Possible reflux?? Ways to ease it?

[ratbagcatbag]

Hiya

Got a dd who's four weeks old, after every feed she's hiccuping and being sick and generally unsettled. Worst thing is I can get her to sleep sat up, or on her tummy on me, but the moment she lays on her back no matter how deep a sleep she's in, she wakes after about ten mins because she's been gurgling away with sick coming up, and you can here it all in the back of her throat :(
I raised the Moses basket with a few books but that seemed to make it worse as she can't spit out what's in her throat.
Anyone got any experience of this?

Hello, just bumping for advice before I go to the drs tomorrow morning on what my next steps should be.

Ugh reflux is horrible - it's just awful seeing them uncomfortable.

Gaviscon worked very well for us. He still used to bring up milk a bit - but he wasn't uncomfortable. The really revolutionary thing for us was a dummy - which was recommended by our GP I think. The sucking helps keeps the acid down and gives them comfort. You give it to her straight after her bottle.

Otherwise I"m afraid you just have to keep a huge supply of muslins and dribble bibs at hand and wait it out. They do grow out of it and it will get better.

Good luck!

Oh sorry - just saw your latest posts. They'll probably offer you ranitidine - which is like zantac, and I think works well, though DS never had it. You just have to be very firm with the doctor about how serious you think it is.

Ranitidine is very very weight sensitive. It needs adjusted every pound or so. Losec less so but much harder to give if they prescribe Losec Mups over the solution.

From your pm cuddly I've been looking it all up. I tried lying dd down within minutes she was choking and distressed. :( I'm going to ask for losec, I can't see me getting the solution, but I'm going to ask for it. Also ordering a sleep wedge on next day delivery from the website you recommended, I'm hoping a 15 degree incline is enough, she seems to need a very small one once settled, so currently she's in the crook of my arm , so virtually lying down, no choking at all. I'm really hoping that works.

It will be a big change here as she's nearly outgrown her Moses basket so have got to dismantle her big cot bed and reassemble it in our room, getting the cat net tomorrow for cot bed, although as the cat is glaring at me lots when I have dd I'm not sure that she's going to be that bothered. Wedge will turn up Friday, so Friday night I really hope I get some sleep, interestingly dd can go over four hours when propped up, so lets see.

Oh no Miaow, please please go to gp and ask for a referral. Honestly not being content or happy is enough to treat. Weight loss is only an indicator. I get so cross with GPs. I ended up changing gp as he disagreed with the paed, who is a specialist in reflux. My gp wouldnt adjust meds for weight even on the paeds telephone advice. My DS weight gain was ok because we sat hour on hour dribbling milk in if he would take it, sometimes with a syringe. Weight loss and more importantly dehydration is just another bloody problem to fix. Please, it doesn't have to be so miserable for both of you.

Rat, I prefer the mups. The solution is hard to find and unstable. The mups tablet dissolves in a teeny bit of water and can be syringed in. I have proper local dispensing chemist who could make the solution but the tablets were more reliable for us. 15 degrees worked for us.

Def keep trying. We tried lots of meds until at 6 months we were told there was nothing else to try (not in uk). At 9 months the paed was concerned that DS was still throwing up 10 times + a day and referred us for tests. Then a gastro specialist (for children). FINALLY got meds which worked when DS was 12 months.

The difference to his sleep was incredible. Still threw up occasionally until 15 months but is better now at 19 months (tho still on meds)

Ok my lovely dr went to prescribe losec, but in our area it can only be done via paeditrician, cue emergency referral going through :) more gaviscon given and the wedge you advised on the site cuddly is being delivered tomorrow, I was seeing how low n angle I could get dd last night whilst she was sleeping on me and I was on mn, interestingly so long as she stayed upright for thirty mins then it was fairly low, so I'm hoping the 15 degree one does it.

Meow you ought to look at baby reflux.co.uk, they explain thy to get the same angle as a 15dgree wedge you would need nine house bricks under the end of the cot, the wedge is fairly cheap too, around £20. Well worth a try, I'm hoping tonight is my last bad night.

Don't worry about the wedge - just stick books under the legs of one end of the cot! :)

Glad you've got a plan of attack guys. Good luck!

Cuddly, I possibly luffs you for ever and ever hell more this is my first check in after putting dd down in her own cot at 10:45, that means I've had nearly three hours fantastic deep sleep as there was no choking or gurgling and dd woke me purely by making sucking noises although ignoring the fact she has taken 1 measly oz and is snoring again the wedge has worked, I still need to sit her up for thirty mins, but she was zonked on it and didn't wake up when I put her down. Also thanks to advice re gaviscon, I noticed shes not constipated but its definitely changed consistency of poo and she's struggling so I've stopped daytime gaviscon as can have her upright for ages and currently just using it in the night feeds which are getting less as shes settled. I guess we will have good and bad days, but at least this is a fab start.
Miaow I found it really has made such a difference :)

Sorry, also massive thanks to everyone else who offered advice too, it was also invaluable and I have no doubt ill be back again soon asking for more :)

Bugger second half of night nowhere near as good, but it's also dd first night in a cot so when put her down the second time she woke up which then resulted in getting het up, this made reflux worse so back in on dad upright for hours. Oh well, I know it does work.

Great news on improvement. The gaviscon might be better in alternate bottles but the thing with reflux is to experiment til you find what works for you. Some combination will work. If you find gaviscon in every bottle is what you need your gp will prescribe lactulose for the constipation for example.

Everything bad again, getting to wits end now. She's so asleep upright on me, within minutes of lying her down even on the wedge she's choking and waking herself up. I just can't do this night after night. :(

It's hideous isn't it? I really do sympathise. What time does the GP surgery open, ask them to chase up the emergency referral for you.

I'm just sat here in tears, she's fast asleep on me on my tummy, it's just so tempting to sleep like that but so dangerous. :( I really don't know how I can do this, I will ring drs tomorrow to chase up appointment, I can't survive on so little sleep, but have no idea how to get any safely.

Miaow - check this out www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baby-Reflux-wedge-cotbed-Sleep-Positioner-/181125615187?pt=UK_Baby_NurseryBedding_RL&hash=item2a2bed8e53

Sorry crap at links :)

Although I'm tempted to bid just for the sleep positioner :)

Just checking in to send you lots of love. I know there's nothing I can do from here but I just wanted to let you know that people do care and are thinking of you. x

It's hideous and shitty I know, but it WILL get better and then you'll forget and you'll find yourself idly contemplating another baby... and that's when you know you're over it!

We were told that if needed a small operation could be done on the bile duct but we didn't want to do that. The hospital did though offer to take him for a night so we could just sleep. We didn't take them up on the offer because we were terrified it would set off a klaxon over at social services - but we were very tempted!