We Need Sleep!!!

Prevacid is a life saver! Ask the GI if that medication is a possibility. I firmly believed that it saved my daughter's life.

It might help you to read the book The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, MD. I have seen him on television and read the testimonials on the book--He sounds like a wonder-worker. I haven't finished the book, so I can't give you my own opinion of whether his stuff makes sense, but why not try it? Good luck!

My daughter has had reflux her entire life but it does get better. Has anyone suggested elevating her upper body as she is sleeping and keeping her elevated after eating for I believe it was 30 minutes or more.

Oh honey!, I really feel your pain! My daughter (now almost 5yrs old) had severe acid reflux when she was born. She would only sleep for minutes at a time as well. We were at our doctor's office NONSTOP and were finally referred to a gastroenerologist at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital after an upper GI showed the severity of her reflux at only 14 days old. We were on Enfamil Nutramigen and Similac Alimentum at that time. The doctor at Vanderbilt took my daughter off of it immediately and put her on plain (and cheap!) Carnation Good Starts! The very, very plain kind....no bells and whistles. We were told to add 1 TABLESPOON of rice cereal PER OUNCE of formula to every single one of her bottles. You could practically spoon feed it, it was so thick! We were also on 4 reflux medications. I actually had to keep an Excel Spreadsheet to keep up with them and their dosage amounts and times! But, that and the new formula worked wonders for our baby. They told us that the reflux would "peak" at 6mths and then gradually go away as her diet switched to all solids and they were exactly right. I voluntarily took her off of all the meds at 4mths old because she would spit up regardless of being on them. Although, I think those meds played a big part in the inital healing of her esophagus that was totally raw at the beginning. Basically, we lived in a world of spit-up for those first 6mths. I mean TONS of spitup. But, it really did get so much better once she began baby food. I totally recommend the carnation good starts formula. When you go back to the dr, ask them about this formula and tell them someone told you that it was recommended for their baby by a gastroenerologist at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital in Nashville. Remember that it takes a full two weeks for a new formula to get in their system and the old formula to totally leave their system. As long as you can rid your little one of the pain & heal the esophogus, the spit up shouldn't be a concern as long as weight is still being gained (which our daughter did). It's very hard to deal with though and it seems like there's no end in sight, but I promise it will all get better as they get a few months older. I can remember that time in my life like it was yesterday and I often am amazed that I had the guts to have a second child! LOL The lack of sleep and walking and bouncing and spit up is EXHAUSTING! I remember carrying a bazillion burp cloths and changes of clothes and a kroger sack for soiled stuff everywhere we went........it was awful. But, you live through it! =0)Mine is now almost 5 and hasn't had a sign of reflux since she starting eating real food. And our second didn't have it at all. Good luck to you and your little one. The upper GI isn't too bad...and it will show you first hand on the screen what's happening inside your baby. Keep us posted!

Hi K.
I know what you are going through. I am 35 a first time mom! and my baby boy did the same thing. He is now 11 months old and it will get better. We did not do the GI scope, we put it off and kept trying everything else. What we did and I don't know what helped the most or if it was a combo,was...
prilosec, not letting him lay flat, we got a positioner from babies r us that slanted and gradualy got thicker at the head to allow for elevation but kept the whole body lined up, used mylicon because he also had lots of gas, I slept with him on my chest/stomach many nights (I know people don't recommend this, but after so many nights of this you have to sleep, so I did what ever it took), the formula and bottles that worked for us was Simalac Sensitive RS you can only get it in liquid form and the bottles we use are playtex ventair stage 1/slow flow. I also have a friend who had this same problem and the doctors put their baby on goats milk and it helpped. Just know that it will get better. No one really encouraged me there and I remember crying myself because I was so worn out. Hope something works soon. J.

Have you ruled out thrush? We had a similar problem with our 4 yr. old. It turned out the thrush was in her esophagus and digestive tract so eating hurt like you know what!!! We gave her an herbal medicine called Gentian Violet and it cured the crying, sleeplessness and general crying about 5 hrs. a day!!!! (They told me she had colic, reflux, underdeveloped stomach, etc. They couldn't see the thrush in her mouth.) It's cheap and easy so worth a try. Also, look into what her adenoids look like. She had hers removed in Jan. That has helped with her breathing... Good luck!

