EBF Reflux Advice

Anyone else suffering with extreme reflux right now? My baby is exclusively breastfed but has had bad reflux since she was about 3 weeks old. Over the last week it has gotten so much worse. She is fussing at the breast, popping on and off and wailing, arching her back and vomiting up large volumes of milk (30 to 40ml a feed). Over the weekend I felt her weight drop so took her to be weighed at HV today. She has had slow weight gain but I strongly suspect she's lost weight over the weekend. She's been constipated too. Still has plenty of wet Nappies but they are lighter than before.

I have given up dairy and am trying her on baby probiotics since today. I've read that reflux peaks at 4 months. Just wondered if anyone is going through the same thing. I'm finding it slightly heartbreaking that she is so sick. I want to help her but dunno what to do. She's so happy and alert most of the time. Anyone have any tips on how to deal with reflux? Going to see how the probiotic works and I can update this thread in case anyone is in a similar situation.

I also worry about my supply constantly these days and feel like one or two bad feeds in a day can throw everything off balance! I know that sounds bananas but the slow weight gain is making me feel like crap.

Read more on Peanut

The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.

Learn more about our guidelines.
Add a comment
Avatar

My sister's girl had a very bad reflux, sounds similar to you. She ended up giving her gastrotuss baby, that's meant to create a barrier on top of stomach after feed and that sorted them out.
She doesn't live in the UK (but when you Google, it can be bought online), but maybe something similar? I gave it to my girl when she went through period of spitting up after every feed and it helped.
Fingers crossed probiotics help at least a bit

Avatar

Tummy time really aided our reflux.. we were on omezprazole but I stopped it once I researched the long and short term side effects. It has no improvement anyway. if she’s losing weight/not gaining as expected then it’s likely GORD and needs looking at for the underlying cause. The U.K. national guidelines state you should be referred to an infant feeding specialist (like an IBCLC) for a full assessment (not just a latch check).. please push for this

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02JCJwMGBoa41jJi3KPh7TEpsQAVruSJTN8vQShN3cp1PEheu9PKXwXnUvBjJ8dn7Al&id=411977425899963

Olivia Hinge IBCLC has a few posts/stories reflux. Carol Smyth IBCLC is a reflux specialist and has some great info on Instagram!

Avatar

So sorry for you, sounds so tough. My boy has had it pretty bad since early days and is nearly 4 months now, and it’s starting to get a bit better. I think it may be down to lots of tummy time, practice sitting and standing, as maybe it’s helping strengthen his core muscles, which might be keeping his stomach contents down.

The frustrating thing is, that the tummy time itself often causes quite a lot of throwing up, so I try and time it right - long enough after his feed and just before he starts getting hangry for his next feed! It’s hard work but I really think it’s helping.

I hope the situation improves for you soon 🤞

Avatar

I haven't got any advice but am literally going through the same, and today has been the worst day so far. We were given infant gaviscon at 10 weeks but unfortunately that didn't help and just made her more constipated. We were told if weight gain didn't improve that omeprazole would be next but I've been so worried about starting that.
I hope the probiotics help you ❤️

Avatar

Thanks so much for all that information Tanya. Lucy Webbers stuff is making me feel hopeful again. I might buy her book. Great recommendation. 👍

I have researched a local breastfeeding support group so going to go get the latch and everything checked just to be sure although I'm sure she's latching fine. She's asleep now and everything seems more hopeful in the night time.

So sorry to hear you're going through the same Amelia. I am using BioGaia and will report in a weeks time. It is similar to the vitamin drops the NHS advise to use but with an added probiotic.

Avatar

My LG had severe reflux from about 3 weeks it got better for a short time but is definitely worse for month 4. Nights are the worst.

Avatar

I can send you the rest of ‘is it reflux..?’ If you’d like. There’s quite a few so I didn’t wanna spam anymore than I already have. If you’ve got the funds I’d seek a private IBCLC specialising in reflux, Shel Banks, Carol Smyth.. I know Lucy Webber may be but not 100% sure. Do push the GPS for a a full assessment from a feeding specialist & when you get your latch checked make sure they’re actually qualified/knowledgeable to do so.

You can message Olivia Hinge IBCLC for suggestions too, she can’t give specialised advice as she’d need a full feeding assessment & she’s on maternity leave but she’s very helpful & free (you can buy her a coffee for her time on one of her Instagram links). ❤️

Avatar

Hi my daughter has it they given me infant gavascone seems to help abit

Avatar

My little boy has awful reflux due to his milk allergy. He's been on all the different medications for it, currently on lansoprazole and gaviscon, but for the past week or so it's been getting worse again 😖 luckily he's still putting on weight at the moment, but we're back to weekly weigh ins again 😩

Avatar

I combi feed. When I changed the formula milk to Aptamil anti-reflux, reflux stopped. I know you EBF but if it gets even worse and you are worried maybe some feeds can be replaced with aptamil anti-reflux?

Avatar

We have seen some improvements over the last few days with the removal of dairy from my diet and the probiotic (although she has sicked this up 2 days in a row). Fortunately, at the moment, it's not affecting her sleep. She's had several spits and a few big splats but nothing as bad as last week.

I would love to give her a formula top up, and we gave her loads in the beginning, but we cut out bottles to establish breastfeeding. Now she flat out refuses to latch a bottle. Almost like her mouth has forgotten how to do it. We still try, and she has fun playing with it, but no joy.

