Reflux in newborn

[jacksmamx]

My 16 day old son has been diagnosed with reflux... is there anything I can do to help ease it?? Awful seeing him writhe around in pain:(

Been prescribed gaviscon and ranitidine but it won't be 2 weeks the doctors say till we start seeing an improvement. Just want to try make him more comfortable x

It is awful seeing your tiny baby being in pain and not being able to help to stop that discomfort. Try to keep baby in upright position when holding. May be worth raising his crib slightly so he is a little bit more comfortable when lying on his back. Look after his skin around his mouth and neck as acid will cause irritation. I would use petroleum jelly to keep skin protected. Keep his clothing clean as the acid from his sick will soak through to his skin. Try to avoid pressing on his tummy when holding. I used to carry my daughter with one arm on her chest and the other on her crotch when forward facing as she hated being head on the shoulder position as my boob pressed on her tummy. Burp baby frequently as babies with reflux are quite windy even hours after their feed. This wind in their tummy causes discomfort and pushes milk out. You didn't say if you are EBF or FF as it could be something in your diet that affects him. My daughter as a result of ongoing reflux was diagnosed with milk, soya and egg allergies. I was consuming all those unknowingly and was passing allergens through milk. Maybe worth looking at changing formula if FF, just a suggestion. Look after yourself as it is very exhausting to look after poorly crying baby

I'm EBF at the moment. Went and got his medicines today have to try these for 2 weeks if problems still persist then I have to go dairy free because he may be lactose intolerant. Thanks for your help. Will try all these things today. Xx

Usually you can see a difference in baby within a day or two of excluding those allergens. They say it can take up to 2-3 weeks but I think that's for the milk and digestive system to be clear completely. You watch and see if any particular allergen rich food makes it worse for him and if it makes difference the next day when you go back to your normal diet. Opposite to exclusion, if you see what I mean. For example if I had a regular day where I consumed food where dairy was part of something like a coffee with milk, cereal and creamy chicken with vegetables for dinner my baby would be upset, with reflux, crying etc all day. But if I had nothing particularly dairy rich and then had cheese board for example or ice cream or large yogurt on their own then with the next feed DD would be extremely upset, hard to settle, arching her back and rubbing her face as it would become itchy. And then again if I go back to regular food it would go back to our 'normal' day. It may be worth paying attention to what your son is like if you consume something rich in those most common allergens, without changing your diet completely. Obviously don't make your baby uncomfortable on purpose by piling on dairy all in one go but just worth paying attention. Also seeded fruit and vegetables can make baby's reflux worse, these are tomatoes, strawberries, kiwi, chillies etc. Stick to his medicine as it should help but if its true allergy it wont go away