Desperate: Reflux baby not settling in cot - at breaking point! Please help!!

[No1MummytoOtto]

Hi there,

I'm completely exhausted and in desperate need of any help and advice! Would be so grateful, thanks so much in advance! :)

My DS has silent reflux - has done since 2/3 weeks, (he is now 15 weeks) we're on Ranitidine - and was a great sleeper until 8 weeks, at which point (8 week jabs coupled with a cold that then developed into bronchiolitis) it all went out the window. He is now waking every 45 mins/1.5 hrs and that's only if I'm able to settle him in his Moses basket (nine times out of ten he wakes the second he is put down and the whole resettling process has to start all over again). He naps during the day, but only in my arms or in the pram if we're out and about, but has become the lightest sleeper and now the smallest sound/movement wakes him and he usually can't be resettled.

I'm at breaking point, I am just so tired. DH is beyond useless and I'm doing this all by myself, and I have read so much about silent reflux and feel I'm doing everything possible to ease the discomfort for him (elevating the cot bed, holding for 30 mins after feeding, frequent and gentle burbing), but nothing is working and he won't sleep except on me. I really don't want to do cosleeping (I think it's great for some but I would just be too worried about him and risk of SIDS).

I'm considering trying him on his tummy, which I've read can help but I'm so unsure about that for the same reason. Has anybody found this to have worked for them? Or anything else? I know this will ultimately get better but for now it seems unquestionably to be getting worse and I'm struggling to cope.

Thank you so much :)

I haven't read all the replies, we have a reflux baby and do co sleep, she goes on her back tilted to left or lying on left side if a bad night, co sleeping does not increase the SIDS risk of done safely but tummy sleeping does

www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/sids-latest-research-how-sleeping-your-baby-safe

I put mine on their left hand sides after reading the SIDS stuff. I think front sleeping increased the risk a lot more than side sleeping did.

Mine both had silent reflux and were-are intolerant to dairy and soya. Thu also got/get reflux episodes from other foods so weaning was awful.

Hi, sorry your having such a wretched time. My DS had silent reflux and we used the medication you are using and infant gaviscon but neither helped and poor DS was in so much discomfort I was at my wits end. We got referred to a children's digestive specialist who prescribed a formula that had something in it that stopped it from coming back up the oesophagus, it worked and then the specialist annoyingly told me that he would have prescribed it first before either of the other medications. I guess it's not for everyone because its formula but it was the only thing that helped. Don't worry - it all gets better and it won't take long x

So sorry to read your DS is having such a painful time. So distressing and exhausting for you and him.

My DD1 had reflux. Thankfully cranial chiropractic treatment sorted it out and she was right as rain and fully sorted within three days. I cannot tell you how grateful I was. Before she was sorted I was in tears at her pain, it was so heartbreaking. I found it really helped if I kept her upright after feeds. In the evening, I created an upright bed for her next to me on the sofa using a coupe of pillows. Obviously I didn't leave her side, but it meant she could drop off and I could eat my dinner sitting next to her.

My DD3 also ad reflux. Cranial chiropractic knocked hers on the head too.

I've found cranial chiro to be amazing for a whole host of digestive issues. I really recommend it as a way of sorting the root cause and actually getting rid of the problem.

I also agree with narmada re milk. Such a common trigger for digestive issues in babies. Can you try cutting out cows dairy from your diet? Goat is a good alternative and usually more gentle on the baby's system.

My health professional DH has talked about NHS/GP practices cost-based protocols on what they prescribe and in his experience lots of parents have only got to the prescription hypo allergenic formula once they've first been through all the other, less expensive, meds. On the non prescription front he has said before that he's seen quite a few FF babies whose reflux symptoms improved with HIPP organic. Bit of a tangent, sorry, but another example of how the milk can be the prob, so, if BF, diet changes for the mum make great sense.

Best wishes and I hope things improve very soon.

Oooo....sorry...also meant to suggest Ergo Baby carrier if you are thinking of a way to carry your baby upright. Unlike many baby carriers, the ergo baby isn't a 'crotch-dangler', so is gentler for the baby, and is also very well designed and comfy for the wearer (doesn't put strain on the wearer's back like many of the carriers do).