Well, you probably already do this, but just in case you didn't already know:
Babies with reflux should never be put flat down in bed. The crib should be adjusted so the head of the mattress is a few notches higher than the foot, so that the baby is sleeping on an incline. Of course than the baby tends to slide down to the bottom of the bed, so you need to stick a small wedge under her legs to help keep her up there. Sleeping in a car seat is also good for reflux, but bad on the spine, so inclining the crib mattress is better a better way to deal with the problem.
the meds she's on; Prilosec & Zantac, decrease gastric acid secretion. While this eases the problem of reflux, it can increase abdonimal discomfort. Gastric acid is necessary to digest food in the stomach. So if the gastric acid is decreased, so is digestion, the slower rate of digestion therefore increases adbominal disfomfort (esp the Prilosec).

I see you've gotten a lot of responses, and I didn't scan thru them all but here's my 2 cents...
If there is anyone that you can trust to stay with her one night-let 'em!
You and your husband go get a room and sleep!
You will feel better and be able to cope a little longer.
I'm sorry your little one is not well. I remember the sleepless nights, too. My heart goes out to you!

-Ask your pediatrician if there is any reason why you can't try Mylicon.
-You've received many great responses. I agree that you should go along with the recommendation for the endoscopy for her reflux if the head elevation and reflux positioning aren't helping.
-Try this:
1) Make absolutely sure that she is well-burped after each ounce and after each feeding.
2) After the feeding, let her lie stretched out on her right side with her head up on your chest in a comfortable chair while you hold her and you both doze for at least the next half hour.
3) If she wakes up screaming and thrashing, hold her arms and her legs securely, pat her back or her chest to try to burp her more, keeping her in that right-sided with her head elevated position.
4) Change her diaper before her feedings. Avoid changing her diaper for at least 30-60 minutes after feedings so her legs aren't lifted above her head. (You might need to increase your use of A&D, or whatever you use.)
5) Make sure that her diaper is lose and she has no waistbands or constricting clothes around her abdomen. Avoid letting her belly get compressed after eating.
6) Avoid letting her sense any tension or anxiety.
-Positioning her, remember that air rises and the stomach drains down and to the right. Trapped air and "heartburn" can be painful to these immature tummies.

-For Aubrey's colic, which she may be growing out of: Putting them in their carseats and driving around the block helps, running the vacuum cleaner sometimes works, sitting the carseat on the dryer worked the most often with mine.

-Just remember that she's being more tormented than you are. I don't know how we got through it with mine, but we did.

I assume you already have the angle wedges for the crib and changing table and always keep babys head slightly elevated. I raised my nephew and now my daughter and here is what I found that worked. The only formula that either would tolerate was Similac Sensitive (not that they were allergic to lactose)and we started them both on very small amounts of rice cereal in their bottles. Try dipping the pacifier in honey to neutralize the acid that is in their throat causing so much pain. For colic nights add some peppermint to warm water, it works wonders and also helps with the acid. Also stage one bananas can help to neutralize the acid.(you can add a little to the bottle) I know that doctors are fussy about feeding foods so young. Both of mine were on them at three months. *GOLDEN RULE: If it comes out looking exactly like it went in then the baby is not ready, if it doesnt then the babys tummy is using it and digesting it and is ready. All babies are ready at different times.* Dont be afraid to try sleeping on the belly.
You could also try this website. Pricey but very worth it and some insurances will cover the cost or some of it.
http://www.tuckersling.com/

Goodluck!

My daughter also had reflux. She had good luck with Similac Alimentum. Try holding her on your shoulder for at least 30 minutes after feeding, this worked for us. We also made her bed incline by puting a special made form under her mattress. If you can't find one use bulky blankets and quilts to elevate the head of her bed about 25 degrees or so.

If you don't already have one, you can try getting a wedge to put under the sheet or mattress of the crib. Usually you can find one in the baby store or baby dept. that fits exactly to the width of the crib so that it's a safe fit. I got one at babies-r-us several months ago for $12-14. If this isn't an option for you you can try just propping one end of the crib up higher than the other. Sleeping on an incline can help with the reflux some. Or you may need to talk to your doctor about adjusting the meds. It can be difficult to find the right dosage etc.

