Reflux and EASESY!????!

[Kate72]

We *think* DS (4mo) may have reflux, as he spits up a lot, and this is kind of my problem - if he spits up, he can't last through his S time to the next E time, but if I try get him up after E without him having a full nap, he's cranky, then doesn't last the full A time.... = vicious cycle...

Plus it means I never know (when it's nap time) if he's crying because he's tired or because he's hungry after spitting up so much.
The uncertainty takes away my confidence which I'm sure he's picking up on as when I feel flustered he cries more, like he's saying "hey if you don't know, how'm I supposed to!?"

If anyone has any advice at all, please, please tell me, any stories of other mom's with reflux babies would also help. (I don't know if I can also throw in another questions here - how to you give them tummy time?? everytime I put him on his tummy, even if it's past 30mins since his feed, he spits up... now I'm worried he's not developing the skills as he doesn't get the time... help!!)

TIA for any advice...
Kate

[babykylesmum]

hey kate, i just posted a very similar message in the naps section - i don't think i have any replies yet. i am going pretty nuts trying to figure out whether its reflux or something else. my DS keeps throwing me off b/c he likes to sleep in his cot at night, but can't get through a nap there...he spits up and coughs/grunts a lot with tears...he hates his pram and is suddenly happy when i pick him up out of it...he loves his car seat....BUT he also loves lying flat on his back after a feed under his play gym and like i said he sleeps well at night in the cot. i would absolutely kill at this point for him to nap more than 30 min but i am about thisclose to giving up the whole idea.

i'll let you know if i get any good advice. i wish i had some but i'm obviously no good at this myself!
kim

[* Paula *]

Hugs Kate, sounds like you are going through a rough time.

Have you taken your DS to the doctors to have a check up?

If he is suffering from reflux, then he should be on meds.  Once the meds start working, this will ease things and things will start to improve.  When he spits up, does he seem in pain?

Have you popped over to our Colic and Reflux boards, I am sure you will get some great advice there.

Here is a link to the Colic and Reflux board

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=13.0

Hope this helps

Paula

[Kate72]

thanks so much kim and paula!!

Paula, thanks a mill for that link, I remembered seeing some reflux topics but couldn't find them when I needed to - probably wasn't concentrating properly!
We did take him to the doctor but were basically told "a reflux diagnosis is more for the mother than the baby" as they reckon there's not really anything you can do... Will go read on the reflux board and see what they say there. But he's had most of the symptoms - explosive poos, coughing, spitting up, etc, though, like Kim's lo, he has had times where he's ok flat on his back...

Kim, I can make one suggestion that's helped us - buy a wedge for him to sleep on in the cot, and get a smaller one for in his pram (I also use this one under the play gym, etc). I don't know where you live, but if they have them here (SA), I'm sure they should have them pretty much everywhere! it just raises them a bit like Tracy recommends which seems to have helped our DS.

Thanks again to you both for the support and advice... it's much appreciated!!! been a loooong day!
Kate

[babykylesmum]

hiya,
that wedge sounds like a great idea esp. in the pram. does it have a name and i could froogle it here? where's SA? i'm in the UK (near nottingham) but my sister is in america and can send stuff over. i've basically given up on a nap more than 45 min and am going to attempt our first dreamfeed tonight at 10. i'll let you know how it goes (hopefully without a big throw-up afterwards!)
all the best, kim

[* Paula *]

Kim, I think Kate means South Africa - I am originally from there, but am living in the UK now.

We did take him to the doctor but were basically told "a reflux diagnosis is more for the mother than the baby" as they reckon there's not really anything you can do...

  I cannot believe your doctor said this to you.  Personally I would take your lo to another doctor and get a second opinion.  When my DS has suspected reflux the doctors put him on Gaviscon, and I have read so many other lo's being put on different types of meds to help ease the reflux.

Hugs, I hope your day is better tomorrow 

[NKmommy]

Big {{{HUGS}}}.  Sorry that things are so rough right now...

I second what Paula said.  If he seems uncomfortable and is having trouble sleeping, I would get a second opinion, too.  That acid can damage the esophagus if left untreated.  That being said, if he seems comfortable but just is a little fountain  , then meds probablty aren't needed. 

For both my refluxers, we usually did EAESY.  A small feed when they woke, and a small feed shortly before nap (though not feed-to-sleep).  It seemed to help things a bit.  As far as tummy time, we really limited it just because it made the boys uncomfortable.  We would do a mofidified tummy time propped up on a boppy so they were a little bit more upright. 

Hang in there!  It does get better!   

[Kate72]

Hi again

Kim, I did mean south africa. hmm... I've forgotten the make (threw the packaging away), but we got it from an average baby shop (Baby City) so I don't know if you could go into your local one and ask them if they have something like it... Otherwise, have been reading on the reflux/colic board and a lot of posts have been made suggesting sites you can buy wedges from...
Hey that's so cool, my sister lives round nottingham too!!!

Paula - hoe gaan 'it?  thanks - I couldn't believe he said that too, I wasn't impressed... but even after saying that he gave us a form to take to the xray dep of one of the hospitals nearby to get a barium swallow done and check if it really is reflux, but he made it sound like we'd be stupid to do it as "there's nothing you can do..." but have spoken to DH and would rather KNOW, for sure than wonder if it is or maybe something else, especially after having read on the reflux boards about quite a few of the babies needing hypoallergenic formula - I had a milk allergy/intolerance as a baby, so I wonder if that could also be the problem...

