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Parenting

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Original poster

Advice/opinions needed on 7 month old

53 replies

MZAA · 29/08/2021 08:44

Hi all,

I'm new here and this is my first post. I am looking for some advice/opinions and people's thoughts if possible.

I have a 7 month old baby girl. From birth she seems to have suffered with reflux in which we changed her formula from hipp organic to kendamil organic.
She has been on the kendamil for 7 months now but still seems to be suffering with reflux although it is not as bad as it was initially. I spoke to the GP regarding this but they prescribed Gaviscon for her but i do not want to medicate her at all and have read about the side effects with this.
My thinking is should i change her formula as this has been ongoing for a while now and at the moment we are weaning her also.
She just seems very unsettled during the day and night and its really taking its toll now. She wakes several times in the night just moaning and groaning and appears generally uncomfortable and is still half asleep, this then leads to crying and us having to soothe her back to sleep and put her back down. This has been ongoing for the last fee months now and to be honest its becoming tiresome.

She also sleeps on us in the daytime on our chest for her naps which doesnt help us either at the moment but she has done this from a few weeks old.
I just feel that at the moment she is really unhappy and moaney and i have a very unhappy child and its starting to make me sad. I'm thinking a formula change may help her....but unsure and I'm a bit reluctant to rock the boat at this stage, but I cant think of anything else to do?
Everyone who meets her says she is a happy baby because shes always smiling but I just cant see this when it feels like she's always moaning...or seems unsettled...what am i doing wrong?
Any advice or opinions is much appreciated.

Thanks,
MZAA

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PeonyTime · 29/08/2021 09:18

Try the gaviscon.
Why would you leave her uncomfortable when there is something you can try to solve it?

grisen · 29/08/2021 09:22

Try the gaviscon, it might help and it’s not gonna leave her a drugged out shell of herself.

bookh · 29/08/2021 09:23

Try the gaviscon. The main side effect can be constipation but if she is also weaning you can counter that. Harder pre six months. Or try comfort milk as its thicker so can help reflux.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

6-9 months old Babies & sleep Children's sleep Families

Original poster

MZAA · 29/08/2021 09:23

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

I'm reluctant to medicate (just for own personal views etc) if I could solve it by changing her formula then I would rather do so than medicate a 7 month old. If medication is an absolute must then that's fine, but I'm just reluctant to start giving my baby medicine at such a young age.

OP posts:

FelicityPike · 29/08/2021 09:27

You need to try the Gaviscon.
Doctors wouldn’t prescribe it if it wasn’t safe to use.
You could change formula a thousand times and not help. You at least need to try.
I hate to ask (but I don’t actually care about upsetting you) but have you vaccinated your daughter?

LeavesOffTheCactus · 29/08/2021 09:28

I would also try the gaviscon. I think it’s a long shot that changing the formula will work as it’s probably not the formula that’s causing it.

LittleMissNaice · 29/08/2021 09:28

Reflux is horrendous, of course she's unhappy. Give her the gaviscon.

Apeirogon · 29/08/2021 09:29

There's no reason why changing her formula would help.

romdowa · 29/08/2021 09:30

Changing formula will only do some much and if it would work then the Dr would have told you to do that. Instead they prescribed a medication , so give it to your child. Cruel to leave them suffer due to your personal views.

AnyFucker · 29/08/2021 09:31

And if the 1st formula change doesn’t work ? It can be a slippery slope of switching around and still not knowing what the answer is

Actually the answer is right there….gaviscon

Penhaligon · 29/08/2021 09:32

Your child has been prescribed the medicine because they need it. Outrageous that you're ignoring that because of your beliefs!

TiredButDancing · 29/08/2021 09:37

So you'd rather have an unhappy child for 7 months? Honestly, that's just cruel.

Also, quite frankly, have you actually looked at what gaviscon is? It's not "medicating" her. Gaviscon works by creating a seal or sorts at the top of the stomach to prevent food or milk being able to come back up and cause discomfort. If she had a blood test, it would not show up as it's not absorbed in that way. It is the least invasive of reflux options which is why it is suggested before drugs that do in fact have an actual impact on the body's workings such as ranitidine or omeprazole.

So not only are you not willing to do what your child needs, you're also not even willing to do the proper research but instead have taken a blanket, "no medicating stance".

Wagglerock · 29/08/2021 09:42

She's obviously suffering so why not try a medication to help her? She'll likely grow out of it as she gets bigger but I can't believe anyone would let their baby be unhappy when there's a perfectly safe medical intervention that will help.