Hey K.,

I can't give you much advice on the reflux, but I can on the colic. We too had our son to the doctor several times because he just screamed and screamed, but there was nothing medically wrong with him...turns out our was just severe colic. The only "good" thing about colic is that it usually goes away at the latest around 14 to 16 weeks. So, you're almost out of the water on that.

I second the recommendation on the book (or video!), "The happiest baby on the block". Very good book as far as the techniques to swaddle and comfort your to sleep baby goes! I also had a baby who was not a good sleeper (to say the least). Until he was probably 3 months old, he wouldn't go down for the night until b/t 12PM and 3AM and then was up about every 30 mins to an hour. I found the best way to get him to sleep for at least a few hours was to swaddle him, put him in the swing and turn it on low, stick a passy in his mouth, and turn on the dishwasher! I would definately try "white noise" near your little girl when she sleeps. Anything like a fan turned the other way, or a sound machine, the bathroom fan, the dishwasher...these type noises will soothe your baby into sleeping longer as long as she's not in pain or discomfort. Also, make sure the house is very calm...low lights and maybe some soft music...I think the book talks about this.

Also, you should make sure it wouldn't react with her medicine, but we had some success with "gripe water". You can get it at babies r us, but it helps to kinda soothe the babies whole system down...its natural herbs that help to calm the baby. Our pediatrician recommended it to us.

I hope things start going a little better for you very soon. I know what it means to be just utterly exhausted from lack of sleep, so my heart really goes out to you!! I know how hard it is to stay level headed when it feels like nothing you are doing is working and you could just fall over from being so tired. When people would tell me it does get better, it was so hard for me to see that. It seemed like my baby was gonna be like this forever. But it does get better, I promise!! I hope this book helps you some! :-)

Oh, you poor thing. 1st child and all this. It does get better. With my colic baby she did the same thing. Up every 30 min. on the dot. Try letting her sleep in her car seat. I found out that colic can flare up at night because their environment isn't the same at night as it is during the day. The 1st night I tried it I put my daughter in her car seat, on the couch with the T.V. on and she went from being up every 30 min. one night to sleeping through the night only up one time to eat the next. It was my savior. My colic baby was one of twins so I tried everyting and anything. Also, keep her good and warm. Winter like sleeper with blanket over her legs tucked in on each side.
Good luck and it does get better.
This too shall pass!!

.

Hi, my daughter also had colic(gas), but not reflux.
Maybe she can sleep in a swing or carrier for elevation. With my Abigail, I would put her in her swing w/the vaccum running, calmed her down and put her right to sleep. Don't turn it off right away though, she may wake up. Something about the noise or even the vibration clamed her down. Have you tried gently massaging her backside(kinda right at the bottom of her back) might help w/the gas. Sleep during the day when she is asleep if you can. Will she sleep on her belly. Good luck w/everything.

K.:

When our son was in the hospital NICU when he was having problems with his tummy and reflux, they would put a warm (just warm enough to touch and soothe) on his belly. It seemed to work there so we did it at home too. Also they suggested to raising the head of the bed a little so he was not laying flat. Good luck. It will get better.

S.

it may not be the easiest thing to do but try elevating her upper body when she is resting. I know that with us as adults laying down right after we eat and laying down period with reflux flat doesn't make it more comfortable.

I know people are going to argue with me but I did it with my 5 month old and he too had reflux. I gave him a warm bath, gave him his night time bottle with rice cereal, rocked him to sleep and laid him on his BELLY. I know the docs, and everyone else argue against it but I had a reflux baby and I did everything from elevate his head - make him sleep in carseat, everything, to giving him medicine. He would not wake as often as every 10-15 minutes but he was up every 45 mins to an hour. I work at a hospital and I can tell you that in the 13 years I've worked there I've not seen a "true" case of SIDS. Every SIDS case that has came through has come from parents that co-sleep and smother their babies. Put her in very warm clothes and lay her on her stomach and don't put any blankets in her bed. If you want you can try this during the day and you can keep an eye on her. I was at my wits end with sleep deprivation so I know what you are going through. When I placed him on his belly - it was like magic. I was nervous at first because the Pediatricians ingrain in your brain that you have to put them on their backs or they will die from SIDS. Ask you mother and grandmother and they will tell you - that they laid you on your belly. Try it and I bet you will find that it works!

