How do you deal with reflux? I'm exhausted...

[~clover~]

I only really looked into it this morning, but I'm pretty sure thats whats going on.

What I see in her that's listed on the BB website

•Irritability/crying/screaming
•Vomiting/regurgitating or posseting
•Appearing to be in pain
•Repeated hiccups
•Hoarse voice
•Feeding problems, e.g. comfort feeding, feeding frequently, crying/screaming after feeds, gagging/spluttering
•Sleeping issues, e.g. catnapping during the day, easily disturbed from sleep, or restless
•Respiratory issues, e.g. choking, wheezing/coughing
•Congestion, ‘snuffling’ or appearing to have a cold

I thought she had a cold, but the stuffiness is there still. If I lay her flat she gets all stuffed up & can't breath, or sleep. When she's elevated she sleeps ok, but only at night. She hardly sleeps through the day at all. Today she's been feeding every half hour or so all morning.

It suggests keeping her up for about 30 minutes after feeding, I can't put her down flat at all.

I can hear her gulping it back down, even if she doesn't vomit. She vomitted twice this morning & has been at least once or twice a day/night.

Its the stress of not being able to stop walking/patting/rocking thats wearing me out. I can sling wear all day, but I need to be able to sit for 5 minutes. DS is getting horribly jelouse. I need to spend just a little bit of time with him, just a cuddle on occasion. The only chance he gets is when I'm feeding her & he's trying to get his hand down my shirt.

What helps you? I need any suggestions. I am lucky, she does sleep ok til about 5am, then is awake crying for a good hour. Then the day starts. School etc, which means stress...

[black_rose]

I am going through the same thing, Ds was diagnosed 4 weeks ago he had pretty much the sane symptoms you have listed and he would only sleep during the day if we went in the car.

He is on Zantac twice a day and I am on a basic diet, no wheat, dairy, beans, chilli, garlic etc. The biggest trigger for us was milk especially the A2 milk which is meant to be fine. By a process of elimination we have worked out I can have a tiny amount if lactose free milk and the only formula he can have for top ups when I have no ebm is the lactose free one. He still has trouble sleeping during the day but he isn't as cranky and this week he has finally started to have bigger weight gains.

[~clover~]

Well I'm thinking I should go more into this dairy thing. I was lactose intolerant as a baby. Seems like it'd explain alot.
How do I eliminate dairy? Drink lactose free milk? Do I need to cut out all dairy, or would the little bit in foods be ok. What about yoghurts/ cheeses etc. Seems like such a big thing to do.

[Janie]

It sounds as though you're doing it really tough . I would strongly suggest seeing a paediatrician. And if you can get your hands on a copy, read 'Colic Solved' written by Bryan Vartabedian who is a Paediatric Gastroenterologist. Despite the title, the entire book is about reflux, and I can tell you it is amazing! Both my boys have/had reflux, and there is a tonne of stuff in there that I didn't know. I'm tipping there's stuff in there that our own paed doesn't know, and she's been very switched on with the reflux stuff.

Most of all, don't be fobbed off. Keep on talking to your HCPs until you find one prepared to listen and treat. It is likely that medication will make a world of difference. They might like to start her on Zantac, but often babies need more than that and are moved on to drugs like Losec. Be aware too that about half of babies with reflux have milk protein allergy (as my boys do). Once their diet is adjusted accordingly, their symptoms dramatically reduce, although they almost always still need medication.

Let me know if you want any more info

BR, are you seeing a dietician? Unless your DS is actually wheat intolerant/allergic you shouldn't need to eliminate that from your diet. It's very hard I know, have BTDT with DS2, and still going as he has issues with dairy, soy and oats. FWIW, we were very confused about that last one, and thought it must be wheat or gluten. But eventually, through trial and elmination, we figured out that it was oats. Thank goodness, much easier not to eliminate wheat

[~clover~]

Just please tell me there would be a way to breast feed & deal with this, coz I think it'd break me to have to use a ff.

She hardly even sleeps in the car, but is still easier than DD2, who I now think had silent reflux.

[onthefly]

Why would you have to ff?
DS had those sypmtoms too, but silent reflux.

