Silent reflux - anything to help?

[Nat888]

Posted similar recently but here goes...

6 week old.. pretty sure he has silent reflux. Gags, coughs, spit up is horribly wheezy and looks like he is re swallowing and makes a "kaa" noise like he has a bad taste in his mouth. All worse about 2 hrs after feeding. He can't sleep and keeps waking up with it and I am absolutely heartbroken to help. He doesn't even always really cry - he just desperately looks like he is trying to get himself back to sleep when it happens.

Will ring the gp again tomorrow. They originally said colic and floppy larynx. Imo that's bullshit. He doesn't cry any other time and is a totally happy baby. He is booked on for tongue tie division in 2 weeks but who knows if that will solve it. He has had gaviscon it did nothing but give him constipation.

Anything I can try to help while we get things moving with the division/ gp? I have titled the crib (he has a next to me) kept him upright for over an hour after feeding, burped him within an inch of his life (he is a horrible burper)

I dont even know if its worth trying anti reflux formula because he is never sick.

Any advice/experience would be amazing

Totally no interest in a dummy anymore

Oh and he's formula fed. I used to love feeding and that bond.. now I get so upset that I'm just hurting him

Our health visitor was invaluable getting the GP to take our concerns seriously (turned out to be a super fun combo of silent reflux AND cow’s milk protein allergy). Omeprazole (Losec MUPS) was the only thing that helped, though I was very reluctant to put DD on anything. Can you get your health visitor on board to help get your GP to investigate or trial some treatment?

And in the meantime, can you use a soft carrier to keep you little one upright after feeds and close to you for comfort - Ergobaby Embrace was my favourite carrier, I couldn’t get the hang of a wrap/sling type thing and was too stressed to persevere. Good luck, and sympathy to you and LO.

Thank you- I'll look into the carrier and ring the HV tomorrow. I sit crying after feeding and getting him to sleep because I just feel horrible and that I'm giving him pain.

Ah I remember that feeling, it’s not good. Do you have anything you can use to prop up his crib mattress at one end (foam wedge under the mattress, for example?) while he sleeps? We had a Snuzpod in the early days, which comes with a prop for the whole crib to be tilted up at one end - was pure coincidence that we’d got that and then had a reflux baby, but I was so glad of it. We also luckily had a pushchair model that you could get a newborn insert for the toddler seat, which DD was in from 5 weeks because she couldn’t lie flat in the pushchair bassinet without screaming in pain. It was hideous. (I’ve seen a pram model more recently where the bassinet itself actually tilts - a friend has one and it was quite cheap, would have given my right arm for that one when DD was tiny!)

I know it doesn’t seem like it at the moment, but if it is reflux, this is just a phase until he gets bigger and his digestive tract starts operating properly. And you, as his mum, will get through this, although it sadly requires you to become emotionally strong about things you just weren’t prepared for. Your LO still needs to be fed even though it’s causing him distress, and making sure you’re cuddling him upright for comfort after a feed is really the main thing you can do until you’re able to get clinical input from HV and hopefully GP. Please be kind to yourself and know you’re doing everything you can. It’s so distressing seeing your LO in pain, but you’re doing your best x

Bit late to the party on this one but just wanted to give my experience of my little boy who is now 21 weeks lying peacefully in his next to me for his nap, if someone told me this would happen 10 weeks ago I’d have never of believed them. Since we brought him back from
hospital the day after he was born he was never able to lie down and would literally scream the majority of the day, choked on bottle etc, fobbed off by the doctors that it was
colic and asked ‘is this your first?’ My response was no he’s my second and even if he was what does that matter? What did save my sanity was I have an amazing health visitor who’s daughter also suffered badly with silent reflux, she referred it back to doctors and urged them to have him seen by paeds at hospital (still waiting for that appointment!) it took 2
trips to
A&E where I refused to leave without them doing anything for him, they prescribed omeprazole losec mups and have been a game
changer, few bumps in the road with dosage etc but he is a different baby, probably took around 2 weeks to start to see a real difference. Sorry for the big spiel,
when reading this just took me back and wanted to let you know you know your baby more than anyone and don’t let anyone fob you off with “it will pass most babies are like that” Sending big hugs but it most definitely does get better, feel
free to PM me if you have any questions xx

Also I changed his formula to aptamil anti reflux, was a bit dubious about it as he was never really sick and thought it wouldn’t do anything but HV had said it may help with him bringing the milk back up and him swallowing it so much, may have been a coincidence as started the formula around a week after the medication but found this improved him a bit aswell xx

Thank you lovely. I may well PM you if that is OK. Spoke to the GP today who was so unhelpful it's unreal. Said until he is being sick/refusing to eat or losing weight they won't really do much. I'm going to ring the HV tomorrow. It's outrageous. Just because he is gaining weight doesn't mean he is in pain or uncomfortable. She hasn't even seen him -always on the phone!

Sorry for the swearing but absolutely fucking shocking! I got hit with the same line,
we know our babies and we know when something is wrong, My wee one is a big hefty boy weighing now at 21 weeks about 17lb ish, I was also sent away at the start with the “putting on plenty of weight nothing to worry about” shit, totally agree, they only seen my wee one once at his 6 week check and tbh very easy to dismiss me as he was “the very picture of health” and all the rest was over the phone! Went downhill very rapidly hence the 2 visits to A&E where I was told the second time apparently it’s “normal for GP doctors to dismiss this sort of thing and Are not prompt to offer medication” my husband and I spent around £1k between cranial
osteopathy, private tongue tie (Scotland- apparently not Routinely now here not sure where abouts you are in country), different bottles/teats, reflux pillows,
colief, infacol, Herbal tea etc, pacing up down upright for 3+ hours on end and many more methods/tools. and of course Happy to help in any way I can, I remember those first 16 weeks trying to get help for my baby and no one taking me seriously and at some points questioning myself after all they are supposed to be the professionals! Xx

can I ask what help you did get & what worked please? We’re in the exact same position, tried everything & health professionals aren’t interested