Not sure if you tried letting her sleep in a swing or car seat type chair so that she is sitting up... It is never recommended, but with reflux it may help. My son had a touch of reflux when he was a baby (not nearly as bad as your poor Aubrey), but he liked to sleep in chairs sitting up. As a first time mom, I was constantly trying to get him back into his crib to prevent "poor sleep habits". Right now it sounds like both of you would benefit from any sleep at all! Maybe she doesn't have colic...just cranky from lack of good sound sleep. Good Luck!!

Hi K., I am a mother of two girls, 5 and 2. They were both diagnosed with reflux or GERD when they were infants. They were put on Enfamil A.R. and did really well...less spit up and irritability. Good luck!

I went to the doctor yesterday because my daughter's reflux has flared up, the worst yet. The doc said she has seen a huge increase in flareups lately. She said it could be due to the season change, allergies. So we are going through the sleepless nights right now.

It is quite painful! The typical fix for an older child is no eating for at least 2 hours before bedtime but that won't work for your young one. When mine were younger doc said to elevate their upper torso when sleeping. That helps the food and acid stay down. And after eating keep them sitting up for a while. I can't remember how long, maybe a half hour.

You should take the advice of the GI doc and get the scope done. You would hate to miss something bigger and only treat for reflux. My children have reflux but if it weren't for the scope we would have blamed all their tummy issues on that and not catch a few more issues that needed addressed. God Bless!

We were told to have ours sleep in an incline position. So we put a bouncy seat inside his crib and had him sleep there for the first four months. Now he sleeps flat in his crib, but it helped us through the first few months with his reflux.

Hi K.

Been there done that :)
I would definately agree that you need to go talk to a specialist. You also need to elevate her to sleep. I used the "Amby Bed" with my boys, but they also have wedges and such for cribs now. I found the Amby bed allowed me to adjust the level incline better and jiggle the baby back to sleep. I doesn't feel like this now, but you will get through it! Hang in there and keep her upright as much as possible. I spent a lot of night with my son on my chest in the recliner so we could both sleep.

Get a babysitter! Go for a date or dinner or NAP! :) Do whatever you can to get a break, as much as you love her it will be very nice for you to hear silence for an hour or two. It is temporary but needed and eventually time will heal.

Blessings,
Amanda

Our son went through refluxing for close to two years, and still ocassionally does seem to experience it. We ended up elevating the bed on one end, as well as buying a slant pillow- those helped really well. I think that we even had a blanked folded up underneath the bed sheet beneath his head as well, for good measure. Cameron slept much, much better with those things added to his bed. Oh, and we also were told to wait at least 20 minutes after eating before laying our baby down. Previcid(sp) seemed to be the magic medicine for our little one, but every child reacts differently to medicines, of course. I hope you all find whatever works for your angel soon.
If you do use a wedge, or incline the bed, simply fold or roll a blanket and tuck it underneath the sheet at her feet. Also, no matter what, please do not put her on her stomach to sleep, unless it's at nap time and you are right there with her. I know I've read about other moms doing so even at night, thinking that since we lived through being put on backs, it must be okay, but I just wouldn't take the chance. I'd rather lose sleep than lose my baby, and I know you would, too. SIDS has declined dramatically since moms have started putting their babies to bed on their backs, so it can't be a coincidence...

My daughter had reflux until she was about 8 months and was on prescription meds as well (no colic though) and the only way that she could sleep was if she was at an incline. When she was really small she slept in an infant seat and when she got bigger and started moving around more we had to elevate one side of her crib. Once we stopped laying her flat she started sleeping 8 hours during the night. Good luck.

Oh man I know how you feel my four year old daughter now had reflux when she was born plus colic so I know exactly how you feel. My doctor suggested with us to change her formula first to see if that has any changes then we put her on Dr. Brown bottles they are awesome, expensive, but awesome. When we changed her formula there was not an automatic adjust but within a week it had changed of course there wasnt that much of a difference in her sleeping because of the colic but she stopped throwing up and being real irritable!!! Hope this helps.

We dealt with the reflux, too. My daughter is 9 months old and still doesn't sleep thru the night, although it's MUCH better than when she was littler. She would sleep a whole lot better if we let her sleep in her carseat. We would put the carseat in her crib and lay her in it. With the reflux it just feels better to her to not lay flat. She would sleep a whopping 2-3 hours before she would wake up. Doesn't sound like much, but if you're running on 15 minutes at a time, it's wonderful. Good luck, hang in there!

