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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

I am in hell . . . is this reflux?

15 replies

RedPandaFluff · 31/08/2023 04:32

DD is 3 weeks old and I'm really struggling with lack of sleep. She's cluster feeding (EBF) just now, which is fine and normal, but unfortunately I have to hold her upright for at least half an hour after every feed or she vomits everything back up again. And actually, quite often she's sick anyway, no matter how long I hold her upright for.

With my first DD I co-slept when she was clingy and fed her lying down, which was great as I was able to doze off, and then put her back in the Next2Me when I woke up, but with this baby I can't do that as she vomits all over both of us and we end up sodden.

I basically don't get to put DD down as she is usually sick, which then needs a change of babygro, crib sheet if I've tried to put her in the Next2Me etc.

I can't cope with being awake all night every night. I feel headachey and sick all the time at the minute. What do I do? Speak to GP about possible reflux?

OP posts:
Whentwobecomesthree · 31/08/2023 04:47

Sympathy. Been there. It's awful. Writing this while feeding my second refluxy baby. So reflux is a symptom not a condition in of it's self. While the gp will be able to provide advice (positioning) and potentially medication to help manage it, I suggest you try and figure out what is causing it: feeding issues (latch, over supply, over active let down etc), oral disfunction, causing air to be gulped, milk allergy or to something else you are eating, there are others too. Gps tend to not be particularly knowledgeable about the feeding side of things. An infant feeding specialist or IBCLC might be a good place to start.

Jamtartforme · 31/08/2023 04:49

Sounds like reflux to me, my DD had it, the GP can prescribe baby Gaviscon which helps. She grew out of it by about 9 months, something to do with the valve in the stomach maturing. Hope you get some sleep soon.

DoughnutDreams · 31/08/2023 04:55

Mine was like this. I had to feed surrounded by towels. It was like feeding two babies as they'd projectile vomit and want feeding again!

There was a delay in having Gaviscon prescribed as I was breastfeeding but this was wrong - it can be mixed with a little water and given on a teaspoon/syringe.

HideTheRockyBars · 31/08/2023 06:52

Get some gaviscon from gp, but don't pay too much attention to instructions for breastfed babies, just mix with 5ml of boiling water and let it cool in a syringe.

However the cause of it could well be something in your diet. If the sick is that bad it could be citrus and other acidic foods. Also consider dairy, eggs, soya etc.

bigbillybobhowler · 31/08/2023 07:16

My baby was like this, was absolutely awful. Gp prescribed gaviscon and omeprozole, she is a changed baby, happy, sleeping, relaxed. Took a week for it to work properly but noticed improvement 2nd day.
She's 6 weeks now, I did have to push for the GP to prescribe but so glad I did.

SnapdragonToadflax · 31/08/2023 07:20

Yup, I remember that. Infant gaviscon really helped us - the sickiness never went completely until he started walking, but it was much improved and I didn't have to drape myself in towels anymore.

Original poster
RedPandaFluff · 31/08/2023 09:16

Thanks so much, everyone - will submit a GP request and hopefully get some infant Gaviscon.

Interesting about the reflux being a symptom . . . looks like there's a checklist I need to work through to figure out what the contributing factor/s could be. Her latch isn't great - I think she might have tongue tie, her sister did - as no matter how good a latch I get in the beginning, she loses it almost immediately and ends up feeding with a (painful) shallow latch. I've given up fighting with her as I don't think she can physically maintain a good latch.

I forgot how hard this is . . . !

OP posts:
Original poster
RedPandaFluff · 03/09/2023 23:51

Ahhhhhh . . . I despair. DD has been on Gaviscon for four days now and it's not making a blind bit of difference. I just fed her and laid her down to go to sleep and she's been massively sick - new sheet, babygro, vest needed. So basically I have the faff of giving her the Gaviscon on top of all the other faff of either holding her upright constantly or having to change bedding and clothes every time I put her down.

It's going to be yet another long night Sad

OP posts:
Blue2020 · 17/09/2023 09:01

We bottlefed due to ds being early and not latching. He had the same where it took him up to an hour to bottle feed and then we had to hold him upright for up to an hour otherwise he would just bring the milk back, even then he could still bring milk back the moment we put him in the cot. Then he would need feeding again an hour after that. Ds also wouldn’t sleep unless he was held. It was awful. I pretty much wrote the first 8 weeks out of my memory it was that bad with sleep deprivation. He’s now a lot better at 5 months old. He can now drink a bottle in 10-15 minutes and only needs to be held upright for 10-20 minutes. Occasionally he will still bring a bit back but it’s a huge improvement.

I was sitting him upright or walking around with him on my chest for up to 50minutes until he was 4 months old (3 months corrected) and that’s when we saw an improvement and reduced that time to about 15-20minutes. For us I think it was just a very immature digestive system. Hopefully your little one will improve soon. Keep asking the gp or hv for help?

Blue2020 · 17/09/2023 09:05

Oh to add, after about 8 weeks he got quicker at drinking his milk, there was a turning point for that, but still needed to hold him upright for long periods until 4 months. That was the turning point for him being less sick.

Takemeawayy · 17/09/2023 20:03

It sounds like tongue tie could be your issue if there is a family history. Get a full oral assessment with a recommended provider. GPS, HVs and lots of professionals just aren’t qualified to accurately assess it. Most reflux is caused by either taking in too much air or an allergy so you are best off trying to find and rectify the cause than just treating the symptoms. Good luck, I know how tough it is. My boy is now 7 months and we are just getting to the end of his reflux issues. My daughter was 8 months when we solved hers but in both cases there has been a cause and god knows how much longer the reflux would have lasted if we had listed to so called professionals who said they would grow out of it…

ScoobyBooby · 17/09/2023 20:05

Does she have any other symptoms of Cows Milk Protein Allergy? My DS had awful reflux was on Gaviscon and then Neocate which resolved the reflux

Original poster
RedPandaFluff · 18/09/2023 11:23

Hi @Takemeawayy and @ScoobyBooby - thank you for your posts; I've had DD back at the doctor this morning as the infant Gaviscon did nothing; he's prescribing Omeprazole on a 4-week trial basis so maybe that will help.

As for allergies, I'm wondering if I should try going dairy-free for a while to see if it helps. It will be hard . . .

OP posts:
newnamechangeforthisone · 18/09/2023 13:43

How old is she? Look up pyloric stenosis. It's what my eldest had and I was told it was reflux but it wasn't.

Could still be reflux though or milk intolerance. Keep going back. What's her weight like?

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