Reflux baby

[hippydippy]

Hi mums

Anyone else out there who has a baby with reflux? My baby, who is now almost four months old, was diagnosed with reflux in January. Having a baby with reflux (silent reflux in his case) has been a really difficult experience - it's been so awful to see my little baby in so much pain and discomfort. I am a new mum and it's been a really steep learning curve!
Here's my story: At about two weeks old my baby became incredibly alert and would constantly arch his back. I became increasingly alarmed at his behaviour but was reassured by the midwife that he was just a very active baby. I managed to continue breastfeeding him, although he was such a fussy, squirmy feeder and put on very little weight. He hardly ever slept and cried loads and loads. A month went by and after numerous visits to the doctor and hospitalisation over the new year, my baby was diagnosed with silent reflux and referred to a gastro peadiatrician. He was prescribed gaviscon (which seemed to work for a while), then ranitidine, domperidone, and finally losec which he is currently taking. It seemed such a shame - I wanted to feed him naturally yet he was on all these artificial medicinces. I decided to explore complimentary medicince and he has also been treated by a cranial osteopath which definitely helped to improve his condition.
Then I researched reflux on the internet and found links with cows milk allergy. I have been on a completely dairy-free diet for two months, difficult because I love cheese and milk, but happy to do it for my baby. Interestingly, I was absolutely addicited to milk when I was pregnant and the baby constantly had hiccups in the womb.
There were many times, and there still are - when i wanted to give up breastfeeding altogether, and wonder whether the baby might have had less reflux on hypoallergenic formla milk, but I have been advised that breast is best and I try to cling on to that belief.
Am now at the stage - finally - where my baby will sleep in his cot if it's elevated (he slept in the moses basket only a handful of times when he was newborn), but he is still a terrible feeder (he feeds for 8 - 10 mins on average per feed) and sleeper, with little in the way of a day or night time pattern.
He's such a lovely, cheerful baby when he's not feeling ill and at times we get glimpses of the baby he could be without the reflux. He had an immunisation jab today and hardly cried - the pain is so minor compared to what he's been through already in his little life so far!
Would really love to hear from other mums who have had or are having a similar experience. If anyone is reading this and relates to what I've written it would be great to hear from you - although I totally understand that there's hardly any time to do anything let alone go on the mumsnet page when you've got a reflux baby!

love hippydippy
xxx

Don't know if I will be much help, as my son was 3 when diagnosed, but sometimes its just good to know others have been through the same thing.
I am assuming silent reflux is when they are not actually sick - this is how my son was by 3 ( although when going on to lumpy foods, at 8 months, he was often sick on things the size of raisins!). He was diagnosed after several nasty chest infections, and in one case this lead to pneumonia and a stay in hospital. Apparently the child is having the reflux internally and sometimes bacteria can go from the food particles into the lungs. He was also put on domperidone and losec and much as I didn't like him take it, I was also very worried about him getting pneumonia again so we stuck with it. I am happy to say that he was very healthy after this and is now 6 and been off the medication for a year, so has obviously grown out of the reflux.
A friend of mine had 2 daughters who both had it as babies, although they were very sick after feeds. They were both on the same drugs and grew out of it much earlier - well before a year I think (it is more common to grow out of it at this stage). They didn't seem to be as affected by it as your son, but the one thing I do remember her doing was to hold them upright for a while after they had fed, with a bib or muslin under their chin.
All the best with it.

Hi HippyDippy

My ds (now 17 months) had reflux from birth to 8 months. He was bottlefed from birth and it only disappeared when he was weaned. He had gaviscon and thickners, then renetadine (sp?) and it just seemed never ending (feed, sick etc ) then he was hungry beacuse he had brought it all back up, so seemed to be feeding every 2.5 hours. He was (and still is) a bad sleeper as he was sicking up all night. He was tube fed a few times in hospital as concerns about dehyrdration.

I was under the hospital and they kept saying he will get better - but I never ever believed them then all of a sudden one day I realised he had not been sick (didn't even seem to be gradual). He was on food and milk at this point and haven't looked back since. In fact the HV told me the other day he is overweight

I really hope it gets better for you x

Hi Easter

Thanks for your message re the double thread - I'm new at this mumsnet thing!! Have also been told repeatedly by the hospital that things will get better, but when it's hard to just get through one day, that's not much comfort! The sheer anguish and sleep deprivation that accompanies reflux has been life changing -only those with reflux babies will know that this is not an exaggeration.

I wish so much that I had been listened to and fully informed about my baby's condition from the beginning,but instead I have had to ask around, carry out research and educate myself. I have little faith in docs since all of this!

