[Perogi]

My brother has a 4 month old dd who has been diagnosed with reflux. She was breast fed poorly by mom for a couple of months and then switched over to formula because apparantly the doctor said it would be better for reflux - whatever!

: And now the baby is on meds.
Anyway, my SIL has just sent my brother packing because he won't let her to continue to treat him like crap. He and his 2 dds (4 months and 22 months) are now at my parents' house and he is trying to deal with the kids on his own. They are close in age so that is a challenge and then the littlest one is sooo super fussy!! I am making him a sling this weekend because he is open to trying it and she loves to be in arms all the time. She seems like she may be high needs - won't sleep unless held, has to have constant interaction all the time, bores easily, etc.
So, what are some things I can suggest for him to help baby with her reflux??

 

[Penguinlady]

my almost 4 month old has reflux. i bet $$ that the reason your 4 month old niece is super fussy is because her reflux isn't controlled or her esophagus is still healing from the damage the acid does. but you are right a sling is the thing to get. i used to wear ds right when it was time to nap and he would zonk out in the sling(well a pouch with a newborn pillow to keep him at the right angle). if i had to cook i would set him down in his chicco sofa rocker which allowed to be at a 45 degree angle and then slip out of the pouch. that is where he sleeps but we are going to work on switching him to the amby bed.

if your niece is teething then her reflux will get worse so your brother may decide to ask for a dose increase or thicken her feedings in order to help keep her food down so that hopefully he sees a reduction in the reflux washing up her esophagus.

honestly i tried all the position recommendations religiously(and still do even though he is on meds and sees a chiropractor) and ds still shrieked in pain so my goal was to get his pain under control and for him it has been through prilosec. once he didn't spend his energy on the pain he started chatting more, making eye contact etc yet still remains a high needs child so he does prefer the closeness but it is less exhausting to raise a happy high needs kid as opposed to a high needs kid in pain.

if your brother has time have him pop over to infantreflux.org for lots of ideas on what stuff to avoid and what stuff has helped other GERDlings.

edited to add that just yesterday i was able to play for a longer period of time with my 31 month old dd because ds was a happy little clam on the floor watching us play with farm animal figurines. 2 months ago i never ever thought i would be able to spend quality time with dd ever again because ds needs so much. please tell your brother it is so normal for a family with a child who has reflux goes through a rollercoaster ride so he isn't alone. hopefully he has the right health care provider to help keep his dd out of pain.

 

[rubysmomjess]

My dd had reflux and they gave her zantac which really helped. We also kept bfing though. Also the advice I was given was to make sure she was upright for at least 30 min after eating. So if she's sleeping put her in a bouncy seat or keep her in the sling but more upright than horizontal. I also found that co-sleeping helped cause she could sleep upright on me or my pillow next to me (do this carefully, of course) after her night time feedings.

I hope everythign works out!

 

[intensity_too]

Both my ds's have/had reflux. They were also formula fed and we found that the Sr. Brown's bottles really helped with the spitting up. You can find them at some Wal-Marts and at BabiesRUs. Also, small more frequent feedings will help as will keeping the baby upright for at least 30 minutes after a feeding.

Both my babies selpt on their tummies on either my or dh chest while we reclined in the recliner. Tummy sleeping seems to help comtrol the acid and also stops any spit up from being inhaled. Sleeping upright in a baby swing was also helpful.

My ds started on Enfamil AR, which is a thickened formula that stays down better. That may be on option but make sure your brother talks to the pediatricion before switching formulas.

What medication is your neice on? If it is Zantac, she may need a stronger medicatio, like Prevacid or Prilosec. If your brother thinks this may help, I encourage him to seek out a Pediactric GI Specialist.

The sling is an AWESOME idea. Slinging really helps calm a baby and can more organize their bodily functions . . . including digestion.

 

[GoodWillHunter]

OMG, thank you so much for this thread... DS4 is now 12 weeks old (8 weeks AGI) and is the epitome of the babies described here. I have him on meds (he's breastfed completely)... right now, one of the only things that soothes him is a vibrating bouncy chair....in front of the TV

He's not very comfy in the sling, but when we go out, he's in the sling, never a stroller. He co sleeps and does quite well at night, but days are trying for me... I have four older children who need me and I often just can't find it in me...

 

[lnitti]

DD has reflux too. She is now 3 months and is FF.

The doctor initially put her on .3 mL of Zantac twice a day. After about a week of no improvement, we increased to .45 twice a day. She also sees a chiropractor once a week. We are not doing the Enfamil AR because there have been a lot of studies showing that adding the rice to the formula does not make any difference in keeping the formula down. She has been doing well. She still spits up alot, but she is no longer crying in pain when she does it.

I have also read that there is sometimes a connection between probiotics and reflux, so we have started the probiotics today. Probiotics play a role in the digestive process.

I am also going to start backing off on the Zantac a little at a time to see if she still needs it. It is quite possible that the chiropractic care may be enough for her.

edit to say that Dr. Bown's bottles made no difference. We use Avent bottles.

 

[polka123]

perogi - is that the same as pierogi ? yummmmmmmmmmmmmy !!

DS was on prevacid powder & worked like a charm.
I also eliminated all dairy & soy from my diet.

 

[Alkenny]

Inclining the head of the bed will also help. I've heard that a baby hammock works well too (almost like slinging, but when dad CAN'T be RIGHT there).

If she doesn't already take a pacifier, it might help to introduce one. (The sucking helps keep the acids down.)

Aidan is 4.5 months and is just now outgrowing this, thankfully. My older son had it until he was a year.

 

[matts_mamamama]

My son suffered with reflux longer than I want to admit.

I was so thankful for the zantac rx!! He improved almost immediately and seems to have outgrown it all on his own now. We did try the elevating the bed (still is that way), Dr. Brown's Bottles (which I think are great!) and keeping him upright after feeding. The thing that really helped was the rx. Good luck!

 

[momof3cutekids]

Have your brother check out this wonderful website:
http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/forum/. My 3rd child, Branden, has reflux and this site has helped me through the very worst of times, really a lifesaver for me with suggestions, advice and lots of support for those dealing with a "refluxer". Good luck!

 

[j'girlfriend]

My daughter's 3 months old and has reflux. She's on soy formula, with a scoop or 2 of rice cereal. It works wonders. Also, after feeding, keep her/him upright for about 30 minutes. Good Luck!