Living with a Little Refluxer

Before I get down and dirty with telling you all about reflux or rather as much as I know from research I’ll just give a quickie paragraph or two about today’s antics and what not. We’re on day 5 of restarting to breastfeed and the Medela double pump machine is brilliant. It’s not working miracles just yet but I’ve managed to express more than what I usually do. I’ve tried him on the breast today but he’s been having none of it. I read a breastfeeding blog the other day and the woman on there said nipple shields were recommended to her and they worked so we’ve been and bought some today. Will keep you updated on how I get on with them! Not done anything special today Alan was on days so he came home at lunch time and we’ve been to town shopping then out for some lunch at the Bluebell – first time since I went into labour that Sunday evening… We’ve also bought some reusable nappies to trial today, eco warrior or what! Will review them next week and let you know how we get on. On a fantastic note, Alfie has been going 4 hours between feeds all by himself today. I’m so proud! I discovered yesterday and again today that he loves to play PEEPO. It’s unbelievably cute when he smiles and laughs at me doing it. I reckon he’s probably thinking “God, my mummy’s a wally” rather than “Wow this is dead fun!”. Bless.

Ok so living with a little refluxer… When Alfie was 2 week old he was diagnosed with severe reflux and although I don’t think that’s the whole problem with him being extremely sick he definitely has reflux symptoms. He is currently taking Infant Gaviscon x6 day, Ranitadine x3 day, Domperidone x4 day and Omperazole x1 day. Let me tell you it’s a bugger trying to get them down him without him spitting them out or choking on them. The Ranitadine and the Omperazole taste disgusting, the Domperidone has quite a sweet taste to it so he seems to like this. Yes I’ve tasted them I wasn’t putting anything in my baby without testing it myself first. He also has Infacol and gripe water both of which he likes the taste of.

Feeding times are stressful for both Alfie and I. Feeds usually start off OK then they progressively get worse and worse until we’re both in tears. It’s not as bad now as it was before he had the medication but it’s still pretty bad. He arches his back and cries after taking a few gulps. He struggles with the feed, squirming around obviously in pain. When he is burped he is sick. After his feed is finished he is sick. An hour after his feed he can be sick. He’s also sick in his sleep. When I say sick, I don’t mean a little bit…I mean three or four bibs per feed, a muslin cloth and a few outfit changes per day. It feels like it’s none stop. Once he’s sick, he is settled for five minutes before crying in hunger or pain or both. It’s heart breaking. When he is in his moses basket or pram, he needs to be propped up to prevent the acid from coming back up so we’ve bought a wedge to do this. Propping the moses basket up on books etc. isn’t safe or as effective as using a specially designed wedge because the incline isn’t great enough. We’ve also bought umpteen more bibs and muslin squares. It’s a nightmare. Reflux also means that tight clothing is a no-no. I mean I wouldn’t put a tight waistband on Alfie anyway but you have to be extra careful. Changing his nappy I have to move him side to side rather than picking his legs up and sliding the nappy underneath. Basically, his head needs to be above his tummy as much as possible.

A basic way of describing reflux is like heartburn but in babies. The medical name for reflux is gastro-oesophageal reflux or GOR which is very common in babies, when it is severe like in Alfie’s case it is referred to as GORD... the D standing for disease which is not so common. Some of the common symptoms of reflux are:

• Crying in pain
• Discomfort when feeding (arching, screaming, refusal, turning away)
• Fussiness
• Runny nose
• Frequent vomiting or spitting up
• Poor sleep habits, frequent waking
• Wet burps
• Hiccups
• Comfort feeding- constant feeding to alleviate pain
• Food intolerances
• Hoarse voice, sore throat

Information from http://www.babyreflux.co.uk

The diaphragm is the muscle which separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. As the oesophagus passes through the diaphragm, the diaphragm acts like a valve - stopping stomach contents from going backwards up the oesophagus. Doctors refer to this valve mechanism as asphincter.

Sometimes the valve action isn't as strong as it could be. In babies it is because the sphincter action of the diaphragm isn't fully developed. During the first year of a baby's life, the sphincter action gradually gets stronger and their chance of having reflux decreases.
Around 50% of babies will get some reflux but in only a small percentage of these is it a real problem. At the age of 10 months the number is down to about one in twenty babies.

Managing Alfie’s reflux is proving to be increasingly difficult as the days go by. It’s stressful and concerning to see your child in obvious pain and discomfort. At the moment our life is based around hospital appointments. We have another scan booked for Thursday 14th next week, an appointment in the children’s assessment unit on Tuesday 19th and an appointment in paediatrics on 22nd. The scan is to check Alfie doesn’t have a disease called Pyloric Stenosis. I’m hoping the scan comes back clear and he doesn’t have this although I have researched it, just in case.

Reflux isn’t something you are told about or something you even think about during pregnancy unless you know of it already. You’re told about baby colic and all the other common problems but not reflux. I find this odd considering how common it’s supposed to be…the disease isn’t so common but GOR is pretty common with a fair few babies suffering with it. There is also silent reflux which is harder to diagnose because it occurs without regurgitation. I have to be thankful that at least Alfie doesn’t have this form of reflux otherwise we may still be looking for the cause of his discomfort and pain.

Next week, I will have a blog review based on a product from http://www.greennippers.co.uk which is ideal for babies with reflux as well as babies with other problems including skin disorders. I was extremely excited to receive the product earlier this week and I’m even more excited to review it! We have had our first test run of it already and plan to test run it again a couple of times. If you’re an Eco Warrior Mummy or know someone who is, watch out for this post or visit the website now! I have a special discount code for my readers that will be in the post next week so keep your eyes peeled!

Ta very much for reading my lovelies!