Reflux Support Thread

[penelopejones]

Is anyone else dealing with acid reflux? Not looking for solutions necessarily (although I'd love to hear what is helping your LO), but just for support.

Here's my story: Frankie (9 weeks) was born at 37 weeks and was almost a dream baby for the first 3 weeks or so--he basically ate and slept peacefully--except he couldn't be put down for naps without crying 1, or 5, or maybe 20 minutes into it. Starting the first night, he would begin grunting at around midnight and not stop all morning. I couldn't figure out if he was awake, hungry, or uncomfortable, so I ended up bringing him into bed and sleeping with him on my chest. I've basically done that since he's been born, with the exception of a few periods where I've managed to have him sleep on his tummy in his bassinet recently. His grunting begins anywhere from midnight to 4 a.m., depending on when he wakes to nurse.

During the day, I've worn him in a carrier almost constantly and he naps there. His refluxing (spitting up, screaming ,hiccuping, arching, writhing, etc.) got progressively worse after 3 weeks. I've tried the following:

- chiropractic (some imbalance and slight torticollis which has improved, but hasn't affected the reflux)
- tongue and lip tie revision (which improved his latch but hasn't affected the reflux)
- block feeding to reduce oversupply (which has improved my supply but he still spits up a lot, refluxes, etc.)
- probiotics (no discernable effect)
- Natphos homeopathic medicine (no discernable effect)
- Zantac (no effect)
- Colief (too difficult to administer while bf'ing as you have to put it in expressed milk before a feed, and I can't pump while wearing a baby!)
- gas drops (little to no effect)
- Gripe water (no effect)
- Eliminating dairy (i'm already gluten free) - this may make a difference, but feel like there may be other triggers (soy? corn? eggs?)
- elevating him after feedings (doesn't seem to matter)
- Nexium - he's been on it for 6 days and it seems to help, but he starts screaming each morning as it wears off

I've tried putting him to sleep in:

- bouncer (hates it)
- swing (hates it)
- Rock 'n Play (will sleep for 10-20 minutes max)
- elevated bassinet on back (hates it, writhes around and won't settle)
- side sleeping (writhes around, wakes himself up)
- stomach sleeping (sometimes works, if he isn't too uncomfortable or in too much pain).

My older daughter (almost 3) is home with me 1-3 days a week when she is not in daycare and when my husband is working. Those days are the toughest, as I usually have Frankie in the carrier while I'm trying to pay attention to her, help her do some activities, etc. while Frankie is either screaming or I'm trying to keep him asleep. He will play for maybe 5-10 minutes between feeds and naps, but has a pretty short window for when he will be content and awake.

I've been avoiding leaving the house much because I don't want to mess up the few times Frankie is content and napping, and don't want to be out with a screaming baby.

My daughter also had reflux so I've been through this before, but she would at least sleep in the swing so that gave me a break (and I wasn't watching a toddler).

Is anyone else dealing with this? How are you coping?

 

[Bunanie]

I could write the same post... My little man ihas been napping in the ergo during the day and sleeps on my chest at night. He hates the pram, the car seat, the swing and the bouncer.

I'm breastfeeding and because of the reflux, I'm constantly worried that he's not getting enough. And when I can't soothe him I feed him... It's a never ending cycle of feeding, then throws up, hungry again, feeds and again throws up. He doesn't take the dummy either and I feel like he's uncomfortable all the time.

My dd didn't have reflux so it's all new to me. His paediatrician and gp didn't prescribe anything because he was gaining well but man, it's so hard!

Yesterday, he chucked up in the car, the smell probably got to dd and made her vomit all over the car seat. It's winter here too so it's harder to dry all the washing...

I know it's wrong but I put him on his stomach to nap sometimes, it's the only way I get a break to go toilet and have lunch etc, but only works half the time.

My dd doesn't go to any daycare or preschool, but I'm lucky my mum or mil comes over to help me when DH is working, otherwise I can't get anything done.

Tbh I haven't tried half the things you tried lol... I'm going to get some baby probiotics in the weekend and see if it makes any difference..

Hope it gets better soon... Thank you for creating the thread

 

[penelopejones]

Yes, that sounds exactly like my experience! Frankie has been gaining well too--in fact, he is rather chubby for his height, so the pediatrician was reluctant to prescribe anything at first. I do think the Nexium is making a difference though. I can tell when it wears off in the hours before his next dose. Last night, for the first time, he slept all night without grunting! He still woke up to eat, and I still had him on my chest for the last two periods between feeds, but he wasn't grunting and straining.

I'm glad to hear from someone else going through this. Hope you find something that works for your little guy! He's super cute!

 

[MemmaJ]

I really feel for you - my little boy had terrible reflux from the age of 2-3 weeks. Started as silent reflux and then progressed on to full blown projectile vomitting as well as the 'silent' symptoms.
Thankfully we are now out the other side, although he's recently had a bug and has been vomitting again after a couple of months of being fine, and of course I'm stressing that the vomitting is back to stay!
Reflux is very tiring and stressful and I really sympathise.

 

[penelopejones]

MemmaJ - what worked for you? Did you go on medication, or did he just have to grow out of it?

