HELP.. silent reflux

[Veritygaz]

Hello, my baby is 6 weeks old and I am breast feeding, from about a week old has been so unsettled, in pain and unhappy. Initially we thought it was due to colic and struggling to bring wind up. After trying infacol and gripe water things didnt improve. I spoke to our health visitor last week who said it sounds like silent reflux. He has been prescribed gaviscon and has been on this for 5 days and there is no signs of improvement. My dr isnt being helpful at all and said if that gaviscon isnt working just give him calpol?!?
Our poor boy struggles to manage a full feed, struggles to sleep, he is tensing up because of the pain. I try to keep him upright a lot as I read that's meant to help? it's just a viscous cycle and he never ends up fully settled.
I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced this with their baby and if they can recommend anything as I'm really struggling.
He is my third baby so I know im not being over dramatic, he just really isn't right.

You poor poor thing. I have a friend with lo who has silent reflux so I know you are not being overly dramatic in how hard it is and your Dr should hear you out as an experienced parent who knows something is not right. I think I would continue to ask for appointments, record what is happening to your baby to show the doctors and be persistent- your hv can help with this too. Keeping upright for at least half an hour after feed can help, and also raising the cot bed at one end too and I'm sure others who have experienced it will have some more tips. Sending you a lot of sympathy

@mylittleavalon

You poor poor thing. I have a friend with lo who has silent reflux so I know you are not being overly dramatic in how hard it is and your Dr should hear you out as an experienced parent who knows something is not right. I think I would continue to ask for appointments, record what is happening to your baby to show the doctors and be persistent- your hv can help with this too. Keeping upright for at least half an hour after feed can help, and also raising the cot bed at one end too and I'm sure others who have experienced it will have some more tips. Sending you a lot of sympathy

Thank you!! I have ordered a wedge for under his mattress to keep him at a better angle. I have insisted that the dr see's him and managed ti get an appointment for tomorrow. That's a good idea about recording everything, i will write down everything he does so that I dont forget when at my appointment, and start a proper diary too for future appointments. Hopefully the dr listens and refers us to someone who can help. It's so horrible for my poor little baby. Thank you 🥰🥰

Is there a possibility of a tongue tie? One of my nephews was EBF and had reflux, later thought to be tongue tie related.

You could also try another feeding position. If you can keep air out, it puts his system under less pressure.

@picklemewalnuts

Is there a possibility of a tongue tie? One of my nephews was EBF and had reflux, later thought to be tongue tie related.

You could also try another feeding position. If you can keep air out, it puts his system under less pressure.

He doesnt looks like he has tongue tie but I will definitely ask for that to be checked tomorrow, thank you. I'll also search for some different feeding positions that could help. Really appreciate the advice x

My DD is now 14 and still has silent reflux, she was breast fed. The things that helped were

Keeping her as upright as possible - before and after feeds, at night etc
Proper medication, after many trips to the doctor DD was prescribed omeprazole, I felt fobbed off many times and DD was prescribed gaviscon, which was ineffective . Once we got omeprazole DD was a different baby within a day, she was able to feed and sleep so much better. There are other medicines too which help reflux, I remember, ranitidine slows the progress of milk through the gut, but I’m no doctor and can’t remember the others.
For DD, natural development, weaning helped enormously as did progressing to sitting up and standing and walking.

Hope that helps, I know it’s really hard having a baby with silent reflux, but nearly all babies either get over it completely or improve a lot in their first year, even if they have it quite severely.

@Veritygaz it's utterly shit, but when my DD had silent reflux the only thing that made the GP and HV take me seriously when i said we needed more help was bringing my husband with me. They listened to him INSTANTLY.

How did your appointment go @Veritygaz hope you were listened to and have something to try

The dr was useless, he didnt help at all, basically told me babies cry that's what I signed up for!! He was not interested in what I had to say.
I came our in tears and rang my Health visitor, she was not happy and is coming out to see us tomorrow to check baby and offer support and advice so hopefully something positive comes from that.
If we have to go back to the doctors (which we more than likely will) in going to request a different doctor and also bring my husband along too.

I've also been told that visiting an osteopath could be a game changer so in going to look into that today.

Thank you do much for checking in on me🥰 its clearly going to be a long battle😔

Also thank you to all of you that have shared experiences and offered advice, its been so lovely and hugely appreciated. 🥰🥰🥰

Glad you have a supportive HV and sorry you had that experience with the doctor yes take your husband and what about taking a video of baby when very unhappy, incase they are settled for the appointment You can always delete it after if it upsets you to have it. I've heard good things about cranial osteopaths on here. My friend is just coming out of the toughest part of silent reflux- and it doesn't last forever even though it may feel like it ar the time. Hang in there and keep going to the doctors.

Have you tried colief drops or lactase drops? My daughter was ebf and adding these drops before she took a feed was a lifesaver! And a new baby overnight 😊 a little bit of a faff and she was still a 'sicky' baby but no longer in any pain.. might be worth a try