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Infant feeding

Support thread for all parents with reflux babies...

997 replies

PosieParker · 18/08/2010 16:00

Just thought a pooling of ideas would be useful. Any ideas about meds, symptoms, coping strategies, things to make a baby quiet!!


Symptoms:

Arched back and crying/screaming after feeding
Fussy on/off breast or bottle
Frequent feeding
Little sleep
Constant crying/screaming

(please add)

Meds:

My memory is a little rose on this and I can't remember

Coping

SWING,
pushchair walks
accepting help
Sometimes putting your baby somewhere you can't hear them whilst you have a large gin cup of tea.

OP posts:
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CurlyCasperBaggedABairn · 18/08/2010 16:14

Loving that last line posie Grin

I can add projectile vomiting, acid vom, and acid breath to the symptoms; and Infant Gaviscon to the meds. It has worked a treat for my now eight-week-old, when combined with good winding and keeping her upright for a while after each feed.

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nickytwotimes · 18/08/2010 17:35

Oh, I am struggling so much with this atm

Ds 2 on Ranitadine, Domperidone and going on to Omeprazole.

Another symptom is foaming at the mouth and sticking tongue out constantly.

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PosieParker · 18/08/2010 18:09

I would also use the baby carrier to get on with stuff when baby was completely not-put-downable!

Any suggestions about coping with siblings?

I used to try to use any quiet moment to focus on other dcs, still feel dd (26 months older) suffered badly from no attention.

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sarah293 · 18/08/2010 18:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

PosieParker · 18/08/2010 18:23

I found writing down the times he was screaming helped too, as I was convinced it was all of the time. I didn't start until he was past the worst but every time he cried it completely did my head in, it wasn't as often as I thought.

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ib · 18/08/2010 18:32

Symptoms:

Sicking up curdled milk
Constant hiccups

Coping:

Walks with baby in sling
Lots of muslins to wipe up sick
Lying baby on tummy across your legs
Accepting that all daytime sleep will be on mother, most on breast (and providing suitable light entertainment)
Giving a bit of baby rice before a bf to help thicken it up
When it all gets too much handing them over to someone else for a bit
Forgiving yourself for being unable to make it better

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Igglybuff · 18/08/2010 19:04

Hello! My DS is getting better but some symptoms still.

Symptoms
Acid out of nose
Arching during feeds
Nursing strike
Does not settle on back
Prefers sleeping on front on me
Massive weight gain (as nursed for comfort)
Wet burps
Choking when on back (goes bright red, can't breath)

Meds

Ranitidine
Tried gavisconbut no good
Domperidone and omeprazole gave DS bad tummy

Coping
White noise
Swaddling
Dummy
Sling
Wind wind wind by rubbing
Routine (DS got overtired so I had to enforce naps etc)

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CurlyCasperBaggedABairn · 18/08/2010 19:44

hmmm, I thought mine's reflux was under control but we do have a few of the above symptoms that I did not know about. Might have to ask GP more at 8 week check on Tuesday. Thanks

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melonian · 18/08/2010 20:01

Wow I wish you'd posted this 9 months ago as I had no idea why dd did all of those things at the time.

Strategies that worked for us were holding her swaddled and bouncing up and down while sitting on the gym ball thing I had for labour. Worked like a charm to get her drowsy enough to feed, the only problem was then to get her into her cot when asleep. After 5 months of that I have thighs of steel.

Also, although controversial I would consider/talk to paeds about early weaning. I waited until nearly 6 months with dd and she was so much better on solids, I wish I had weaned her at 17 weeks to save her some of that pain.

Big time hugs and sympathy to anyone going through it at the moment.

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strawberrycake · 18/08/2010 20:14

Has anyone else experienced vinegar poo? As in poo that REEKS of vinegar? Is it linked or just a weird quirk of my DS. It made a change from rotten eggs...

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nickytwotimes · 18/08/2010 22:32

strawberry, ds's are a bit vinegary, yes.

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Jacanne · 18/08/2010 23:02

DD3 is on omeprazole and domperidone - sickness is still the same but I think acid is better - though we still get the odd bad day.

nickytwotimes - DD3 is constantly foaming at the mouth and her tongue is always out - I was worried about the latter and have been googling to see if there was some kind of developmental reason so you have put my mind at rest - didn't realise it was a reflux symptom.

On the symptoms list there is also Sandifers Syndrome - where baby contorts body into kind of an S shape, looking like she is having a fit - thankfully only happens when it is really bad.

DD has very very eggy smelling wind but I assumed that was the meds?

Cranial Osteopathy worked for a while, can't afford to do it more regularly but DD definitely bought up wind much more easily after I had seen one.