One thing we did was sit DS up in the pram with towels wedged in at each side. For 3-4 weeks I slept sitting up in bed holding him and we couldnt' put him down all day. But then it got better. I think there are degrees to these things, but to a certain extent it's pretty normal and does often resolve itself, so you might get lucky.

[Janie]

Clover, it's very unlikely that is lactose, more likely to be the protein in the milk. Which does mean eliminating all dairy products. Lactose free milk probably won't cut it. Ask away if you have any questions about going dairy free, even as a trial. We're currently dairy free in our house.

Don't forget though, it is likely she will still need to be medicated. It would be a good idea to see a Dr still, and see what they think.

[HotI]

check this out

Australian Breastfeeding Association - Breastfeeding and gastro-oesophageal reflux

[Janie]

Absolutely do not need to FF! In fact, reflux babies do much better with breastmilk than ABM, so feel good about that

ETA Just wanted to clarify that although it's definitely worth looking into the Milk Protein Allergy stuff, that might not be a trigger. About half of kids with reflux disease have just that - reflux disease, with no MPA. And I say reflux disease, because all babies have reflux, but those that struggle with it have 'disease', and will often need treatment. That's why you see acronyms such as GOR and GORD being bandied about, the latter refers to babies who are classed as being somewhat sick with reflux.

[black_rose]

Yes we are seeing a dietician, also a pead and a chiropractor. If I have wheat he breaks out in a rash and if I have dairy he screams all day. Have tried it a few times and we have confirmed the triggers.

He is on formula top ups as even with ebm he had only put on an average of 60g a week in 8 weeks. It could be a separate issue to the reflux but either way he needed to put on weight.

[Janie]

Oh you poor things BR, it is a very hard road. Especially when growth is an issue What formula are you using? Just out of interest, as we are doing the same.

[~clover~]

Thanks everyone. I'm just so tired. I know switching to ff wouldn't really help. I did that with DD2 & it did nothing.

[black_rose]

We use s26 LF, I hated giving it to him but with one top up a day he is putting on weight. I tried the AR formula but it just made him worse as it contains lactose.

[belfie]

Clover - I'm posting to remind me to come back in here. We're dealing with the same, just diagnosed this week (but like you, we were wondering about it ourselves for a bit first). Will BBL but I hear you on the exhausted + neglected older child bit. Sending big hugs in the interim .

[belfie]

ok i'm back (and semi-awake ha!)

Ok these are the things we're trying, sorry I'm sure you know some of these already but I'll list 'em all for what it's worth.

• bassinet/cot head elevated (up to 30 degree incline), change her with a cushion under her shoulders/head (covered in spew rag of course!) so she's not flat on the change table
• take DS to the playground with her in the stroller slightly inclined... gives him quality time, keeps me sane and seems to get her to sleep sometimes
• feed only one side particularly in the mornings (I find at night I can definitely give her both sides and it's not an issue as you'd expect). A very full distended tummy will make the reflux worse, so making sure she fully empties the first side means she isn't as full AND gets all the nice fatty hindmilk (the PITA there is expressing the other side for a few mins). I have found I can express the second side while she has upright burp time on the other shoulder
• keep upright for at least 10 mins after the first side and 20-30 mins after the full feed (yeah, sling time I think!)
• short frequent feeds so tummy less full (sounds like you've got that covered!)
• tummy time will help her tummy contents settle, but flat on her back won't.
• car seats & capsules squish up the torso a bit, so avoid leaving her to sleep in them if she's uncomfy
• I've also made some dietary changes (initially thinking it was colic), cutting out dairy, caffeine, chocolate & spicy foods (plus eggs & nuts primarily cos my DS is allergic to them). To be honest the first week of the food change was hell cos I"m so busy with the kids it's really hard to find the time/energy to think about the food, but we felt we did see a difference after one week (I started about 9 days ago). I felt I needed to do anything I could to make her more comfortable. From my quick googling (and also supported by LC) the changes may help whether colic or reflux. And yes, it is actually amazing I haven't died of no caffeine!
• see GP/LC/good paediatrician
• osteo/chiro too - we went last week and apparently a lot of tightness through back/hips which won't help digestion

My DS is also sounding snuffly particularly when she feeds, and has a very hoarse cry. She was also moving from being just very unsettled to arching back during the second feed, crying & fussing. She inevitably falls asleep during upright burp time but then squirms, grunts, cries in the bassinet until she wakes herself up. To be she sounds like a baby in pain, not just a baby who's overtired etc. We went to our GP last week who thought she was refluxy and has started her on Losec. I suspect it helped that I had already implemented the behavioural stuff, otherwise I think he would have let us go for another week.

