Reflux?! Colic?! 10 week old

[Tagz269]

I wonder if someone could help me. My HV has just diagnosed my dd with reflux because she:

• cries when feeding
  
• goes red in the face
  
• pushes her legs and arches her back
  
• brings back her feed
  

However, she is healthy and is putting on weight but with reflux they don't put on weight. I'm not sure if she also has colic because its SO hard to get her to calm down as she is screaming. It only happens when she is feeding and after.
She sometimes settles a little when we have also burped her which makes me think its something else.
I went to the docs to get gaviscon but EVERYWHERE is out of stock (manufacturing problem) and they don't know when they will get it back. I have just today changed her milk to comfort but still transitioning so haven't seen the full effects.
Has anyone been through the same if so, what has helped and do you know what it is?!

It's really getting myself and my partner down as she is always crying especially in the evening time.

Thanks

[Loislane78]

Sounds tough :(

I don't know much about reflux but thought some babies gain weight well, lots even, as they feed for comfort ending in a vicious cycle of pain/vomiting/crying.

Colic and evening fussiness really starts to calm down by 12 weeks so you should see an improvement v soon on that front. I don't think colic only happens around feeds which may be why the HV is thinking reflux.

Others will be along soon. Best of luck :)

[wellieboots]

Some reflux babies put on lots of weight because they feed for comfort. Have you seen a doctor or just the HV? If it is reflux you can get lots of tips on what to do to help. Has the HV spoken to you about upright feeding, raising the angle of the cot?

[BecAndAlex]

I could have written this post myself. Sorry if it looks like I have hijacked your thread, but thought Id share my experience so you don't think you are going mad...My DD is 11 weeks old, and she has never looked comfortable when feeding. She doesn't bring back her feeds but foams at the mouth a lot and drools thick slimy saliva with milk in it constantly. She sometimes gags on it.

For weeks I have been thinking silent reflux, but she is putting on weight seems happy between feeds, and will lie flat, and sleeps well at night.....not typical of a reflux baby apparently.

I spoke to my HV who also advised comfort milk as she thought symptoms maybe colic.....Comfort mik did settle her slightly but not completly. I also tried infacol and dentinox. If you suspect reflux though i'd avoid infacol as it is orange flavour (acidic)....Denitiox is minty so may be better. I preferred dentinox as you could add it to the milk. I didn't find it made much difference to the discomfort though. She winded easier, but symptoms as you described continued......we found that getting DD to sleep on my shoulder then lying her on her tummy to sleep (only during day) seemed more comfortable for her and she slept better. Also started a bedtime routine at around 7 weeks. We would bath her and then have a gentle tummy rub, dress for bed, put in sleeping bag. We would feed her upstairs in a quiet room and then put her in her cot to sleep....we did this at around 9pm. We found that she cried less in the evenings when we did this so linked the crying to being overtired / overstimulated. We also found the bedtime feed much easier too as the bath relaxed DD and so she was more sleepy when feeding and fussed less......However, fussing during the day continued....

After 10 weeks and finally accepting it wasn't colic, and that maybe I just had a more difficult child, 2 of my friends saw DD feeding and said, it looks like reflux (they both had reflux babies, 1 regular and 1 silent) take her back to the docs and ask for gaviscon. I went to docs who said doesn't think reflux, but lacotse intolerance (temporary after strong antibiotics at 3weeks old). They prescribed colief which immediately had an effect....her tummy was softer and her poos much healthier looking. However, after a couple of days same discomfort during feeding started. Just taken her back to docs but asked to see the docs that was more familiar with children (we have specialist GP's in our surgery)....I descirbed everything to her and said I think I may just be imagining it all as DD seems in every other way healthy.....She made me feel like I wasn't nuerotic or OTT and said if in any doubt to alway discuss with doc....thats what they are there for.....She said it my be a mild case of Silent reflux and prescibed me gaviscon to try. I managed to get 2 boxes from my local chemist no problems. Doc wasn't aware of any issue.
You will find coping mechanisms that make the symptoms manageable, but if you think something else is at play, then keep going back even if its for your own sanity.....mums are usually right as they see there babies all the time. Feeding should be a happy time. I had no issues with DS who is now 5 so this is all new to me too.

Good luck and hope you get the gaviscon and it works xx

[katiecubs]

I have, DS was exactly the same as you describe - Gaviscon mixed with comfort milk made a real differance. He stopped fussing so much and took quite a bit more milk at each feed.

The only negative was the constipation - made the poos solid, this really upset him for a couple of days but once he got used to it he was fine.

Hope you get some soon and that it makes a differance for you - I remember dreading feeds as they were do stressful!