Reflux

[May2000]

My 4 week old baby is sick quite a bit near enough after every feed it’s not straight after the feed it’s always like 1/2 hours later. Last night it was coming out of her nose too she’s always unsettled during feeding can I just switch her to reflux milk or do I speak to a doctor first?

[CadyEastman]

Are you in the UK @May2000? You can switch to a reflux milk but I'd just run it past your HV first to see what she says.

Might be worth trying a different brand to the one you're currently using too.

Is LO uncomfortable when she vomits or before?

[May2000]

@CadyEastman hi yes I am in the uk. I went to the doctors yesterday and they just told me I’m over feeding her that’s why she’s sick so I’ve just been advised to switch her from 4/5 oz to 2/3 oz but screams when the 2/3 oz bottle is gone. She’s just uncomfortable all the time when it comes to feeding she will fall asleep then start being sick but ends up choking on it. I’m currently waiting for my HV to get back in contact with me

[CadyEastman]

It doesn't sound like great advice from the GP. Do you know what she weighs? The guide is roughly 2.5 Floz oer pound in weight per day. Woukd you say that she's having about that amount?

Has anyone mentioned the possibility of Cow's Milk Protein Allergy?

[May2000]

@CadyEastman she was weighing 7lbs11 2 weeks ago but she’s on 5oz which my HV said she clearly needs it otherwise she wouldn’t drink it. So it’s quite a lot the doctor is telling me to take away from her I don’t want her to lose weight by not feeding her enough as she’s been doing so well then on the other hand I don’t want her being sick all the time.

No? No one has mentioned anything like that to me. The doctor prescribed her some Gaviscon but I was told not to give her that until I’ve tried to reduce her milk first.

[CadyEastman]

So going from her weight she needs roughly 20 floz a day.

One of two things could be going on.

Some babies with reflux and or CMPA can drink more milk than usual to try and soothe their symptoms or she could just be trying to "catch up" to a higher weight centile that she'll stick to when she gets there.

My DD did the opposite, she was born a fairly decent weight but went down just over a centile and has stayed about there and is now in her teens.

If she's uncomfortable during a feed I would swap her milk though to a reflux or comfort formula and see if she improves over the weekend.

Which formula is she on now?

[CadyEastman]

Forgot to ask sorry, did she have any of the symptoms in the article on CMPA that I had linked to earlier?

[mummaoftwogirls]

We switched DD to anti reflux milk at roughly the same age, she was very much the same as your DD. I ran it past my hv first, I didn't want to go down the gaviscon route, that was a last resort for me, so she agreed that it was a good idea to try switch. DD was like a different child from the first day, rarely sick and no longer seemed uncomfortable after feeds.

[AddictedtoHandcream]

She can also be drinking too fast. Variable teats can do this. It can also be due to washing up, over time they get poked and slightly bigger. Lots more winding breaks help slow it down.
A friends child that did this had a milk allergy. My child that did this had reflux. So it isn't always easy to tell.
it may be early stages of reflux, but when it really hits, its all about them taking in air. They usually seem uncomfortable with wind which gets worse late afternoon, early evening and they don't want to be put down at night.

[May2000]

@CadyEastman I’ve been thinking of switching her to reflux milk I’ve tried to get hold of my HV but she must be on holiday or something. she isn’t being sick as often recently but yesterday she was only sick once but it was quite a lot. She’s currently on cow and gate milk

[May2000]

@AddictedtoHandcream I think she’s definitely drinking too fast she drinks her 5 oz bottle in like 15 minutes I have to take it away from her and wind her even though she’s screaming for more

[CadyEastman]

If she's drinking her milk very quickly have you tried doing some Paced Feeding?

If your HV isn't returning your calls, is there a Drop In Clinic that you can go to?

[May2000]

@CadyEastman no? Sorry what is paced feeding. I don’t know anything about this I was just told it’s because she’s a hungry baby. I spoke to a different HV today and was advised to change her milk to reflux milk, On the milk tub it says to use a fast flow teat but my fast flow teat says 8 weeks+ but she is 5 weeks tomorrow does that matter?