reflux 3mnth old wont take Breast milk in bottle

[Amsta]

I there my 3 mnth old son is a reflux bub.. its erally serve.. he is on losec.. milanta.. thickener and i have had to go dairy and wheat free to help him..

i have tried giving my milk to him via bottle but he wont take it.. he ends up histerical! my hubby has given it to him but still cried before giving in.. any tips??

also i have been rocking and padding my son to sleep because he needed to be coax to sleep when his reflux flairs up.. the past two days i have done some controlled crying..

i have begun a habbit where xavier gives family members kisses to say good night.. i put on lullabies.. sing twinkle twinkle to him.. then he is placed in his cot.. he may cry for a few minutes and is then out to it.. does that mean that it is working??? sometimes i may need to go back in and i will just say shhhhhhhh so he knows im there and put my hand on his bum.... i mean i cant expect too much when he is still so young.. right.

[MantaRay]

That sounds so hard hun

There are a few options for you. One thing is to talk to an LC who specialises in reflux. Many mums are able to bf without the thickener and have a lot of success with it if they have some strategies to go with it. Another option is to try a sippy cup. My DS's wouldn't take a bottle either, but drank well from a sippy cup at 3 months.

GL hun.

[Amsta]

thank you i have seen LC and i am doing all the things that u can.. sleeping on wedge, keeping upright after feeds, burping really well ect..
unfortunetly he is not a vomitter as such.. just vomits and swallows it back down which i have heard can be more painful....

thanks for the advise.. really frustrating coz sometimes i just need a break like a sleep or something but my hubby cant take over if he wont bottle feed etc..

[MantaRay]

Have you tried a sippy cup?

[nelly]

Good suggestion MR - my DS had silent relfux and was on Losec until almost 2. He took to a sippy cup with a straw, just abasic old fashioned one that you can get from Kmart, Big W and Coles in their plastics secion for about $2. We managed to almost exclusively BF until he was 1 but when he did occasionally take a bottle it was a Tommy Tippee CLoser to Nature and a slow flow teat. Check out the RISA website - I think is reflux dot org - they have some tips for feeding positions. Also, if he has been on the Losec for a while and ther hasn't been much improvement the dosage may have ot be adjusted to suit his weight. As well as avooiding dairy try cutting high salicylate foods out as well - the Fed Up website (Failsafe foods) will help you with a list if these.

Finally I think your sleep routine sounds great and yes it does sound like it is working. Like all things w babies it will not work somedays but most it will and that will give you a break.

Good luck and hope you get some tips that help you x

[Amsta]

Nelly, thanks so much for your advise xavier is on the full 10mg tablet.. and so far the diet is working.. i will sus out those other foods that u meantioned but as i said the growth spurts seem to flair it up.. so fingers crossed!
as for a sippy cup.. do you think he will take it? my concern is that he is too little to take a sippy cup? i have a full avent range could i get the sippy attachment for that and give that ago.. seems like such a waste of money having the avent set and not using it. also i tried the tommy tippy and he was taking it at one point.. but since i havent needed to give expressed milk it seems that he doesnt take it now...
should i just hang in there? its a shame to waste the milk i have frozen every time he decides he doesnt want it!
very frustrating for if we want to go for tea or something and its when he is due for his feed! would love to go out for dinner with my hubby and have him baby sat by his nanmah (who we are living with whilst we save for a house)

thanks so much for the suggestions..maybe i can try a sippy cup.

do hyou think that he is just sick of having things shoved in his mouth ie... milanta.. losec... thickener.. panadol when required!

[nelly]

Yeah - I think Jake got over having stuff shoved in his mouth too at one stage. He was on 20mg tablets but was, and still is, a big boy for his age. If you are finding growth spurts flair it up then his medication needs to be adjusted - be it the Losec, Mylanta etc. Is the thickener you are using Infant Gaviscon? That usually works a treat.... see if you can get the avent sippy attachment - anything is worth a try. The straw sippy cups are a similar action to sucking on a breast so I *think* it is easier for some bubs to pick up than the beaker sippy cups - the brand is Sistema (I couldn't remember it before).

As for persisting - I did and am so glad I did. You can encounter similar problems changing to formulas and different formulas can upset their little tummies too. Try different teats, slow flows mean they won't gulp as quickly so not as much air and burping, and peristaltic teats can help too. I found positioning the best with BF - Jake used to feed almost sitting upright in my lap.

[Amsta]

thanks so much nelly for your information it really helps to know that im not the only one out there dealing with this!
some friends have said persavere with giving water inbetween feeds via bottle and he will soon get the nack of it.. but if that doesnt work ill give a sippy cup.. seems so werid giving a sippy cup to a 3mnth old! hehe
xavier is 6kgs and 61cm long.. he is also a big boy.. not over weight but long... very long.. almost in 00 clothes already!
silly me i thought the 10mg tablet was the highest he could go! i must gt in touch with the paediatrician and have a chat to him.. even if his losec gets increased during those growth spurts!
the thickener is karicare thickener.. doesnt have a taste or any thing.. he gets 5ml in a suringe.. although meant to give him 10ml.. its so hard to get 1ml losec, 1 ml milanta then 10 ml thickener all b4 a feed! so i just give 5ml and it seems to be working.. i give it at his evening feeds, through the night and first mornign feed. hes really begining to kick up a stink every feed because of things being put in his mouth b4 hand! but its worth it i rekaon!