Almost totally positive - silent reflux AGAIN

[BirthFree]

You'd think I'd get a break with my kids, but I think we're on reflux event #4 with Jade (silent type #3, reflux #4). : sigh :

I can hear her swallow it all night long and she won't sleep other than in her bouncy chair (her baby hammock even is too flat for her and it's supposed to be for babies with reflux!)... and forget co-sleeping, she won't do it flat at ALL. She's so fussy after eating for like an hour - no matter what. Gosh this just SUCKS!

I have had SUCH fussy babies my entire motherhood and I never get to ENJOY them and they are always in pain and so miserable - it freaking sucks. I want my babies to be happy and we want to love them prior to 3+m you know?

Going to call the naturopath this morning and we're going for a ped. apt. too (just to put it on the record that she was seen ), if the naturopath doesn't help enough, we'll go to meds but MAN would I love to avoid that. UGHHH!

Why do I have such unhappy and hurting babies???? It's so sad and so unfair. Those odds just stink.
~Julie

[balancedmama]

s: I'm so sorry. We're only on #2 here but we've got it again too. It isn't quite as horrible this time but DS has a much easier temperament than DD did so I think that's a factor. We're going to the ped today just to get a script in case I get to the point I can't deal anymore. DD was on zantac and then prevacid when she started losing weight from being orally defensive when her reflux was so bad. I refuse to get to that point again. When I went in for DD's 18mo checkup and the ped saw that I was pregnant, she did say to expect another reflux baby, I think to prepare me. My dad and I both have floppy esophageal sphincters so I suspect there is just a hereditary aspect to it.

[butterfly1001]

Sorry to hear that.
You say silent #3.... when you had the "non-silent" reflux, what were the symptoms? Just curious!

[BirthFree]

toh
Non-silent is super pukey usually - comes up vs. being re-swallowed. Weight loss sometimes (but not for my DS with it, he was on Reglan so he was eating a ton, etc.).

[skg_7]

Julie, I'm so sorry to read all this. I've had similar emotions since coming to terms with the fact that our beautiful new baby boy is not the happy-go-lucky baby he seemed for the first 2 weeks, but in fact is high needs and has silent reflux and colic and yada yada yada. I can only imagine how you must feel having this happen for the 4th time.

Courage, strength, patience: these are the things I am trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to cultivate for myself and I wish the same for you. And of course I hope and wish that our kids will get through this stuff sooner rather than later.

[JustVanessa]

Its tough.....Billie is on meds for it too.

[BlueMoonBean]

NAK

Don't know anything about infant reflux but couldn't read and not . So sorry this time is being made so difficult for you, your family, and your little one....

[BirthFree]

toh
I know she is happy beneath her pain - she was cooing for a short while today and I cried - I love her so!!

Sorry Sarah, I wish our babies were not in pain!

Thanks Mamas... we have a script for Zantac and I am hoping to hear from the NPath soon (sigh - they didn't call me back today! Argh!).

I'll update how it goes - they said 3w for full med power... but that it will help in the meantime...

[Kylahroo]

My friend and neighbor who's a massage therapist came over yesterday for an infant massage lesson and was telling me a story about a relative of hers. This woman adopted a child and had successfully relacted and was nursing the baby. The baby had pretty severe reflux. They had two chiro sessions and the baby's problems were completely resolved. Apparently, her stomach had been pushed up during the labor process. The chiro needed to do a few simple movements to get baby's stomach moved back down. Once done, problem solved.

Maybe worth a trip? Especially if it means avoiding daily meds.

[R8chel]

I too, feel your pain. Jaydence was super fussy for the first few weeks and we could not figure out why. People said that some babies were just fussy. Finally at the midwives office I poured my heart out that my poor baby was fussy and looked like she was in pain after eating. While I was holding her even, she would draw her knees up into her chest and scream out in pain. I would cry, I felt so bad. My midwife suggested I try drinking Catnip tea to try and help her digestive system. She also suggested the Gripe Water. I got the Gripe Water locally but whenever I try to give her some she chokes then gets scared and cries even harder. Finally I was able to find some Catnip tea and that day I drank 3 - 6 oz. cups. THE. NEXT. DAY I swore someone switched my baby with another one during the night. She was so content and happy. I could not believe the difference it seemed to make for her.

