Looking after a baby with reflux

[ames]

Please can anyone help. Ds 9weeks has terrible reflux and I'm finding it really difficult still. Does anyone have any practical tips on looking after him. He is now bottle fed during the day, bf at night. He never has more than 4ozs at a time and usually 1-3ozs so is ffeding at max every 3 hours still. He is sick after almost every feed despite being on gaviscon. Screams when lai flat so I'm worrying that he wont learn to roll and never can enjoy lying and having a good old kick and stretch. He spends most of the night lying over my shoulder seemingly fast asleep but whenever I put him down he flails about and does the falling reflex thing!
I would like to get him into some sort of routine but am finding it impossible, never know when he is next going to want feeding etc. His eyes also water/cry a lot not sure wether that is normal.
Any ideas gratefully received. I also have dd 16 months to look after.

Prop up his cot. I propped up ds's quite high with a few phone books. He was down the end anyway and never got all crumpled up or anything but it really helped.

ames, my dd had reflux (diagnosed late by me because she didn't actually spit anything up, just screamed a lot in association with her digestive system). Anyway, my paediatrician in la recommended a rice starch stay down formula called Enfamil AR. It's available here in the uk, but pharmacies keep it behind the counter and usually don't actually have it in stock...they have to order it in. I got my gp here in the uk to officially prescribe it, so I don't even have to pay for it. Anyway, it was like night and day when I started giving it to her. She was 16 weeks and although I was exclusively breastfeeding, I added a bottle a day of the Enfamil AR and my dd immediately started getting better.

dd had reflux (about 4 on a scale of 1-10, so not very bad more uncomfortable). She also would eat little and often and still doesn't drink more than 4 oz at a time. We too raised head of cot (2 Ikea toilet training steps) and mattress of carrycot(rolled sheets) She spent most of her waking hours in a Chicco chair which meant she could still use her gym and toys. She still developed normally, sitting at 5 months, rolling, crawling at 8 months and standing at 10 etc, and although it got worse when she became mobile at around 6 months it did improve gradually from then on. Once she could sit she spent time on the floor, with a v-cushion behind her (Galt playnest would do the same).

We still get the occasional sicky episodes when she has a cough but otherwise she has been eating normally for about 8 months (now 21 months). Go slowly with weaning and take your time to introduce lumpier consistencies as we found this particularly problematic. You do need to watch out for other symptoms developing as the regurgitated milk can easily breed bacteria which cause ear infections etc, so if the eyes weep frequently it would be worth having the discharge checked.

Hope this helps. If it is any comfort you are probably going through the worst now, but it can't be easy with a toddler too.

Good luck

Please try Colic Calm. Its the best thing on the market. Used it for my baby from 1 1/2 mths to over a year. Couldnt live without it. Baby slept wonderful and the pain of reflux went within 1/2 at the most each time Colic Calm was given. I cannot recommend it enough. www.coliccalm.com/

Like sofiaAmes ds2 was prescribed Enfamil AR (anti-reflux) by a private consultant at BUPA hospital, we had tried Gaviscon but it didn't work.

Cot was propped with cot props and I had him in a sling to keep him upright after feeds.

Ds2 started at 10 weeks old, did the whole back arching halfway through a feed, only took 2-3oz max at a time. Saw paediatrician when he was 16 weeks old, and was put on the Enfamil AR, although he still refluxed (and still does he is now 4!) he wasn't screaming in agony.

We got the Enfamil AR on prescription so never paid, he finally came off it when he was 14 months old!

Enfamil AR is available to buy from pharamcies I think for about £7 for a small tin, it contains a starch that thickens on contact with stomach acid so you can use a normal teat on the bottle. Try it, you have nothing to lose. If they haven't any in stock they can order it and it comes in within 24 hours.

Enfamil AR, with ranitidine and domperidone worked for us. We got it on prescription, so it was free. Finally came off at 13 months. Do go and talk to your GP about it,

Otherwise put cot/ moses basket on a slope, DD slept on about a 30 degree slope for most of her first 6 months, books under one end of the matress work beautifully. I only liad her on her back at least an hour or so after a feed, then she would lie on baby gym happily. Bouncy chairs were a good way of getting her to sit up when you need put her down.

I would now add DD is now 18 months, walking, running, jumping, never stops moving and very happy (and to add eats very well, was never able to go onto normal formula, but drinks cows milk no problem)