feeding and reflux

[tere]

My DD was diagnosed with silent reflux. She makes out well during the day but nights have been horrible. We were up every hour but after some adjustments in her diet and other issues we have managed to every 2-3 hours. I was wondering if anyone out there whose child has reflux experiences wakings were the baby screams until having the bottle. I really do not believe my DD is hungry because she only eats an ounce or two. I want to try and eliminate the feedings to see if it will help her sleep longer however she screams until she gets what she needs. Is it even fair to try Ferber with her? Any advice will help?

[lisaE]

Sometimes with reflux, the milk helps to soothe the stomach. Especially if she's breastfed. Does she take medication?

Also, my ped told me that after DS eats at night, keep him upright for 30 mins. So maybe keep her upright so that the food can get down and stay down. When baby lies down right after feeding, that food has a tendency to come back up a little and irritate.

HTH

[COElizabeth]

I agree with the PP. She is probably wanting the milk to coat her sore throat. Letting her cry will make things worse in the reflux department, so I would definitely avoid that at this stage. Keeping her upright after meals is a good idea. It also sounds like whatever medication she is on is not working for her, or not working yet. Zantac, for example, can take a week or two to start working, but if you are not seeing results after that time, I would ask your ped to try something different. There are several options out there, and Zantac doesn't work for all babies with reflux. I hope she feels better soon.

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
EDD #2, 10-30-04

[damonlesli]

My 3 month old is currently on Zantac for reflux and was doing the same thing your little one is doing (waking up and taking only a little bit of milk). He has had good luck with it - seems to help the burning sensation but he still throws up. Our pediatrician wanted us to try thickening his breast milk with rice cereal to help keep his food down and that has helped as well. Maybe you could check with your pediatrician to see if that is recommended with your baby. We don't put much cereal in his bottle but just enough to make it slightly thicker and he doesn't have problems taking it with his bottle. Also, you can buy a wedge to put in his crib (it fits under the sheet) that will raise his head and chest and help keep food in the stomach. You can buy it at BRU - that has helped a lot for us too. If Zantac doesn't work, there is Prilosec which helps empty the stomach faster so there is less time for reflux to occur. Our baby refused the Prilosec because of the taste and you have to give 20-30 minutes before feeding which isn't fun in the middle of the night!! Good luck and hope your little one feels better soon.

lesli
mom of Brayden 7-28-04

[tere]

We are trying the cereal, but no medication. Since her case seems mild we want to wait and see what we can do before we give her the meds. I am also very careful not to lay down her for at least 30 minutes after eating. Actually last night my DD slept for 7 hours ate and fell back to sleep. It could just be a fluke, but at least I got one good night's sleep. Thanks for the advice.

[missmelis01]

When my son was diagnosed with reflux, he was put on Zantac, but we also gave him Maalox just before bed to help coat his throat. Our ped also told us to elevate his crib mattress so he would sleep on an incline. Both the Maalox and elevated mattress helped a great deal.

But be warned -- elevating the mattres is easy, keeping your little gal from rolling down is hard!! My friend is a children's hospital nurse and she said in the hospital they place the boppy around the babies' butts to keep them from rolling. It worked for us!

As far as the Ferber technique, I don't believe it is recommended until 6 months, so your DD might be a little young for it. And, I think you might find, that if you can help alleviate the reflux at night, you won't need to use it.

Good luck!

[sntm]

Ferber does not recommend his technique for babies with medical problems either, as crying will worsen the reflux. He actually doesn't recommend his techinique at all these days, but that's another post...
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shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03
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Breastfeeding 16 months and counting

[Rachels]

I haven't read the responses, but there's no way I'd use sleep training with a reflux baby. She cries because she hurts. My daughter has reflux, too, and when it flares up, it hurts her to have an empty belly. A little food will make her more comfortable and will reduce the risk of esophogeal damage from the reflux.

I know it's hard. I found that we needed to try a bunch of different meds before we settled on one that worked. Figuring out food sensitivities also helped dramatically. The awful nights were hard to bear and still are when they happen. You need support. So does your baby. Being left to cry through pain isn't going to help her at all, or you either, since she'll still wake up. If I can offer help, please email me. I've been there.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02


"When you know better, you do better."
Maya Angelou

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Two years and counting!