small sleeps and reflux

[blubber]

Although my DD2 is only 4 1/2 weeks old she is only really sleeping for about 1.5 hours at a time at night. Sometimes she settles well and others it take forever. When she settles well she is up again within that hour and half and surely she is not hungry. She is bottle fed and on avaergae will only take 100mls. Have been following the forums on thickeners and AR formula. She has what i would suggest as reflux, always bringing milk up after feeds and a long time after. Wandering if you have any insight? Feeling so tired and getting sooo frustrated at the night feeds.
Would it be best to change to an AR formula or add the thickener. She is currently on S26. How long would it take to ntoice a difference with thickener. Does it help with sleeping patterns.
Hope there is someone there that may be able to help.
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[RISA]

Hi,
Thanks for contacting our organisation. It sounds like things are quite difficult for you, and I am sure you must be exhausted by now! The first thing I need to recommend is that you discuss your concerns about reflux with your doctor. It is really important that you get a diagnosis- whether it is reflux or not, because there are other conditions e.g. urinary tract infections that can present similarly. While the likelihood is that it is reflux, it is still important to make sure- it would be awful to treat it as reflux, only to find out later it was something else entirely.

If you go to the doctors and they agree it is reflux, then there are lots of different things you can do. Whether you use a thickened formula or not, is totally up to you. Thickened formulas aren't always the answer for reflux babies- though they can work really well in some, and may even help with their sleeps. Others though will actually do worse with thickeners, so it is all trial and error to find out what it is that works for your own child. Whether you use thickened formula, or thicken them yourself, if you do decide to go ahead and try it, is totally up to you. What you may be interested to know, is that prethickened formulas cannot be altered. They have to be made up to the same thickness each time. If you are thickening the formula yourself, then you can vary it til you find one that particularly suits your child. It gives you more options, but is perhaps not quite as convenient (again, personal choice).

What you are describing with her wanting to feed so frequently overnight is very common with reflux babies. Some babies work out pretty quickly that it feels nice (soothing) when they feed, so they demand that. Others work out it makes them feel worse, so refuse. It is commonly around an hour or so after a feed because that i the time that the stomach is most actively digesting the feed, and the acid levels are the highest. It means they are more likely to be refluxing at that time. She's quite smart and worked out already what to do to make it feel better!

If you do fall in the trap of feeding her again at that time, it ends up being a vicious cycle because her tummy never gets the chance to empty. It is really hard to break that sometimes (it sure was for me, as my son was a comfort feeder too). I didn't know I was making it worse by feeding him again then.

Please seek medical advice though, to ensure that it is reflux that is the problem, and if it is, if you have any other questions, please ask, as there may be lots of other management strategies we can suggest. It is always best to trust your instincts too, no matter how much you may be doubting yourself. Dealing with reflux can be terribly confusing, and mums often lose confidence in their parenting ability. I know I did!!

I hope that helps.

Glenda

[blubber]

Thank you for your reply. I guess our main concern/issue is the night time. We have gone back to swaddling her for all sleeps (as of last night) the sleep pattern is yet to change but that may.
We just have the feeling that if we try something different it may work or if we ride it out that my be the answer as well.
We have employed the feed/play/sleep theory from day one, made night times dark and no fuss and yet she seems to be going backwards. Perseverence is the key i know.
If we get a diagnosis of reflux and go to thickeners is there a likely time frame that would show an improvement or a negative result?
Thanks again.

[RISA]

Hi,
Presuming it is reflux, when you try thickeners, I would think you'd know fairly quickly whether it was going to help or not. Refluxers are all different, and as I said earlier, thickeners can work really well for some babies, but not so well for others. Studies have shown that thickeners can reduce the amount of vomiting, but not the amount of refluxing they do, so they are generally only recommended for babies who vomit.

It can be really confusing trying to figure out what the right course of action might be, but you can only do your best. Trust your instincts, and do what feels right. If what you are doing isn't helping, then try something else, and please remember to look after yourself as well. You're doing a really good job by the sounds of it, and I hope you find the answers you need soon.

Hope that helps

Glenda

[blubber]

Thank you for your positive thoughts. Is there going to be too much harm if we go from a standard formula to thickener and discovering that works to an AR formula. She is currently on S26 gold. Would we move to the S26 AR or a different brand. We were just thinking when we are on the move, out and about or travelling the ease of the formula being thickened and not having to juggle two tins etc would be the way to go. Look forward to your thoughts.
Cheers

[RISA]

Hi,
It all depends on how sensitive her belly is, whether changing formula an extra time would affect her, or if she would be okay. If you prefer to use the commercially pre thickened formula, then I would think it's easier just to go straight to trying that.

All refluxers are different, and what works for one may not work for another, so it's often a matter of trusting what your instincts are telling you. I hope it makes a difference, and I;d be interested in hearing how it goes.

Glenda