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squoggs 
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 Topic: formula & reflux question
Posted: 03 December 2011 at 2:28pm |
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My 3 wk old is mostly BFed, with a bottle at the 2am feed (so my DH can do it and I can get some sleep). If I have time, I express off a feed during the day, sometimes easier said than done with a 17mo too, and sometimes I give him formula. -)
He is quite bad with reflux, on losec which helps a bit, but also very windy with it. My DH pointed out that it can be worse after giving him formula, so am considering changing him onto a different formula - tossing up between anti-reflux & anti-colic formulas...has anyone tried these? The A-R one has a thickener which stops them bringing so much back up, but concerned that it may also constipate him. The A-C one states it helps with wind. His wind & reflux are both equally bad and stressful...which one do I go with?
Edited by squoggs
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AuntieSarah
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Location: Hastings
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 3:34pm |
Possibly an issue with dairy? Have you thought abut cutting dairy out of your diet to see if that helps? If that's the case you might have to get special formula though. Have you had a look at the crying over spilt milk website, very helpful for reflux information 
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squoggs
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 3:43pm |
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thanks, im already dairy free due to intolerance, and have been giving him s26 soy formula already as our older girl is also lactose intolerant. Have modified my own diet completely to help with his reflux, not sure what else i can do. but he might be ok on dairy yet, so was thinking of maybe trying him him on a different formula & seeing what happens.
excuse the one handed typing!
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maya22
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 4:28pm |
Is it a screaming problem, a winding problem or a spilling problem at 2am or all 3?
Are you giving gaviscon already? If so stay clear of the thickened formula as it would be too much and the poor kid will never get the poo out 
Maybe try infant gaviscon with the night formula and see if it helps before switching formula. Also try doing a nappy change halfway through the bottle at night, it might help bring up wind and spill before you get the baby into bed, easier to clean up.
He might be worse because it is the night feed, so fed and back in bed = lying down.
Are you doing all the reflux management things? Like lying on side (left hand side helps the milk drain), propping the top of the bed up, small feeds often to not overload the tum, keeping upright for 30 min after a feed.
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DS1 July 2007
DS2 Nov 2010
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squoggs
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 5:06pm |
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yup we are doing everything! Im nearly at my wits end - hence DH giving bubs bottle at night so I can get some sleep & make some milk! We already change nappy at half time, every surface he lies on is elevated at the head
Might try gaviscon too, im pretty sure its ok with losec, but figured if he's already on losec, there wouldn't be any need for gaviscon? I'm also scared of him getting constipated, as he has enough pain in his little tummy to worry about already.
Its a winding & spilling problem mainly, all day and night. We have already been through starship hosp as they thought he had pyloric stenosis, but has been cleared, just terrible reflux. Its just so hard hearing him struggle, and not being able to help. I am running low on milk due to stress & exhaustion &chasing a toddler & loads of washing, so expressing isn't really happening which is why I am using formula.
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T_Rex
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 6:27pm |
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I've got a refluxer too, and she's exclusively BF and I find she is worst after the early morrning feed too. So it may be totally unrelated to the formula itself? Perhaps try just giving her a BF instead and see if that eases it.
I suspect for my DD its because by then she's just been lying back too long and can no longer handle it, even tho her cot is propped up too. My DD spills constantly from then till I get up at 6. I usually end up propping myself up on pillows on bed and sleeping her semi upright, tummy-to-tummy on my chest for the rest of the night. I figure right now the aims are to alleviate DD's pain as much as possible and to get me as much sleep as I can in the process. I'm much much more rested than when DD1 was little and had similar problems.
Just a different approach before you go trying heaps of formulas anyway!
I hope you get some much needed releif soon!
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maya22
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 7:08pm |
Gaviscon and losec work in completely different ways, absolutely you can use both!
Infant Gaviscon is a thickener, like cornflour in the gravy. It comes in sachets which you make up in a splash of boiled water (way less than the instructions say!) and give in a syringe before a feed. It should help with spilling, makes the tummy contents harder to spill up as they are thicker.
Constipation can be an issue, but why not try a sachet just for each of the night feeds, that was enough to help my DS2, and isn't a high dose at all. You can make up enough sachets for 24 hours and leave it on the bench overnight so you don't have to make it up each time.
Losec is an acid reducer, so works biochemically to reduce the amount of acid. It won't help with the spilling.
Reflux is cruel, you end up with a baby that can't feed and can't sleep, which doesn't make for fun days or nights. Reflux mamas are doing the hard yards 
ETA you can buy a box of 10 gaviscon sachets from the pharmacy for around $10, or free on prescription. I have some boxes left over from DS2, if you would like me to put them in the post to you then pm me
ETA again: this website is the bible... http://www.cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz/medicaltreatment/medicationinstructionsheets/
Edited by maya22
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DS1 July 2007
DS2 Nov 2010
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Shelt
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Posted: 03 December 2011 at 8:52pm |
You can buy thickener in a tin like you can with formula and add it to your normal formula in an amount that suits your baby. My daughter had bad reflux and was on losec and when I stopped BF at 6 months I tried a variety of formulas. She had a really weak suck and the reflux one worked well keeping the stuff in her stomach but was too hard for her to suck out of the bottle due to its thickness (she took 45 min - an hour with a regular bottle, you can imagine how slow she was when she had to work harder to get the formula out of the bottle!). I rang the formula companies and Karicare (which is made by Nutricia) gave me a free sample of thickener to try. It made all the difference. You can get a sample if you ring them directly and explain your situation - they sent me a tin and the lady was really nice on the phone and full of suggestions.
Hope that helps. reflux is hard on mums and dads as well as bubs.
ETA to include a link to the Karicare site where they mention using the thickener here
Edited by Shelt
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MissJen
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Posted: 04 December 2011 at 7:22pm |
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We had a super spilly baby. We were told that it was a developmental thing and that it should come right as the valve in his stomach grows properly. It has sorted itself out but it was extremely difficult dealing with it until it fixed itself.
We used the Karicare thickener that SHelt has suggested worked a treat. He was still spilly but the formula stayed in his stomach long enough for him to get the nutrients as well as that we used alot of gripe water to help with the windyness.
My friend used some kind of rhubarb drops from the chemist for wind she said they were amazing.
Other than that sometimes you have to be patient with these things
Hope it settles soon
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squoggs
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Posted: 14 December 2011 at 11:55am |
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Thanks for the help & suggestions - thanks also Maya22 for the offer of gaviscon, very kind of you :-)
So, after trying thickeners/gaviscon/losec etc, no joy, still terrible, have decided to put DS on bottle full-time & express when I can. BFing is taking 1-2 hrs at the mo, and burping him after is taking 1hr. When feeding 3 hrly, with a very active toddler, it is too hard, im not coping & I have pretty much given up. With the bottle, he takes a feed in 5-10mins & burps much more efficiently too, and spills a whole lot less. Feel really bad that I have had to do this, but after spending last few days in tears with in, and feeling like a terrible mum to my 1yo, decided it was the best & easiest thing to do.
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EmDee
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Posted: 14 December 2011 at 12:43pm |
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DS 8
DD 6
DS 4
DD 2
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formula & reflux question
Don't feel bad at all, you have to do what works for your entire family, be confident with your decision - you are a wonderful mum!