Oh Steph, when are you going to get a break?!
So here is what I know ...
Slippery elm is an herbal tincture, not homeopathic, so if you're looking for a practitioner to help you, make sure they're familiar with herbs. There are also homeopathic remedies for reflux, it's just that my homeopath felt Sophie would respond better to the herbal (based on her intuition). I am also taking her for a CST appointment this Thursday (soonest I could get her in), and I'm hoping that might help her too.
I get the tincture from my homeopath, but I saw a slippery elm tincture at Whole Foods just the other day (
this one). The one I have doesn't say anything about "inner bark" but I'm guessing they're the same thing. I googled slippery elm tincture, and found a page that said the outer bark does not have the healing properties of the inner bark, and that you want the inner bark (you can read it
here).
And here's a
webpage where they say it's safe for people of all ages, including babies.
For dosage we started at 3 drops, 3 times a day, which worked for a day or two, but then she started vomiting and crying again. I talked to my homeopath and she said to up it to 3 drops every 4 hours, so that's what we've been doing the last few days. Starting yesterday I upped it to closer to 5 drops per dose (still every 4 hours), and we now seem to be doing well as long as I get it into her at the right time. The herb works by coating the stomach, so it's best not to dilute it with anything. That means it is most effective if given between feedings (I'm finding at least an hour before or after a feeding for best results). You can imagine that feedings aren't on a very predictable schedule (dang those babies!), so this is sometimes hard to do. DH and I decided this afternoon to just start giving it based more on feedings instead, so an hour after each feeding or every other feeding, whatever gets us closest to 4 hours.
What happens if I don't get the timing right ...
For example, today she woke up and wanted to nurse right around the time she needed the dose. So I gave her the dose and then bounced and soothed her for about 20-25 minutes before letting her nurse (thankfully she wasn't starving, although she was none too happy about the delay). In the 30-60 minutes after that feeding she spit up several times, and was slightly distressed although not all-out screaming. So it helped some, but when I really get the timing right, she doesn't spit up
at all. That tells me 20-25 min before nursing her doesn't give it enough time to be fully effective. So I am going to shoot for an hour as much as I can.
FYI, Sophie HATES the way it tastes, so I put the dropper as far back in her throat as possible. Sometimes she still manages to spit some out, so I will give her more in that case. And if our timing is off and she spits up, bringing the tincture up as well, I will wait until the spitting seems to have subsided, and then repeat the dose.
That's everything I can think of. Good luck, and I hope this helps
. Let me know if you have any other questions.
. Next best is to give just before a feeding, and to just know that I'm doing the best I can, and it's good enough.
. Did this w/dd1 and REALLY didn't want to do it again, but I am desperate. We are still having 1-2 bad reflux episodes/day, and subsequent periods of fussiness. Other times she is fine 
