Help!!! Unhappy baby

My daughter is 5 weeks old and I have been told by my doctor that she has reflux. She is currently getting Zantac 3 times a day but I am having trouble trying to get her to swallow it and when she does seem to swallow some she becomes very upset and takes a while to settle. It doesn't matter if I give it to her before or after a feed it's the same everytime.

I am bottle feeding her Karicare AR which she keeps down but still dribbles out while feeding. The poor thing is constantly pushing to do a stool and always has wind. We are giving her coloxly drops as well 3 times a day and have tried Infants Friend, Gripe water and Infacol but nothing seems to help relieve the wind. We are never able to make her burp not matter how hard we tried and are worried about all the things that we have been giving her.

I have been reading thru some of the questions other Mum's have been asking and taken on board a few things. For instantance I have been propping her up on pillows after feeds and making sure she is upright while feeding. I carry her around in a sling when doing odd jobs around the house and going for walks.

Is there anything else you can suggest to help settle my daughter as she is constantly upset and irritable most of the day and night.
[Edited on 12/10/2007]

Hi i know how that feels my son has reflux to he is know 5 months old and he is doing great it gets easier when they start eating.

I found that non colic teats helped my son, gripe water, if you have tried all that then try to put your daughter on her belly on the lougne with her head to one side and slowly rub her back dont forget the towel under her incase she is sick.

the other thing you could try to do is change her formula to s26 gold, if she is having trouble doing a stool then use prune juice it works trust me. If you have any more questions then contact me on maisonoct05@bigpond.com

Subject : Help!!! Unhappy baby
Hi,
Thanks for contacting our organisation, and congratulations on the birth of your beautiful little girl! Well done on getting her diagosed so early, as that is sometimes quite a difficult feat in itself.
I'm not surprised that the Zantac unsettles her- it tastes really bad, and I don't know that there is any way of disguising it!!! Are you able to get it so that it avoids most of her taste buds? are you able to get it down via the side of her mouth, or perhaps in the teat prior to a feed? (I don't think it matters if it is given close to a feed, but it would probably be best to check that too) Perhaps you could talk to the doctor about how much trouble you are having, as they may be able to suggest other options. I'm not sure if it would help, but you could ask whether it would be suitable to use dispersable Zantac; or alteratively there is other medications that might be worth trying- Losec tablets, losec in a suspension, or zoton suspension, so there are some other options at least, if you can't get her to take the Zantac without distressing her.

I can definitely understand your concern about giving your young bub all the medications, but when they are so uncomfortable, we would do just about anything to help them, I know. Try not to be too hard on yourself, as you are only trying to do the best by her, and it is really hard on all of you to see her so distressed and miserable.

Have you noticed any changes in her since you started using AR formula? It is great for some refluxers, but not for all- ad for some it can make them more unsettled. Do you think it may have constipated her? That can sometimes cause a lot of wind too, and can also cause more reflux. That may be something to talk to the dr about if you aren't sure.

It sounds like you are doing a great job, and I gather she is your first child? It is not such a great introduction to parenthood, as having a 'healthy' baby can be a huge learning curve, but a reflux baby is something else again. Are you getting any support through all this? It is really important that you look after yourself too, and that you try to get a break once in a while.

It's great that you are keeping her upright while feeding and afterwards, and that you are carrying her in the sling during the day. Are you making sure she doesnt slump while she's in the sling, as that can put pressure on her tummy, causing reflux.

There are some other things that you could consider, though I really believe it is important that you also trust your instincts. I'm sure you have lots of people telling you what you should or shouldn't be doing (especially if that is what worked for them)- but mostly they don't realise that refluxers can be so differnt, and what works for one may not work for another. It does often depend on trial and error, and for you to do what you feel comfortable with (in conjunction with the dr of course).

Other things that might help are-
- giving her slightly smaller feeds, slightly more often- to try to ensure there isn't a lot of pressure on her tummy
- avoiding tight nappies or elastic waistbands for the same reason
- offering her a dummy if you ar happy with that idea, or perhaps a clean finger to suck on- many refluxers seem to have the need to suck a lot, and it can be really beneficial for them as well.
- try to get her into a good routine if possible (may not be possible, but if managed, can help get the reflux under control, Even being overtired can flare reflux, making things worse)

One other thing that came to mind, is cows milk sensitivity. Do you think that might be a possibility?? Approx 40% of reflux babies suffer from cows milk allergy or intolerance, and avoiding dairy can sometimes make a huge difference. Soy may be worth trying (after you have spoken to your doctor), but about half of all bubs who are sensitive to cows milk are also sensitive to soy.

There are other formulas available that your doctor can prescribe, and for some babies, it can make an enormous difference to them. If you go back through the notes, you may see how often it comes up, and how often it was a turning point for the family.
It isn't always the answer though, so there can be no guarantees unfortunately.

I hope that information helps

Glenda

Hi Maison and Cameron's mum,
It's really great that you are happy to share your experience with other reflux mums, and I'm sure they are very grateful for your insights. Thank you.

It's worth pointing out though, that all refluxers seem to be different, and what works for one may not work for another. Take for example the S26 gold formula, and prune juice; it's great that they helped your bub, but unfortunately, they aren't the answer for all reflux bubs (it would be lovely if it was), and they could actually cause problems for some. Same with lying bub on their belly, especially after a feed.

It's also great that your son has improved a lot since he started eating, as some bubs with reflux do (though not all). Some will unfortunately become worse when solids are introduced. For those bubs who don't improve (or get worse) it can be really hard for the families to cope, especially when they get their hopes up that everything is going to get better. I was told that, and I found it really tough to cope with when that timeframe came and went and nothing much had changed sad

Hopefully everything will continue to go well with your little one, but if there is ever anything we can help with, please feel free to ask.

