Reflux, how do we sleep?!

[Sparrowlegs248]

Ds 3.5 weeks has silent reflux and a lot if wind. He's bf, and has gaviscon every other feed.

He woke fir a feed 12.15. Fed, changed nappy, winded etc. Held upright. (I fell asleep propped up in bed with him on my chest)

Woke up, offered feed, refused. Put back in sleepyhead. Minutes later, the noises start again getting progressively worse. Of course it's two hours since last feed. So he's feeding again despite having refused ten minutes ago.

I'm.exhausted. Other child gets up before six. I've been up with Ds2 since 1/2 am all week.

[abbsisspartacus]

I used to give gaviscon every feed

[Sparrowlegs248]

It says no more than six times a day so I can't do that. It also doesn't seem to help in the time immediately after feeding.

[norbert23]

Go see your GP about it and see if they can help further. Silent reflux is so hard! FYI my baby had it but when I cut out dairy it all stopped, turned out to be a result of a cows milk allergy (she was also very colicky). Not necessarily the case for you but if you're not getting anywhere it's worth considering. I'm pretty sure they can offer more options than just gaviscon though x

[StilletoRose]

Wedgehog helped us a lot.

[RaeSkywalker]

Please go back to your GP, don't be fobbed off.

Is he in the Sleepyhead in bed with you? Raising his head up should help- so using a wedge, or just using some books to elevate one end of the crib (if he's in one).

[Aliveinwanderland]

Ask the GP for a different medication. We stared with Gaviscon but it wasn't working for us with BF so the GO gave us Ranitidine which was much better.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Thanks all. I told Gp that ds has the following symptoms: very windy, both ends, no trouble getting it up though. Very unsettled after a feef. Arches back, draws knees up. Or pushes them out. Cries. Squirms etc etc. Gurgles in throat, sometimes sick. It's not the sick though that's the issues, he's in such obvious discomfort. I actually sobbed a bit at the Gp as I'd been holding baby up since 1.30 am with only half hour of him.laying down and I know the gaviscon is bloody hard to give with bf. He referred us to s paediatrician but will take four weeks. I have his head raised.

[saltyshoes]

Go back to the GP and ask for ranitidine. Gaviscon is ridiculous to give if you're breastfeeding and in my experience does nothing anyway. The GP can easily prescribe the ranitidine. If he won't go see another GP or if you can pay for a private paed appointment. It will get better.

[FartnissEverbeans]

Ask the dr for ranitidine. I don't think you need a paediatrician to prescribe that - it's a pretty mild medication and if it works you know that the problem was reflux after all.

I'm not sure why your dr has referred you - presumably they think the baby needs tested, but as I understand it the tests for reflux are quite invasive. My dr (who actually is a paediatrician) didn't want to do tests for that reason and instead put DS straight onto Zantac (ranitidine).

It's good stuff and if the issue is reflux it could help a lot. It would be easy to give alongside ebf too.

[FartnissEverbeans]

saltyshoes Great minds

[Sparrowlegs248]

He's had a few days of having s settled period in the evening so last night when my other son was at GP'S I planned to go to bed early. Except the settled period never came. He did sleep a goid stretch earlier in the day but that was after an hours walk with him in the sling.

I am on my knees with exhaustion. Ds 1 didn't sleep well but at least with him I could rest when he did sleep. I can't do that this time and indeed ds1 is being woken by ds2.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Gp refused to prescribe ranitidine. I actually asked if he could as my experience of trying to get gaviscon into abf baby was awful. He said something about it not being licensed so needed a paediatrician. But then he also said that some GP's do prescribe it. I'll try and get another appointment tomorrow.

So much for encouraging bf. He also said most mums are bf, which is bullocks, I saw one other in my four days in hospital.

[Yolandafarthing]

My GP prescribed ranitidine no problem, your GP is talking rubbish. Can you see a different one?

[melonribena]

I would definitely see a different Gp. Go to a walk in clinic if necessary. I have huge sympathy for you op, it sounds really hard

[Sparrowlegs248]

I'll try to book an appointment with a different Gp today. Baby is asleep now, on my chest. I want to put him down so I can sleep but then don't want him to wake up

[Aliveinwanderland]

Definitely see another GP. We started in 0.5ml twice a day and have increased to 1ml twice and finally feel like it is working.

[Sassenach85]

Didn't sleep until I knew she wasn't in pain. That was then down to meds. I was truly exhausted.

[melonribena]

Notta, when my ds only sleeps on my shoulder while being walked about I do a gradual sit down thing once he's asleep.
First I sit on the side of the bed, but still bounce slightly. Once he's ok with that I recline back against pillows, then I lay him with my arm under him on a pillow and finally I pull my arm out and position him more safely on the bed! If he's still happy, I climb into bed next to him and go to sleep!
If at any point he wakes upset, I start the process again.

[3luckystars]

Zantac in the day, gaviscon in the night. Sling all day and pray to survive, that's what I did anyway. It's so hard.
Best wishes and congratulations on your baby.

[QforCucumber]

He wont have prescribed ranitidine as they dont like to work out the doseage (my dr had a nightmare figuring it out) I'd push for it though, made a world of difference for our baby.
Its sold in tablet form in asda so thats bollocks about the licensing.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Thanks melon that's what I did. I developed a fine line in the gradual/gentle put down with ds1, he had much milder reflux but generally didn't want to be pit down.

He went down OK but awake again now for a feed. It's never ending.

Do you all think I should see Gp again today then? Saw them Tuesday and got gaviscon then, they might not think I've given it chance. Though I just can't get the stuff into him. Also struggle to give it at night as he screams so much it wakes ds1

[FATEdestiny]

Have you tried a dummy and swaddle?

With all due respect, it concerns me that a tiny 3 week old is being medicised with medication (that has side effects), because of symptoms that could be nothing more than being a newborn.

Any thread that mentions reflux gets tons of projection from posters who have experience of reflux. Yes, lots of babies get reflux. That does not mean a newborn presenting as unsettled and windy has reflux. These could be:

• be swallowing air when crying
  
• be hungry
  
• be tired
  
• want help to relax and be calm

[Yolandafarthing]

No harm in trying medication though is there Fate? Neither gaviscon nor ranitidine are harmful.

[FATEdestiny]

While not harmful, gaviscon gives constipation.

It also disrupts early eastablishment of breastfeeding because of the need to give bottles or syringes with feeds (OP is breastfeeding)

It also naturally thickens the milk, which cannot be good for the very immature digestive system.

While none of these are harmful when weighed against a baby who actually does have reflux, they are completely unnecessary side-effects for a baby just being.... a baby.

I suspect the GP refused further medication at this stage for exactly this reason. Every symptom this newborn presenting with might mean reflux. They are equally likely to mean nothing other than an unsettled newborn.

[FartnissEverbeans]

Hmm. That's probably true. DS has reflux -just the crazy puking kind, not the type that makes them unsettled and colicky - but I do kind of see reflux everywhere now and have posted about it a lot.

We haven't tried infant gaviscon as it's not available here, but I would still say that ranitidine would be a good way of ruling reflux out, if nothing else. It's easy to administer to bf children as it's not given with feeds, is really mild and starts working within two hours so if it's not working you can end treatment quite quickly and try something else.

My dr really prefers to avoid medicating children but he didn't hesitate to let us try Zantac