Formula for reflux

Which is the best formula to give a baby with reflux, or the one you found helped?

T my mum used Karicare one with thickener when she started giving formula for the girls.

I would see a naturopath instead. Elijah was on formula for a few months, which we thought would fix his reflux, but it was thickened and made his windy belly worse so I stopped using it. Thankfully I was still breastfeeding him so I could just go back to breastfeeding and wondered why I had such a complex about my milk. *do'h*

TBH, I never found that any reflux formulas helped all that much, but they were better than a regular formula I guess. DS was much better when he had only breastmilk (as long as I didn't eat any trigger foods :doh: took me awhile to work that one out!). For the times that he had to have formula, I found putting Gaviscon in it made more of a difference. But that's just my experience, with my baby.

HTHs. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask, or PM me. :hug:

So is the thickener built in? i have no clue how formula works.

I am willing to try anything at this point i can't take another minute of this.

Hun, I truly know how hard it is with a reflux bub.

What have you tried so far? (Please feel free to tell me to rack off if you don't want to go through it again!). Have you seen a paed? a Chiro? a naturopath?

Yes, the thickener is built in.

My first had reflux very bad and would projectile vomit accross the room. I tried chiros, zantac, losec, etc was told by my GP to switch to Karicare AR reflux its in a peach tin... as a result my suppliment feads reduced my BM and i had to stop breastfeeding... The formula does to a degree help.. The thing is its thicker so it sits in the tummy better then the more liquid formulas. he still was very spewy and it only helped slightly. The spew was just more chunky then watery (sorry TMI) It did ease the pain as it wasnt coming up as much. He ended up getting better once he was able to sit then once he became more upright it eased off... I think by 12 months it was almost gone. This time my baby girl has it but i'm finding the breastmilk is fine... she's spewing but i figure she will either way so may as well be good nutitious milk.

Try feeding upright more. For pain the zantac and losec work for some better then others.

To answer ur q... yeah the thickner is added to the AR... you can alternativley use a little farex to make it thicker to see if that helps before buying a new tin is bubs is already formula fed. I would see a pead and get a barrium meal (spl) test done to see what they think.

You can buy thickener to add to breastmilk if you express. Definitely try a naturopath. Much better than the expense and health comprimise using formula if something else can work for you - naturopath will cost you less than $100 which is 4 tins of formula???

You can also use the thickener while breastfeeding... you mix it up to a gel, and feed it to bubs before and during the feeding. The directions are on the tin. My Pead suggested to me that I try it instead of medicating my DS, and only to make it up half strength as it can make bubs constipated... I have not done it yet, but I know it is a viable option. I had my DS on Zantac, which made his tummy really windy, and while it helped with the reflux to a point, to made the other worse, so I dont medicate DS anymore.
Hope you find some relief for your DS soon, as I know how hard having a reflux bub can be...And it is so hard when they just fuss at the boob and it make you feel so inadequate...then end up a screaming mess.
Also, I saw your other thread on Losec, and my Pead did tell me that it can take a month to work, and I could use the Zantac with it to start with if the reflux was bad... Also he suggested that I get the Losec from a compounding Chemist (one that will mix it up for you) so it was made properly...
HTH

I would be looking at all other avenues for treatment before resorting to using formula and I definately wouldn't be giving him farex as an alternative at his age!

I use Karicare AR for Alister, but he didn't have the screaming from it, just VERY chucky, so it worked wonders for us. have you tried an elimination diet at all?

I think that some people have luck with seeing a chiro for reflux in babies. You could try that. Make sure you see a chiro who is experienced in treating it.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...lux-colic.html

Hun, many women with reflux babies find switching to formula, even reflux formula, makes things worse. Often cutting something like dairy out of your diet and continuing bfing is the best option. Please see a LC before you try anything else, a good one should be able to help you with this. I am sure Barb can recommend a good one in your area.

Thanks ladies... first i was angry because i just wanted to hear that formula will work, but i realised then that i wasn't angry at anyone, just angry because at not having a quick solution - i wanted formula to be it. You hear things around the traps and that formula helps was one of them... and hey, i'm pretty desperate!

I've been given some really good advice though, particularly about the dairy free diet (thank you to the special lady who pm'd me about that you've helped more than you'd realise).

I am just tired and sore from constantly carrying and rocking him, if i'm not wearing him (ie, when i try to go to bed) he cries, so i am exhausted and my toddler is frustrated because all my energy is going to settle my baby. In my delirium formula seemed like the next good thing to try, but knowing it doesn't i'll move on... am going to go dairy free and hope this makes a difference. Also getting on to a local naturopath too.

Thanks for being firm and honest with me.

:hug: Mumma B I'm glad someone got on to you with that.... someone very special.

I had two babies with reflux. My first used to scream 6-8 hours a day & I was devestated. I listened to advice after 4 months of it & gave her bottles... I weaned her onto a reflux formula. It did nothing & by the time I realised she was a bit worse I had lost my milk.

When Jovie started showing signs of reflux I went to a LC who put me onto the theory of milk allergy. I wound up going onto a full on no dairy diet and she never developed it as bad as DD1 and settled down really well. When it was time for solids, I noticed she reacted to other foods so I took both girls to an allergist. I found out DD1 was severely allergic to dairy. Any form of milk solids or proteins or anything. DD2 we didn't test as she was too young, but I have found by accident that she seems to have grown out of the reactions. DD1 has definately NOT grown out of it yet, but she is only 4yrs old we have a little while to worry about it.

We have adjusted our family to be dairy free & DH has lost heaps of weight :rolleyes: so he loves it. I haven't lost any of course.

Anyway.... :hug: to you & if you need to chat anytime please PM me.

Great stuff :) Pinky kicks me up the bum when I need it sometimes too, as do all of my nearest and dearest parenting buddies - they are just sharing the love in another way ;)