Reflux is starting to get me down!

[kettles0]

My 4 month old DD has had reflux since birth and it doesn't seem to be getting any better! She spends most of her awake time screaming or fretting and it is a nightmare. She doesn't lie flat so no playmat or mobile for her and I spend most of the time holding her upright. We are under a consultant at the hospital and I am giving her the max dose of domperidone and ranitidine...we also have med to help her poo and the option of giving gaviscone if there is a dull moment! I know that all the symptoms she has are typical for reflux and I am going to start weaning her next week (18 weeks). She won't take a bottle so am having to fully BF too - AAAAHHHHH. Any pointers on how to get through this, weaning, getting her to take a bottle would be much appreciated!

[tkband3]

Don't have any personal experience of this, but friends whose babies have suffered have sworn by cranial osteopathy. Have you tried this? Might be worth a go - if you're near London/Manchester, there's the Osteopathic Centre for Children which is a charity and you just donate what you can afford here . Otherwise search here to find one in your area.

These friends also found that things improved once they started weaning but I don't think that this is always the case.

Good luck - hope things improve very soon.

[podglet]

Hi,

I have an 11 week old ds with silent reflux which doesn't sound so severe as your DD's.

My best friend has 4 kids, all of whom have had severe reflux (including 11 month old twins!). Her youngest DS didn't take a bottle at first and unfortunately it was just a case of patience and he eventually got the hang of it. They are on the same meds as your DD which has helped loads.

Re playmat / gym - I have a V-shaped dinosaur cushion which I prop DS up on the mat and he is very happy on there for about 30 mins.

cranial osteopathy may or may not work, depending on the type of delivery you had. If you had a c-section then it won't work as the plates in your DD's head won't be squashed like they would be in the birth canal.

A site you may find useful

reflux forum

There are others on here who have reflux-y babies and I am sure they will come along soon with other help

[cece]

My DD had silent refulx - no crying but lots of wet clothes, furniture, carpet etc. I remember so well the dread as she produced a nother lot! Many times I cried as I cleaned up /washed yet more clothes/sheets ect.

However it will end. For me it was when she started to walk at 13 months.

Just wanted to empathise

[taylormama]

aw hun - my DS had silent reflux and was on domperidone and ranitadine (Pretty mega doses and then next step would have been losec). Has your LO been seen by a specialist? If not, i would see if you can get her on Losec as this can he brilliant. My DS would go through periods of not wanting to drink much at all - now at 7.5 months he weighs 21 lbs and he loves food more than milk .... weaning may well help (or not) but just take it slow ... try very bland food like pear, carrot and only offer one new food per day so you know what aggravates her - have you been advised to wean early (not judging just asking btw).
Also, my DS got noticeably better when he was about 5 months old and started to be more upright ... at 7.5 months we are over the worst of it so hang on in there ... i know how frustrating it can feel
xxxx

[elibumbum]

Sounds like her reflux isn't under control at all. Domperidone and ranitidine take at least 2 weeks to work. We got my DS's reflux under control with Losec. It took nearly a month to see a complete change in him (he had had silent reflux for nearly 6 months by then and had developed a food (milk) aversion and was also being treated for failure to thrive) - I think the Losec had to heal the acid damage as well as prevent the reflux and for him to realise that feeding didn't equal pain.

Is your consultant a paediatric gastroenterologist? We saw a general paediatric consultant first and feel we wasted a couple of months of DS still suffering. The gastroenterologist was wonderful and I just wish we had seen him much earlier.

Do you have a bouncy chair - DS spent lots of time in his - the angle is pretty good and you get some with an arch over the top with toys hanging from it. We propped one end of the moses basket stand too.

It does get better - DS is 10 months now and has been off the Losec for over a month without his reflux symptoms returning!

[marthahm]

my dd has silent reflux and it seems to be getting worse. elibumbum how did you manage to see the paed gastroenterologist? we've got an apt at the hospital next friday and now worried it's going to be a waste of time like yours was at first.
btw podglet-i am a paediatric osteopath and work at the osteopathic centre for children. osteopathy can benefit babies who were born by c section too. there are many reasons why a baby would benefit, only one of which is if there head was squashed during birth.-eg with c section sometimes the first breath the baby takes is not a great big one like with vaginal birth and so the lungs don't expand well. i could bore you to tears but i'll resist the temptation
in my experience osteopathy doesn't help that much for reflux. can improve a bit sometimes depending on circs.
big sympathy kettles0. it's rubbish having a baby with reflux. have you tried sitting her in those plastic chairs-bumbo or something.
sorry for long post

[nulnulcat]

loads of sympathy for you my dd had really bad reflux and was hospitalised a few times to be tube fed as she could not keep milk down.

i weaned her early 15 weeks on advice from my consultant and there was a huge improvement it was only pureed pear or apple and rice but she was so much happier

like you she would not let me put her down if she was having a really bad day i just carried her around in a baby sling and like someone else suggested on here she loved her bouncy chair and would sit in it for eyes

things do get better eventually my daughter now loves her food and is a happy 3 year old she still digestive problems but is able to tell me what the matter is now