Another Refluxer?

[LotusMum]

My first child had very nasty reflux. She vomited all the time and was in a great deal of pain. After three months she was medicated which helped with the pain although obviously not the vomiting. My experience with this was so awful that I had to really work through my issues with this before I felt ready to have another child due to fears of the same thing happening again.
My second child is now 10 weeks old and I am wondering if she may have reflux also. Although she is not in pain like my first child, she vomits an awful lot. She is bottlefed due to an inability to suck properly at the breast causing me to loose my milk. She hiccups after most feeds, vomits both after a feed and also just generally. I do the usual anti-reflux stuff like not moving her after a bottle, and although it helps it certainly hasnt solved matters.
Does this sound like reflux to you or am I just paranoid? I have tried numerous bottles and the thickened formulars all to no avail. She also has feeding problems and is going to see a speech therapist/ocupational therapist to help with this.

[RISA]

Hi Suzie,
Thanks for contacting us. After your first experience, I can certainly understand your concerns about your next child having reflux. I totally agree about the having to work through some issues before you could have another child because of it. It is just so hard to even think about going through again, isn’t it!!!

I do think your concerns are right, and its not just paranoia. It certainly does sound possible it is reflux, but just to make sure, you should talk to your doctor about it. It certainly fits with symptoms of reflux, and it definitely isn’t in your head (though who can blame you. I’m sure I would be looking constantly for signs of reflux, right from birth! Your experience was so horrible last time, I’m sure that’s only natural)

It is great that she doesn’t appear to have any pain, but do you think some of her feeding problems could be due to her reflux? Or is that as totally separate issue?

Thickened formulas aren’t always the answer for reflux babies, and if you find they don’t make any difference to her, then there may not be any point in pursuing it. I would say to please listen to your instincts, and trust yourself as I’m sure you have had to do that anyway with both your children. A mother’s instincts need to be listened to as they are almost always right.

Do you know some of the other management ideas that may help? Like using a dummy if she is interested? Or not having any pressure on her tummy, so no slumping or scrunching, even while in a sling or other product, no tight nappies and no tight elastic waistbands, that kind of thing. No cigarette smoke near, and avoid overfeeding (if she vomits, don’t immediately replace the feed, unless her weight is a problem).

It is important to verify that reflux is the problem though, just in case it is another issue, as there can be other problems that present similarly.

It is lovely you were able to face your demons and have another child and I hope you get to enjoy having a baby this time around,

Glenda

[LotusMum]

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly, Glenda. Yes it was a shocking experience last time and I actually called your counsellors about it (this is when you were VISA) and they were a wonderful support. I have recommended your organisation to many people.
Josie has had feeding issues from birth. Her suck has not been overly great as I mentioned before. Now when I give her bottles much of it ends up all over her due to her spurting it out the sides of her mouth. She also vomits it up as well, although sometimes I can tell that she is not actually vomiting it into her mouth but you can still hear the vomit noise.
I sling her much of the time in the upright position and when she isnt being carried around by me she is in a faily upright bouncer, and in bed (we co-sleep) she is propped on an angle with a pillow (I know its against SIDS, but you gotta do what you gotta do).
She has also unfortunatly suffered with a UTI and a cold so I am not 100% sure the feeding issues have been down to reflux or those illnesses as we havent really had very long to get to know each other yet. She has never fed the full amount that is recommended to her and seems to only now be taking in more. Her weight, although not low, was an issues as she wasnt putting on a great deal. It really is hard to tell at this stage what is going on as she is so young and she has been sick. Ill have to keep an eye on her.
If she has reflux and is not in pain, should I still look into getting her on medicine as she may be in pain and I just not know it (as in, she could be better than she is?).
I dont have a great deal of confidence in doctors for two main reasons. The first is that even though my other daughter had such severe reflux (our CHN uses her case as a bench mark as she has never seen a worse case before), they didnt care and I had to force the issue of medication and even then they were very blase about the whole thing. The second reason is that when I had Josie in hospital with the UTI, the paediatrician there decided that as she was alert when he examined her, she is over stimulated and that is the reason she is vomiting and refusing feeds (even though we had just spent the night in for a UTI and that would be the obvious reason if not reflux). THe doctor would not hear that it might be reflux. I have to go back to the paediatricians next month (Ive asked for another doctor) so maybe then Ill be heard a little more.
Is it necessary to have it diagnosed by a doctor? What are they really going to do anyway apart form give medications?
Thank you for your support in this matter, it really is hard to know whether I am just looking for symptoms or they really are there, especially when everyone seems to have a reflux baby these days and unless you have dealt with a severe case, you just cant know the impact it has on your whole familys day to day life.
Kind regards
Suzie

