Fed up with reflux!

I'm just posting this thread to have a good ol' winge! I am sooo over reflux. O.K I was over it from word go but now I'm really fed up. I can't help but feel it is the catalyst for a whole host of other problems.

First of all there’s the reflux in itself, watching your baby throw up all over himself is distressing and worrying. Then there’s the issue with weight gain and because I’m bf the ongoing concern of whether he’s getting enough and keeping enough down. Not to mention the guilt I feel as I have been told his low weight gain is due to my low supply rather than the amount he brings up.

Then, because of the reflux I don’t burp him cause each time he does he brings up a whole pool of milk that would otherwise stay down if I didn’t. But because of this he gets wind and often wakes up screaming mid sleep. He also wakes up early from naps cause he’s thrown up and it’s quite difficult to get him back down. So starts this ongoing cycle of being cranky before he feeds and tired straight after cause he woke early from the previous nap.

I also feel reflux or wind is sometimes the reason he wakes in the night. At first we thought he was purely waking for a feed but the times vary so greatly sometimes 2 ½ hours after a feed, other time 6 hours that he can’t be waking just out of hunger. So I’m blaming reflux on this too.

Then there’s the feeding, I recently put him on 4 hourly feeds as he is awake for longer and generally napping 1 ½ so this puts him onto 4 hours rather than 3. But he has been bringing up sooo much more as a result. I can’t put him back to 3 hourly as I feel I’m just a feeding machine. He is coming up to 5 months and other babies his age are on 4-5 feeds a day, he is on 6-7.

Lastly there’s the developmental aspect. Because of his reflux I am reluctant to put him on his tummy too often as he always brings up digested milk. Even in his bouncer or flat on his back he throws up. No positioning works. I feel this has inhibited his development somewhat.

I know I am being pessimistic and there are a lot of so called management procedures to help but I am so over it I just needed to vent. Anyone else out there wanna have a winge? It’s not fair when you see other babies who don’t suffer from it and can wear nice clothes for more than 1 hour and not saturate 8 bibs a day!!! And their mums don’t have the added stress that reflux causes. I know, I know he’ll grow out of it – but when? It’s the great unknown which is depressing. [-o<

I guess on a positive note he is not all that bothered by the chucking so I don’t have to deal with that. I guess it could always be worse. Thanks for reading this thread, hope I haven’t depressed some of you out here even more. :-({|=

Hey there,

Jacob was a 'happy chucker'. So not 'reflux' as it is defined by Doctors, which is painful for the baby.

But even that being the case, I found his 'happy chucking' to be downright depressing as well!!! He had so many nice clothes, but they were all covered in bibs. I couldn't put him down for tummy time without cloth nappies all over the place, or put him to bed without them underneath his head. There were several days where I had changed him around 8 times a day because the vomit would go behind the bib somehow, or there would simply be too much for the bib to catch and it would soak through or he'd vomit in between bib-changes....whatever, I'd end up changing him countless times. Plastic-backed bibs became my best friend but I resented the little horrors but also cursed the companies out there that thought that cloth-bibs were in some way sufficient for these kinds of situations!! I hated that I had to have a bib on him from the time he woke until bedtime!! And when he started on solids, well the vomit became multi-coloured and stank to high heaven! YUCK!!

Jacob stopped his vomiting at about 6m of age thankfully and I am SO eternally grateful for that!!!

Anyway, there's my long-overdue vent about it all LOL!

Hehehehe! And don't you hate it when other mums tell you their child has reflux as you watch a single drizzle of milk come out of their mouth - if only!!!

LOL my friends new bub vomits occasionally after feeds and just a small amount & her mum keeps telling her she has reflux, but she said she remembers Matilda's projectiles & couldn't even compare the two...especially the screaming that accompanied it. *hugs*

I get sick of being told that all babies vomit when I tell my Dr about jenna being sick all the time!
She is a happy chucker, so she doesn't worry, but i hear you on the chucking and chucking and chucking!
Some days thankfully are better than others. Already this morning I have cleaned up a small pile on the floor, its gone down my sleeve, and I've been spewed on in bed.

