Signs / Symptoms of Reflux

Can someone please tell me what to look out for in terms of symptoms of reflux?? Alexzander has started to vomit after every bottle & is really unsettled when we lay him flat...

I'm no expert......Christy could probably help you more as Matilda had reflux I think. Jacob is a happy chucker (i.e. spews but doesn't have reflux).

I *think* that if your baby is projectile vomiting and is getting upset by it, then it may be reflux. They get upset by it because it burns their little throat, and they may need some medication to help them (I think Matilda had to have Mylanta or even something stronger like Zantac?).

wow Sarah thats weird, before I read this I just PM'd you about looking out for it because Zander sounds like he's doing things Matilda did... woah 8-[
Matilda didn't vomit as much, but she had silent reflux and did projectiles on and off. From day one we couldn't lay her flat. She had a really unsettled belly too all the time. Her poos were inconsistent as well. She was bf and would scream heaps after feeds.

It does sound really familiar Sarah.... I didn't want to wish it on you iykwim, but I was reading how you were going and thinking it sounded pretty similar. keeping him inclined should help heaps, and try HA AR formula it is a partially digested thickened formula which really helps with reflux bubs and won't hurt him if he's not :) around here Amcal has it the cheapest.

I would agree with everyone else. And the fact that he slept on an incline suggests to me reflux too as lying flat makes wind more painful and spews more frequent ;)

Goodluck!

*hugs*
Cailin

Thanks guys :) We have the MCHN nurse coming tomorrow so will talok to her about it too.

I'll let you know how we get on....

How did you go Sarah?

Sorry Tootie forgot to update #-o

The ECHN suggested that we feed him virtually upright & keep him upright for 20-30min after a feed, also try him on an AR formula, which we are getting tomorrow. The upright stuff seemed to help a bit. Today though has gotten much worse sadly. We have an appointment with my GP tomorrow, so hopefully we will actually get somewhere.

Just wanted to see what you guys think of these things he seems to be doing now - cries most times when he burps even if nothing comes up, vomits at every feed without fail, cries in the middle of a feed & won't take anymore even though he's hungry, sticking his tongue out all the time like he's trying to get rid of a bad taste in his mouth, coughing evry now & then. Also last night he had a huuuge projectile vomit - of the 80ml he had I'm sure he threw up about 60ml.

Alot of his cries atm seem to be like he's in pain & i just can't do anything to help him.

Sarah, Sorry that I can't help anymore than what the others have already said. Brandon had reflux, he used to projectile like nothing else but never really had a problem with him screaming in pain, thankfully. I found too sitting him up while feeding, elevating the bed head and generally not moving him around too much after a feed worked great.

Do his warm baths settle him down at all. I know that you can't be bathing him after his feeds all the time, plus it would probably make him chuck too but occasionally wouldn't hurt. DOn't know what else to suggest other than lots of patience and perserverence(sp).

Take care
Trish

Screams in the bath Trish, but sleeps really well after it. We're trying to do them in the night now, we were doing morning ones, to get him to sleep longer.

We did manage a 6hr sleep last night which was good - but it was after 2hrs of screaming. I really really hope the Dr can suggest something to help him.

Okey dokey, back from the Drs & we officially have reflux :(

He suggested we get the AR formula, which we have done & to give Zander 3ml of gripe water just before each bottle. So we have to do that for the rest of today & call the Dr at about 11.30am tomorrow to report in (gives us 24hrs to see). If things are going better I'm not sure what happens next, but if things are the same/worse he said he'll organise something stronger than the gripe water. I'm just waiting for him to wake up to see how we go.

Also the Dr said not to wake him up like the ECHN suggested. He said to just follow his lead for the moment, at least until we get the reflux under control a bit.

I feel really bad for saying it, but I'm kinda glad that there was something wrong. I was feeling guilty cos my bub was/is always upset, but at least I have a reason now.

Thanks for the update Sarah. I'm sorry that little Zander has reflux, but at least you now know what you are dealing with and that there are things you can try to do that might help him. It can be really upsetting when your baby is upset and you don't feel like anything you are doing is helping, particularly when you can't work out what is wrong! At least now you know that something HAS been upsetting him and you CAN do different things to help!

He hated the gripe water, but took the bottle ok this time. Had the usual fuss at the beginning, but took the whole lot. He had a bit of a spew, but no projectiles this time \:D/

=D> on getting the whole bottle Sarah! Whew...sorry I've been offline today! I wish I was on earlier to see how you were going.

IKWYM about feeling relieved finally knowing that there is a reason for them being difficult. Its great that the Dr is taking this seriously and getting started ASAP. BTW Matilda hated gripe water too, we bought something called Marena's mixture that we used in the bottles as well as mylanta at first. But I'm impressed with the GP so far! Also I'd have to agree with him on the waking thing... at our sleeping school they said that sleeping & feeding go off each other, so if one is wrong/not enough etc, then they don't do the other as well either, so if they don't eat enough, they often don't sleep enough, then they don't feel up to eating etc etc vicious cycle, so thats probably why he's saying not to wake Zander up until you get his feeding sorted etc....


oh just thinking of projectiles makes me shudder... I remember a 4 metre one once and I couldn't believe that a little baby could spew so far! :-s I was bawling my eyes out cleaning it up, can laugh now...but yuck!

Sarah, sorry to hear that Zander does have reflux. Although I do kwym about finally knowing what is wrong, it least there is a reason behind it all hey.

Bugger about him hating his bath too. Do you layhim down in it or is he partially sitting up? Just wondered if it was because of his reflux that he doesn't like it, or another reason. Tehya loves her bath, maybe it's becuase she had to get used to it super early :)



Take care
Trish

We have a little support chair thing in the bath so he is sitting upright pretty much.

Spoke to the Dr this morning & he recommended we try him on 6ml of gripe water before each feed (he was on 3ml). He doesn't seem to mind it so much now as well. We have to try that for today & tomorrow then report in again on Thursday morning.

Does the thickened formula fill them up more as well as sitting better in their stomach? Cos the last two feeds he has only taken 50ml rather than the usual 80-100ml. BUT he still slept for 2 & a bit hours afterwards.

Yep Sarah they usually drink less on the thickened, I remember on regular formula when Matilda had comp feeds she would drink 80-100mls and then on the thickened it would only be around 60mls so that sounds about right :)

She's on 4 bottles a day now at 200mls each and can't possibly fit any more in, and she's 9.5 mths and in the 90% for her age on weight & height...I know it differs between bubs, but sometimes its worth knowing O:)

Another bad night for us - Zander was crying basicaaly from 9.30pm til just after midnight. Made me cry too, cos I know there is nothing I can do to make him feel better :(

He seems to be getting worse rather than better. I'm not real sure that the gripe water is doing what it's supposed to.

awwww Sarah how awful!! Have you read the past posts on reflux? I think the ones Kelly originally posted on reflux & colic? We went through heaps of what we did then... *HUGS*

Yup have been trying to get through all of them.