Need Tips and Advice on how to deal with a baby with acid reflux. Help!

Crystal - posted on 04/07/2009

I went through what you are going threw, My daughter didn't start till she was 1 month old, she was chunky right before she started it she just wouldn't stop puking i would put 2 bibs on and bring like 10 pairs of clothes every where i went. First the Dr told me to switch to soy, that didn't work, then she gave her zantac and regulan, that didn't work then she had me put cereal in each bottle that didn't work, finally i went to a specialist and all he did was upped her 2 meds she was on and like a week later she didn't have no more puking so i took her off and she was fine but it also could have been cause she grew out of it . She had it until she was one years old. She was one wearing size 3 months she was so tiny you could see her ribs, but now shes a healthy 3 year old!! Good luck i know how scary and hard it is.

Jeanette - posted on 04/07/2009

If you are giving your babe formula, it could be an allergy to the type of formula contributing. Or if you are breastfeeding then it could be foods you are eating. When they are broken down to their basic components the baby can get those and be intolerant to those. My 4 mo. old daughter is just getting over reflux. Not as bad as some have described but bad enough that she would be choking at night and gagging. I cut out dairy products, spicy, and fried foods from my diet (breastfeed) and it got significantly better. But if you have to cut out milk make sure you are getting enough calcium in other ways like in vitamins or vegetables or calcium-fortified juice. Also like others sai keep baby upright for 30 minutes or so after eating, maybe feed smaller amounts more frequently (if you do this and are breastfeeding, though, you will need to feed multiple times from same breast so baby gets the good fatty "hind milk" at the end of the feeding).

Erica - posted on 04/07/2009

My 3rd had reflux your rightit was such a pain, i couldn't even leave his room after getting him dressed he would just puke all over him self, it took him til he was 14 months to get over it. When we switched him to whole milk at a year he couldn't even handle that he would puke every where. At that age he went on 2% milk his body could handle that. But as abay all we could do was just deal with it, it is sooooo painfull he would scream from about 4:30pm to about 11pm screaming and screaming, sometimes my husband would take him for a drive (and i never wanted to give into that) but the incline of the car seat helped keep his stomach more settled and a few times at night he would even sleep in his seat after the drive just to get peace, but his screaming stopped after 9wks. its was the puking that went on and on and on. Just stick it out and it will get better, i know the frustration you're going through. i don't know how much this helped but, just know that there are others out there that are going through it too and they all feel the same frustration you are feeling. Keep strong on the situation!! =)

Amber - posted on 04/07/2009

This may be an allergy to the formula, and some babies are allergic to soy also. I have a friend who uses goats milk now, and the baby has no more problems..food for thought anyway.

Amber - posted on 04/07/2009

We used Zantac for all 3 of my kids. We also Propped his bassinett up by tucking a pillow under the mattress. We used Isomil advance as well as breastmilk.

Janetta - posted on 04/07/2009

My son also had acid reflux as a newborn, it would be a ton and come out his nose! It was awful. The dr. prescribed Zantac but I didn't put him on it. We used soy formula and thickened it with rice cereal. I also noticed that he had to be burped at minimum twice while eating a bottle or else he would spit up everywhere. By keeping him in more of a sitting position instead of lying down while eating along with thickening the formula and making sure to burp him after every ounce or two, he did really well and the spit ups cut way back. He was over it by 6 or 7 months and never took any medicine. You may also want to look into Mylicon gas drops and maybe put a drop in the bottle. (I discovered with my 1st son that giving them drops on an empty stomach caused major spit up!) It seems like acid reflux is getting diagnosed in newborns so quickly and often now and docs are prescribing meds for it, when the baby might just need a few changes in things like formula type or something. I hope this is helpful, I know how stressful constant big spit ups can be! :)

Leah - posted on 04/07/2009

Have you tried Neocate for a milk allergy?

Leah - posted on 04/07/2009

Also, forgot to mention -can you start her on rice cereal or thickeners? They're a little better at staying down than formula or breast milk. THe rice cereal in particular creates a barrier at the top of the fluid in her stomach and keeps it down much better.

Catherine - posted on 04/07/2009

Both my children had acid reflux from birth and both spent time in hospital.  My daughter responded to the medication and by the time she was 11 months it had totally gone.  We had quite and easy time with her to be honest as the meds controlled it.  But my son who's now 2 had an awful time with it.  The acid would rise up into the back of his nose and would cause it to fill with mucus and then he wasn't able to breath.  It was the toughest 4 months but it passed.  I sat with him night after night and there was nothing I could do for him except hold him.  I eventually took him to an osteopath and she was able to reduce a lot of the symptoms.  The gagging in the night stopped as did the high pitch screaming.  By the time he was 20 weeks all symptoms were gone and he remained on his medication til he was 24 weeks.

I really do feel for both you and your little one.  It's not a nice way to start off with a new baby but it does pass.  Believe me.  If you have access to an osteopath I would strongly recommend it.  They are gentle in their approach and will also teach you a few massage techniques to help relax baby (and maybe a few to relax yourself!)

http://www.reflux.org/Reflux/webdoc01.ns...(vwWebPage)/AcidReflux101.htm?OpenDocument

Has your doctor confirmed that it's not pyloric stenosis?

Leah - posted on 04/07/2009

My duaghter's the queen of gerd/acid reflux...she had a feeding tube for 5 months, is still on prevacid and zantac, we see our GI specialist at Loyola regularly still. Do you put her in an upright position for at least 30 minutes after feedings? That really helped us...even if she had poop 5 minutes post feeding, she stayed practically upright in a bouncy (but NEVER bounced) chair. I rolled up flannel blankets and put one under each arm to keep her from slouching and one under her rump to keep her from sliding, then we just played until her next nap. If I was holding her post feeding, I had her back to me, with my left arm under her butt and my right across her chest so there was never any pressure on her tummy. She lived in onesies b/c there was too much pressure on her tummy again from elastic waisted pants. She wore body length suits that snapped up the crotch and neck too to avoid touching her stomach as well. Make sure if she's throwing up that she's lying completely on her side to avoid choking on it or aspirating into her lungs -sure you already know that, though! Have you tried acupuncture? Not with needles, but these teeny tiny beads that our GI doc tapes onto her hands and stay there for 3 hr.s. That was the ONLY thing that worked for us and got us over the really bad months. Make sure an MD or someone licensed in Chinese medicine are the only ones doing the acupuncture. Other people, like chiropractors, can get certified, but even minute differences in where the beads/pellets are placed can make a world of difference. The Chinese certified docs are the best -they study chinese medicine for 4 yrs, usually in China, before they're qualified to practice it and I wouldn't go with anyone less than the best b/c it was pretty lifechanging for us once she saw the right doctor for that. Also, have you tried pancreatic enzymes or plant enzymes? Those can sometimes help with motility if she seems to keep things in her tummy longer than 2 hrs after eating. Other than that -have plenty of burp cloths and fresh clothes available. Honestly, after I mastered holding her totally upright after feedings, I wouldn't let anyone else hold her for a long while b/c it was the difference of the meal staying in or coming out. Good luck, Sarah!!

Allison - posted on 04/07/2009

My daughter is now 4 months old and we have been dealing witih severe spit-up issues. We just recently put her on Zantac, but that doesn't help. We have also switched her to soy formula. I think you just have to wait it out until they grow out of it. It is such a pain. I haven't been able to get her pictures taken because she spits up SO much. It is non-stop throughout the day. She spits up during bath. Just get her all clean and she has it all over again.

Be patient!