Is this reflux?

[cat811]

M has 3 bottles in evening/at night, and for all 3 he is often fairly sick when winded. We thought the bottles were taking in too much air, so we switched to Dr Brown, but it hasn't made much difference. We then thought maybe the teat was wrong (he's 8weeks and still on 1) so we swapped to 2. The sickness seems worse now, and he has also started doing it during the day when breastfed too - as soon as he is winded, he burps really severly (sounds painful) and then brings up several 'fountains' of sick. It's not projectile, but still comes up quite aggressively. It now seems to be happening every time he is fed. This doesnt't seem normal - could it be reflux? Could he be reacting to something I'v eaten? Any ideas what we can do about it?

DD2 used to reflux fountains of milk after every feed. I'd cover myself with a towel to feed her but often ended up having to change both of us top to toe after a feed (no joke). I assumed when we moved on to solids it would stop, but it carried on till she was 9 months old.

I'm no doctor, but I think the official line is that as long as they're putting on weight, it's okay.

Did that mean you couldnt really feed her when out? I;m struggling with the idea of feeding him in public if he's being this sick-it's not sociable!!

ds1 was a sicky baby. It passrd when he learned to sit up but for a while there I had little badges of sick on everything.

IME (my DS is refluxy baby) he was always sicker with the breast milk than formula, I was told because formula is thicker so easier to keep down.

If it is reflux, I would say that he could still be sick even several hours after feeding. It would be worse when laid down e.g. changing nappy/in the cot. Maybe he hiccups a lot - DS used to get them around 6-8 times a day. I found Dr Browns did work, but you have to use them for every feed for about a week for it to kick in.

I hope this is helpful.

Re: the going out thing - I just got used to taking a full set of clothes in his bag, and he permanently had a bib fixed to his neck (poor little thing). If you can get some of those kneckerchief things they are really usefull! Oh, and a packet of tissues are your best friend (stuff them down his vest if he is sick and you can't change him for some reason to keep the wet off his skin).

If he is sick in his bed a lot, you can get a wedge or blocks for the legs of the cot to keep him more upright. We used to make sure he was burped for minimum 20m before putting down and sometimes put him on his front on the changing table to bring the wind up. And we had a cushion on the changing table to prop him up a bit, but always changed him before feeding. We also used anti-reflux milk which really helped (but it doesn't work for everyone).

It is a pain but it does get better over time. Annoying but true.

Does he seem in pain?
My DS used to cry, fall asleep (only by being upright against our chest and looking over our shoulder) and then wake up 5 mins later with distressed, pained crying.
He was also very windy (our cranial osteopath said that colic and reflux are so closely related, it is difficult to tell them apart).
We used to:
Hold upright for 20 minutes after each feed
Wind excessively (we used to hold upright, and rub gently upwards on the left side of his back, seemed to be good at releasing the burps)
Try to keep him still (as much as poss!)
Used Gaviscon and Ranitidine. But I think this is only worth it if you think he is in pain
Similar to There, our DS grew out of it at 9 months old. Everyone told us 'when he is on solids, he'll be better'. Utter crap (sorry!), he just had foody sick as opposed to milky sick. It got better when the solids became more like 'normal' food, as opposed to purees and his milk consumption went down.

I also read that frequent, smaller feeds are better than infrequent larger feeds.
Good luck x

Cat - also just to say that I wouldn't worry about being out. I know it is difficult, but other people will get used to it and baby sick is fairly inoffensive (although I may just be used to it!). It washes out easily.

I wouldn't worry about being un/sociable. DD2 used to reflux upto 2 hours after a feed, which meant it could happen at any time anyway.

As mentioned, head higher than feet is also meant to help (but didn't seem to make much difference with us). I used to put a towel under her head in her cot so I didn't need to change the sheets every day.

hello cat - when my dd was about that age (she is now 15months) i remember that she used to be sick a lot esp during the night and it was awful as its hard enough doing the night feeds but even harder when you have to start cleaning up sick as well!! also she was always unsettled after a feed and seemed to be in a lot of pain. apparently refulx in babies can cause a burning sensation the same way as in adults.

i visited my gp (who is wonderful) and she gave me carabel to put into babies feed which is a thickner and then is harder to bring up. however this only resulted in a trip to casulty and overnight stay in hospital, not sure why but she just didnt react too well to it. anyway baby gaviscon is the answer and also try to feed baby sitting upright and after a feed sit uproght for a while. at night raise the cot up at one end with telephone books. I kept using the gaviscon until about 6 months when she started on solids and she was fine, maybe an odd day or so but no more than that.

hope things work out, but def visit your gp and get some professional advice anyway.

He doesn't ever seem to be sick when in crib - its usually straight after feeding, while being winded. We can tell if he ut him down too soon, as he's obivously uncomfortable, and if we pick him back up he's usually sick straight away and then goes down happily. I'm not so concerned about his clothes, as it seems to bypass them and usually land in front of him (which is why I'm worried about going out - ie in someone else's house etc!) He arches his back as if in discomfort, but only when I'm feeding, he seems to be fine during a bottle feed (it just all comes up-or seems to-afterwards)
If it's not still coming several hours later, does this mean its unlikely to be reflux, and maybe he's just a sicky baby?

Are you winding him before a feed and then about 3 times during a feed or leaving it until the end? If he's being sick because air is building up behind his milk, then frequent winding should prevent it happening.

Does he arch his back during or after feeds? My DS, now 18 months has reflux and has been on gaviscon, omeprazole and domperidone since he was 8 months. He wasn't ever actually that sick but was a nightmare to feed, would scream a lot and arch his back and never slept for longer than 30 minute intervals. He had the hiccups a lot and also used to make gagging noises.
check out with your HV or GP because we left it for too long in my opinon and I wish I had got him on the meds sooner because he was a different child once on them!

both my children were/are sicky babies. keeping them as upright as poss for as long as poss after a feed and a spare sheet under where he lays his head in the cot means you don't have to keep stripping everything off especially in the middle of the night. and make sure you have lots and lots of bibs! it is a paain but it really does pass once they're on more solid food ime.

also agree about small frequent feeds and a slow teat so he doesn't gulp down too quickly.

another thought - is he taking too much milk in a feed? maybe he's bringing up the overspill with wind?

It's difficult to wind him during a feed (although we do at least otwice for bottle, and when I swap sides for bf)because he goes crazy - think he thinks he won't get it back! And I think he then ends up taking in lots of air which makes him more likely to be sick afterwards anyway!
He arches his back sometimes, but doesn't usually seem upset during feeding-when bf he comes on and off constantly, and fidgest lots, but no screaming or anything like that.
He had been on a 1 teat until the other day, but was taking 45-50 min to take 6oz. Doesn't seem any better/worse now he's on a 2 (except feed is only 20min now)
He may be getting too much, but I find it hard to tell when he's had enough.