Silent reflux?

[bonzo77]

DS2 is 4 weeks. He is FF. We are using aptamil first milk, number 1 teat on tommee tippee bottles. He takes 3-4 oz every 3 hrs, which seems pretty good to me, but I was hoping to get him to go 4 hourly by now. He gulps the first half of the feed, then messes about with the rest of it. I usually take the bottle away once he seems to have stopped feeding properly. During and after the feed he seems very uncomfortable: crying, writhing, alternately stretching then drawing his knees up. He is quite farty and hard to burp, despite using infacol. He is occasionally sick, maybe every 2-3 days, but small quantities and no regular possetting. This has got worse over the last few days. I don't know if this is relevant but he was 1 month prem and had a NGT for 1 week. He poos 2-3 times a day and the poos are mustard coloured and like soft scrambled eggs in consistency, ie normal. He really will only sleep for any length of time on his tummy. His weight gain has been very fast: regained birth weight 5lb3 by 10 days, 5lb10 by 15 days, 6lb 14 at 26 days. Midwifes happy with this.

Sorry, just to clarify... It's the writhing and crying during and after feeds that is getting worse, not the possetting.

Bump?

Prem babies often suffer from silent reflux as their sphincters weren't fully developed at birth. I would try getting some infant gaviscon and adding it to the milk as a first attempt. Also a slightly raised cot and sleeping on tummy also helps (use a apnoea monitor if worried). Otherwise see your GP and get some advice - it may be a milk intolerance but I would try to alleviate other things first.

Oh my word op, I had to check your username as I wondered if I'd started this thread.

The difference being my DS wasn't a month prem and i'm addition to all of the above, he has had a stuffy nose for more than 2 weeks and now seems to have developed a sound like his breath catching.

I've just called the gp surgery and have an appointment this evening, so fingers crossed.

Have you made an appointment to see gp yet?

itsall my DS2 also had had stuffy nose for 2 weeks and breath is now catchy. And horrid conjunctivitis now too! I changed the formula to lactose free as there is a history of lactose intolerance in my family. Things are definitely better with the feeding, but he's still very unsettled after. His 6 week check is next Thursday so I'll discuss with GP then.

I could have written this about a year ago. We had very similar issues with DD. We tried everything, raising the Moses basket, keeping upright after feeds, infacol, colief... Eventually our doctor prescribed infant gaviscon which seemed to help but then we found mucousy blood when we changed her nappy. After a night in A and E she was diagnosed with a cows milk protein allergy and prescribed hydrolysed milk. Within 48 hours she was a different baby, the change was amazing. Trust your mummy instinct and push for help from gp and health visitor if needed.

bonzo I thought I'd update our trip to the gp, as our LO's have very similar symptoms.

Luckily, his little lungs are top top, the stuffy nose is to be treated the way I've been treating it, so far, with saline drops.

Gp suggested trying the next size teat. We've already tried the vari-flow teat, which was way too fast, so we've bought a couple of medium-flow teats and will try those tonight.

He also agreed that it may be silent reflux and has prescribed infant gaviscon, so we'll see how that goes.

I agree with Jo we all need to trust our guts.

Keep us updated and here's hoping the LO's find some relief fast!

Grr. I just did a whole long post and lost it. bloody iphone app....

thanks for the update itsall. How has your DS been on the Gaviscon?

I'm going to add my own update, and apologise if this thread turns into "Bonzo's diary of a reflux baby". After I last posted DH and I thought we would try a different formula. After a bit of research we decided to go for SMA lactose free, partly because there is a history of lactose intolerance in my family, and partly because the Aptamil comfort formula is reduced lactose. Anyway, DS's symptoms are unchanged, and now his poos are hard balls instead of pasty, so I think he is probably constipated too, great! So, here is a list of his symptoms..

1. crying during and after feeds.
2. going on and off the bottle.
3. Hard to burp and very farty.
4. stretches legs out and arches back while screaming during and after feeds. legs and back are so rigid that I cannot "sit" him on my lap. I have to hold him flat against me or sort of hang him by holding him under the armpits.
5. will not sleep on back except in pram, will sleep eventually on tummy.
6. very snuffly breathing (now using saline spray).

I was at my wits end tonight. unable to get anything done in the house. unable to rest in the day, little sleep at night. feeling like my toddler was getting a raw deal (he is upset by the crying, i'm short with him due to tiredness and frustration). It's crap for him: DS1 was a very easy baby. I knew we were lucky at the time. I suppose it's crap for DS2 too, he's the one who is in pain. Anyway, I went out to the midnight pharmacy and bought the infant gaviscon over the counter. we'll start it at the next feed, and next time I make up bottles I'm going back to the aptamil. looking back at my OP it's seems that nothing has changed except for the addition of constipation to his woes. He has his 6 week check on thursday, so can speak to the GP then. She's pretty clued up and does take me seriously. Ironically I read on one website that reflux is sometimes misdiagnosed as PND, so wearing is it on mothers. Guess what I've been prescribed? Sertraline. Why? Because I'm normally anxious and often down, and the lack of sleep and the hormones and etc etc has pushed me closer to the edge. Ha fucking ha.

phewww. and breathe...

I thought of another symptom. Ds2 often smells of sick. Even though he is rarely sick, doesn't even posset when winded.

Anyway, last night seemed better. Went longer after his midnight feed and settled faster after his 3.45 one. I also propped the top of the cot up on some books.

I thought of another symptom. Ds2 often smells of sick. Even though he is rarely sick, doesn't even posset when winded.

Anyway, last night seemed better. Went longer after his midnight feed and settled faster after his 3.45 one. I also propped the top of the cot up on some books.