Any advice appreciated please! 9 month old and reflux...

[Welsummer]

Hi there,

My son was diagnosed with reflux at 10 weeks and has been on Infant Gaviscon since then. Our GP has advised reducing this but when I tried our poor boy has been screaming in pain for hours throughout the evening and night...he is back on the full dose again now in his 7am, 2.30pm and 6.30pm bottles.

I'd appreciate advice on what to feed him as my daughter at this age was eating chopped food and a wide variety of things...perhaps my brain is too exhausted to think clearly! ...he is sick on anything mashed so still has smooth purees though strangely happily eats finger foods though he doesn't have a whole meal of finger foods.

I look forward to some positive support as I am feeling quite isolated and a bit low sometimes as how to best help him.

Thank you.

[gordonpym]

For some reason I can't recall, pureed food made it worse for my DS2. Tiny pieces, or huge pieces were easier for his reflux.
Instead of smashed broccoli, I just gave the whole vegetable in his hand and he was very happy to eat it by himself (my sister was shocked by the mess, my son and the whole kitchen were green). The same goes with aspargus, melon and water melon, normal pasta. Forget baby food, and go for simple food. Yoghurt, minestrone, home made vegetable balls, and the texture has to be normal. I think it may be linked to chewing (with gums) and mouth acids making it simpler for his tummy. He was crazy about peas and corn.
Good luck, it will soon get better

[Elibean]

Hi, so sorry to hear you're going through reflux hell....its a real PITA to put it mildly.

My dd2 had reflux from early on, and was on Domperidone and Ranitidine (Gaviscon just constipated her and didn't help much) until she was 18 months old and walking well. At 9 months, she also gagged a lot on pureed or mashed foods...especially mashed...and did best with finger foods, so we fed her nothing but finger foods basically from 6 months onwards. Pasta with meat sauce, cheese, non-choky vegetable sticks (well cooked), slices of ripe pear etc. She thrived on them, having gone down to 2nd percentile after a few weeks of attemped mash/puree.

In her case, it made sense because her reflux was associated with a floppy larynx - which meant swallowing mushy foods was tricky, they would 'stick' and make her gag. But I've seen others say the same thing about their LOs with reflux - solids are sometimes harder work than liquids, oddly.

Have you posted on the childrens' health section too? You should find lots of people there who can relate - I do understand the isolation and frustration that comes with ongoing reflux, the more support you get the better

One last thing - have you talked to your GP about re-evaluating the meds your ds is on? Maybe, if his reflux is still bad, he could do with Ranitidine instead of the Gaviscon? Just think it might be worth reviewing.

[FanjolinaJolie]

Echo the above, go for more finger foods, forget purees and mashes. I remember at 9 months we had a 'finger buffet' tea which was chopped fruits/steamed veges/toast/pitta bread with hummous etc. It helped that I had a 2.5yo old so vowed from then on to feed them the same meal. It did work well.

I found things improved an awful lot from 9/10 months onwards anyway less screaming and not much food coming up. I think we stopped gaviscon at around 11 months when I forgot to refill the prescription and she was mostly OK without out it.

It was very isolating/depressing up until that point, and another reason why I wouldn't go on to have a third dc.

[lobsters]

I'm afraid I've nothing useful to add, but it's really interesting to read. I've a 4.5mo old with reflux who I'm going to weaning in a few weeks. I'm definitely going to go down the finger food route as much as possible.

As DD is formula fed, we switched to Enfamil AR on prescription, alongside Ranitadine and Domperidone, and I think the Enfamil was life changing for us.

[Welsummer]

Thank you for all the advice. This has been the first time I have used the message board so really appreciate hearing what has worked for other people.

I have an appointment with the GP soon so will definately discuss a possible change of medication, thanks Elibean.

Interesting about the comments with finger food as I have been panicking that he will lose weight as he won't be consuming enough food.He is about 21lb now so average for his age but this maybe because my daughter (2.7) has a huge appetite and was always on the 99th percentile at the same age! Do people find you are serving up the same things most days? He certainly seems to launch things (mainly vegetables) he doesn't like the look of and seems to love breadsticks/toast/pitta bread/Shreddies/mini Weetabix/fruit.

[Elibean]

Good luck at GPs!

Yes, I worried about dd losing weight too (she was anyway, though). She put on weight beautifully, when I just let her eat what she wanted and stopped worrying...not as heavy as her sister, but fine all the same.

And welcome to MN

[Welsummer]

Thank you Elibean, so nice to have reassuring feedback. Makes me realise how focused I can become on his eating habits!

I look forward to my lad eating lunch at the same time as my daughter and I...seems I am preparing meals or clearing up from 11.30-1.30pm! How can children with the same parents be soooo different?