Baby gaviscon and EBF - how do you get it into them??

[Trillian42]

7 week old DD was prescribed baby gaviscon today so I picked some up in chemist. The pharmacist told me to add it to her bottle. When I said she was breast fed, he looked at packet and said to add it to water (it's in powder form) and give it to her on a spoon.

All well and good, until we actually tried it. Getting 15ml of fluid into a 7 week old baby is pretty difficult, especially one who is spitting up all the time. The only other option I can see is to express, and add 6 small amounts to a bottle over the day, but sterilising bottles for 6 mini feeds is messy, plus she might find it confusing to go from bottle to breast at every feed, and I don't want to mess up our hardly won feeding routine??

Really lost, tired and upset at having to watch her being distressed and spitting up valuable milk.

All help & suggestions gratefully received.

we used those wee syringes in the side of the cheeks, a little at a time. nowhere near as ridiculous as spoon.

(you can sterilise them - i think we bought ours singly in boots, for about 50p each, but it was a while ago)

I used syringes too - I now mix it with baby rice, but obviously she is too little for that.

Trillian - we used syringes.

I was advised to never put it in the bottle as babies can start to refuse the bottle as they associate the taste iyswim?

a bit tricky to start with, but a doddle now. I just get it sorted before the morning bottle, as I have learned that drawing up a syringe while holding a wriggly baby was not the best plan. As NickOfTime said, side of cheek is the key.

And lord it made such a difference! DD1 would still vomit everywhere, but it doesn't hurt her so I don't mind so much. I am amazed at what I will put up with if there is no screaming!

And for what it's worth - she is now five months, and I have just started her on some solids, and it's amazing, she has barely vomited for days. You will get there in the end!

I used the little containers you get for expressing milk into with a standard neck bottle top screwed on to it. I didn't make it up with EBM but with cooled boiled water. A few sucks and it was gone BUT DD1 had been mainly fed by bottles in her early weeks so knew how to take a bottle.

If the gaviscon doesn't work or there are side effects (can be extremely constipating) there are other reflux meds that can be used. This website has lots of great information for parents of reflux babies.

Thanks for the replies everyone. She didn't vomit during the night so very relieved. I've sent my husband off in search of syringes now.

Could I make up a few doses then and leave them in the syringe for the day do you think?

I used syringes as well. I also made up a couple and stored them, the instructions said to make it up before each use but I just couldn't in those early days so it was the only way.

A word of warning. My daughter became extrememly constipated on gaviscon because I was told to give it before every feed which I did.

I cut the dose and gave maybe half before each feed which helped ease the vomiting but didn't make her so constipated.

she was on domperidone and ranitidine as well though so they would also have helped with the vomiting.

I used to use bottles (never a problem, I think he liked the taste!) and I'd make up a day's worth at a time and keep it in the fridge - not allowed according to the instructions but I checked with a doc and she said it was pretty inert stuff and to go for it. Worked well for us - sterilise bottles, boil water, powder in each bottle, hot water tsp in each, shake, lid on, in fridge - done!

Then before each feed I'd give him the gaviscon, he wouldn't take it afterwards (too full )

I worried for a bit as he took a while to get the hang of bfing (feeding problems in the early days, had to give formula for first week) but it was fine.

I hope things improve. DS is now 9mo and virtually puke-free. It got loads better when he went onto solids at 6mo.

oh and i gave it between boobs as well, seemed to work best for us!

We use 10 ml syringes too with about half filled with EBM - pour the fluid water or ebm in and then add the powder. keeping your finger over the end of the syringe then Pop the plunger of the syringe on a little bit. turn it up so that the tip is facing upwards and shake as hard as you can! then expell air slowly and give to LO. My DS loves the taste! don't give it after each feed though....if you read the instructions it has sodium in it and can only be given up to six times a day....hmm my GP perscribed it to be taken with/after each feed and as LO was EBF we were on 8/9 feeds a day. another GP rang to query my repeat script request and said it would be FAR too much sodium. Glad i was so rubbish giving it as LO had only had it 3x/day on average. Have to say i havent found it to be very effective but you have to try gaviscon first before they will perscribe ranitidine or domperidone....DS2 had severe reflux so not entirely surprised DS3 is suffering. Its so awful for them but it does get better eventually and in the meantime i get through a stack of muslins/ wipes mopping up!