If you are BF I have found that block feeding helps - ie sticking to one side for a few feeds before switching - flow of milk is slower, less watery - helps when DD is constantly sucking of an evening.

God, reading this thread has helped me already - so much is very similar. I have two other daughters and they find it very hard to cope with the screaming that occurs everytime I put dd down to be a Mummy to them. Early evenings are the worst time for us - usually from around 6-9ish - dd sleeps so little during the day (unless held) that she is exhausted by nighttime and thankfully does a 4-6 hour stretch without waking.

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PosieParker · 19/08/2010 07:48

I am so delighted that it's helping.

I also had issues with dd1's tongue, it use to come out sideways and I never considered that that was a symptom of anything.

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ib · 19/08/2010 10:57

Yes, solids really helped ds1.

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Jacanne · 20/08/2010 09:09

I am finding it really difficult to get the Omeprazole into dd - she's too young for fruit purees (which is what it suggests mixing it with on the packet. Has anyone tried mixing it with a little fruit juice or would that be a bad idea?

Also does anyone have any idea of doses re weight of child - it worked brilliantly for the first 3 weeks but we seem to be back where we started now?

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nickytwotimes · 20/08/2010 11:41

Jacanne, I don't know, but the NZ website, cryingoverspiltmilk has dosage schedules and I think tips on administering omeprazole. I seem to remember mention of fruit juice too, but have a look there. It is a good website.

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Jacanne · 20/08/2010 11:44

Thanks Nicky :) Will check it out.

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PosieParker · 20/08/2010 18:08

Another mention for the swing, seriously if you don't have one get one!!

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bubblebabeuk · 22/08/2010 05:33

Enfamil ar on prescription, its a special milk that thickens on contact with the acid in babes tummy, theoretically minimising vomiting progectile or otherwise.

however after a week on it, DS is still chucking up, and now its a nightmare trying to get his wind up Sad he's also on domperidone and renatidine.

Also with thickened milk I found when he is sick he's far more liable to choke on it now, and has had to have his airways manually cleared on a few occasions.

another symptom could be constant hiccups our consultant said its very common with severe reflux babies, something to do with irritation, obviously thats NOT to say all babies with hiccups have reflux.

coping ideas - learn to catnap, I am now able to cope with having maybe an hour at a time if I am lucky so an hour here and there recharges me.

also i second the sling idea, although my DS is a prem so found the bruin (?sp) one a bad fit switched to a moby and havent looked back, also means I get a bit of closed eye time with him in sling while I doze sat up on sofa Wink

anyone got tips for getting wind up once on thickened forumla?

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helenwombat · 22/08/2010 08:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

peasizedbladder · 23/08/2010 08:44

Coping:

Lower your standards (clothes that are 'clean enough'; getting ready to go out = cleaning teeth and throwing on whatever clothes are to hand; cleaning bathroom = shoving bleach down the loo)

For bottle fed babies - checking/changing bottles (our DS sucked air in either side of the dr brown teats, he gets a much better seal around nuk teats), the extra air just added to his pain

G&T acceptable after 5pm

Try to see friends each day so at least i don't feel alone (even if i cant actually finish any conversation)

Buggyfit - baby in buggy being pushed (so happier than me siting on my butt at home) and i get some exercise and endorphins flowing. i was begining to feel down before starting buggyfit, much better now. it allows me some 'me time' even when no childcare is available

remembering they will grow out of it (eventually) Smile

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ib · 23/08/2010 08:48

Oh, yes, the babybjorn. I hated it, would rather use any other sling. But it keeps them in just the right position (facing outwards) and will sometimes settle them where nothing else will.

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Hazeyjane · 24/08/2010 06:20

thankyou for starting this thread.

ds is 7 weeks old and has reflux, his symptoms seem to be :

lots of pain/discomfort after feed

milk coming out of nose (he doesn't vomit, but seems to leak)

very small feeds, frequently

lots of wind/farting

noisy all the time - grunting, squealing, and whooping

arches back, scrunching face up in pain.

has to be kept upright for ages after a feed

he also has his tongue out a lot of the time - strange!


he is on gaviscon, which is doing nothing, but we are going back to the hospital to see the paediatrician - hopefully soon!

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nickytwotimes · 24/08/2010 13:45

Glad I'm not the only one with an lo whose tongue is often out and who has a look of 'yeuch' on his face.
Ds has little and often feeds too - it's meant to be better for reflux so guess he knows what he is doing.

We ar going to hospital tomorrow for a few days - ph test. Dreading it.

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Hazeyjane · 25/08/2010 05:42

good luck at the hospital today, nicky.

i'm starting to get to the wildeyed stare stage of sleep deprivation.

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