Sheila, I really like your idea of two small feeds, DS never drinks more than 5mins at a time (he's mostly BF), and no more than about 100ml at a time when according to the formula tin it should be 180ml by 4months... so I wonder if he's not trying to do this in his own way...

Anyway, thank you all so much!!! Kim, I really hope you manage to find a place that sells wedges!
Wishing you all good days...
Kate

[babykylesmum]

hiya kate and everyone,

i checked out the colic/reflux boards and saw some stuff about giving small doses of maalox or mylanta (that was the pedi's advice to some) so i'm going to go look for some of that today. have elevated baby's cot with package of nappies for now  he's at 30 minutes into his morning nap right now. we'll see... also switched our pram into pushchair mode so that baby can ride more upright. will try pram later this afternoon and see if he screams any less!

i don't like the sound of the invasive tests (general anasthesia!) that they do for reflux diagnosis and since there are no dramatic signs i think i'll try otc treatment and see how we go. he is generally a very happy baby but i do want to spare him the heartburn. i had loads of it when i was pregnant so i know how it can feel!

if you come to visit your sister drop me an e-mail and we get our refluxers together for a collective howl.

oh, attempted the dream feed at 10 last night. he took about 3 oz - the first two went fast and the last one took about 40 minutes! (not much for him.) baby still woke at 3:30 which he usually does if i cluster feed him at 8, 9 and then down at 10. baby was sooooo sleepy that he really didn't suck and i squeezed some of the milk in his mouth but was worried about him coughing so didn't push it. i'm going to do a dream feed post b/c i wonder about if i'm doing it right. have you tried this?

all the best, kim

[babykylesmum]

hi kate, i have a brief update for you:

i raised kyle's cot and the first time he went in it he slept for 2 hours, then he took another hour long nap but i had to wake him to go out. he also was in his pram yesterday from 3:30 to 6 and there were no complaints - he slept and was just fine even when he was awake in it! thanks so much for the wedge/raising advice because if this keeps up my life will be soooo much better!

last night's dream feed didn't seem to go all that well - 2 oz and then he was grumbling from 2:30 till 3:30 am (5 oz feed then) and then up again at 6:45 (!!!!). wonder if it was all the napping b/c he was just playful and awake - not hungry. he fed at 8. think i'll just feed him at 7 and 9:30 tonight. that seemed to be working well before so i probably shouldn't mess with it.

how are you getting on?
kim

[* Paula *]

Kate, reading that Afrikaans is like a blast from the past   Hoe gaan did met jo?  I think that is right, I have been living in the UK for so long, I seem to have forgotten most of it.

Please let us know what you decide to do, and what the out come is.  A milk allergy, that is a good point.....

Hi Kim, what would you like to know about the DF - I could help you out if you need some info?

[* Paula *]

Kim, that is fantastic news about  your lo's sleep yesterday, sounds like it is working great.

With regards to the DF, our DS never really took to it, and can tell you that it does not always work for every lo.  If you are finding that the cluster feeding is working for you, then I would just stick to clusterfeeding.  With some lo's the DF can actually interfere with their sleep and cause more night wakings.

HTH's

[babykylesmum]

hey paula - it sounds like you're reading my mind! i def think b/c of troubles here and there that if something is ok i should just leave it!! i think that i think too much sometimes...

baby is sleeping now - he went down at 9:30 so we'll see how he does this am and i'll update. i guess i never feel that confident until something had happened two days in a row - but then that may never happen, right?

thanks for all the help - i am so glad i found this place and all of the mums here!
kim

[* Paula *]

Keeping my fingers crossed.  Let us know how it goes.

[Kate72]

YAY! sorry guys, been really battling to get this page to load the reply section so I could reply!

Kim I am SO happy that raising his mattress and lifting the pram has helped! That's so great!
My DS sounds a lot like yours in that he's really quite happy and easy - except for the reflux!
"collective howl" lol!! No plans to come over soon but I'd love to meet up if we do! would be 
I have to tell you the dreamfeed did not work for us and I've tried to elliminate (sp?) it - though he seems programmed to wake now so we'll see how it goes. I also have to tell you that since he's been sleeping better during the day he's been waking much earlier! what can you do?

Have an update: Took DS into the clinic this morning to check his growth and - panic! - he hasn't gained ANY weight in 2 weeks!
I took him in to have the barium swallow (I wondered what it actually was but they just gave him something in a bottle which he drank, then took xrays) this afternoon. The report shows slight reflux so the good news is it's not really bad - yay! Am going to the doctor tomorrow to see what he says and ask about the weight loss. DS was small at birth but has always gained well, so it's very worrying that he's stopped picking up weight! I also still want them to check for an allergy as he gets quite stuffy just after feeds which seems more like an allergy than anything else (to me anyway!)

Paula, I think you did really well! lol my sister has also lived there for ages but sometimes talks to me in afrik just to be funny - sounds really odd with her accent but it's fun to have something to share

Anyway, thanks so much to the both of you for comiserating and offering support!
Will let you know what the doc says... hopefully they can help him as it's only been getting worse - that's one thing that puzzles me - all this started when DS was about 3mo - before then he seemed fine... is that possible!?

Hope you have good nights!
Kate