Weaning at 17 weeks for reflux - experiences

[ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual]

Ds2 has reflux which is getting worse as his bottles get bigger. He's now badly sick multiple times after each bottle and it's becoming really hard to manage. We're both covered in sick constantly and anytime i need to do something or go somewhere I'm delayed by having to clean up yet more sick.

I was hoping to wait until 20 weeks to wean him (we did this with ds1 who had silent reflux) but I don't think I can wait that long given how bad it's getting.

If you weaned at 17 weeks for reflux how did you find it? Did it help stop the sick? Did you start with veg purées etc as you would usually at the recommended age, or just do porridge or something equally bland?

Any advice very gratefully received.

Is he taking anything for the reflux? Could you give smaller amounts more often?

Thanks demented. He's not on anything...ds1 tried all sorts of meds but ultimately they caused other issues as bad/worse than the reflux, so I'd rather not go down that route this time.

He won't take milk in dribs and drabs, unfortunately, he refuses the bottle until he's hungry but then once he is, he wants a lot.

Have you talked to your health visitor about early weaning?

I would speak to your HV. DS had terrible reflux which improved with ranitidine. Still vomited constantly but no longer distressed by it. We weaned at 21 weeks as he started refusing bottles and found that he took to it really quickly (was on 3 meals a day by 6 months) but still vomited just as much, it's just more unpleasant to clean up!

Mine both had extreme reflux though it wasn't called that 20 years ago.
The paediatrician told me to wean at 6 weeks . I ignored that.
They were both BF and in those days we were told to wean at 4 months so about the same as your baby?
DC2 wasn't too interested in solids until 6 months though.

The bad news is that weaning didn't stop the reflux, it just meant they sicked up carrotty vomit instead of milk. In fact DS1 was crawling at 7 months and so threw up all over the house which smelled permanently of carpet cleaner.
They both stopped the reflux at 10 months regardless of diet.

Thanks everyone! I've spoken to the HV and GP and both actually suggested weaning early as a solution, though without much practical advice!

If it's looking as though it won't actually ease the vomiting then I'd rather not do it early, there's not really any point. We're very lucky that the reflux doesn't overly seem to pain him, which is different to ds1 who was pained constantly until weaned, so doing it early for him really helped. But his was silent so that's obviously the difference here. I think I'd rather put off carrotty sick for a bit longer