Hi everyone, I really need some advice....

For the past few weeks I have thought that my 3 month old has been suffering with a touch of colic. She doesn't scream but she is clearly uncomfortable after her afternoon and evening feeds and it takes me a little while to settle her. I have invested in anti-colic bottles and colic drops and anything else that I though might help. She didn't really seem to be improving with all these changes so we decided to take her back to the crainial osteopath to see if she could help (we first took her when she was 2 1/2 weeks old). Anyway the osteopath asked us to describe exactly how she behaves after feeds etc and after taking a look at her she thought that it wasn't colic but in fact baby reflux that my lo was suffering with.

Before now I have never considered reflux as she isn't hugely sick and has only thrown her whole bottle back up about twice. However she is a little bit sick quite often, only a tiny bit which is why I hadn't thought anything of it. On nearly every feed she struggles with the end of her bottle and never finishes them (I just thought this was due to her having a cold though). She will get about half way through a bottle and then pull away or push the teat out of her mouth and just suck the end of it, taking a tiny bit of milk at a time. She also gets hiccups all the time - bless her.

Does anyone else think that this sounds like reflux?

My lo was diagnosed with reflux at about 2 weeks. He is now 9 weeks. He had all the symptoms you describe and would also gag a bit during day and night which would wake him from his sleep. My doc put him on Zantac which works wonders,. Although now his symptoms are coming back so i think he may need an updated dose. Go to your doc and see what he says.

Yes, that sounds like Gracie b4 she was diagnosed with reflux and given gaviscon at first. She's been on many different milks and her 3rd lot of medication now but is no better so back to paed next week
Def go docs as it could be silent reflux where they seldom are sick but have the pain from stomach acid. Hope something works for you x

Thanks so much! It will be so good to get to the root of the problem and to try and help Isabelle rather than have to watch her suffer.

Do I need to see a doctor or can I talk to the hv about it?

The hv will just tell you to see the doctor. So I would just cut out the middle man! I really hope you can get it sorted. I know how tough it is to see you lo not feeling well with reflux.

Thats exactly how my little man is! I have been wondering what it is and suspected reflux. Might go to the doctor now.

It is such a relief to hear that other people are experiencing these things too. I wasn't sure if I was just getting over worried.

Anyway I took Isabelle to see the Dr yesterday and basically walked in and said i am pretty sure she has reflux. I told him the symptoms and explained everything and he said that he didn't want to prescribe anything yet but that he would like to speak to my hv and then go from there. So I left the surgery feeling a little deflated to be honest. But this morning we had to go back for her to have her injections and I spoke to the nurse about it and the dr has spoken to the hv and she is coming to see me and discuss everything and they will then decide if Isabelle needs to be put on gaviscon or not. So I feel like we are getting somewhere now!

I have done a lot of reading about baby reflux on the internet and I have switched Isabelle on to Dr Browns bottles which have already started to help. I also now make sure I keep her upright for at least half ann hour after every feed and I feel like this is making a difference too.

I found this website that sells lots of things to help with baby reflux, it is run by a mother whose baby suffered with reflux..

http://www.babyreflux.co.uk

Thought that maybe it might help.

Yes that's a really good site. Can't believe your doc's not given you anything tho. We use Dr Browns too. Good luck x

Hi everyone,

How are all your lo's doing? Isabelle is doing well on the gaviscon but she is still struggling a little. Do you think that I should try and switch her milk to an easy digest one? Has anyone else done this and found that it helped at all?

i didnt find that easy digest helped,,, i swear by aptimil baby formular i tried everything before that! my lo has reflux quite bad he cries during feeding and seems in real pain. but some babies have it even worse and bring up blood. my baby is on ranitidine and gaviscon we tried domperidone but it was rubbish. im starting to wean him now which is much easier. he only usually takes 4oz bottles sometime will manage a 6oz. reflux can be a real nightmare! xx

Hi.. my little one has reflux too.. she has been on gaviscon since about 6 weeks (now 15 weeks) there has been an improvement but still get regular "wet" hiccups.. i found that her sleeping on a wedge at night helped greatly and she appeared much more comfy x x

Hi, My baby spits up a lot - almost after every feed. he is mostly on breast milk with the occassional top up. But he just doesn't seem uncomfortable at all. he sleeps pretty well, is not very fussy and is quite smiley. My parents think I should put him on medication, but he's really not fussy at all... should I be worried?

hi my lo has silent acid reflux... from a few weeks old everyone kept saying its just colic, if that isn't bad enough... he would start feeding then scream in pain push teat away then grab it back on off, sometimes to get him to feed we were nearly restraining him, it was horrendous... then noticed he always had hiccups that lasted at least an hour sometimes longer, then clear liquid coming out of corner of mouth which smelt of acid! anyway i reasearched on internet and he had all the sypmtons (a lot of them are like colic/wind) i went in with it all printed off and said i wasn't going to puty up with my lo being in that much pain... they agreed to give infant gavisgon.. he's had it in every bottle since about 6 weeks now 24 weeks! not stopping till on proper solids!

fin always has end of cot propt up and he sleeps on tummy which i know is a no no but until we had an answer to wjat was wrong it was the only way he'd sleep! your doing right things like keep upright after feed etc... i would stick to the milk your on - they can give a thickener to put in bottle but not sure if thats just for sicky babies... also fin even better since been on hungry baby formula, you could try that!
try and get the gavisgon... it'll be like youve a different baby the change in them xxxx

mines on hungry baby i think its better coz its ticker and made of different stuff to normal formular.xxx

My little one is on enfamil which is a milk that thickens in the stomach so no need for gaviscon. The doctors gave it to me on prescription...It has worked wonders..She did have silent reflux and would not drink her bottles and coughed a lot after feeds, not sick that much...

