Acid Reflux - Springfield, VA

If you want to try the formula route, Enfamil makes one for babies who spitup frequently. It has added rice starch. It does make a significant difference, but sometimes clogs the bottle nipple, (doesn't dissolve very easily). Good Luck!

Hi S.,
The Walmart brand formula has way less bubbles in it and is cheaper (double bonus) You can also prop the crib or crib mattress up a little bit. Try to have him sitting or laying more up right with his chest supported.
Good luck.
K.

Dear S.,

Quick thing to try to help relieve the reflux right now, prop up the head of his crib (just one end) a couple of inches. If it is reflux, gravity should help him.

My youngest son had acid reflux as a baby. Unfortunately, it was not diagnosed until he was 3 months old. He had developed pneumonia from the fluid that was backing up in his esophagus. It was aspirated into his lungs. It was very scary. I nursed my son for 2 years since that was the easiest for him to digest.

The thing you need to be most careful of is that the acid that backs up can cause damage to the esophagus. The damage can leave scar tissue. It is a serious condition and very important to get this under control ASAP. (Imagine having acidy vomit back up into your mouth, nose and throat every time you lie down, it's very unpleasant for those who suffer from it.)

We used liquid Zantac and also Propulsid. This was many years ago, he is now 13. The meds may have changed now. He was on the meds for a couple of years, until he grew out of it enough that he could take Tums as necessary. He is fine today.

Best of luck to you,
T.

My son had acid reflux and was in terrible pain until we got the diagnosis. A sign that his throat is hurting is that he would sort of lift his chin up and away as far as he could, trying to get away from the burning going on in his throat.

I believe the pediatrician told me it was that the muscles that close the stomach we're closing all the way, so acid was traveling up his esophagus/throat.

I respect your position on wanting to find a natural remedy, and there may be one - but I will tell you that we gave him liquid Prevacid or something, a prescription from the pharmacy, and he had immediate relief. It lasted a certain amount of time, and like clockwork, he would start crying when it ran out.

This being said, consider that if it is a question of anatomy, if your herbal options don't make a change quickly, if your baby really does have this, he is probably in a lot of pain while you try other things, so consider this in the length of time you give the other options a chance.

My daughter suffered from acid reflux for the first 8 months...I feel you pain! She never spit up, the reflux would come up as high as her throat and she would swallo0w if back down and start screaming because it hurt of course. One thing I found helped (and it is really a simple thing) was I never laid her down after she ate. I would keep her sitting up in my lap, swing, whatever worked and I kept her from being 'bounced' by anyone else for at least 1/2 hour to 45 min after she ate. It didn't solve everything, but it sure cut down on it, and all without having to force her to take anything.

Hope this helps,
Jen

Try Miracle Water. It changes the body ph to make it less acid. Google and read up on tnhis truly miracle cure. it worked for me.

Is there a reason you are not breastfeeding your baby? I would not be surprised if the formula is not contributing to the problem! Good luck!

My son had severe acid reflux so I understand your pain! I have mostly the same suggestions that the other Mom's mentioned (i.e. keeping him upright after feeding, propping the end of the bassinet, etc.) Changing his formula could actually aggravate the condition initially so you should talk to the pediatrician first before you do. We had a great experience with the Walmart brand Parent Choice Soy formula though, if you do end up changing. My son did much better with it than the other name brands. Also, talk to you pediatrician about medication. Ours recommended no medication unless he showed signs of burning when he ate. We did eventually have to put him on Zantac (which made him a happy spitter,) but I have friends who never had to medicate at all. My understanding from our pediatrician is that the medication won't actually improve the amount that he's spitting but simply keep the acid from burning his throat, if that's a problem. Good luck!

Chirpractic care can completely fix Acid Reflux. I know I sound like a broken record as that is advice I gave another mom, but it is the safest way to treat your child to insure a healthy life through a strong immune system. Medicines only put a band aid on things that are wrong internally. If you are in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia I HIGHLY recommend Reinhold Chiropractic. He treats my whole family, including my 9year old and 1 year old nephews, and I plan to have him at the hospital to adjust my child immediately after birth.
http://www.reinholdchiro.com/

You could try what are typically called "reflux precautions": keeping him upright during feeds (not reclined) and for 30 minutes after each feeding and frequent burping (after each ounce or so). I would talk to his pediatrician before switching formula.

