your experiences on weaning relux baby please?

[mad4mybaby]

ds1 had bad reflux and projectiled every single feed and was discussed with HV and paed at the time to start weaning early as the weight of the food will prob help keep the milk down. i think he was about 16 weeks. Anyway it did really help him. i have ds2 who is 13 weeks (dont plan on weaning today or anything!!) but was doing some researching and alot of people said it made their reflux worse. Why is this?? No nody has mentioned this to me and i do plan on weanind ds2 early aswell as he is in so much pain despite being on max medication (still seeing paed)

Those of you with reflux babies, what was your experience with weaning and when did you go it?

i'm still in process but so far I would strongly say it has made the reflux worse.

we had stopped using the gaviscon a couple months ago because things seemed to be getting better and just the occasional puke. Now DS is nearly 7 months and after 4 weeks of weaning he is vomiting several times after every feed. off to the GP tomorrow ...

my only theory is there could be more pressure on the other end from the heavier digested food, making it easier for new food/milk to come back up. not like i know though!

there's also the chance it's coincidental in that weaning-age babies are also on their tummies and moving around a lot more, in turn encouraging the chucking up.

ds1 projectiled but ds2 doesnt. just possets (sp)

bumping for others ex pls

i can't believe no one else has this problem! we've been prescribed ranitidine today. hope it works. the pools of vomit everywhere are really getting to me.

Hi.
I started weaning at 21 weeks due to acid reflux, 'colic' and very s-l-o-w weight gain.
He was showing all other signs of being ready for solids too, so my instincts were to go for it.
He took to it like a duck to water and - no more acid reflux! In my experience it cured the problem as the solids helped to keep the milk in his tummy. He brings a small amount back up with the pressure of pooing solids, absolutely no constipation btw don't want to worry you, a small amount coming up from a solid poo is much better than it all coming up for a runny poo!!! (Sorry if TMI)
He very quickly moved to 3 meals a day in absolute addition to all his usal breastfeeds. Gained just under a lb in the first two weeks of weaning - catching up for lost time I think.
Hopefully that's a positive story to balance things out a bit.

thanks. Hes just in so much pain and on the max meds but paeds say that is it for now and just have to wait it out. I know from experience with ds1 that it gets better at each big development stage, like sitting, crawling etc but that seems quite a long way away when im really struggling with his pain particularly at night despite him being propped up so high hes almost sitting!

Aw I know what you mean re the pain, it's heartbreaking. BTW I offer solids only after his usual milk feeds, rather than tiered feeding. But of course every baby is different...! Good luck, whatever you decide is best for your lo.

Hi Mad4mybaby. When we saw a paed about ds1's reflux I was told to hold off weaning for as long as possible because the valve at the top of the stomach just wasn't strong enough.
I weaned at just over 5 months anyway and had no problems, he ate loads but it also meant that I cut the milk from his diet pretty quick. He was still sick some of the time but I kept him on the Enfamil formula that was prescribed until he was 12 months

what sort of a time scale do you think it would take to show a diff if it was going to? I cant remember with ds1!

I would say be prepared for continuing vomit but this time with lumps

I weaned late with both of mine. I tried on time with dd but it was a disaster so waited a bit longer.

Hi there

I started weaning DS at 4 months, also due to bad reflux, he dropped from 50th to 9th centile in 4 weeks, and fussed on the boob like mad. (If you do a search on my name, you will find a few posts from me on mumsnet having various nightmares with his reflux).

I have noticed that he refluxes the same number of times after feeds, but the AMOUNT he is bringing up is loads more - obviously due to the solid food he is eating. He is now 5 months old, and loves his food. I also have him on Enfamil Anti Reflux formula, which he has been on for almost 2 months. I find that if I just give him baby rice mixed with formula and veg or fruit - he hardly refluxes at all.... it is just when I give him the remaning bottle of formula to drink after his meal (approx 140mls left over) - that he starts to reflux. I just WISH that I didn't have to give him the formula to drink, as I feel that he wouldn't reflux much at all. I am also struggling to get DS to drink water - but I am not in a big panic about that yet, as he is not constipated anymore.

DS is now mapping on the 25th centile, and is generally much more content and happier compared to what he used to be like when just EBF'd.

I have also made numerous trips to the Paed, and DS has even had a Barium contrast to see if there is any structural abnormalities... turns out all is fine (thank goodness!) .

I am going out to the shops tomorrow to buy DS Soya formula, as I personally think that he has a milk allergy (although the Paed thinks that he doesn't, but hasn't actually tested him for that! )

So, in the meantime, I am just dealing with loads of vomit everywhere, carrot and butternut stained bibs, muslin squares and clothes... but DS really LOVES his food and is so much happier - so that makes it all worth it. I can't wait for the day that he stops vomiting though - I shall celebrate with an enormous bottle of champagne!

hiya! ds1 sick was just awful so i know what you mean. ds2 doesnt projectile though which is good but does 'posset' quite often. He was put on all the 'man made' milks like neocate etc but he was still bad on them and ds1 has dairy allergy and intollerant to soya and egg so he ended up on nanny goat formula. put ds2 on it at about 8 weeks (with paed back up) and he was ALOT better on it. His weight gain is amazing and a VERY strong chunky little boy!!

ds2 was in hosp for a week with other investigations (still on going) and he had ph study, barium etc etc and i understand how all that feels. It DOES get better though. Its the only thing that gets me through this because you dont believe docs etc when they say they grow out of it but ds1 got better after 6 months when he started reaching the big milestones like sitting, crawling etc and he was taken off his meds on his 1st birthday so i know an end is in sight but just a long way off. Its just accepting that its a diff life style to those people who have 'healthy' little babies (meds, numerous outfit changes, carry a bath towel with you every where to mop up sick etc )