Hi my ds has reflux and my hv wasn't concerned either as he put weight on!! I found infant gaviscon helped as well as the ranitidine ... a hassle as I ebf, so had to express some milk off to mix with gaviscon and then feed it via a bottle (could have used water and a syringe also!) but it really helped. I found:

• raising cot helped
• pushing ds to sleep in pram in the day meant he would nap, or drove him in car at nap time when needed to go somewhere, as movement helped
• took him to cranial osteopath (dont' care if people say it doesn't work it helped us, or at least even if it didn't it did no harm!!)
• got dh to do his share of night time wake up after I got beyond exhausted
• eventually got referral to paediatrician, nothing else done by him but made me feel I was doing all I could

At weaning (ds now 10m old) I realised he reacted badly to dairy products ... back to paediatrician, to discover he was CMPI, hence the dairy in my diet was not helping reflux. I eliminated dairy and soya (two are linked often so told to eliminate both) and suddenly I have a happy baby!! Sleep is good at night now, 10hrs through - not so in the day as he is used to rocking movement to sleep but I can cope with that!!

Hope you get some rest and support. If dh not helping, do you have family or friend that could help out for a few days - I found a few days of more sleep and I could cope so much better!!

Just to say goat's milk or soy are not usually suitable alternatives for babies with cow's milk protein issues, the protein in them is too similar to cow's.

I agree soy not a good alternative - for a few reasons - but goats is worth a try. I know from personal experience. Also it is an alternative my DH has found works well with many babies.

We had a misadventure with goats. Seemed ok to start, then same symptoms started again. I think it is ok for some kids but prob not the majority of kids with CMPI. Also it is about £16 a tin.

Oh I feel you, our DS had silent reflux from about day 9 until... Not sure when it faded but he went off losec at about a year. It's not just all the practical stuff like making sure everyone gets enough sleep, food, whatever. It is heartbreaking knowing they are in pain and you want to fix it for them so much. We tried so many things. Breast feeding was HARD for a long time until the third lactation specialist we saw said that it is often easiest for refluxy babes to eat just as they are coming out of sleep or going to sleep. So then started my first lying down feeds and they were such a revelation. He ate and went right to slept. Against everything we had been trying to do, separate feeding from sleeping, not napping with the baby, blah blah. That was at three months. It wasn't a magic fix for everything but it just meant we had SOME smooth spots in each day from then on. For ages we fed him to sleep as it seemed like the only thing that worked. That's our experience anyway. every baby seems different. Reflux is tough. You need support!

Oh, forgot to say, I did lots of diet eliminations, wheat, dairy, onions, brassica, etc. no difference as far as we could tell. DS wouldn't accept a bottle at all, despite much trying. Until he was about 8 months old! By then breast feeding was going okay So getting gaviscon or ranitidine in him was a struggle. Losec capsules seemed to help. We broke them open and measured doses as a sprinkle into some apple or pear. And then crossed fingers he ate the lot! Hard for a wee guy, think he was only 3.5 months then. But it does improve. You might not notice it each day and it seems like forever, but gradually things really do get easier

Do be aware that silent reflux can be confused with other things such as tongue tie (unbelievable but true - I can vouch for it having experienced it) and oversupply/over active letdown. Or overtiredness.

So please investigate all of these as you may not need medication at all.

Iggly, DS definitely does not have TT, he has been checked and I've seen him poke his tongue right out without going heart-shaped. No supply issues as FF, but I do wonder if he'd do better with a slower flow teat, but i don't think there's such thing, he's on a number 1.

Hi,

I haven't had time to read all the other replies but just wanted to say that our DD had silent reflux and had to have both ranitidine and omeprazole together and a dairy free formula (I couldn't manage to eliminate dairy and soya from my diet) before we saw any improvement. Silent reflux and dairy allergy are really closely linked i.e the dairy allergy causes the silent reflux and a lot of these children are also unable to tolerate soya protein. Just to give you some light at the end of the tunnel DD is now 20 months and no meds and a normal diet but it's been a slow process and I understand how soul destroying it is to see a baby in that much pain. We have a reflux wedge (that they sleep on) and a polywog feeding cushion to keep them at an angle whilst BF - they are both well used as they were second hand to us but you are welcome to them for the cost of postage.
Almost forgot - we used a dummy too and she no longer uses that either.

Maybe it is a milk intolerance then?

I mentioned the other things for other people on he thread really though

I had this with my little daughter at about 15 weeks; she became increasingly difficult to settle. Actually it was also a food issue, she needed more food and was feeding more frequently; that's why she was waking up. She also had mild reflux, but that confused me, in so far as I forgot she might also be hungry/growth spurt.

I did a lot more feeding, loads of sling, cuddling etc to give her sleep so that she wasn't overtired.

She became an excellent sleeper again quite quickly. 4 hours a day, and most of the night 7-7 with one waking by 5 months. We also weaned early at 17 weeks (dr's advice) that helped too. It will get better. She is 10 now. She has continued to be an excellent sleeper. She was not settled also because she was SOO overtired and needed more sleep = ratty baby.

We did have a short spurt of leaving her to cry when her weight gain was excellent though...five mins to settle?