My son had reflux really badly too and I agree with Beth B. It was horrible until we received the prescription for Axid which he is still on at 10 months. We switched from regular formula, Enfamil Lipil, to a gentle formula. Just some advice, starting as soon as possible, keep a very detailed list of all symptoms, when they occur, the degree of his discomfort, how long a crying spell lasts and every little detail you can think of. The more you can tell the pediatrician, the better he can diagnose him and prescribe the right medication. There are alot of degrees of acid reflux and different types of meds out there. There's a type of med that prevents the acid from producing and one that prevents the acid from moving up the esophagus. We also kept him upright most of the time, even while he slept. He slept in the carseat in our room for weeks just to keep him comfortable. That helped alot until the Axid started to work, which was almost immediately. I hope that helps and I like your name...S.. :)

I am so sorry to hear that your son may have reflux, it is very tough for your baby (and you!) to go through and very painful. My son had it for his first year and I did put him on zantac which was really the only major relief for him, there are other little things that you can do to help but the meds change the ph level in their stomach to keep the acid down. It is extremely painful for them and can do real damage to their esophogus.

Here are some little tips: Elevate one end (where his head is) of his bassinet by about 8 inches to help keep his food down while he sleeps. Also, keep his head elevated while he eats then for another 20 minutes after he eats before laying him down. This will help his food to digest and keep it down. Mylicon drops also help the gas aspect of it all. I also highly recommend The Miracle Blanket. You can only get them online (just google it) and it is the best swaddle blanket ever. It really helped my son sleep.

Good Luck! Remember, babies should be happy the majority of the time and not crying the majority of the time. There is also a difference between a cry of pain and any other cry (as a mom of two you probably know this!).

Keeping him propped upright for 30 mins after each feeding can help. And if he isn't breastfeed, trying to keep him up during feedings can help also. My niece had reflux really bad and spent a lot of time in the car carrier, swing and bouncy seat.

Mylecon (sp?) CAN NOT BE ABSORBED BY THE BODY. IT WILL GIVE RELIEF WITH THE FIRST FEEDING !!! GIVE THAT BOY 3 GOOD DROPS JUST BEFORE FEEDING AND YOU WILL RELIEVE HIS PAIN!!!
NATURAL IS GREAT AND REALLY MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BACK OFF THE "GIVE ME A PILL TO FIX IT" MINDSET. BUT IF YOU LET THIS GO ON ANY LONGER YOU CAN DAMAGE HIS VERY SENSITIVE SYSTEM. AND LIKE I SAID IT'S NOT ABSORBED IN THE BODY! ANY GROCERY?DRUG STORE WILL HAVE IT IN THE BABY ISLE....GET HIM SOME RELIEF AND PREVENT FUTURE PROBLEMS.
~been there, done that and got the t-shirt!
Stac

Hi! I was reading your post and thought I'd respond b/c I can relate with your desire to keep your kids on the more natural herbal supplements. I believe that's the way to go and that's what I've done with my son as well. In fact, I have switched my store over to a Wellness Store that makes ONLY those types of products. They specialize in natural NON toxic products for all the rooms in your house. They have cleaners, food, make up and skin care, over the counter pharmacy, bath and body items and vitamins and supplements. If you'd like, I would be happy to share the store with you and how you can also shop there at wholesale cost. If this is something that is important to you, please don't hesitate to email me at ____@____.com and we'll set that up for ya.

For me, I take a probiotic that keeps me from getting heartburn (which I started getting after I had my son). I know it also helps with acid reflux and other gastrointestinal problems. Being a probiotic, it's the opposite of an antibiotic.

Best of luck at the doctors!
J.