J and B's mum - please see my other repeat thread - I have a new concern as my baby has recently developed a nasty chesty cough. Am not sure whether or not this is linked to the reflux.

My son was put on the omeprasole and losec in order to stop the internal reflux which was probably the cause of his terrible chest infections. Once on the medication, he only had one or two infections (probably like any other kid) which were sorted out with antibiotics. So, think the medication ought to stop serious infections being caused. As far as I remember they were just normal type coughs (accompanied by high temperatures and lots of sleeping) - but obviously he was much older and didn't have lying down after feeds issues.

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if you search reflux in the health threads you will find lots of useful info from mn folk with reflux babies.

I have a DS (4.8) with silent reflux - another who had pneumonia - but is generally ok on a day to day basis. I have another DS who had severe GORD from birth to about 18months. And now at 2.9 does not have any problems on a day to day basis, altho the relux is always there in the background. (refluxers can be sick easily, IYKWIM)

I do hope you get some good support. And some helpful meds. We have been through them all.

Rememebr to check out the archived messages and good luck x

My DS2 (nearly 9m) also has reflux. I started a thread about it the other day which you might be interested in?

Here

It's been a long haul, and it's really hard when they seem to keep saying that it will end naturally soon isn't it? I can relate to the exhaustion. DS2 is very sick most nights, so 4am often sees me changing the bed, DS2 and myself. I'm bfing too, and it does seem to be continual at times, when he's being sick a lot, but then other times, I know he's taking too much milk, and it's bound to come back up, and sure enough it does.

DS2 also has a nasty cough at the moment. I think the cough is making him more sick than usual, rather than him coughing because of the sick IYKWIM.

DS2 has been prescribed motillium and ranitidine, but I can't get them down him, as he will gag, cry and then be sick. Same problems with Calpol, but we've got some suppositories now, which are really helpful.

Feel free to ask any questions if you want to bounce ideas around, I'll check back on the thread.

Hi I really feel for you
Both my DSs had reflux-DS1 was on Domperidone and Ranitidine. I had to give up BF in the end both times, as Gaviscon was "clogging " them up . I found that Enfamil AR formula feed was my lifesaver (can get on prescription) as it really helped turn them around (that said DS1 was still wearing a bib all of the time until 18 months, just didn't getthrough as many bibs each day.)
The Paediatrician mentionned a link to me that Mums of babies with reflux are more prone to PND and that the PND has an effect on the reflux as well. Certainly the case with DS1 as all I wanted to be able to do was feed him properly and felt cheated that I couldn't even make him smile without him bein sick!
Universty of Virginia website has some good info about reflux

My DS had silent reflux and was on domperidone and ranitadine - when he was around 6 months things started to radically improve as he became more "upright" and we began to wean. It is utterly draining having a reflux baby however with the right treatment they can improve. With ranitadine, the dosage has to be adjusted every time they put a 1lb on so please keep an eye out for that - i also had to stop BF as my DS basically comfort fed the whole time as his tummy hurt and we were both exhausted.

Keeping the cot elevated is good, and keeping him upright as long as possible after feeds as well ...

Hi, Hippydippy you have described my newborn down to a t. Hes three weeks old and is constantly crying. He squirms and wriggles, arches his back during and after feeding, only ever feeds little but OFTEN, every 1 -2 hrs. He never sleeps longer than a few hrs and during the daytime his naps can be as little as ten mins. Its such a struggle to pacify him, nothing seems to work at all, i have only just discovered the 'silent reflux' possibility and am reading up everything on it. Intrestingly i drank LOADS of milk during this pregnancy and i found he had hiccups all the time. Does this mean i need to stop the dairy products to see if it helps him ( i too am BF but considering switching to formula....)
I have my MW coming round this morning for her final visit so am going to speak to her about it, but i def think this couldbe the cause of his total discomfort and pain. Hes also very windy, but only from the bottom end, and srruggles to bring up burps, i have been using infacol, does anyone think this might aggrivate the reflux? Hes also very noisy, in EVERYTHING he does, when he sleeps hes really snuffly, only a week ago he developed a bad cough ( which i am led to believe could be a sign) and also when the doc saw him, he said he had a red raw throat and perscribed antibiotics.....now i am thinking that hes had this reflux since birth but noone has mentioned it to me. Its a nightmare as i am not getting any sleep day or night and its driving us insane. Started to raise his basket last night and am trying to keep him upright after all his feeds ( no matter how little they are)

Sorry to have ranted, but i wanted to get it all out, anyone with any other advice or thoughts/opinions more than welcome, i am at my wits end!

Jaysecond-Both my boys used to arch their backs and was one of the syptoms of their reflux.