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Infant feeding

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

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Original poster

Advice on the use of infant gaviscon please

20 replies

BigBadMousey · 05/08/2008 14:24

I've just come back from the docs with some sachets of infant gaviscon powder for DS (10wo) as I suspect he has silent reflux. The plan is to give it a go and see if it makes DS more comfortable after feeds.

Only problem is doc wasn't sure on the most effective method of application so I thought I'd ask for your experiences.

Did you give before, during or after a feed for best effect and did you give it at every feed?. How long before you saw an effect (if any)? DS hates infacol and gripe water so we could be in for fun!

TIA. Funny moment when I mentioned silent reflux to doc and he said 'never heard of that one' so he googled it and the first 6 links were to MN - I had to giggle

OP posts:

witchandchips · 05/08/2008 14:26

at doc not knowing about silent reflux.
are you breastfeeding?

LackaDAISYcal · 05/08/2008 14:27

Are you FFing or BFing BBM?

If FFing it can be put in the milk when you make it up.

If BFing, it's best to give it after a feed and iirc, it needs to be made up and then syringe fed immediately after feeding for maximum effect.

Did you not get any instructions with it?

ephrinedaily · 05/08/2008 14:30

Check the box - from what I remember you can only give it so many times in twenty four hours so you may not be able to give it at every feed depending on how many feeds your baby usually has a day. We gave it at every feed we could!

Are you breastfeeding? If so I used to give it after a feed mixed with a little hand expressed EBM into a nasty paste. Then we fed it to him using a little syringe, which the chemist should be able to give you. That was the easiest way. If bottlefeeding, you can put a sachet into a bottle, although beware it makes the milk quite thick and baby may not like it at first.

It may take a little while to see any results as the baby may still be suffering some pain from before you started using it. If it hasn't improved within a couple of weeks, go back to GP - ask to try ranitidine and be referred to gastric paed. Good luck.

CarGirl · 05/08/2008 14:31

easiest way to make it up is with the water in a small lidded container and shake very hard then syringe in. As dd was 6 months before they let me try gavsicon I gave up bf and went on to ff because it make the gavsicon easier - this was before someone told be about the lidded container and shaking hard technique, the instructions were useless!

Original poster

BigBadMousey · 05/08/2008 14:35

Instructions that came with it are very vague - just says 'give with every feed' but doc said online instructions said that may not be neccessary so he said just try twice a day at first. I asked the pharmacist and they knew even less!

Sorry yes I am BF.

He looked into Ranitidine (I asked about that too) and apparently it doesn't have a license for under 3's unless they have a duodenal ulcer .

I was surprised it was in powder form tbh but hey....what do I know (not much )

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finallypregnant · 05/08/2008 14:35

We shove it in his bottle. For info incase your Doctor didn't tell you is that it cannot got in a bottle less than 115 mls as it will be too concentrated and that it should be no more than 6 doses a day.

We saw a difference over night but DS has got trouble passing wind from his bottom although not constipated.

Treeny · 05/08/2008 14:36

If the baby isn't vomiting instantly after (or during) feeds, the advice seems to be to give it in a syringe after the feed has finished - it's supposed to work by 'sitting on top' of the milk in the baby's tummy.

But if you have a baby who vomits during and after feeding, that advice is a bit redundant. I added it to bottles - although my DD has never been great at finishing her bottle - or occasionally gave it at the start of a feed.

Hope it works. Infant gaviscon didn't seem to make any difference to DD's reflux, but it's the first thing they try.

How ridiculous not knowing about 'silent reflux'. But you do have to be quite persistent to get some GPs to take reflux seriously. My DD had silent reflux when she was tiny - I was convinced she did, but a bit reticent about pushing the idea to the GP - but by the time she was 6 months it was very much un-silent. Then when I went to the GP to say quite assertively 'this child has reflux', he told me that she was too old to have it!! He did refer us to a good paediatric gastroenterologist though.

Hope the medicine helps your LO.

witchandchips · 05/08/2008 14:37

I used to make it up very thick in a saucer and give it to ds on a weaning spoon or sometimes just a clean finger. When we fed less frequently I actually found i needed to give it before rather than after each feed.

ephrinedaily · 05/08/2008 14:42

God. My GP prescribed ranintidine at 8 weeks, after we tried gaviscon for two weeks, and referred us to gastric paed at same appointment.

