My son had reflux and colic. The colic lasted for over 4 months which was hard. He cried every night for hours. We found that MAM bottles helped reduce the level of colic (as they are designed to let the air of the bottle and so reduce the amount of air a baby takes in). We also found that infacol worked to some degree. Many people we knew found it worked best giving it about 20 minutes before a feed (although we were never organised enough to do this!). We got infacol on prescription.
The reflux meant that he was sick after nearly every feed. We were told by everyone that the reflux goes when a baby is started to be weaned. Well that was not our experience. It took a lot longer until at least 10 months when the size of the meals he was eating were much more significant (I think he took a while to eat reasonable portion sizes compared to his peers because of the reflux making him feel uncomfortable). We did find that gaviscon worked a bit until he was about 8 months old and used it in every bottle. It didn't stop all of the sickness but helped to reduce it or the volume of it!
We were told to give him milk more often but less of it - which we tried but didn't find it worked (it just meant more sick more often - which I found exhausting to clear up). It was only when I went to a mum and baby group when he was about 10 months old that I realised that all of the other babies had stopped being sick after a feed. I was still carrying around spare changes of clothes for him and me as well as muslins, wipes and plastic bags for cleaning it all up!!! They all had tiny handbags with just a nappy and wipes in it!!
Compared to his peers at 10 months, our son was still being sick lots (we even had to get rid of carpet in his bedroom as it was so badly stained and put in laminate floor as this is so much easier to clean up sick from!!)
More recently we've found that he has a lactose intolerance - which I think made the reflux worse - so he's moved onto SMA LF formula milk. This has made a big difference. He doesn't wake up with tummy pain, his poos are much better (less runny) and he is much better at bringing up wind.
When he was 18 weeks old we really struggled to wind him. We tried over the shoulder, across our knees (him on his tummy) - this generally meant more sick!!, sitting up on knee, rubbing/patting back. I think each baby is different and there is no best way to help bring up wind - just what works for your baby. Try asking other mums for what techniques work for them. One friend told me that you can hear in their chest if they have trapped wind (I was never able to hear it) but she could do this with her baby. A midwife in hospital told me that if a baby has a slightly blue top lip then this was down to trapped wind (this was true for our son as a small baby but less so as he got older).
Things that we learnt to look out for, when he had really bad trapped wind or tummy pain was that he would push away from us when we picked him up. His tummy would stick out firmly. We also learnt to listen out for a certain type of moaning that he did at the beginning of feeling uncomfortable (this preceded the crying) so we started to be able to know that we could try to wind him again (we found over the shoulder was the best way for us).
My sister told me that lying him down on his back and cycling his legs (as if he was riding a bike) can help as it helps move the wind (especially if it is 'trapped' right in the middle of the digestive system). Also just inside where the hipbones are massaging in little circles (also good for constipation) as it helps move things around and starts things working again. She uses these techniques with people who have learning disabilities and have digestive problems. I used these techniques when it was really bad and nothing would seem to settle him so he'd scream crying (sometimes having to do it several times in a night until he become more comfortable).
We also use 'Cotblocks' about £15 from bumptothree.com which are plastic blocks that go under the cot so that it is on a slope. This helps keep the acid down in the tummy and reducing heartbearn. We've had them permentantly under the cotbed since he was 4 months (now 14 months)(Cotblocks are also great for reducing the coughing when a baby has a cold as it stops the mucus from tickling the throat).
Sorry I feel like i've written loads - I suppose I've learnt there are lots of things you can try (some work some don't) but the best thing I found helped is meeting or hearing from other mums who have experienced it. Friends who haven't had a baby with reflux don't seem to always appreciate how tiring and exhausting it is (and often comment on how baby posset is just part of being a baby - until they see the volume and frequency of sickness our son did!!!)