Both my kids had the Acid reflux and it is horrible. Our Ped suggested to put rice cereal in the bottle. I think it is a tbsp. per oz. You should be able to find it online. Maybe if you look up acid reflux in babies and rice cereal. Good Luck. I know how tough it is. This to will pass even if it doesn't feel like it. :~)

Buy the book the happiest baby on the block. Sounds like reflux and colic combined. What a nasty combo!!! My daughter had the same problem. I am so sorry for you. As a result I only have one child because I was NOT going through that again!!!!

I don't really have much advice; I just wanted to let you know that I've been through this and it's getting better for us now. One of my twins has reflux and now, at 6 months old, is finally starting to get more sleep at night. The doctor switched her from Zantac to Prevacid about a month ago and she's done very well on that. She's also on solids now and that has made a huge difference. Hang in there!

Does she sleep in her carseat? I would try that first, or a swing. Get a very good one, that rocks for a long time. Reflux is terrible, poor baby and poor mom and dad. I would have her scoped, maybe there is more to it. Good luck and god bless.

We had the same issues with our daughter and it went on for 5 years. They kept telling me it was the reflux or her ears. She was also pulling her hair out and crying all the time (So was I and I am a nurse) The Dr.s wouldn't listen even when I took pics and video taped her. FINALLY-I got a gastroenterologist in Charlotte to check her. He looked down her throat and she had a huge stomach ulcer and esophagitis (which is very painful) That was 5 YEARS LATER!!! We put her on Nexium for awhile (healed the ulcer) and she is now on Prilosec daily. She is a new child and we have slept ever since! PLEASE don't let your child go THAT long...get help NOW!

My niece went through the same thing. Try having her sleep in her car seat. My sisters doctor recommend this. He said he sleeping upright might help with the reflux. My sister tried it and my niece never slept better. I hope you find something that works. My heart goes out to you. I remember what my sister went through. Your in my prayers.

Have you tried letting her sleep in her carseat. Sitting up might help a little. My ped. said it was fine when my youngest was going through the same thing.

K., I would recommend Enfamil AR, prevacid, and reading The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems. My son, who is 4 mo now, also has reflux. His pediatrician switched us to Enfamil AR because it has added rice, which makes it more difficult to spit up. It has helped wonders. He is also on Prevacid for the reflux. This combo of the formula and Prevacid has made a huge improvement. It does take a week or so to see the results, but if you stick with it, I think you'll be happy too. The book The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems has been a life saver for us. My son is a great sleeper and on an easy schedule thanks to the book. I hope this helps.

Hello,

I can say i know what your going thru we had our first child our son was this way. The only problem he has is he is a picky eater at the age of 6. This is horrible the lack of sleep we tried everythign from sleeping the car seat to having him sleep on the washer while it ran. having the vacum run next to him. We stopped a lot of medicine we went more natural approach. We also put him in the bed with us and i bough a reflux pillow. I had him nap in an amby bed and we took a lot of showers together warm baths. All you can do is help ease it but its the way it is i am so sorry i have no other answer except this to shall pass and try everything you can until you find the right soulution.

K.,

I have heard if a child has reflux to prop them up while they sleep. I believe Target or Babies R Us sales positioners that allow you to prop the baby up. Hope this helps.

S.
-First time Mom to be (hopefully within in 2 weeks)

I would suggest two things.

1. Check for allergies. I had a friend that found out her baby was allergic to the formula or something in it.

2 Gripe Water, many drug stores and almost all local vitaman shops. Ths works great for an upset tummy, gas, or general not feeling well - it is all natural so it could work wit whatever you are using now.

