reflux

[cisan]

my daughter has been diagnosed with reflux and is taking Ranitidine. There appears to be some disagreement between the consultant and health visitors about whether breast or bottled formula is best! Any advice greatly appreciated

Er....why would formula be better than breast? For reflux???

depends on who you speak to but apparantly it's a bit thicker and less air is taken in through a bottle????

Breast is best for soooooo many reasons. I'm guessing that whichever of them said formula was concerned about foods you've eaten passing to baby? Possibly because there's sometimes a link between reflux and milk intolerance (although formula wouldn't help that unless hypoallergenic)?

I think I'm trying too hard to find excuses for what is just bad advice, plain and simple!

If thickening is what's needed, then there are preparations you can give which thicken the breastmilk in the stomach; 'less air' is irrelevant...reflux is not 'wind'.

Who is the one arguing for formula??

No cisan - more air is taken in through a bottle.

it was the registrar who advised bottle. Though she would know more?

One might have hoped. If you're feeling up to it, I'd ask to talk to the person in charge of their training, as you don't want them giving this sort of advice to lots of other people too.

Are you happy breastfeeding cisan, because it is best for baby if you are?

(I talk as someone who had a milk intolerant baby with silent reflux btw, and who is still bf at 18 months).

to be honest it's taken me this long to get a diagnosis i'll do whatever it takes to help my daughter with the pain (she's 17 weeks now and has always been breastfed with a bottle top up because I can't produce enough milk.
Can't believe there's so much contradictory advice - when you eventually get any!

My LO had reflux and bf is best. They tolerate it much better.

BTW - not criticising but why the formula top up? How do you know you aren't producing enough milk? It's unlikely that you are - just keep bfing and your milk will adjust I am sure.

Good luck with the reflux situation x

Cisan, I definitely think BF is best as it is absorbed so much more quickly than formula, and contains so many other goodies. However, as a mum of a silent reluxer who is on Ranitidine and still has 'colic' at 9 mths, I have had times when I've thought that my breastmilk may be doing more harm than good. I've worked out that gluten was setting it off as well as dairy (took 5 months of anguish!) and I've a suspicion that something else is annoying her. However, I've left it too late for the hypoallergenic formula - it gets spat right back out again! Go with what you feel is best for you.

Hello cisan,Reflux what i nightmare,not to mention the washing! my son whos 3 in oct had reflux and when he was 10wk old i stopped bf and weaned him onto sma staydown(£7.48 from boots)which helped slightly. when i took him to the docs because his weight gain was poor and the hv seemed to think i was over-reacting she gave me gaviscon to put in his bottle,which worked greatly.my 12wk old daughter has the same prob and im still bf,the doc has also given her gaviscon.im giving her the gaviscon after her feeds mixed in an ounce of bm via syringe which is not ideal when youre out and about.im thinking about putting her on the bottle for my sanity.good luck x p.s.you can get sma staydown on perscription.let us know how you get on

DS had awful reflux when he was smaller. SOme advice I have read in books snd internet say bf is best for reflux babies one reason being that bm leaves the stomach faster so there is less chance of there being time for it to come back up again.

Some good stuff here

My DS2 took Ranitidine for reflux and I was encouraged to breastfeed.

I would have thought that bottle feeding would make reflux worse not better.

Ranitidine is an anti-acid though isn't it and not a thickner. If your daughter has excess acid (which is what Ds2 still has) then again I can't see how formula milk would be any better.

I stopped breastfeeding at about 10 months and changed to formula and it made no difference.

I had to stop bf-ing DD1 as her reflux was very bad and she couldn't keep my milk down. I switched to ff and she was much better. IIRC I changed to hungry baby formula fairly soon as that was even thicker.

Gaviscon thickens the stomach contents and can work well so it's definitely worth trying before switching to ff.

My ds has reflux and paediatrician, GP and HV all say continued bf is best.

other way ff can help is positioning as your dc is likely to be more upright.
Many of the medications (gaviscon etc. ) are more easily given to ff babies but this is a problem witht the medication not breast feeding.

Have changed to ff and it has made a huge difference - daughter is like a different baby. Sure the Zantac has something to do with it as well though!!!
Think you're made to feel so guilty when not bf but you have to do what works best for you and your baby. Wish somebody had advised this 4 months ago!!

My ds has reflux on Domperidone, Omeprazole/Losec Mups (prev Ranitidine & Gaviscon)
I mix feed my ds & bf stays down better than ff!
Dietician said bf best changing your diet if necessary (I had to try dairy free but didn't help so now just has high cal ff & bf) rather than ff special milk but consultant wanted ff as easier for him 2 rule out allergies but did agree bf best! Thats why mixed fed so allergy ruled out but didn't sacrifice breastfeeding 2 find this out!
At 1st ds seemed better with ff but then sickness got worse with it & now is still better with my milk so glad I carried on bf. I bf in quite upright pos 2 help.
How about getting ready mix formula 2 mix with Gaviscon 2 give off spoon or syringe instead of expressing in public? Personally gave up on it as didn't help & fountains of thick milk coming back up too stressful!!!
Good luck & whatever u choose don't feel guilty u have 2 do what best 4 u & ur baby