Just my .02

[butterfly1001]

Originally Posted by R8chel

I too, feel your pain. Jaydence was super fussy for the first few weeks and we could not figure out why. People said that some babies were just fussy. Finally at the midwives office I poured my heart out that my poor baby was fussy and looked like she was in pain after eating. While I was holding her even, she would draw her knees up into her chest and scream out in pain. I would cry, I felt so bad. My midwife suggested I try drinking Catnip tea to try and help her digestive system. She also suggested the Gripe Water. I got the Gripe Water locally but whenever I try to give her some she chokes then gets scared and cries even harder. Finally I was able to find some Catnip tea and that day I drank 3 - 6 oz. cups. THE. NEXT. DAY I swore someone switched my baby with another one during the night. She was so content and happy. I could not believe the difference it seemed to make for her.

Just my .02

Catnip tea, really? My LO does the same thing... I was thinking dairy sensitivity (or something else, but DS1 had that so I assumed it was the same thing), but over a week of no dairy, it's not helping all that much. I feed him, afterwards he starts crying, shrieking really, going back and forth between straightening his legs really hard and pulling them up. Only after feedings (but would go on for a while sometimes).
What does it taste like?

ETA: And we try the gripe water too, but he ends up inhaling it due to screaming. I try to give it to him right after we're done with the feeding, right before he would start crying... he usually ends up spitting up right away anyway as he's a HUGE puker.... I'm going to have to try that!

[BirthFree]

Where did you find catnip tea??

Gripe water never works for us... but be careful for thrush if you use it with your nursing baby, it has sugar in it and can cause yeast growth sometimes.

[JustVanessa]

Just a tip for giving meds.....you can buy a med dispenser that is a soother with a cup for the meds attached. Your little one can suck the meds out at their own pace.
I give Billie his meds with a 1ML syringe. I just squirt .3 of a ML into his cheek at a time and he doesn't choke that way.

[butterfly1001]

Originally Posted by JustVanessa

Just a tip for giving meds.....you can buy a med dispenser that is a soother with a cup for the meds attached. Your little one can suck the meds out at their own pace.
I give Billie his meds with a 1ML syringe. I just squirt .3 of a ML into his cheek at a time and he doesn't choke that way.

I'll have to look for the dispenser (if we decide to keep up with the gripe water). For now I'll try just a bit at a time.

[veganf]

We're dealing with some minor reflux for the first time (though we never knew the real cause of #2's colic). I can't imagine going through it 4 times!!! You poor mama! And poor baby too of course.

[bluebirdmama]

my ds and dd both had mild silent reflux (not as bad as you describe) but I know it really sucks! I'm sorry you're dealing with it again. ds had it worse than dd does and it ended up being related to overactive letdown and oversupply issues so I was able to make changes as soon as I suspected that dd was struggling.

...I'm sure after 4 kids you've explored that possibility?? In case you haven't there are articles about it at kellymom. Just thought I'd mention it on the off chance that you find some relief through her suggestions. It made a world of difference for us.

And otherwise, big hugs to you mama - i hope it gets easier and that baby gets some relief too.

[jchatneuff]

Wow, reflux number four! I definitely feel for you, and at the same time am SUPER impressed that you can raise your older kids at the same time as dealing with a baby with reflux. Our only child has reflux (only a moderate-seeming case as far as the pain goes, although he still has to take zantac), and both my husband and I feel terrible for the poor little guy. And he ALWAYS wants to be held--I barely feel like I have time to take care of our poor pets! All I can say is, hang in there!

[jr'smom]

I'm sorry to hear of your problems, mamas. I just wanted to make sure that someone mentioned chiropractic care. (and someone did.) I'm a chiropractor who sees babies with this problem frequently and it almost always resolves. I also want to recommend probiotics. You can just open up a capsule and put about a third of it on baby's tongue two or three times a day.