 

[Dory85]

Do your babies cry all the time with their reflux? My gp diagnosed reflux but pretty much refused to help because he doesn't feel like she's in enough pain.

She is always in pain directly after a feed but I do think that's mostly wind and then she'll be upright in our arms, flat out asleep and suddenly start screeching and writhing until she spews or swallows it back down. There is no time limit on it - it often happens hours after a feed. Sometimes it's not milk at all, just clear.

Lying her flat is also not an option because it wakes her up. I can see and hear her bringing it up into her mouth before swallowing it again (or it coming our of her nose).

She's just a little preemie and still spends most of her time asleep. I figures she just isn't a big crier (yet).

She did drop a centile but I think that was because she was prem. I need someone to take me seriously.

Would the next step after positional changes be medication or elimination diet (exclusively breast feeding)? I can try the diet without gp input but it's a lot of effort if it's not the normal next step.

 

[MemmaJ]

We tried almost everything..! It may be a bit different as we are in the UK and he is also formula fed, so the first thing was to change to a hypoallergenic formula (Nutramigen), which made him even more sick so was changed to a different one (Neocate).
He also prescribed thickeners in his milk to help keep it down (Gaviscon and then Carobel). The Gaviscon made him constipated so he also had Lactulose prescribed to help him 'go' while he was on that, and he also had medication prescribed for the actual acid (Ranitidine and then Omeprazole).

It was a lot of trying things for a while, and having to go back when they didn't work!

We tried everything we could at home also, including every variety/brand of bottle, different positions (he ended up being a tummy sleeper!), etc.

I was on a Reflux support page on Facebook and I kept reading these wonder stories about HiPP Organic formula so I tried it and he was so much better on it. By then he was still having Gavison to thicken every bottle and Omeprazole for the acid, and the combination of those seemed to work OK for him.

We stuck with it and eventually he just slowly got better. I tried not giving him his Omeprazole one day and he was fine. So the following week I tried him without Gaviscon and he was also fine. By then he was about 5 months old and was just starting solids too (with the all-clear from his dietician), so he may have just been growing out of it by then too.

It's so hard but you just have to keep taking your baby back if something isn't working. If, like mine, your baby is always asleep and content when you take them to the doctor(!), and they look at you like you're crazy when you say they're always crying in pain and don't sleep - take videos of your baby to prove their symptoms, photos, anything. It's too easy for them to fob you off with it being 'normal colic', or tell you that 'all babies cry' and make you feel like you're exaggerating or over-worrying!

 

[Dory85]

Yes, she sleeps SO much better in her tummy. So much that she has all her naps on her tummy at the moment.

 

[penelopejones]

How is the doctor supposed to know if she is in pain or not? To me it sounds like classic reflux, the not being able to lie flat or only on the tummy, and then the screaming and spit up or wet hiccups.

For us, I had to go back to the doctor after initially she gave us the whole "Every baby spits up" routine. We got him on medication and that is helping. Cutting dairy didn't seem to make a big difference for us, but I know other people find it has worked, so it's worth a shot. Apparently it takes a few weeks for it to get out of your system, though, so you might not see a difference right away.

 

[Bunanie]

Yes both gp and paedi gave us that "every baby spits up" and said if he isn't crying much, don't bother... Well they are not the one holding him up every night every nap! It's so frustrating. Sometimes when I think he's in deep sleep and put him down, 9/10 times he will wake himself because he's spitting up and swallows it back down.

I heard baby probiotic may help?

So good to see we are not alone! X

 

[Dory85]

I took Georgia back to the GP today. For a change, rather than making a liar out of me (as babies always do) she demonstrated her silent reflux to perfection.

So now we have gaviscon to trial and are to go back if it doesn't improve. She didn't mention how long we should try it for though... I can see myself getting fed up of it quickly tbh. She can have 6 sachets in 24 hrs but we have to make them up with water etc because I'm breastfeeding.

 

[penelopejones]

I've heard probiotics can help, too, but I tried them and didn't see a difference, although I'm not sure how long it is supposed to take.

It sounds like Gaviscon is the go-to in the UK. Here, it is usually Ranitidine (Zantac) first, and then they might move on to something else like Prilosec or Nexium.

I thought Frankie was getting better but he has had a rough time the last few days. I think he is dealing with some kind of allergy or intolerance but I'm not sure to what. He has had greenish runny poop for two days. I have been dairy free but did eat some cookies my mom made that had butter in them, so maybe that is it? Or it could be something else. Who knows? In addition to the reflux he has eczema all over his body, poor thing.

 

[gingajewel]

Hi all, my little girl is 4 weeks old and we think she has silent reflux. The doctor prescribed us Gaviscon and also advised we move to a comfort formula (we have moved to aptimil comfort)
We have been trying the both of them since Thursday and although we haven't seen a massive improvement yet, I have seen some improvement. She doesn't seem to tense up her body anymore and although she is screaming every evening we think that is probably colic and not to do with her reflux. Its sooo hard, so hugs to you all.

 

[penelopejones]

I hope the Gaviscon works for you, Ginga! Do you buy it over the counter?