Sicky baby.

[bonzo77]

Ds3 is a sicky baby. He's cheerful and thriving but brings up lots of milk at totally random times during and between feeds. In varying states of digestion. He ends up sleeping in it which means he has a sore face from the acid. He's formula fed (cow and gate first milk). 4.5 months and nowhere near ready to wean. The GP is happy to give ranitidine, but as he's happy and thriving, I feel this would be risking side effects mostly for my own convenience (less laundry). Also not keen on gaviscon as it made ds2 very constipated, and made the milk really hard to get through even size 3 years.

We keep him upright after feeds for as long as possible, feed smaller feeds more often (7x 5oz bottles rather than 5x7oz) and wind him often (can be a problem as he gets very cross if we take the bottle away before its empty, then howls til he's sick). He's a tummy sleeper and his cot is slightly raised at one end (a couple of novels under the legs).

Well that's the picture. What I want to know is would it be worth using anti- reflux formula or Carobel?

[Micah]

Give the ranitidine. Its not for your own convenience, it will reduce the production if stomach acid so when he does reflux he wont burn his oesophagus. It will prevent damage and complications, and stop him getting pain.

It wont stop him refluxing or vomiting.

[bonzo77]

Ok. That's interesting. I hadn't thought of it like that. Thank you. Ds2 had silent reflux and was very very miserable with the pain. He did have ranitidine. Do you think ds3 might be in pain, despite being so cheerful? He feeds really peacefully and only cries when tired.

[Micah]

If its burning his face and making it sore, id think it's damaging his oesophagus too. Even if he doesnt appear to be in too much pain.

[Nocta176]

I'm interested in your question too - my DD is sick alot too, but appears perfectly happy, so I'm reluctant to give any kind of medication and am hoping it will get better as her digestive system matures (currently 12 weeks)

[LariyahSpen]

Poor you!! My baby girl was such a sicky baby from the get go. Threw up breast milk and her formula nothing I tried worked for about 4 months but eventually I tried cow & gate anti reflux & it worked. I put her on Aptamil first but no change with her sickness at all. I think Cow & Gate just agreed with her. I didn't go down the prescription route & found doctors quite disinterested in her sickness.

It's a pain and it really got me down but as long as your little one seems happy & healthy I guess that's all you could want.

Good luck

[bonzo77]

I'm going to see the GP. He was low birth weight so had a paeds follow up and the consultant advised (and wrote to the GP) that ds3 should have ranitidine if I request it. I really don't think he's in pain, he's well and happy. It's just his poor little face and maybe his oesophagus too. I'm covering his face in conotrane to protect it but it's so red and patchy. I don't want it to scar.

[youlemming]

DD2 was ebf and very sicky, we tried gaviscon (mixed with a bit of milk then spooned in as wouldn't take a bottle) but like your Ds made her constipated even using only on 2 feeds a day.

She was also happy and maintaining weight, though on the 25th percentile after initial drop from the 50th.
Due to going back to work next week and her still refusing a bottle we started weaning over Xmas just before 5m old and she's improved hugely.
I still feed morning and evening so she gets some milk and she's still sicky after but the sicky bits that used to occur at any point up to the next feed have reduced.

I weaned on the guidance from the HV so if you do change your mind and start before 6m talk it through with someone first.

[bonzo77]

Update. He's now had 24 hours of ranitidine. In fairness he's quite a happy little fella, and this is only a one off so far, but he's had quite a settled day. And his face is less red despite being in the sling in the wind for a couple of hours.

His weight is fine, if anything he's gained more than I'd expected (born at 2nd pc, was 25th at 11 weeks and now 50th at 19 weeks, exactly the same pattern as my first, and similar to my second who was prem), is mostly happy and sleeps well, so I'm in no hurry to wean.

[Micah]

That sounds encouraging :). If it helps when I got our ranitidine prescription I researched side effects thoroughly, and really did weigh up the risks and benefits (I'm a drug scientist!) I did conclude that it's a safe drug and the benefits far outweigh the risks of not giving it.

With mine they really suffered at night with lying down, but were fine in the day as could be positioned upright, so I gave the full dose in one go 20 mins before bed, which was far more effective than splitting it into am and pm doses.

Feeding can go two ways- they can associate it with pain as the milk refluxes and refuse feeds, or they want to constantly feed and milk dilutes the acid and soothes the irritated tissue.