After every feeding, my 7 week old daughter was all fussy, crying, uncomfortable, and irritated. At her 2 month check, her pedi diagnosed that she has reflux. Both her pedi and I didn't want to go down the route of giving her Zantac (which he did give us a script for). Reluctantly after several days, her symptoms seemed to get worse so I gave in and tried the Zantac. Her pedi suggested to try it for at least 2 weeks to see if there was any change/improvements. It's been 2 weeks and I decided to take her off it since it wasn't giving us the results we had thought it would, plus I hate the fact that I gave in and gave her meds at this age! I've come across a homeopathic treatment called Colic Calm and it seems to suggest relief for babies with refluc, colic, and gas. I was just wondering if anyone out there has heard of this remedy and if you had any feedback on the product. I'm willing to try anything (natural & safe) that will give her comfort because having her regurgitate any acid up breaks my heart!
Hi C.,
I just went on the Colic Calm website and would give it a try. I wish I would have tried it when my daughter was a newborn as she had severe colic. I too hate the idea of giving a baby such strong drugs and would try the homeopathic route too. I've also heard chiropractics help too.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Sincerely,
L.
Colic Calm was the ONLY thing that worked for my daughter. She used to shreak for hours at a time. It is also the only 'gripe water' type formula that is approved/regulated by the FDA, so that made me feel better about using it.
It has a pleasant taste, although it looks a little bit eerie when you give it to your baby because the activated charcoal in it makes it black. It will also cause your babies BMs to be blackish.
It stains, so if you opt to get it, use a towel when you give it to your baby.
I was very grateful to have found it, and it was totally worth the money for me. If you're going to go the homeopathic route, I'd definitely recommend this one.
Give a try to babies magic tea and you'll see positive results.
Hi C.. Five of my six kids had/have reflux. Colic Calm didn't do anything for any of them. I don't like medicating either, but the problem is the acid that come up into the esophagus can damage it. If the Zantac didn't work, the doc can prescribe Prevacid. Talk with your doctor about all the options, side affects, and medical issues that could arise from not medicating. Then you will have to weigh what is going to be best for your family.
Homeopathic remedies are safe because if you read how they are made you will see that there is nothing in them. So it won't hurt her. But will it help????????
(By "nothing in them" I refer to active ingredients. I don't know what the inactive ingredients are. There is some sweet substance. Homeopathic remedies are made by taking a drop of whatever the supposed offending agent is, say for example yeast, putting that in a vat, then taking a drop of that vat, putting it in another vat, etc., and diluting that however many times until there literally is none of the original yeast left. I know people who believe in homeopathics are angered by nonbelievers, but common sense tells me that there can be nothing left after that much dilution. This is just one of those cases where we will just have to agree to disagree.)
gripe water...it works!
I have heard of the Amby Baby Bed helping with reflux because it allows the baby to sleep slightly upright.
How can something be made of nothing? Homeopathics will work if the person has the condition. They are based on old apothecary remedies. I know of people who swear by the colic calm. I was lucky and my son didn't have that... nor did he have severe reflux.
Is she breast or formula fed? Make sure you prop her up after eating for AT LEAST 15 minutes.
You can raise the top of the crib 4 to 6 inches so that the acid stays down. Or, you might be able to put the top of the mattress on a higher rung than the foot of the mattress. Or, you can use a crib wedge, made for raising baby's head, or a secure sleeper, which also prevents a flat head.
You can also order a mattress wedge from Babies R Us that will go under the sheet to help prop her up.
Don't worry... this is NOT a permanent condition. All babies are born with an underdeveloped valve at the bottom of the espohagus, some are just more severe than others.
Try smaller, more frequent feedings. Burp her every 1-2 ounces. Don't have the baby lie flat during feeding but have their heads up higher than their butts so gravity can keep the acid down.
Doctors nowadays suggest having babies sleep on their backs. This position makes it possible for the baby to vomit or spit up and then choke to death. For this condition, put the baby to sleep on its left side - which also happens to be best for digestion. You can also get a sleep positioner to keep the baby on her side. When the baby is older, you can use a carseat for napping after meals instead of lying down. You would want to have some sort of little pillow next to the baby's head to help it not fall forward, or you can use a head support or a head cradler. This position should not be trusted for sleeping overnight or with you out of the room for long periods.
Have you ever tried gripe water? My daughter was so fussy after feedings for awhile, and a friend recommended I try that, and it worked wonders. She was never diagnosed with reflux, but the gripe water is basically fennel, so it isn't a medication, and it soothed her very quickly. Not sure if that will work for you, but it may be worth a try. Our pediatrician suggested the gripe water for her fussiness too. I also experimented with my diet since I was breastfeeding, and realized certain foods caused more fussiness in her. Once I elminated them from my diet, her fussiness improved dramatically.
You might want to cut the following out of your diet for two weeks to see if it makes a difference:
Coffee
Orange Juice/Oranges
Lemon Aid/Lemons
Grapefruit Juice/Grapefruit
Strawberries
Kiwi
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Chocolate
Onion
Garlic (If you like spicy/real flavorful foods you will have to check ingredient lists. It is amazing how many things contain garlic.)
My first child had absolutely no problem with what ever I ate, and I nursed her for 27 months. I'm now nursing my second child who is 13 months. She becomes absolutely miserable if I have onions, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage.
I don't know if this will affect reflux at all, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to see if she has any food sensativities. If cutting out all of the above DOES make a difference, add things back - one at a time - every 5-7 days. If she suddenly has problems again, you found part of your problem. Also, be sure to keep her head a bit elevated for at least 15 mins after eating so that the stomach has a chance to start digesting the meal before it has to "worry" about keeping things down.
All that aside, stomach acid can do some fairly serious, life-long damage to the throat. Keep that in mind when you are deciding whether to medicate.
