reflux - I just don't know what to do (kind of long)

ohwhattheheck

We've been treating this reflux for a few weeks now.  DD takes Prilosec 2x/day and it seems to have been working.  Yesterday I could tell that it was bothering her - she was doing the "chewing" a lot and there were several times I looked at her and could see spit up in her mouth, I assumed she was swallowing it because she never actually spit up.

Yesterday evening though, I went to feed her and the second I put the bottle in her mouth, she spit up - twice (and it was a lot compared to her usual drool type of spit up).  She didn't really seem to be bothered by it and she ate a little bit later so I didn't think too much of it.  We elevated the head of her crib last night and that seemed to help so she didn't spit up at all overnight.

Today she was doing really well until about an hour ago.  Her last feeding was about 2 hours before she woke from her nap and she had a small coughing fit which turned into projectile spit up.  It had to have been almost two ounces.  I brought her into her room to change her clothes and diaper and she kept spitting up (her normal drool type).

I called the clinic and the nurse told me just to watch really close for the rest of the day today and if she still is having problems tomorrow or if she stops having wet diapers to bring her in. She's been super happy and she just ate an ounce that so far seems to be staying down.

Sorry this got so long, I just needed to type it out to sort through what is going on.  I'm frustrated and concerned!

If anyone has any advice I would welcome it.  If not, thanks anyway

NewBlue

From what our pedi told us, the zantac (what DS is on) and prilosec won't keep the baby from spitting up.  It will just keep the acid away and the pain associated with the reflux.  Our DS has days where he spits up a ton and other days where he doesn't spit up hardly at all.  I would say you are fine as long as she continues to eat and doesn't show signs of dehydration.  On a side note, I always thought DS was spitting up a couple ounces sometimes but then I spilled 2 ounces of BM on my counter and floor and it was A LOT more than he spit up.  It probably isn't as much as you think.

ohwhattheheck

NewBlue:

side note, I always thought DS was spitting up a couple ounces sometimes but then I spilled 2 ounces of BM on my counter and floor and it was A LOT more than he spit up.  It probably isn't as much as you think.

Thank you.  This is reassuring for me.

Luckiest13

Have you talked to pedi about thickening the milk yet? We started doing that and it helped a bit.

ohwhattheheck

how do you thicken the milk?

Jettaky

ohwhattheheck:

how do you thicken the milk?

Our pedi told us to use 1 tsp of rice cereal per once of liquid in each bottle. We are still having problems with a lot of spit up, pedi just told us we could put 10 tsp in a 7 oz bottle. It's still not helping much. I was just told there are other thickening agents out there like Thick it, which is a powder to add to the bottles. We will have to try that and see.

Good luck

userdeleted

ohwhattheheck:

NewBlue:

side note, I always thought DS was spitting up a couple ounces sometimes but then I spilled 2 ounces of BM on my counter and floor and it was A LOT more than he spit up.  It probably isn't as much as you think.

Thank you.  This is reassuring for me.

The first time my DS spit up in the NICU I totally freaked because it looked like his entire feeding. The nurse had me pour 2 oz of formula onto a diaper to get a good visual, and his spit up was definitely less. You could try doing that, or pouring some onto a paper towel, to get a better estimate of how much she really is spitting up.