Our darling little [name]Xanthe[/name] is going through a terrible time with all the vomiting after she feeds.
The pediatrician is in touch with my daughter and the latest suggestion is to give the baby Mylanta.
If your baby had reflux how did you manage her?
[name]Hi[/name] rollo,
We had the same problem with our [name]Emily[/name] when she was a baby…she had reflux so badly, that she couldn’t keep her food down, and she lost some weight. We also had to give her Mylanta, and it really helped! [name]How[/name] old is [name]Xanthe[/name] now?
We have had [name]Lucia[/name] on Zantac since she was just two weeks and it REALLY helps!
You might have already tried this, but what I did with my daughter was to really slow down the feedings, even stopping the baby in the middle of eating every couple of ounces (not sure if your little one is breast or bottle fed) to take a little break and try to get a burp out. Slower eating (even using a slow nipple if bottle feeding), more burping, rubbing her tummy while eating, and laying her on her tummy for a few minutes after eating to help everything get settled. It worked and I never had to use medicine.
Also, I formula fed and I tried a few different types - I noticed that she had more spitting up with the powder than the liquid (not sure why).
I am assuming that little [name]Xanthe[/name] has been diagnosed with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease because of her poor weight gain rather than just simple regurgitation/ posseting without pain, etc?
In the UK we use gaviscon rather than mylanta.
However, that may have a fairly limited effect.
I think erin mentioned ranitidine (zantac) which would normally be tried next.
Other medications that are used by paediatricians here are omeprazole and domperidone which are effective (although not actually licensed for this).
I’m sure the medications are the same or similar where you are. I am sure that little [name]Xanthe[/name]'s symptoms can be much improved.
best wishes
Thank you girls your help is REALLY appreciated!!
[name]Xanthe[/name] was born on 31st [name]March[/name], so that makes her almost a month old.
As far as I know the pediatrician hasn’t said she has GER yet but I am sure that by the next visit (next week I think) he will be moving into top gear to help [name]Xanthe[/name] and I think that the GER is a strong possibility.
I will pass on your advice to my daughter who was quite distressed yesterday and looking for real help. I cannot thank you enough for your help.
[name]How[/name] long does it take for babies to get over this stage?
It can take a while to resolve- most resolve by a year but can be well controlled on medication during that time until their digestive system matures.
[name]Xanthe[/name] is still so tiny so she hasn’t really had a lot of time for a paediatrician to confidently make the diagnosis and trial her on medication.
I remember your previous post about her not gaining wt well and if this continues to be a problem along with the vomiting and discomfort the GER is definitely a possibility (indeed a likely diagnosis)
(I am sure you know, as an experienced mum/gm that it is very common for little babies to vomit but most most are not uncomfortable and make a good wt gain).
All the best to your family, especially [name]Xanthe[/name] and your daughter.
Thank you so much for your kind support, it means a lot to me and my family.
Today we trialled the Mylanta and we are cautiously optimistic with the result but time will tell.
Check out phmiracleliving.com by Dr [name]Robert[/name] [name]Young[/name]. Reflux can be resolved by changing your diet and by drinking alkaline rich water. There are also natural remedies. When you take prescription drugs, you are just adding more acid to your body. Plus, those medicines aren’t really even made for babies. They are for adults and made into liquid for babies. [name]Hope[/name] this helps!
My second son, [name]Levi[/name], had terrible reflux starting from about the time he was three weeks old. We held out and finally decided to start him on zantac when he was about two months. It helped a bit but as soon as it would wear off he’d be in terrible pain. Eventually (around five months) we switched to prevacid (a proton pump inhibitor) which is stronger but didn’t do much and then reglan, which was amazing and worked wonders. He was off it by a year and has been fine ever since (he is almost four now). A lot of babies have immature digestive systems so [name]Xanthe[/name]'s case might not be as severe as [name]Levi[/name]'s. Our doctor also surmised early on that he might have a milk allergy so we put [name]Levi[/name] on a hypoallergenic formula which helped a lot. Lo and behold around the age of 11 months we had him allergy tested and he has a milk and soy allergy. I would keep in touch with the pediatrician and monitor the situation closely. There are also other techniques that can be helpful, like trying to keep the baby upright for about 30 minutes after feeding, sleeping her on her back, feeding her less ounces more often and later on using rice cereal to weigh down the formula in the stomach. Best of luck!
Thanks bexter, you certainly had a hard time with your little [name]Levi[/name]. It can be so hard to help our little ones and so worrying too. Thanks for your advice and hopefully soon [name]Xanthe[/name] will improve and we can all stop worrying. I thought that the mylanta helped her a little but she doesn’t like the taste.
Gosh, I hope poor [name]Xanthe[/name] improves! As crazy as this may sound having a lovely rug in the room seems to settle some children. There are some beautiful quintessential American ones by a woman called [name]Claire[/name] [name]Murray[/name], have you heard of her? It seems to lull the little ones no matter how ill they’re feeling. In the name of sanity for all of you I hope she does settle, but if the Mylanta doesn’t help maybe try that?
It’s great to ask for advice when your baby or grandbaby is having problems. I never went through this experience with my babies although my son [name]Peter[/name] used to vomit a large volume at times. I never knew a small baby could have that much liquid in its tummy! I would just like to add that it’s important for your daughter to evaluate what she’s eating - I assume she is breastfeeding. Anything that a person with acid reflux should avoid is what she should avoid. I have acid reflux, and I avoid orange juice, chocolate (the cheap kind, I can eat good quality milk chocolate in small quantities), greasy foods, sodas, too much broccoli, lemonade, etc. I’m sure you can find a list on the Internet. Oh, and I avoid really spicy food, too.
Soda crackers, [name]Romaine[/name] lettuce, herb tea, water without ice, and bland foods calm my stomach. I love baked potato. Soda crackers are my best friend when I have acid reflux. [name]Love[/name] apple juice, too. Apples calm acid reflux. Eat an apple every morning.