Hands out hot mugs of coffee and membership badges for the sleep deprivation club.
Well Willow does have reflux. Thankfully because of her size my HV told me to get an emergency docs appointment, and the docs took us seriously at once so after giving Gaviscon a go for about a day, her paediatrician recommended we ditch it as its a mare for BFed babies to take and also likely to cause constipation which is likely to make her puke more, and put us on Domperidone and Ranitadine. So seven new doses of meds to give her. However I'm not complaining as before we got those meds we had two hours sleep the other night - with her asleep on her tummy :( asleep on my tummy :( because the acid had burned her throat so much she couldn't be laid down flat on her back. That eased last night with the new drugs and she slept for two hours propped up on her back on my legs, and for an hour here or there back in her carry cot!! Yey!!! She's also not holding her breath anymore everytime the acid burns back up which was hideous to watch. I have so much respect for those mums who've dealt with this condition before. It's evil - the very thing that's supposed to soothe and calm your wee one becomes more like pouring battery acid down their wee throats. Awful. However Willow's much more comfy, less pukey and has just done a mahoosive poo so am on tenterhooks we might be on the right track now. My paediatrician said it's likely to be mechanical - its a consequence of spending so much time lying down and most adults would get it too if they were bed bound. So we're breaking in the sling like never before! There's also a risk it could be due to a dairy intolerance so I've cut that out of my diet and will then try to reintroduce it in about 2 weeks time.
Cali Has anyone talked to you about Abigail possibly having a dairy/cmpi (cows milk protein intolerance)? From what you're saying it's really ringing alarm bells for me. I think Willow's reflux is largely mechanical because it took a while to emerge (four or so weeks into bfing, and about 11 weeks of receiving milk in one form or another, but Sprouts discomfort was fairly instant wasn't it? That could well have been her reacting to any dairy in your diet when you were BFing. You're also of Scandinavian origin aren't you? There's a huge link to it in that part of the world. The real things to watch out for are, her being very stuffy and mucousy nasally, and for blood and mucous in her poos. Now the blood in her poo could have been from being constipated from the gaviscon but if it keeps happening I'd pester the docs. If she is intolerant she'd want a soy (not ideal as some babies are also allergic to it) formula or ideally a hydrolysed one (where the proteins have been broken down so aren't allergenic). Neocate I think is the one to ask for. Anyway good luck, as its' just horrid seeing them in pain isn't it.