Reflux/Gord

[Jampot36]

Hi all...looking for some help/reassurance

I have a 19 week refluxy baby but not in the acid sense. Hes sick a ridiculous amount everyday, more than a little spit up and it seems constant. We go through multiple outfit changes, both him and me. Everytime i change his nappy he ends up soaked, if i sit him up or when we do tummy time...there is no position that doesnt result in sick. Thankfully it doesnt seem to bother him so i dont want to medicate him - gp thinks its the weak oesophagus muscles and as with all these things the standard give it 6-12 months. The sickness can happen straight after a feed and the continue for hours after. Sometimes its obviously milk other times later on its clear like water.

His chin is always red, hes constantly wet and it cant be comfortable. Not to sound selfish but its starting to drain me, the constant clothes changes, laundry and muslins all over the house is overwhelming.

Hes gaining weight and has plenty wet/dirty nappies so its not a health problem as such.

Im just wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Weve tried all the slow bottles/smaller feeds/keeping upright after a feed and nothing changes. I spoke to my hv about early weaning and she was massively patronising.

Any advice appreciated. X

DD2 was the same (although in her case, she was also screaming in pain, so we did use omeprazole to stop the pain, if not the sickness). You could try carobel, if you haven't already – it's just a thickener (effectively like cornflour), so not medication, as such, and would probably be more effective than early weaning, which would small amounts and very thin purées, so not much thicker than milk. For a bottle-fed baby, you just add carobel to the bottles. DD2 was breastfed, and hated the carobel syringe with a passion, so it didn't work for us, but I know other people for whom it's done the trick.

For nappy changes, have you tried rolling him onto his side rather than lifting his legs? Lifting her legs basically used to squeeze the milk out of DD2. We also had a folded muslin or flannel under her head to catch the sick so it didn't go on her clothes and hair so much (she tended to be sick to the side), but you could put one over baby's chest if that's where his tends to go.

His chin – try something to provide a bit of a barrier, coconut oil or lanolin might work, and both should be okay for him to get in his mouth. Petroleum jelly would be another option.

For us, it just gradually got better – one day I noticed I was no longer washing bedding every morning. And then that you could hold her sat your lap without a muslin barrier. And then that she could be on her tummy for more than two seconds without being sick, and so on.

I know you've probably tried already @Jampot36 but does a comfort formula help at all? Just wondering as they're usually thicker (I think).

@skkyelark we tried carobel...i was so hopeful but he was sick the same amount but noticed it more as was more effort getting it up i think so we ditched it.

I'll try changing on his side, not done that before so worth a go! He lives in a sea of muslins, the most annoying time is when hes fresh out of the bath, lovely and clean and as im drying him hes sick!

When did your LO grow out of it? Ive noticed a couple of better days this week and just has i get hopeful it starts again.

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto yeah we tried one and same as the carobel he seemed to notice it more and got upset. It also seemed to make him windier which after going through colic we couldnt ignore so now on hipp organic.

That's ok, I thought that you would have tried it. My DNs did well on Hipp Orgainc with Dentinox added to the bottle. Don't know if you're ever tried that?

Might be worth trying carobel again, depending on how long ago you tried it – more difficult to get up is exactly what you want, then you adjust the dose a bit until it's just thick enough to stay down. And as he's a bit older now, the wind may be less of an issue.

I don't remember exactly when it got better. I'd say somewhere around 5 months she was pretty much over it lying down (but then she was sitting, rolling, trying to crawl, wanting to be held standing, all of which made her sick). Maybe around 7 months for that to be better. Certainly somewhere around that point I started daring to go out without a full change of clothes for me (and about 3 for her). She wasn't completely better (still isn't), but sick once a day is hugely more manageable, and it's now down to just a couple times a week.