Baby reflux - please help

[fatpengu1n]

I am a FTM to DD 2 weeks old. We have been so lucky in many ways, but feeding has been an issue since birth. I wasn't able to BF due to having a reduction when I was 18 so have been bottle feeding.
DD started on aptimil ready made in the hospital but was bringing it up later so it was suggested we change, and we changed to Kendamil. Wind was good and she was having lots of wet and dirty nappies, but the acid reflux she was getting was awful. She would arch her back in pain, scream, turn her head and grab at her face and then spit up the most foul smelling sick. She would spend her time covered in sick mostly around an hour/2 hours after a feed. She also sounds wheezy and pants as if she can't breathe through her nose.
We spoke to the GP straight away who didn't want to give her any meds as she was still so small but suggested a reflux milk. We chose aptimil reflux, and for a couple of days it was great - no sick! But then the trapped wind started and she was in pain again from that. Last night she had persistent diarrhoea so called 111 who have suggested it was perhaps CMPA? We have another telephone app today with the GP, but would like some advice to see if anything worked for you? Feeling very frazzled, tired and worried!

The problem is it can be so many different things.

Have you tried normal formula opposed to the ready made bottles? Mine never really liked or got on with the ready made ones for some reason.

What bottles are you using? The mam ones are good for helping to reduce wind.

Keep baby upright after the feeds for at least 20mins and wind well.

Is baby putting on weight? If so that's good, the sight of the sick always looks like more than it actually is if you know what I mean.

Thank you for your reply. Yes she's on the powder since we got home from the hospital.
We keep her upright for 30 mins after a feed and wind her every oz. She also has Mam bottles.
I wouldn't mind the sick if she didn't seem like she was in so much discomfort during the episode. For example, this morning, she fed fine, slept for about an 1/1.5 hours and then woke up screeching etc to then throw up. She's now back to sleep again.

My ds was the exact same. Started on aptamil ready made bottles in the hospital, but was often sick.
We started him on powder formula and he was the same, he would cry and arch his back during feedings and almost always be sick when burping him no matter how often we burped him. We used to put a towel over ourselves because we would be running out of clothes to wear!
Then the hv suggested we get him on gaviscon infant, so we did and within days he was so much better. He's been on it ever since, and hardly ever is sick now, and if he is it's only a little bit, not like it was in the early weeks.
He loves his feeds now, he's 11 weeks old. We still feed him in an upright position and burp him at least twice during a feed, and keep him upright for a while after each feed too. Sometimes if he seems more unsettled, lying him flat on his stomach over your lap works best and seems to make him more relaxed.
I hope you can get to the bottom of what's wrong with your dd, it does sound similar to how my ds was and if so your gp may prescribe gaviscon. I'm not sure if they have to be a certain age to start it. My ds was about 7 weeks old.

Thank you for this. We are having a phone call with the gp today so hopefully they'll suggest gaviscon or something. I've heard gaviscon can make them constipated? Did you have this? Also, did you have to change teat for the bottle as it's much thicker?

I was going to suggest Gaviscon infant too. Mine started on it at three weeks and it was brilliant, he was more settled and most of most feeds stayed down. He did still posset after a bottle (many small babies do) but you just learn to have a muslin on your shoulder at all times and some nearby for bigger sicks. He would still do Exorcist-style sick if unwell (and if we ran out of Gaviscon 🤦)

If the Gaviscon doesn't do the job there's also opramazole which is meant to work really well too. We never went onto it because we felt we could manage the sick as he wasn't screaming anymore, but it was an option.

Of course it might not be something fixed by reflux medicine, but hopefully it is.

Mine did get a bit constipated, but it meant he wasn't constantly pooing so an improvement on that as it was giving him horrible nappy rash, and it gave him less discomfort than the reflux so overall better to have it than not.

It wasn't too bad and lessened as he got older. I did a baby massage course which seemed to really help get things moving.

@fatpengu1n we were told about constipation too but the gp said if that's a problem they could give him some other medication to help with that. He's thankfully never been constipated, he's only on 2 sachets a day of gaviscon as well, we tried putting it down to 1 but he seemed more unsettled again so putting it back to 2. I'm guessing if he was needing more he'd maybe be more likely to be constipated. I was surprised that, with how often he was being sick he only needs 2 sachets a day, so hopefully your lo will be the same, if she gets gaviscon.

With the teat size we were using a size 2 before gaviscon and still using it after as well. He's been on size 2 teat since about 2 or 3 weeks old.

Mine was the same - we switched him to cow and gate anti reflux and he is a completely changed baby!! 10 months now and thriving! He just changed so much and was so much happier. Best thing we did .