I have recently joined the bandwagon of moms with a baby with “infant acid reflux”, GER, or GERD as some call it. I don’t quite consider it a disease unless it’s a permanent thing. I myself have GERD, and since babies usuaslly grow out of it, I guess I won’t be calling it a disease.
It’s been quite the plight to figure out what is happening to make my sometimes easy-going baby so uncomfortable at times. I’ve researched to the ends of the Earth to figure out what is going on and what I can do to curb this! I’m losing my mind (and not to mention all the gas) driving her around for 4 hours in the middle of the night. Happy mama = happy baby and vice versa.
So here are the signs of my baby’s reflux.
1. Fussy and irritable during feedings.
She throws her little hands up and knocks the bottle out of her mouth, when she was on the breast, using it as a punching bag and ripping at my nipple.
2. Hiccuping, and jumping of their chest.
The obvious one of hiccups, then the jumping of their chest.
3. Spitting up after meals.
Those little spit-ups that some babies have, but it seems to be after every feeding and all the time.
4. Arching their back.
Like they are in pain, and uncomfortable.
5. Not wanting to eat and having trouble swallowing.
Refusing the bottle or boob and not finishing their feedings because they seem in pain.
6. Couching, gagging, or choking.
Having trouble keeping down milk or food, coughing from choking. Food being caught in their throat.
7. Do not like lying flat on their backs.
If you like them on their back they seem completely miserable and can’t sleep.
Go see the pediatrician. First and foremost.
So, yes, I had a baby that had severe infant reflux. She would cry for hours every night, then I took her to the doctor. They wrote it off as colic and prescribed me some of the acid medication for babies.
It did work but it didn’t do it all.
I suggest you take them to the doctor, because the medication definitely helps, but here are 3 more tips and tricks that helped my baby ON TOP of the medication.
1. Rock N Play. Like this here.
They have actually discontinued these because you are not supposed to use them once your baby learns to roll over. I got rid of it because it became no longer safe, but up until that point, it was a lifesaver. Whatever you can to try and elevate. So I looked on Amazon and if it was today I would have bought the thing above, or some kind of swinging bassinet, or swing that can keep them calm but elevated.
2. Wedge. Like these here.
This is very slightly putting an incline in the mattress. If you aren’t okay with it, don’t do it, but when you transition to crib they are going to be completely uncomfortable lying flat. It helps, and considering I had a baby screaming bloody murder 6 hours a night, I was willing to try anything.
3. Going Dairy-Free.
This is gonna be difficult, but when I was breastfeeding I went dairy-free completely. I have another article I am working on about my journey with this that I will post soon. By cutting this out of your diet as a breastfeeding mom, or buying a dairy-free formula, it could possibly help greatly. I cut dairy out and it turned 6-hour screaming fits every night into about 20-minute crying fits.
Turns out my baby had a severe dairy intolerance, but dairy is hard for every baby to digest, period. Trial and error, you just have to try different things and see what works. It could be soy it could be gluten, mine was dairy but if that didn’t work I was about to keep trying until I found her relief.
If you are having issues with colic as well as the “infant reflex” click here for my article on colic and tips and tricks to help soothe your baby.
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Are you having issues with colic or what you believe to be infant reflux? Let me know in the comments below.