Thanks everyone. Isabelle has silent reflux too and as I said although the gaviscon has helped she still seems uncomfortable at times. I have ordered a cot wedge and hoping that it will arrive today so fingers crossed that will help. I already have her on aptimil and I thought about going to the aptimil easy digest but I thought that it was interesting that some of you said you have them on hungry baby milk. Nearly every feed she will leave about 2-3 ozs and so isn't getting anywhere near enough feed as she should at her age but she is still putting on weight and so the hv isn't concerned.

I also wondered for those of you whos los are on gaviscon - (and sorry for tmi) but what are there poos like? Isabelle's are basically like playdough - is that normal or could she be a bit constipated?

Also how often do you lie your los down to play? Since they diagnosed the reflux I try to keep her upright as much as I can but she loves lying on her mat and kicking and trying to roll over and I don't want to stop her doing that but she then often seems more uncomfortable later on. This reflux business is so hard!!

you'll prob find she gets better as she gets older - think the valve that allows acid etc to come up should strenghten!! so although you may not be putting her down that much now do keep trying, she'll soon let you know if its hurting!

if it's well after feed should be better! i tented to have playtime on mat about 30mins before next feed - tummy time is goos, they don't like it for long but it will strengthen her ready for holding head better, sitting etc... which will all help the acid reflux!

Most babies get frustrated within 10mins of being on floor so as long as she's having time to learn then i really wouldn't worry!

poo's well - fin's smell acidy and are bright yellow and explode once a day usually everywhere.... this has been the case since on gaviscon! but had odd day when it was like play dough - if it doesn't seem to bother her then i wouldn't worry you could always give her a little cooled boiled water a day if your concerned its hurting her that can't do any harm!

i think the gaviscon can cause either - runny like my lo or harder like yours but i' willing to put up with it if it makes his heartburn go away!!!

the hungry baby isn't any more calories or anything just a slightly thicker formula which is supposed to fill them up for slighly longer.... i found that as thicker ddidn't bother him as much!!! worth a try!

xxx

Thank you so much for suggesting the hungry baby, I started Isabelle off on it yesterday and so far so good, she hasn't fussed as much during her feeds and has actually started drinking more and amazingly she has actually started to have longer daytime naps!! It has only been 2 days so I could be wrong, but it looks like this has made a difference!! Thanks!!

Hi my daughter was given some infant gaviscon and some other medicine to take three times a day onfriday she has been going to the hospital with her collic and constipation problems for some weeks now, and different doctors have said different things. The last doctor was female and said it was collic and she would grow out of it by 6 months v helpful but we had a follow up appointment with the peadeatrician and he was fab he said to try these meds for three weeks to see if it makes any difference. I asked my hv if my daughter could have silent reflux as some girls on here suggested it when she was 7 weeks old an d she said absolutely not as she wasnt being sick. I have just been on web site for reflux and i think it could be exactlywhat she got so ive just ordered a cot wedge. Daisy is 15 weeksnow and is so strong she screams when i put bib on now as she knows whats coming and like yousaidshe glugs on it and thenknocks it out of her mouth screaming as if it is hurting her. the only feed shedoesnt do is her first fed but then i have probably had her in my arms on mychest uprightfor 3 hoursby then. Daisy is a very sociable baby and loves attention off anyoneso we just thought she was being nosywhen ever i try to cuddle her or lie her down she cries we even went out yesterday indesperation and bought a swing as i am strugling to keep her entertained in between feeds as she struggles to sleep inday she does but for 30 mins max . Also Daisy hiccups after every feed and sometimes in between feeds she does it sometimes before i have even got ant wind up and then it is game over which is one reason why i dont wind her half way through a feed as she deelops hiccups and thenwont go back to her bottle. Wellshe started meds on friday afternoon and her pooh yesterday was what i dscribed aslike pastry so it is interesting to see youdescribing itas play dough that is exactly right. That is why i love this web site so much it is so reassuring knowing you girls are going through the same thing. Good luck x

Gracie's poo is like playdough too! And such interesting colours now she's on solids!
She's also on Enfamil AR and gaviscon and we've found this the best of all the milks and meds she's been on. Her sick has reduced with weaning but bananas haven't gone down too well. She's not interested in milk at dinner now she's on 3 meals so less milk to worry about at least!
She also sleeps on her front, and has done since rolling over, it's the best position for them as says on reflux website.
Hope the meds and milks etc work for your los. There is light at the end of the tunnel......and it's not covered in sick!