I sympathsize with your situation. My daughter is now 3 mos. but has had reflux since birth. I too use grip water, but I still need the meds to keep things under control. My hope is that she will be able to wean off meds as she gets older. My suggestions are as follows:
1.) The Grip Water Colic Calm is so much better than what I bought at the drug store. It works in minutes. http://www.coliccalm.com/index.html
2.) I have found GREAT success with a chiropractor that specializes in babies. Often babies have kinks in bodies after the trauma of birth...this chronic discomfort heightens the neurological system which in turn surfaces in digestive issues. By relaxing the nervous system the digestive system relaxes as well. My daughter is so much better b/c of the treatment she got. She still has reflux and needs meds but it's not as bad as it first was and she's so much happier! If you're in the Gaithersburg area Dr. Beth Tedesco of Healing Hands Chiropractic is fantastic with babies!
3.) Bottles do make a difference. I resisted switching bottles for awhile, but so many friends and a pediatrician recommended Dr. Brown's brand. It has helped a lot and was worth the expense of switching over. (If you're not nursing.)
4.) A wedge to sleep on is helpful as it keeps the baby upright after feedings and reduces the spit up/heartburn. (My daughter hates using it, but it does reduce spit up.)
5.) Try feeding the baby in more of an upright position and try to keep the baby upright for 20 minutes after feeding. (Sometimes I use the swing after a feeding to keep her upright.)
6.) Sounds like you're already considering switching formulas or have. I use a lactose free one (Soy actually) and that helps; my daughter really reacts to lactose. Talk to your pediatrican when you go in though, I'm not sure with the age/premie aspect of your child, but the rice infused formulas are usually helpful for reflux too. I used it for a little while, but the lactose bothered my daughter too much to stick with it.
7.) Last piece of advice, if you do go to meds ask for Prevacid (or another brand) NOT ZANTAC. Sometimes doctors start with Zantac b/c it's liquid and available in generic form(Prevacid dissovles in formula/water). However, Zantac is alcohol based and sometimes "burns" when swallowed (when there is any esophogial errosion). Zantac made my daughter's condition worse and it weeks and multiple trips to the doctor's office to figure that out.

Hope that helps. Best of luck.

I used gentlease formula. It really helped with my baby.

My son had the same problem, gripe water is wonderful and I still use it (he's 2.5 now). I had to put my son on meds, but I also tried some other things that helped and I was able to get him off the meds quickly. Nursing is the best, since it's easiest for them to digest and the most natural. If you give him a bottle, put a small about of rice cereal in it, I recommend Beachnut because it doesn't have soy in it and a soy allergy may make it worse. Now, this isn't rice to feed the baby with, I'm only taking about a 1/2 teaspoon, to thicken the formula so that it stays down better. This is what my pediatrican had me do, but I gave my son his first bottle after 3 months old, so talk to your pediatrican, but know this amount of cereal will not be like starting solids, it's only to thicken the formula so the baby can keep it down better. Also, I had to start using Aliementum formula because an intolerance to milk was making the acid reflux worse, so look for that. I completely removed ALL dairy/whey protein from my diet so I could nurse and when I supplemenented with formula, it was this because it's predigested protein so they don't produce a reaction. Best of luck and feel free to contact me if you would like to know more or need to talk, it is very scary and frustrating when your small baby is sick. My prayers are with you and your family!

Hi there,

Did your doctor tell u to try and elevate the baby's crib? That does help. Don't use a pillow or anything in the crib as this is dangerous - rather try propping the head end of the crib on something that is stable. You can also try Woodwards Gripe Water - its an antacid that is suitable for newborns.

If you have any milk left, try either pumping it and feeding him or latching him on. Formula is much harder to digest and can make the reflux much worse than it has to be.

If you have no desire to breastfeed him, ignore this. If you do, there are many resources that I can point you to in order to re-establish your supply and get him latched on. It is a bit of work, but most women find it to be worth the effort. The quicker you do it, the higher the chances of success. Message me if you are interested.

S.,

Both of my children had problems with acid reflux. My son (three months premature) far worse than my daughter. Dr. Browns bottles helped both of them; however, my son required medicinal intervention as his case was much more invasive. Dr. Browns bottles can be found just about anywhere baby items are sold. They really made a difference for my daughter. Good Luck.

B.

My daughter (3.5 months) has horrible acid reflux. She is on Zantac (I was like you I didn't want her on meds) but I take her RX to MediCap in Ashburn and they compound her Zantac so there is no additives, alcohol or any other junk, just the medication. My daughter sleeps in her swing, there is less spit up, I also keep her upright for 30-45 mins after eating then place her in a bouncy seat (the rainforest seat has the best elevation). I also add oatmeal to her formula, it basically weighs down the food to help keep it in her tummy. I have also heard great things about the tuckersling. If you choose to go back to the doctor about it try Dr Scott Sirlin, we see his nurse practitioner Jennifer Jenks (she is fabulous!). I only give her the Zantac at night bc I really don't want drugs in her, but I know how much it has helped her. Best of luck, please let me know how he is doing.