My only advice is to not let it stop you doing fun stuff liek tummy time and throwing around. Lets face it - the baby will chuck up anyway so you may as well have fun doing it!!

Its easier for me to say this because we aren't having weight issues, so please dont think I'm being flippant. I'm not sure I want to start solids though - Ewwww on the multicolour yawns!

Fi

I know exactly how you feel my son is 5 months old and i so cant wait till he grows out of it! Not only is it stressfull it is expensive, i have him on thickened formula that costs $20 then i have to buy food thickener because when i give him water he just throws it straight back up. i have to change his bed sheets every day because he throws up while he is asleep, he is so much sookier, and because his dr told me not to put him straight down after a bottle i had to hold him up right for half an hour he got used to falling asleep in my arms so now i have to put him to sleep because he does'nt know how to do it himself..

As much as i love my son and would'nt give him up for the world, i would give anything for him to hurry up and grow out of this Reflux.

The amount of tests he had when he was born and all they could tell me was he has reflux he may grow out but maybe not, i wish they could give us a set date, i am soooo over it. ](*,)

I so hear you!!

I first had a happy chucker once she went onto formula at 4 months, but then had my son and I lived that too!!! My biggest and greatest fear is this baby having reflux!!

My boy would chuck all that lovely breastmilk from one feed to the next. I lived my days covered in chuck. My carpets are stained beyond beleive from all those trips to put him in the cot and he would just chuck straight over my shoulder onto the floor. Poor DD got covered in spew countless times, he even managed to chuck on the cats!!LOL

I never gave ds tummy time. He rolled once at 4 months and never again!! He sat unaided at 6 months and that was bad enough, he would reach for a toy and spew on whatever was in the way. He developed normally for not getting tummy time. I was not about to jepardise his nutrition and all that liquid gold breastmilk to have him have tummy time.

I used to go to work with spew all down my back and not even know it. After a while they all understood it was probably my 11th t shirt of the day anyway!!

I am just happy he has made up for it now. He is such a good boy!!

hope yours turns out the same way!

Yes i Know what you mean it's got to the point now that if I'm just at home i don't even bother getting changed, if i got changed every time i chucked on i would be doing 50 loads of washing a day. i can't wait till he grows out of it, at the moment i can't see it hapening any time soon.

Every time someone goes to pick him up i say very quickly he will chuck on you!!

It's very frustrating, but i don't love him any less!!

talk soon

:hbeat:
Nici

Tommy's reflux is soooo much better now! Yes, he stills has the occasional chuck but it's more like a bit of regurgitation. It's not pretty when his solids come up as well but this is happening so infrequently we just laugh at the disgusting smell. Unfortunately it actually happens more when he is sitting up, we were told this might actually improve the situation but it's the opposite. ](*,) Anyway, just wanted to let you all know it's getting better and my washing machine is enjoying a hard earned rest. :D

Thats great news!! YAY For Tommy!!

OMG Aussiechik, I thought I was reading my son's story when i read your post, my little man is exactly the same, no weight gain etc etc etc

so it was suggested that I start him on formula, which I did, and a thickened one at that "to stop reflux" and it is absolutely NO BETTER!!

He vomited so much yesterday that he ended up throwing up a bit of blood because he had burnt his poor little oesophagus (this has happened a number of times) and the doctors keep telling me that he'll grow out of it BUT WHEN??? That's the million dollar question.

I am going to the paediatrician on Monday and I am going to tell him that I want something for it, I don't care what it is, I want it. I am sick to death of it, and Im sure my little man is also. It must be awful to vomit consistently each day!!

My house is covered in vomit, the lounge, the floors, his play mat, his rocker, the change table, and he is always sticky. Im surprised that ants haven't come and tried to carry him away!! LOL ](*,)

I've booked Max in to the chiro next week, the MCHN said that the specialist baby chiropracters can sometimes help settle reflux as well as colic - I think Max has both, so we'll see how it goes! I've heard that some people get instant results after one visit, if it is a problem they can fix.

