Reflux moms

JuddandJessica · February 2013

Yep. I'm still on this topic.

Does your lo eat breast milk or formula? Initially, we were told to use only formula for a few days to prevent the choking he was doing. Apparently breast milk is very thin. While only using formula, he spit up far less, even without the medication. I'm trying to reintroduce breast milk and the spitting up is back.

Also, what if I make a formula bottle with breast milk instead of water? Is that just two times the calories for my chubby baby?

Ugh. Reflux.

spincat9 · February 2013

So sorry to hear you and your LO are struggling w/reflux! DD had it awful. It finally cleared up at around 12 months old which is when we weaned her off her meds. Hang in there mama!

Our pedi never told us to try formula as a solution. So we only did BM.

Any time we had problems we went back to have them reexamine the dose, and if it wasn't working we changed meds. I think it took us 3 different meds before we found one that worked (ended up being Prilosec).

I wouldn't mix BM into the formula without checking with your pedi first...That seems like a lot of calories.

Good luck!

Missa_g · February 2013

We were on fortified breastmilk [adding formula to BM for calories Don't do this unless pedi recommends] and then formula. There was no difference in their discomfort or spit up.

martinimomma · February 2013

We didn't intro formula for months after G's diagnosis. He was maybe 8 or 9 months by the time my supply diminished and we started supplementing. He was extremely colicky very early and had weird poops as well as the symptoms of reflux, which led to the presumptive diagnosis of milk and soy intolerance on top of that. So I cut all milk and soy products out of my diet and kept BFing.

Formula is a wee bit thicker than breast milk, but it also has none of the good stuff BM provides. If you are reintroducing, consider (1) smaller more frequent feedings (getting baby "full" to the brim means more splashing back into the esophagus), (2) feeding upright and keeping upright for at least 30 minutes after each feeding, (3) frequent burping and breaks to prevent gulping air and keeping it in the belly which is uncomfortable for sensitive tummies.

If you have worked with or access to an LC, they may have other tips. Kellymom has good resources on reflux too.

In extreme cases, pedis might suggest mixing cereal in the bottle to thicken the liquids. Not a first line action by any means, but wanted you to be aware in case things go in that direction. There are obvious potential pros and cons to this.

Good luck!

ETA: Definitely do not mix BM and formula without an order from your pedi.

Eris-Alexis · February 2013

C has reflux, although he started outgrowing it around 12 months and we weaned him off his meds at 13 months. He has always been FF, so I don't know about the difference between formula and BM. I would not recommend mixing the formula using BM. It will definitely throw off his calorie intake, etc. I would talk to your pedi again and see what s/he recommends.

authorofdreamz · February 2013

DD had extreme reflux, and did until we stopped formula at 12m. We tried every formula out there and nothing made that much of a difference though soy helped some (she also has dairy sensitivities though so I don't know if it really helped the reflux or just eliminated the combo) really nothing helped until we started solids at 4MO and the more solids she was eating the better it got. We never really BF so I don't know if that would make a difference but I would say if you really want to BF I would maybe get a different pedi's opinion since they will all say different things. pedi's. I went through many pedi's that kept telling me that that is just what formula does and I should've kept BFing before I finally found one that would actually listen and diagnose DD.

Rachel*Neocate · February 2013

My LO also has a milk and soy protein intolerance (MSPI) which made his reflux flare and gave him tummy aches, mucousy stools, etc. Maybe your LO is having a hard time digesting milk proteins? You could BF and remove all dairy (and probably soy) from your diet for two weeks and see if that helps? Or ask the dr about a formula like Nutramigen or Alimentum where the milk proteins are broken down into partial protein chains (unlike the full chains found in "regular" formula).

Sometimes reflux can be a symptom of MSPI :

Common CMA Symptoms video: https://bit.ly/sYdNi5

Hang in there

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