I hope you figure it out,
God Bless

Hi,K... Try putting her in the car seat(The small infant-rear facing kind) and adjust it to where she is propped up and also use a shirt (that smells like you) placed flat in the seat.
Try using the Playtex bottles with drop-ins(Walmart brand drop-ins)and push up the bag towards nipple to remove all the air. Also,use the "slow-flow" nipples(the clear kind-they last longer than the brown nipples-especially after sterlizing the nipples so much) The slow flow nipples allow less air and too much gulping in too much milk which can cause reflux or indigestion.
(Dr.Brown's bottles are expensive!!)
When feeding her,are you feeding her held up in your arms?
Then after feeding and burping,keep her propped up in your arms for atleast 20 minutes to allow the milk to digest.
Our little girl would wake up too,if I fed her and put her down just as soon as she finished eating. My husband noticed that if she was propped for atleast 20 minutes after feeding then she would be more satisfied lying down. Only thing was that in the middle of the night with night feedings,I would have to feed her in my arms and then burp her and hold her for 20 more minutes after feeding. But being to SO exhausted I would try to put her back in the crib just soon as she had drank her milk and fell asleep while feeding,she would immediately wake up and the whole process started again. So I would struggle trying to keep her propped up in the middle of the night being SO sleep-deprived myself that she did much better being propped up for the 20 minutes even though she was fast asleep.
Good Luck!(Girl,I know what you are going through with NO sleep! My little girl is 3 1/2 years old and STILL gets up in the middle of the night!!) So I am still sleep deprived!

You may need a different reflux medication. Our son was put on Prevacid for reflux that he had (undiagnosed) until 18 mo, and he never slept until he was on it. Once he was on the Prevacid, he was finally sleeping through the night, and it was a tremendous relief. I'm not saying that's the right medicine for your daughter, but different medicines target different issues that cause reflux. Talk to your doctor (or get a second opinion if your doctor says it's nothing to worry about). Good luck!

My son has awful reflux and our dr would not give him meds because they saw no damage to his throat! Anyway, I help by doing two things: he slept in a swing in our room (he had a habit of spitting up at night and I caught him choking once) and second I kept his diapers real loose on his little tummy. At three months, I started feeding him a mixture of rice cereal and breastmilk by a spoon and it was really soupy. Most drs dont recommend it, but I was desperate for him to keep something down, because he ate all the time!

Hi K.,
I was going to suggest raising one end of the mattress so she is sleeping on an incline, but I see that has already been suggested! So just wanted to say, you don't need to buy a wedge or anything special. You can roll up a sheet or a blanket and stick it under the mattress at one end and it works great. Hope you get some sleep soon!! (I don't miss those days!!)
Cyndi

Hi, K.-
Have you tried letting her sleep in a swing? I found that letting my baby sleep somewhat upright helped.

Good luck... it gets better, I promise! (I'm sure you're sick of hearing that)

My daughter also had colic and acid reflux. She was on Zantac and we switched formula 7 times until we got to Similac Isomil.It worked. We also took her to a GI specialist. We used Avent bottles. At my doctors advice we began putting a small amount of cereal in each bottle to weigh down her tummy. This may be something to ask your doctor about. We also let her sleep in her car seat buckled in down in her pack and play bed in our room. She slept longer because the acid reflux occurs when they lie down. You have my sympathy, we had a lot of sleepless nights until she was a year old. My daughter is 6 now and we still have some vomiting episodes. Good Luck!!

My daughter also had acid reflux. My daughter was breastfed, so changing formula was not an option for us. The first 2 1/2 weeks the only way she slept was on me - belly to belly (talk about lack of sleep). We would lay her down on her back and made sure she was elevated; nothing would work. Finally I decided to lay her on her belly for her afternoon nap. It was like a miracle! She slept for 3 hours straight!! That had not happened once since she was born! I was extremely nervous the first week, but mommy needed sleep! She did great and was actually sleep 8 hours a night by the time she was 8 weeks old. Today she is a very active 3 year old who still prefers to sleep on her tummy.

As far as colic, my son is a slightly colicy baby. He was another who refused to sleep anywhere but with me. I had to go out of town overnight for work when he was 10 weeks old and we knew we had to find a way for him to sleep safely with daddy. I knew he would sleep in his carseat while we were driving, but would wake up the minute we stopped. Knowing he liked the motion, we invested in a papasan swing. Much to our relief, he loved it! He slept for 4 hours straight. We got the Fisher Price Starlight papasan swing, so he cradled and was able to swing, have music and even a little light show to watch while he fell asleep. He slept in his swing till about 7 months when he started getting too active and he had to learn to sleep in his crib. He still wakes once a night to nurse, but it is so much better than a screaming child all night long.

Good luck and remember, this too shall pass!