|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| First Time Moms |
| Public online group |
|
|
| |
|
|
| I am wondering if anyone has a baby with GER (gastrointestinal reflux). Our 5 month old has it and it is really causing sleep problems at night. During the day she seems fine, but I think that's because she is kept upright a lot of the time. I have heard that adding cereal to her bottle will help...my husband gives her a bottle of breastmilk before bed so maybe we could do it then? I don't know if anyone else has any other ideas. I don't like the idea of pouring Zantac into her little body every night but I am so tired!!!! |
| Posted by Briana on 02/07/2007 03:57 PM
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
My son has Reflux and is now 17 mos old, still on Zantac. He was FINALLY sent for testing at 4 months old and diagnosed with it. The ped said it would go away between age 1 and 2...I continue to try to take him off of the meds but within a day I see an immediate flashback...so I put him right back on it. One thing I learned is to give your baby smaller amounts of formula but more frequently...To this day, my son-even though he's on cow's milk since he turned 1, he still gets 4 oz every 2 hours. Most people will feed babies 8 oz at a time but the problem with babies with Reflux is that the more full their tummies are, the more it pushes the liquid up the asophogus. Also...do NOT try to put cereal in your baby's bottle...if you are going to give cereal...feed it to him/her. I tried that with my son and he threw up...so I don't recommend putting it in his bottle. Also...try switching to the playtex bottles with the liners...pushing all the air out of the bottle helps eliminate air in the tummy which can also cause the reflux. Also...be sure to give your baby the zantac at the same time EVERY day. I give my son his med first thing in the morning before bottle, then right before dinner. This way it helps him thru the day and helps him sleep.
As far as the sleeping thing goes...if she is sleeping 4-5 hours a night you are in good shape for that age. My son didn't start sleeping thru the night until he was 8 months old. He would wake up 2-3 times a night. Also...try not giving a nap too close to bedtime. AND at that age it's appropriate to wake up 1-2 times a night but don't fret..you will get thru it. My son now sleeps from 6pm-7am every night. It finally came down to a battle....we spent a few nights of letting him cry before he started sleeping thru the night...I'd go in there but I would NOT pick him up unless he needed a diaper change...and even then..I'd change it and put him right back to his crib.
Good luck and trust me...you will get thru this. |
| posted by Lisa on 02/07/2007 11:05 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| My little girl had reflux when she was an infant. She also took zantac, but at night, I would let her sleep at an incline. I used her boppy pillow as a support. It might help. |
| posted by Chelsea on 02/15/2007 11:17 AM
|
|
|
|
|
Hey Briana,
I am a new mommy of 5 month old Victoria. I am also a Registered Nurse. Victoria was diagnosed with GER when she was a month old. Here is my advice as a new mommy and as a nurse...this truly worked for me...but obviously consult your doctor. I took what we call GERD precautions in the adult patient world and made it for my little one. I always kept her sitting up one hour after feedings, whether asleep or not. This meant if she fell asleep, I would put her in her car seat to sleep so that she was in an incline. I also mixed 1/2 tsp of rice per oz of formula. She did well with this...I also never played with her after feedings or did anything which required her to get agitated. She was taking about 2-3 oz and it was every 2hrs...when all else failed, I would let her cry for about 10 minutes before giving her 0.4ml of Maalox. The Maalox would kick in about 5-10 minutes later. I decided to do it this way because I did not want to but her on Zantac or any other medicine. The breastmilk is better than formula for GER, but I am also convinced that a combination of her formula Similac Neosure (because she was a preemie 3lbs 6oz at birth) and the Vitamins were causing it...so after she was 4mo old, I stopped the Neosure and the vits and switched her to Similac Advance (of course she was at a healthy wt) still mixing rice and she has not had heartburn for a month and a half now!!! My mommy and nurse instincts kicked in and the doctor agreed with all that I did. Is she on formula as well or just breastmilk? |
| posted by Arlyn on 02/15/2007 01:26 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| My son also has reflux and we used the Enfamil AR formula and he was prescribed Zantac twice a day in his formulas well as Regaline (not correct spelling). It worked in a week and now he is so much better, I put the Zantac in his formula every once in a awhile...we also had to use the incline sleep positioner and not giggle him too much when burping...I put the cereal in his milk too and it seemed to work to soak up the acid....I was told that its something they have to outgrow and to just be patient. |
| posted by Candice on 04/24/2007 02:58 PM
|
|
|
|
|
| My son cried with almost every feeding since he was a month old. The doctor decided to put him on Zantac. He did very well for almost three weeks. Then, he started crying again with feedings. His zantac dose was increased, but it did not seem to help. At this two-month appointment, the doctor changed his medication to prevacid. He's been taking it for almost one month and he's doing much much better. As a mom and pharmacist, I was very comfortable with the decision to medicate him. It broke my heart to see him crying. He would scream, turn bright red, turn and twist his body. He also was spitting up a lot. He would be very hungry but he was in so much pain that he couldn't eat very well. In order to help with his GERD, we make sure to burp him after every 2-3 ounces. We keep him upright during feedings and afterwards for at least 10 minutes. I bought a small pillow that fits well on his bassinet ( I couldn't find an inclined positioner). The pillow made a huge difference. He now sleeps a lot better without crying. In addition, I sometimes add some rice cereal to his formula. It helps decreasing spitting out but can cause constipation. I hope this information helps. |
| posted by Monique on 04/25/2007 12:50 AM
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
| |  |
| |
|
|
|