Anyway - exact instructions for BF baby on the box. Assuming your baby is over 10 lbs. Mix two sachets of powder with 5ml of cooled boiled water in a glass. Mix to a paste. Then add another 10ml of water to the mix. Give after each feed (it says using a spoon, but, seriously, get a syringe). No more than 6 doses in 24 hours.

HTH. Sounds like your GP doesn't know much about it

KazzaL · 05/08/2008 14:43

my DS only was on gavisicon for a couple of weeks and he was 13mths by then and so we just added it to his formula, but the nursery mixed it up with water for his luncthime dose and spoonfed it to him - he was also put on ranitidine at the same time - now he's on omeprazole which is working really well

Lots of reflux mums on here www.littlerefluxers.co.uk/ and lots of advice availble

Original poster

BigBadMousey · 05/08/2008 14:43

Doc was very good tbh - he always is. He was quite happy to let me try it out which is more than can be said for a lot of docs - I think the fact he had three under 3 himself at one point makes him a lot more understanding than your average doc.

Thanks for the ideas. Have to go and do the 'NATO' bit with my warring DDs now but will check back later

OP posts:

CarGirl · 05/08/2008 14:45

the shaking it in the container is easier than the paste and add more water thing IME

SpaceHopperHayls · 05/08/2008 21:36

We make it up as per the box instructions in a bottle, and give it to my daughter (5 months) BEFORE feeding her, as I found that after feeding was no good.

It's definitely made a difference.

Original poster

BigBadMousey · 06/08/2008 08:51

Well, we gave it a go last night. He didn't enjoy the experience too much but he's a good little chap and took it all in the end.

Didn't seem to make any difference at all (although I should think it's a bit unreasonable to expect a big improvement so soon)

It's the same thing with each feed - he feeds for about 5 minutes then pulls of and starts screaming (very unusual for him as he is very laid back) - he won't feed again afterwards. He's definitely feeding less and less as a result of all this so I hope we get to the bottom of it soon

OP posts:

baltimore97 · 06/08/2008 10:23

For DD1 I used to mix up the sachet with 5mls of breastmilk, put it in a syringe and squirt it down at the end of a feed whilst they are sleepy and don't notice. It says on the packet you need to mix it with more liquid, but I found it still effective this way and a lot less difficult to administer.

It did take a few days of Gaviscon to have an effect on DD. I don't think Gaviscon is the answer for all reflux babies, though.

Original poster

BigBadMousey · 06/08/2008 14:18

The problem is that he isn't sleepy after a feed - he is screaming . I'm sure he'll take it better with breastmilk though so thanks for the advice.

HV thinks it is late onset colic.

He has put on 6oz this week but this has only been going on for 3-4 days and before that he was feeding 24/7. I'm certain he is stopping each feed early due to the pain.

OP posts:

witchandchips · 06/08/2008 14:38

if he is screaming during a feed then it might make sense to give him the gaviscon before to settle his tummy.

mamababa · 06/08/2008 14:50

Thought my DS had reflux at around 3 months as he started screaming during a feed (I was BF too) and couldnt get him to latch back on. I made it up in a tiny bit of water, syringed it in before the feed (no point after as he was screaming) and stuck him straight on to get rid of the god awful taste of it, poor lamb Not sure how well it really worked and it can make them a bit constipated which just adds to the problem. My GP said infant reflux is hard to diagnose and basically its all trial and error.

mamababa · 06/08/2008 14:56

Just read some more of the posts (computer had a flid!) As an addendum to my previous addition, your experience sounds similar to ours. It didnt work instantly and eventually I gave up with it cos its a faff when BFing. The screaming did stop and DS still gained proper weight although I thought he wasnt feeding enough. I would make it up with as little amount of milk or water as you can as it tastes disgusting or stick it ina bottle of expressed milk

Original poster

BigBadMousey · 06/08/2008 22:43

Well if nothing else, he seems far more accepeting of infacol now he has tried gaviscon .

Thanks for all the advice

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