[RISA]

Hi Suzie,
Wow, that is great that you were able to get support through us last time- it is so nice to hear too, that you recommended us to others as well!  It’s great now that we are able to reach more people because of the internet, and we still do the other support services as well- the phone support, the newsletters, and other printed literature, and the much newer online services- online parent support groups, and website etc.

It sounds like you have had a pretty rough start to motherhood yet again, with Josie needing to be hospitalised already through illness!!! No wonder you are even more concerned about the possibility of reflux!!! Please don't be too hard on yourself.

I guess it doesn’t really matter if you don’t get her reflux officially diagnosed, if your instincts are telling you that it really isn’t too much of an issue, but it sounds like you are more concerned than that. If so, then may be important. Firstly, you don’t want to be managing it as reflux if it isn’t, and secondly, you would need to make sure it isn’t anything else that may need to be recognised. There can be other conditions that can present very similarly, so if you do have any alarm bells ringing, it’s worth listening to those instincts. Even though the likely scenario may be reflux, especially given the fact that a previous child had severe reflux, it doesn’t always follow. Even things like urinary tract infections can cause similar symptoms, so I guess in that way it is important (a condition called urinary reflux cannot be left undiagnosed)

What do you think about her need for medication? Does she have time that she appears uncomfortable or distressed? When she vomits, does she grimace or does she struggle with feeds apart from the actual sucking problem? What are her sleeps like? Are there any other clues that tell you she has pain with it? Have you tried (or talked to a pharmacist or doctor) about trying an over the counter medication like Mylanta or Infant Gaviscon, to see if it makes any difference to her? Perhaps that would let you know if she could be better, or even if it can have an effect? It sounds like that is something you need to know, even if it is just for peace of mind, so it might be worth thinking about. Of course then, it would be important for the doctors to rule out other issues.

Given your lack of confidence in doctors, there may be a couple of things you can do to prepare for your paed appointment? You could write a diary of her days- include things like her feeds, her sleeps, any unsettled times, when and how often she vomits, and that kind of thing. Alternatively, you can take a friend or family member with you, so they can back you up. For some reason, both those methods seem to carry a lot of credibility- like the mother may be exaggerating or neurotic or something, though I don’t know why.

Perhaps keeping a diary would make it clearer for you too. I found that it helps as our memories are amazingly faulty (especially when we are stressed and tired like I’m sure you must be!) I found it’s much more of an accurate record which might actually help you decipher it. No matter what, please don’t ignore your instincts. You know that something is going on, whether it is gastro- reflux or not. It doesn’t sound as though it’s there simply because you are imagining it!

I agree too, that unless you have had a child with severe reflux, you just don’t know! It’s good it is being recognised more readily though, so perhaps one day there will be more support and understanding for this condition.

I hope that helps and I hope you get some answrs for her

Glenda

[LotusMum]

Thank you again. I will do the diary idea. I have done it for the CHNs so I dont know why I didnt think of it for the paediatrician.
Urinary reflux did get checked for and I am pleased to say that that is not an issue for us. I think at this stage Ill just monitor her and see how we go before putting her on any sort of meds. I hate to medicate unnecessarily.
Thanks again for your help in this matter, I appreciate it.