Glenda
RISA Inc
www.reflux.org.au

Thank you Glenda

This is bub number 2. My first daughter had colic and as long as we gave her infacol before each feed she was a very happy baby and started sleeping thru the night at 6 weeks.

Bub number two seems to be alright through her midnight and early morning feeds and only starts to get upset during her daytime feeds. We had her on s26 toddler gold when we first started giving her formula which we found constipated her so we haven't tried her on the AR formula.

She was only throwing 1 bottle a day up so we were surprised when the doctor told us she had reflux. I am going to see my doctor tomorrow and will ask about the other medications you have mentioned.

I have alot of support from my husband and family but it is still very hard during the day with my 14 month old as she doesn't understand what's going on.

Will keep soldiering on

Hi,
Yeouch- having a young toddler and an unsettled baby- I'm glad to hear you are getting a lot of support from your family! Reflux can be very confusing, and there can be a lot of ways it presents. Not all babies with reflux vomit- they have what is called silent reflux, and that can be even more difficult to diagnose, so your dr must have really been on the ball!

If you have concerns over whether it is right though, of course, talk to your doctor and he may be able to further explain his reasoning. That might make you feel more comfortable about giving medication. Interestingly, it is quite common in refluxers for them to feed well overnight, and to be unsettled during the feeds during the day.

I dare say you have tried using Infacol already, but it may still help as sometimes they have a mix of reflux and colic. Could the formula you tried, the s26 toddler gold, just be a bit too much for her system? Does it have extra iron or other supplements in it, as that could perhaps constipate her as well.

Perhaps a dairy free formula would be worth trying, but if you aren't terribly concerned that she is distressed with her reflux, then perhaps you also don't need to make many changes. We have a list of management strategies on our website that you may find helpful too - http://www.reflux.org.au/management.php

I hope your visit to the dr goes well, and please remember to trust your instincts too.

Glenda

Once again thanks

I have been going thru the formum again and noticed that some ladies have been using Brauer Natural Medicine call Stomach Calm. It says that it helps to relieve an upset stomach, indigestion, reflux, diarrhoea and constipation.

If i was to try this would I have to stop giving her Zantac and Coloxly drops.

Yep yeouch I feel pregnant 6 months after first daughter was born. I had 3 miscarriages before my first was born so we were a little to relaxed about falling pregnant again. We wanted our bubs close but that was a little to close plus I had an emergancie caesar the first time and have been very lucky to have had a VBAC with the second. I think that's enough for me.

Thank you for the link I will have a good look thru.

Hi,
Hopefully the stomach calm will help, though don't forget they are all different, and what works for one may not work for another. Just keep looking for different answers as it does get better- just need to figure out what it is that does help for your own!

I can't imagine why you would need to stop any of her medications, but if in doubt, please talk to a pharmacist or your doctor. It is always best to make sure, especially where medications are involved!! (and babies too of course)

Hope you enjoy the website, ad if there is anything else we can help you with, please ask.

Glenda

Hi there

Just a suggestion......I hope Glenda doesn't mind me adding this........Shae has always been very unsettled with reflux (has been medicated since she was 4 weeks old) while having breastmilk, and was also being topped up with S26 Gold. She was always VERY bad with wind. I since read and found out from Glenda that some refluxers can also have a sensitivity to the protein in cows milk, so I decided to try her on Karicare Goats Milk formula, and she has since been a happy baby, so this obviously worked for her.

A few weeks ago she started fussing during her feeds and I thought maybe she was getting sick of the goats milk formula (which we thicken with Karicare Food Thickener), so decided to try her on the Karicare AR. She would gulp it back, great we thought. She started getting a lot of wind again, however wasn't farting anywhere like she used to on the goats milk formula, and was a bit unsettled with her sleeping. Come bedtime, I would normally wrap her and put her in her bassinet and she would go down without a peep out of her, but since on the AR she would scream as soon as I put her down and then I'd get her up and she'd end up doing a huge burp and spill along with it. So after 4 nights of this I figured it must be the formula making her unsettled, as she was obviously getting a build up of wind during the day that she wasn't getting rid of. So back to the goats milk formula and we have since had our happy baby back. (In all of this though we did learn that she was fussing because even though the AR is thickened, it's not as thick as how we were making her goats milk formula up so she was able to suck it easier through the teat - toddler size - so now we just make it runnier).

Obviously this may not apply to your baby, but I just thought that I would share in case your baby does happen to be like mine and I could help you in some way. But please talk to you doctor first if you at all decide to try a different formula.

Good luck smile

Hiya,
Of course I don't mind you posting!! It's lovely to hear how well things are going still (albeit with some hiccups along the way).
Thanks for sharing.

Glenda

Thank you all especially Glenda for your advice. I sat down on Sunday and had a good read of the forum and the Reflux Assoc. link and listened and watched how my baby was reacting before and after she was feed and decided to give her Gripe water before every feed and the Stomach Calm every 4 hrs. I also have found an easier way to give her Zantac. My sister had given me a medicine cup with a teat on it ages ago and I forgot I had it. She is still a little upset after she gets it but nowhere near as bad as she was before.

I now have a happy baby except for the constipation which I think is being caused by the formula which can't be helped. She is still producing a stool everyday but really pushes to get it out.

So fingers crossed.

Hi,
Thanks. I am so glad that the information helped, and also that you felt able to trust your instincts and do what you felt was right (and also that it WAS!!!) Good on you smile
Just keep an eye on the constipation, as that can impact on the reflux too, and I hope she continues to do so well,

Glenda