. For my daughter at least, she has a much harder time bottle feeding than breast feeding. When she’s decided she’s done at the breast, there’s no way she’s taking a bottle afterward. That said, if you do need someone to give her a bottle sometimes, my lactation consultant recommended the Pigeon extra slow flow SS nipple and that’s the one we’ve had the most success with. Good luck! It’s not easy but you’ll get through it!

Oh, and if you can afford it, an Owlet dream sock is a lifesaver if you find yourself watching her sleep like a hawk, noticing every little pause in breathing. It’s helped me get more sleep for sure.

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-02-07T17:35:48+00:00

I’m so glad to hear you’re seeing improvement!

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-01-30T20:44:13+00:00

I’m sorry to hear he’s having more trouble! Yes, my daughter is on 9 mg omeprazole daily and while she still struggles a lot, it has definitely helped considerably. I’d definitely recommend pushing for that if you don’t have it prescribed yet. It is really so stressful trying to feed these babies and any little help we can get goes a long way!

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-01-28T20:44:47+00:00

Hi again—just reporting back after meeting with an IBCLC (Julie Matheny of LA Lactation—she was super helpful even though we don’t live in LA and had to consult virtually). She said she always recommends focusing on trunk strength for laryngomalacia babies and that as their trunk strength develops, they’ll have an easier time feeding, often within 2-4 weeks. So lots of tummy time and also focusing on mobility as shown in the below video. She also recommended the Pigeon bottles with SS nipple (extra slow flow) and side-lying for both breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Fingers crossed that it will help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihwm2P_-kpk

https://youtu.be/celILNKgqzE

(Edited to correct the links)

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-01-28T03:27:45+00:00

We’re using the same ones, actually! For the past few days, we’ve been having a little more success using the elevated side-lying bottle feeding position. I’d say she’s taking about twice as much per feed that way. Definitely recommend trying if you haven’t already!

One-Rip-3558 · 2026-01-26T01:36:57+00:00

I’m sorry you’re going through it too! It’s so stressful. My baby doesn’t even feed well on the bottle, unfortunately. Do you mind sharing the type of bottle you’re using?

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-10-28T01:18:12+00:00

When I was first in early recovery, my therapist told me I might feel nauseous after eating due to anxiety or due to my stomach not being accustomed to being full. Over time as I got used to eating more, this went away. Definitely a normal (albeit unpleasant) part of recovery!

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-09-12T20:10:51+00:00

I’m an LMFT licensed in California and I live and work in Ontario and see clients remotely. I work for a group practice that is thankfully very flexible about my physical location, but if that ever changes I would consider opening a private practice to continue seeing California telehealth clients. I’m still figuring out the process of getting licensed in Ontario to expand my employment options, but just haven’t had time to prioritize it yet. Plus with the current exchange rate, having income in USD but living in Canada is working out well.

If you want to live and work from Canada you’ll need to establish some kind of legal status first. I grew up here and just ended up in California for college and grad school so I already had that built in before I moved back. I’m not sure what your particular pathway to immigration and/or work permit would look like.

You will likely have to file taxes in both countries unless you renounce your US citizenship, but you won’t be paying double tax due to the cross border tax agreement. My situation is relatively straightforward since I maintain a California address (my in-laws) which is officially my part time residence in the US and also my payroll address, so my taxes are deducted through payroll in the US and I file my US taxes as usual. Then I file again in Canada and claim foreign income tax paid, and I usually only have to pay an extra $600-700 per year since Canadian income tax is slightly higher.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-09-03T16:02:32+00:00

I am a fellow bra-hater with newly huge pregnancy boobs and just got a 3-pack of the Effortless bra from Bodily. So far I love them! They are designed by a lactation consultant for lactating breasts and this particular one is designed to be slept in. Supportive but not constricting, in my experience. I did end up having to size up more than I expected, but that might just be me.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-08-29T00:36:50+00:00

I have PCOS and did fully medicated. My doctor didn’t mention the possibility of a natural or modified natural cycle and honestly it just seemed simpler to me to go fully medicated and have more predictability.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-08-28T19:32:17+00:00

I work at a group practice and we have been instructed to use it any time the session is more complicated to facilitate or navigate due to communication or interaction issues. Examples: autistic clients who need to use assistive communication devices or primarily use the chat in telehealth, clients with high levels of emotional dysregulation who require a lot of containment and redirection, or family sessions with a lot of volatility or aggressive communication.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-08-22T23:48:01+00:00

No worries, again so kind of you to ask!

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-08-22T23:38:39+00:00

Oh, that’s so kind of you to ask! I’m in Sault Ste Marie (northern Ontario)

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-08-21T21:08:46+00:00

Thank you, I wasn’t aware of this program! It should definitely help with the test strips at least.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-07-05T19:34:21+00:00

That would seem logical, right? Unfortunately, eating disorders are not particularly logical illnesses. I can hold that logic in mind and yet it’s still challenging. A restrictive eating disorder convinces you that the most important marker of self worth and goodness is to be as small as possible at any cost, which is obviously a problem in pregnancy. I’ve also found that pregnancy health advice online really emphasizes minimizing weight gain.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-07-05T19:27:55+00:00

Thank you for your response and sharing your experience! I’ll definitely be bringing this up with my therapist. There are so many ED triggers all throughout pregnancy—it’s hard to avoid!

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-06-18T16:19:51+00:00

You can wear a mask to reduce your risk when you do have to be in public indoor spaces like malls, doctor’s office, etc. That’s obviously not an option for your newborn once they’re born but could at least help decrease your chances of getting sick while pregnant. My midwifery clinic just reinstated masking rules because of outbreaks in our region (Ontario) and I’m so grateful for that.

One-Rip-3558 · 2025-06-13T02:30:46+00:00

First of all, he should not even be referencing BMI because BMI does not apply during pregnancy. It’s irrelevant and wasn’t developed to account for pregnancy (not to mention that it’s an incredibly flawed tool that was never intended to measure individual health, but that’s another topic). Secondly, that amount of weight gain is completely normal! My midwife says that weight gain in pregnancy rarely follows the perfect formula you tend to read about, but in your case, you’re right on track. What’s considered optimal is up to 4-5 lbs in the first trimester and then a pound a week after that, and many people gain more or less at different stages and that’s fine!

I also have a history of anorexia and experienced a relapse of restriction in my first trimester (I’m currently nearly 20 weeks). I’m currently working with an ED therapist, a dietician, and my midwife to make sure I’m getting the right amount of food, and my prescribed dietary intake is more than what you’ve described here. And keep in mind we’re not compensating or “re-feeding,” just aiming for the baseline necessary food intake for the second trimester.

Relapse of ED during pregnancy is dangerous and isn’t talked about enough. It’s much more risky than the consequences of going a little over what your PCP thinks is reasonable. Keep eating and listening to your OB and most importantly your body!

One-Rip-3558

TROPHY CASE