Tips to help a baby with reflux?

icescreamqueen

I'm exclusively breastfeeding my baby. The PHN came to weigh her today and she has only put on 2ozs in 2 weeks . Obviously I'm very concerned about this. I was getting conflicting advice from the PHN and my GP as my baby has reflux. It doesn't seem to be too bad in that my baby doesn't regurgitate her milk after every feed and doesn't get sick every day. She had a very bad day on Sunday for example, she was in obvious pain and got sick after every feed. However, as she hasn't been putting on weight recently, the PHN wants me to give her Gaviscon after every feed. I suppose I'm just looking for advice about reflux and as I have never given my baby a bottle before, does anyone have any advice about giving her the Gaviscon in the bottle now. Thanks.

Oryx

I never used Gaviscon. My son was only diagnosed at 8 months (8 months where I struggled in ignorance wondering what was wrong with my kid - but he was my first, I thought I was doing it wrong or that all kids got sick like this). He was put on medication for a short while, then a specialist milk.

How old is your baby?

icescreamqueen

She's just 7 weeks old.

Drdoc

Op you have my sympathies. My little boy was diagnosed with reflux at 7 weeks. It's a tough road for a while.

I'm also exclusively bf and we started out with gaviscon in a syringe, didnt use bottle at all. Gaviscon didn't work for us but then my boy had silent reflux and screamed in agony all day with no vomiting. We saw big improvements after starting prescription meds. Having said that gaviscon really helps loads of people so might be worth giving it a try.

Best of luck, I feel your pain

Penny Dreadful

My nephew had really bad reflux, he didn't spit the milk back up so it really really hurt him. It got so bad that he'd scream at the sight of a bottle.
My sister changed the type of bottle and teat being used on advice from the paediatrician, think they were Brown's bottles she was advised to change to. They alter the way the milk is sucked down and slows the flow down too.
Anyway upshot is that it worked a treat. I can double check the name of the bottle with her if you want.

cyning

Because your breastfeeding when you make up the gaviscon you can try do it with just 15 mls of water so you can syringe it if she won't take a bottle. I sometimes expressed an ounce or so of milk and mixed it that way: much easier. I used Avent bottles. Gaviscon can cause constipation just to keep an eye too.

Practically speaking a sling saved my sanity. Keeping her upright did more than anything in helping her reflux. It was mild silent reflux however.

yellow hen

cyning wrote: »

Because your breastfeeding when you make up the gaviscon you can try do it with just 15 mls of water so you can syringe it if she won't take a bottle. I sometimes expressed an ounce or so of milk and mixed it that way: much easier. I used Avent bottles. Gaviscon can cause constipation just to keep an eye too.

Practically speaking a sling saved my sanity. Keeping her upright did more than anything in helping her reflux. It was mild silent reflux however.

My little boy had silent reflux and was on gaviscon for every feed. When I was bfeeding, I used to express a bit of milk and mix the gaviscon in. Stupidly we didn't have a syringe so we used to spoon it to him. Very messy but as a result he would take anything on a spoon so weaning was a doddle! Also try keep him/her upright as much as possible, tilt the Moses basket/cot and keep him upright for 30 mins after each feed. I remember the night feeds being exhausting as I'd be up with him half the night. Good luck anyway and remember it will pass.

CaraMay

See if things improve by removing dairy from your own diet.

Also get a reflux wedge so baby is never lying flat on his back. Gaviscon doesn't work for every baby so if you don't see an improvement shortly go back and get proper meds to help.

Last bit of advice - take all the help you can.