Original poster

MZAA · 29/08/2021 09:43

Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies.

Just for reference my daughter has had all of her vaccinations so you definitely wont be upsetting me by asking!!

I have read that changing the formula can help and this is what the GP advised me to do in the first place when she was 8 weeks old....there first line is to not medicate but find alternatives before going down that route.

I was wondering if people had had any experience like myself and if changing the formula helped and if so to what formula helped or didn't help?

Thanks.

OP posts:

TiredButDancing · 29/08/2021 09:45

But why aren't you DOING anything? It sounds like she's been on this one formula for a while, and has been unhappy. So even if all you're going to do is change her formula, why not DO It? I don't understand. Sure, give a new formula a week or so to work, but then if she's still not feeling better, try something new? This leaving her in discomfort for months on end makes NO sense to me.

There are lots of so-called "heavy" formulas that are designed for reflux. Go and try one of those. Have you done any research on options like lifting her bed up so that she's not lying flat? What have you actually done for your daughter to help her?!

BaringasMare · 29/08/2021 09:49

what am i doing wrong?

You’re not giving her medicine for a medical issue. That’s where you’re going wrong.

My baby had horrendous reflux and was desperately unhappy until he had medication for it. Gaviscon didn’t work for him, we ended up on omeprazole. And he went from a miserable baby who was in pain daily to the happiest, sunniest child I’ve ever met.

He has now outgrown the reflux and is on no medication.

If your daughter is in pain and it’s making her sad, give her the medication that will help. All formula is basically the same - a change isn’t going to fix this for her.

Wagglerock · 29/08/2021 09:54

But it's not been a few weeks with no change, it's been 5 months. If you had ear ache for example would you just leave it for 5 months with no treatment? No, of course not.

I had reflux when pregnant both times and it was miserable, thank god for gaviscon.

Vicky1989x · 29/08/2021 10:05

I tried every formula on the market and none helped my DD (and FYI her reflux was bad). Only thing that helped was the gaviscon. If you don’t want to medicate her, try carobel instead (it’s a milk thickener).

Original poster

MZAA · 29/08/2021 10:05

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I was reluctant to change the formula initially because I didn't want to upset her system and her reflux had got much better than what it was, but I think I will do so now to see

I don't mean to be rude but for the person that suggested I haven't done my research is completely wrong. I have joined this forum for advice and people's opinions not to be spoken to in a rude like manner and feel like I am being judged.

Thanks to all that have posted in a polite manner to me and the suggestions.

OP posts:

TiredButDancing · 29/08/2021 10:14

But you haven't researched. Gaviscon is not "medicating". That's just a fact. [shrug]

Original poster

MZAA · 29/08/2021 10:21

Without getting into a debate....of course Gaviscon is medicating. If it wasnt it would be available over the counter to buy ...its prescribed by a GP.. Anything that is prescribed is medicating. My GP was reluctant to prescribe until all other avenues had been explored.
Any drug that is prescribed by a GP is medication.

OP posts:

Wowthatsalot · 29/08/2021 10:25

Try the bloody Gaviscon!

You'd rather her be in pain then use a very well established medicine?

It's not like the GP has given you some weird potion from a with him doctor!

TiredButDancing · 29/08/2021 10:28

Perhaps I'm making assumptions here, but you seem to have an issue with "medicating" your daughter - I assume on the basis that you're worrying about side effects and/or about what that medicine does to her body? Which I get. But Gaviscon, while needing to be prescribed by a doctor, doesn't do any of those things. Calpol has more of an effect on her actual body than Gaviscon does. As a PP has said, Gaviscon can cause constipation because the same thing that creates the seal to prevent regurgitation unfortunately can also make it quite difficult in the other direction.

My doctor prescribed vitamin D supplements for me recently. I don't consider that "medicating" either. They were prescribed because they were very high levels, much higher than anything available over the counter but Vitamin D is not medicine.

cptartapp · 29/08/2021 10:28

Are you trying to keep her free from chemicals or something ? I don't get it. You'll look back in this when she's older and wonder what the hell you were playing at.
As her parent it's your duty to be acting in her best interests.
Choosing for her to be unhappy and in pain with sad parents finding her behaviour 'tiresome' when there's a medically established remedy to try is not it.

Vicky1989x · 29/08/2021 10:29

Just an FYI… infant gaviscon IS available to buy over the counter. The GPs are reluctant to prescribe it because of cost, nothing else.

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