reflux, please hold my hand!

[typicallyaverage]

I'm just having a moan really. My DS2 is 3 weeks and has been diagnosed with silent reflux. With every feed his is spluttering and going at it like crazy and then within a couple of seconds pushing it away like he is in pain, he is gagging a lot, and screams for 2 hour stretches at night.

He looks so uncomfortable and in pain and it's getting me down. I have a 12 month old to look after as well so it is particularly difficult when DS2 is screaming during he day.

I have tried cow and gate comfort milk and had no success and now we have been prescribed with infant gaviscon. He's been on it for 3 days so far and nothing's changed, irregular and little feeds, gagging, crying and screaming for hours etc, and now on top of this he has become constipated. We also use infacol with each feed. Does anyone have any tips/advice?

I'm extra tired and grouchy today. Please tell me I'll get through this! (I didn't have anything like this with DS1, so I have no idea what else to do. Is it just a waiting game until he outgrows it?)

Yes, it's a waiting game - I think our turning point was 18 weeks - I'd put up with it and didn't get diagnosed until 17, just thought I was being whiny (ill-advised !).

Weaning helped massively and at four he had guts of steel.

Big hugs - it's shit. X

I didn't want to read and run but my little one had terrible wind rather than reflux but some of the suggestions are similar. Feeding lying back with her face down across me helped (I had a very fast letdown which caused choking, pulling off, wind, etc.). So for reflux it would be any position that stopped the the acids coming back, the more upright the better (and also for 30 mins after a feed). Have you got a sling? This can also help I've heard.

Sorry I can't be of more help! It will solve itself through time.

We had a similar situation but I persevered as didn't want to use anything that may cause something else to be worse (ie the constipation from gaviscon)
My DS couldn't keep milk down but he was gaining weight so we just kept going.

It went and then came back then went again then came back.

We found the ready made milk the best. Feed 1oz at a time on newborn teats, with infacol, wind after every Oz keep upright after every feed. It's a pain but it gets better.

At 5 months we switched to Anti Reflux this has kept the milk down and we are on 4 bottles a day anyway.

Sorry I don't have time to write a longer message but please ask doctor about Neocate formula it was the only thing that worked for us as our son had it terribly. The minute he had this formula it helped him and after a few feeds pretty much went!! X

My DD was the same and was diagnosed with CMPA along with reflux. We were prescribed Aptamil Pepti and it's worked wonders but we had 8 weeks of hell, hospital and no sleep so I really feel for you