Kerrie

So sorry to hear your little man has been bringing up blood belmarks! Tommy occasionally had pink staining on his clothes but the dr told me this was just a reaction between the milk and his stomach juices - not exactly convinced of this but I don't think it was blood.

I tried the food thickener and when he had formula I bought the thickened stuff - gosh it stinks - but he just threw it up thicker! I didn't even bother washing his car seat cover and straps or his pram bits as I knew they'd get dirty the very next time we used them. Only recenlty did I wash the cushion covers and sponge the lounge but I guess I was a little optimistic as there is sick on the lounge again. Tommy also constantly had a cloth nappy under his head when on the floor as I'd rather wash those than his playmats. Now that he's rolling I just have to let him go and hope he's not sick on the navy blue rug - lol! He also developed a nasty rash under his chin from the wet bibs he constantly had on - another trip to the dr's to get a prescription to clear it up.

I guess I just got used to it and expected it towards the end. And since it has improved you can kinda look back and go "oh it wasn't that bad..." but I know at the time it was soooo stressful. I do hope you can get your little man sorted as I know how worrying it is. All the best!!

OMG, our kids are exactly the same, its just ridiculous that in this day and age they can't give you something to stop your baby from throwing up so much.

Oh well, I hope it sorts itself out soon....

ARgh everything I tried you have tried. I'm so sorry I have no more advice for you & its so hard! Matilda grew out of reflux around 6 months, and I was going nuts, I couldn't have handled 2 more months!!

Its ridiculous isn't it! I have tried everything. Although, I did see "Gaviscon" at the chemist the other day and it was an infant formulation, it also said on the box that it stopped regurgitation!! But the only thing is that it said for infants over 12 months, younger by doctors orders. So perhaps the dr could prescribe this for you? Im certainly going to ask at Coby's next appointment. If it stops regurgitation, well HALLELUJA!!!

Neverplan - Lucie has been on Losec, it's prescription and costs a tonne but since she's been on that and I switched to Karicare AR formula we have just had a fabulous week (touch wood - oooooh I hope I haven't jinxed myself!) in terms of eating and NO SPEWS! She has been a lot happier feeding too - very little crying and protesting. Have you tried Losec? Maybe ask your GP/paed?

Just so you all know apparently goats milk is the best to try. Soy formula's can sometimes exaserbate tummy problems.

which brands make the goats milk formula? Im gonna give it a try...

karicare make a goats milk one... I'm not sure about any other brands :)

Goats milk is closer in make-up to human milk than cows milk is. I think it's to do with the casein (milk protein)? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
When I had to use a substitute milk for Samantha I used powdered goats milk from the healthcare shop, not the Karicare one - I don't remember the name though. You can also get hold of fresh goats milk in a lot of healthcare shops now, and dilute it with boiling water - 2/3 milk to 1/3 water will bring it to the correct consistency and temperature for babies, I found. One of my friends used this a lot too for her children when she had milk supply problems.

Kerrie

Hi,

I have a 19 day old baby that the paedaetrician thinks has reflux. She has been put on Karicare thickened formula and also been put on Zantac. At the moment I am ringing the paedaetrician every few days to tell him what is going on because if this does not work, he is considering sending her to have a barium meal done, or changing her formula to soya. Otherwise he will give her a script for medicated formula which is a lot dearer than the over the counter formula, so hoping everything settles down soon.

Bubs had a very irritable night last night and day today, with chucking all over me, to having wind problems she has hardly had any sleep today, so hoping for a good night tonight.

Michele
Mother of Christopher, Luke, Melissa, Jayden and Ashleigh(19 days old)

Michele, have a read of the thread I started called "Chiropractic help for reflux" in this forum and see if you think it might be of benefit - quite often babies have structural damage in the hip or neck from labour which can affect reflux and colic drastically, so it might be worth an assessment if you have a good infant chiro in your area.

Kerrie

Tommy went for the Barium meal, it was a very stressful and worrying time. All it did was prove that he had reflux! #-o I know they were looking for pyloric stenosis or however you spell it, but when I told my normal paedetrician he almost laughed and said it was a waste of time and money. Thing is it is the great unknown and no one can give you definate answers or solutions. Such a pain! ](*,)