Oh and my LC was raving about that Colic book too, says it's awesome.
Good luck with it, it's tiring huh .

[~clover~]

Thanks Belfie

I feel like DD wriggles & squirms all day in pain atm. She's only a one side bub for now anyway, but through the day she often feeds hourly. She might have one or 2 longer stretches. I have her rocker elevated, a co sleeping bed in her cot elevated, her pram's are up a bit. She can't be comfortable in any of them though unless she's deep asleep. The second I put her down the red faced wriggling & crying starts.

I can't put her on her belly much either, coz all the fluid making her snuffly gets worse & she has trouble breathing. On occasion it has worked though. She spends all her time on her side, except in the car seat, never on her back even if she is sitting.

While she doesn't vomit too much, I'm forever hearing her bringing it up & swallowing it back down, or choking & gagging on it. Another reason she's on her side, not her back.

The car, with loud music settles her for a bit. Showering with one of us relaxes her a fair bit. Been doing that every night before bed.
Pram does nothing. At all, had to sling her for trick or treating yesterday.

Oh & dummies. Used one last night & it worked, so will try to keep that up.

[Jen27]

Hi Clover. Reflux babies can be very hard work! I have one!

You may have all the answers you need by now, but I will share my story

Your dd has very similar symptoms to what mine had, sounding like she has a cold etc, gagging etc. My daughter would scream all day. but sleep fairly well at night. Often silent reflux babies sleep well at night due to being so exhausted. dd used to sleep most of the night but then only half an hour in the day! She was extremely hard to put down to sleep. she would wake up about 10 times before falling into a deep sleep. she would want to sleep, but kept waking due to not being able to with snuffling and gagging. We found it so stressful. dd would feed hourly also. apparently reflux babies can fall into two catergories. ones that avoid feeding as it hurts and they see feeding as a negative or ones like my dd that 'overfeed' to ease the pain dd throat was so raw that it felt good when she was brestfed so would feed all the time.
anyway cutting a very long tiring, (stressful!) story short dd was put on losec at at 5 weeks. after about 10 days HEAVEN. it worked a treat, all of her symptoms disapeared. we did try non medicated routes such as tilting bed etc, but nothing else worked. Losec works so well. off losec we have a very sad baby in pain all day, on losec such a happy girl. it works so well that her symptoms come back even after being off it a couple of days (we have tried weaning her off it but she still has bad reflux) She is now 12 months old. We still haven't found out what is causing her reflux but I'm going back to the doctors next week to try and get some answers as I'm hoping she can come of the medication and be pain free. I did try dairy free when she was younger but that didnt seem to work but maybe I didnt go off it for long enough? (she is still breastfed now). We still have times when the reflux pain comes back, even when on the medication. times when she sick etc, teething. she started out on 5mg, then at 9 months went on to 10mg then 15gm at 10 months for a month only and now back on 10mg.

Dealing with a reflux baby can be so stressful and it seems everyone tells you there baby had reflux (as its used in such general terms) but when they have it quite bad, and it causes pain its stressful to see your poor baby go through that. I hope your dd grows out of her reflux soon, I wish you well

[~clover~]

Wow Jen. Feels like I could've written that word for word.

Summer is a feeder. Doesn't want to stop, but over feeds & brings it all back up. I actually think its changed. She is bringing alot more back up now than she was, & is alot more settled now. I think before may've been silent.
She's alot more settled through the day now & I think it might be coz she's bringing more up, rather than having it go up & down causing her pain.
Still have to have her over my shoulder for a while after feeds or she won't sleep, but she is alot happier than she was

Feeling very lucky all is looking positive at the moment Hope it lasts!