Hi everyone,
My 11 week old DD suffers with terrible reflux. We try to do all the suggestions after every feed (keeping upright for 30 mins, burp regularly during feed, prop Moses basket up) and it’s getting to the point where no matter how long I keep her upright for she will posset a lot of liquid (mostly clear with flecks of milk) and she has actually choked on this a couple of times which was incredibly scary and awful to watch her so distressed. I suffer terribly with an anxiety of people dying as my DH went into cardiac arrest 2 years ago in bed at night next to me and I had to give him CPR until the paramedics arrived and already am paranoid she isn’t breathing and check she is alive regularly during her naps!
Her weight gain has been fine (born 8lb 1oz and currently around 11lb) but she often screams the house down when she is put down and I can see her gulping and trying to swallow down when she is playing on her mat/ lying flat. I thought with her choking and struggling to lie on her back I would ask the Dr if there was anything I could give her to help. The Dr told me in no uncertain terms I am over feeding her? She is exclusively FF and I make her 6oz every 3/4 hours which she very rarely finishes but will drain the entire bottle with 5oz and keep sucking the bottle so HV advised to make 6 and let her decide how much of it she wants. He said 3-4 oz was ‘more than enough every 3 hours for an 11 week old’ but surely if she’s hungry, she’s hungry?! He didn’t seem at all bothered she had choked a handful of times and just said I had to be ‘extra vigilant’ and now I feel like a terrible mum, she’s my first baby and I before visiting the GP was happy with her feeds as I had been going off the recommended intake on the formula packet (Cow and Gate) and she seemed about right for her age and weight?
Am i over feeding her? Or should I ask for a second appointment/opinion? I am terrified that she will choke when I take my eye of her for a second as it has happened in various different positions and places (in the pram, on the floor and even in her angelcare bath rest!) Any advice with reflux babies would be much appreciated!
Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.
Infant feeding
11 week old has terrible reflux but Dr has made me feel like a rubbish Mum
93amy93 · 12/05/2022 06:00
InTheNightWeWillWish · 12/05/2022 07:19
The NHS recommends 150-200ml of formula per kg per day. So for your baby that would be between 22 and 33 oz a day. If you are feeding 8 times a day then it probably is a little too much, if you’re feeding 5 or 6 times a day then you’re at the upper end but within range.
DD had reflux (still has a bit now at 6 months). It took me ages to be taken seriously - babies are sick, well of course she’ll be being sick as you’re breastfeeding and topping up with formula. Eventually we were prescribed infant gaviscon and something to settle the acid in her stomach. It helped a bit. I also found the MAM bottles were better and helped a bit, as did changing formula to Kendamil (we tried SMA and cow and Gate, I still use cow and Gate ready made though). Nothing really fixed it and at about 17 weeks trying to renew her prescriptions the GP told me she was too big for reflux now It’s easing a bit now we’re weaning but like I say it’s still there. As long as baby is gaining weight I think GPs and HV don’t care, so you just have to keep ringing up and I definitely felt like they placed me in the overly worrisome mum category.
Theunamedcat · 12/05/2022 09:55
Too big for reflux? My son had a reflux as a baby it returned as a small child and he is now 13 on gaviscon still struggling with reflux
InTheNightWeWillWish · 12/05/2022 07:19
The NHS recommends 150-200ml of formula per kg per day. So for your baby that would be between 22 and 33 oz a day. If you are feeding 8 times a day then it probably is a little too much, if you’re feeding 5 or 6 times a day then you’re at the upper end but within range.
DD had reflux (still has a bit now at 6 months). It took me ages to be taken seriously - babies are sick, well of course she’ll be being sick as you’re breastfeeding and topping up with formula. Eventually we were prescribed infant gaviscon and something to settle the acid in her stomach. It helped a bit. I also found the MAM bottles were better and helped a bit, as did changing formula to Kendamil (we tried SMA and cow and Gate, I still use cow and Gate ready made though). Nothing really fixed it and at about 17 weeks trying to renew her prescriptions the GP told me she was too big for reflux now It’s easing a bit now we’re weaning but like I say it’s still there. As long as baby is gaining weight I think GPs and HV don’t care, so you just have to keep ringing up and I definitely felt like they placed me in the overly worrisome mum category.
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.