Traumatized from my reflux baby

amother

Dimgray

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 8:32 pm

amother Hyacinth wrote:

Feed him as upright as you can. Burp frequently.

Yes, look up "paced bottle feeding".

Also, a seasoned lactation consultant recommended Dr. Brown's anti colic bottles, using the premie, slow flow nipples first for a few months b4 moving onto sz 1. These are good (& there's no criteria for bottle making companies, anyone can write slow flow but they aren't necessarily.)

amother

Charcoal ↓

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 8:39 pm

Are you sure it was reflux?

Reflux is way overdiagnosed. It could also be gas, sensory issues, overstimulation, immature digestive system, etc.

I have had a couple of babies who literally screamed through their first year and it was brutal. Really brutal. Thank Hashem that I have a calm personality, but it really wore me down.

One was diagnosed with reflux and the meds initially seemed to help but then didn't. Well, turned out it was gas, not reflux. And maybe sensory also. I don't know, he's still a mystery at 6 years old lol.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 8:45 pm

amother Charcoal wrote:

He still has reflux a few years later plus he was scoped and doc said he was refluxing badly.

But he didn’t even cry much. He was a happy baby who refused to eat.

miami85

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 8:52 pm

I'm dealing with this right now and this is my 3 reflux kid (the other 2 were silent reflux kids) and my doctor has an Rx of Famotidine on standby--and I'm probably going to call it in tomorrow. I even discussed letting him sleep on his stomach because he was miserable on his back and he said in this situation--he is very strong and lifts his head high even at 6 weeks old, so he said that in this situation its understandable to let him sleep on his stomach.

amother

↑ Blueberry

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 8:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

He still has reflux a few years later plus he was scoped and doc said he was refluxing badly.

But he didn’t even cry much. He was a happy baby who refused to eat.

Then breastfeeding won't help much for that.

Put him to sleep in his carseat. Really. You'll both be safer that way.

amother

Azure ↓

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 9:00 pm

amother OP wrote:

He still has reflux a few years later plus he was scoped and doc said he was refluxing badly.

But he didn’t even cry much. He was a happy baby who refused to eat.

So interesting. My now 1yo was exactly that. A happy baby who refused to eat. Lc was sure it wasn't reflux because of how happy she was. Spit up a ton from 2-6months but never seemed bothered. Happy as a lark and slept like a log. Still a mystery currently.

amother

↑ Charcoal

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 9:20 pm

amother OP wrote:

He still has reflux a few years later plus he was scoped and doc said he was refluxing badly.

But he didn’t even cry much. He was a happy baby who refused to eat.

So interesting. well, at least you didn't have to deal with the screaming on top of the feeding issues!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 10:02 pm

amother Azure wrote:

Never heard of any other kid like that. Was so mystifying.

amother

↑ Azure

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 10:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

Never heard of any other kid like that. Was so mystifying.

Me too. Extremely lonely experience. Still not convinced it was reflux but your post is making me revisit the idea.
Sorry if I missed it in your OP but did your kid outgrow it? My kid doesn't seem to have oral aversion just a teeny, tiny appetite. She's happy to explore with solids and take tastes of lots of things but eats miniscule quantities.
I see now you said yours didn't sleep well. That's a clue. Mine was an excellent sleeper literally from when she was born.

amother

Firethorn

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 10:34 pm

OP, based on what you wrote this clearly doesn't apply to you, but my baby's reflux is at least exacerbated by my oversupply. In case anyone else has this issue, when I block feed (use only one breast for six hours then switch to the other) it slows my supply and slows her vomiting. Also a cup of sage tea daily (or more if necessary) can help to slow supply if that's what you need.

Another thing that helps is that we've tried to set things up for and embrace the vomiting. Meaning that my bed has a mattress protector and we bought more for when it's in the wash. The second she looks like she's about to vomit I just hold her over the hardwood floor and we let her vomit all over it (we try to avoid keeping her over carpet) and we clean it up. If it's on my bed, I embrace it and change the bedsheets. If neither mattress protector is available, I put one of those changing mat things under the area of my sheet that the baby usually is.
And if DH is home (he's not always), I call him to help. Either to clean up, change linen, or to wash the baby if it got on her.

But honestly the main thing that helps is that this baby happens to be a good sleeper after a burp or a vomit and our first one couldn't sleep more than an hour or two at a time. And our first couldn't burp or spit up, which I'm sure explains why. It was awful, I had trauma from that. So when our newbie first spit up in the hospital, we were overjoyed. Obviously for us it went to the opposite extreme but because she's ultimately a good sleeper, I can take it. I'm so sorry for all the mothers who can't sleep.

amother

Aconite ↓

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 10:43 pm

My baby had bad reflux and bh it's much better after using dr browns bottles with the preemie nipple. And she's not a preemie by a Longshot! Was overdue at birth and is a few months old already but the slow flow of these nipples improved the reflux that it's not manageable without meds. Try it from birth.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 10:51 pm

amother Aconite wrote:

How long does every feed take? And how much are you feeding? I actually think this might work because my first also had reflux but I kept him on a newborn nipple till 6 months and he ate. I just don’t have as much time now to spend 45 min- hour on every feed for months on end.

amother

↑ OP

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 10:52 pm

amother Dill wrote:

I used Dr browns bottles, tried fammodidine, prevacid, paced feeding, upright always, sleeping on stomach, nothing helped, it was a nightmare and I just daven with my whole heart that I have easier babies and kids moving forward

Same same. Davening so hard now for me and all of us.

amother

↑ Aconite

Sun, Nov 03 2024, 11:15 pm

amother OP wrote:

It takes about 20-25 minutes but I burp 1-2 times in middle. She was gobbling for those first few days with the faster flow and was eating too much. I cut back when I switched nipples at about 2 weeks old to 3 oz and she now eats 3.5 oz a couple months in.