@Lilita it is so, so hard when their own body makes them sick. Hang in there. I've been assured by many many mums that it is just a phase, and it will pass eventually. Keep feeding and doing everything you're doing. You are all doing an amazing job. 👏

Avatar

Hi! Did this get better with the probiotics? EBF baby here with silent reflux, been giving probiotics for a month but not a lot of improvement (although he got his first tooth this month so definitely some of the discomfort was from that…)

Avatar

oh i can sympathise we were in the same situation with my LG. Teething seems to make reflux so much worse! We have cut out dairy, milk and gluten and released her tongue tie and definitely seen improvements along with probiotics every day. I've found the dietary changes definitely made the biggest improvements even though we were told it definitely wasn't CMPA or any allergies by so many HVs and GPs.

Avatar

I've seen huge improvements with reflux. Now, it happens only once a week or so. With very tiny regular spits that are nothing to write home about. Tbh, I wasn't very diligent with the probiotic after a few weeks as I read somewhere that the bacteria in breastmilk is biologically designed for your baby, and they don't really need a chemically made one. Also did more research on CMPA, and you'd need to be eating a TONNE of dairy for it to be in such high amounts in your breastmilk that baby would react.

I know how devastating and difficult it is to watch bubs be sick over and over again. I genuinely think her weight gain and physical development greatly improved things. More importantly, I think I just relaxed more and learned to trust that everything was fine. I was incredibly stressed prior to seeking out breastfeeding support, and I genuinely believe this affected the milk. I also got lots of tips onlaid-back feeding positions, feeding koala style. Holding her upright after feeds etc.

Avatar

@Marina, I definitely notice reflux gets worse when she's drooling non-stop due to the teething. Hope your LG isn't too upset about the silent reflux. Breastmilk is magical stuff, but damn is it stressful EBF. ✨️

Avatar

Hey just wondering if you found the probiotics helped?

Avatar

we found the probiotics helped massively. It took about 2 weeks for it to really work but it had a big effect on her. Same with me giving up dairy. If I slip even just a little bit her reflux returns. My LG had GERD reflux though so she wasn't just a happy chucker.

Avatar

that’s good to know! Did she have any side effects initially? I’ve been giving my 3 month old them for about a week but he’s getting really bad gas and seems a bit distressed with it so I have just stopped giving them

Avatar

she was in a bit of a mess when we first started giving them to her. I think her tummy hurt quite a bit already so we didn't notice any side effects. We stopped giving them to her a month ago as I thought she might not need them anymore as she is 8 months now. But she's started having a bad tummy again so we are going to put her back on them.

Read more on Peanut

Trending

in our community

C - section

Hello lovelies, I’m getting closer to my date of c section.

Can I ask how it all went for you? I felt prepared and now I have this awful feeling what if I bleed out! I’m sure that’s not the case. But I just wondered how it went, and how the aftermath was. I have seen on social media people say it’s horrendous but then I speak to friends and family and they’re like yeah it’s not easy but you can cope! You can walk, etc. I think it’s the unknown… lol!

Also were you all sick during your procedure and did you all get terrible trapped gas? If so what tips do you have xx

Avatar

1

26

Best way to be induced??

I just found out I may need to be induced early due to preeclampsia and having a generally bigger baby which of the ways to be induced do y’all recommended?

Avatar

10

This is a bit strange.. but hear me out

I am 36 weeks and 4 days today.
I had that feeling, you know when you are trying to take a tampon out on your end of period and it kind of hurts because the tampon is dry? I had that sensation today?

Now I feel like I have to push something about my vagina? It kinda tickles but uncomfortable. I’m not having any pains at all anywhere btw so can’t be baby ??

Avatar

3

cheating dream

i need advice but PLS DON'T JUDGE!!!
last night i had a dream, i always used to dream my partner cheating on me with my friends, or being super mean, but since we had our baby those dreams disappeared. for context, we haven't been able to have sex yet, I'm 12 weeks pp, and my pelvic floor is so tense, and it's awful.
last night i had a VERY weird dream, it was so realistic, and different from others, he handed me his phone, and ask me to help him handle this girl, like annoyed? in the chat this girl was super obsessive, and messaged him a lot before he replied. she asked him to sing a song to her, and he sent her a voice message singing it, and other voice messages i couldn't listen in the dream. i wrote her to stop, and she was angry, telling me he started it. then i confronted him about this (still in the dream) and he changed his attitude, he seemed so guilty and said to me he had deleted some messages. i don't remember much else, but i woke up with the URGE of checking his insta messages. we've been together for 5 years, and I've never checked his phone, and neither has he (that i know if, at least) and contained myself, but I'm still very much concerned about it. it felt like an epiphany, a revelation or smth like that. I know people might think I'm overreacting but i can't get it out of my head, it was so specific.
i though about asking him to show me, but i know he'll be bothered that i don't trust him (i would be too in his place), but if he's cheating he would say that to make me feel bad. also i thought about checking his phone in his sleep, and then ask him to see his reaction, but feel so bad, i wouldn't like if he went through my phone without asking, even tho I have nothing to hide.
please, be kind!!

Avatar

13

20 week anatomy scan for baby girl today 🥰💕🌷

So grateful everything was perfect with little miss baby, she’s right on track around 20-21 weeks, can’t wait to meet my baby girl! 😇🌸🙏🏻

Avatar

12

8

Implant

Hi mamas I have a problem, I have the implant in again, I had it in before was in for 6 years new rules now, not a single problem no periods nothing, got it re fitted this time I have been bleeding non stop noticed on Friday my arm was sore and was swollen I thought it was from work, turns out my implant has moved up my arm and it’s not producing the right hormones 🤢 I woke up yesterday to the bruising on my arm (picture inserted) the pain I am in is so bad, I am worried about having sex again due to getting pregnant 🤦‍♀️🙈 can someone help me, I am going to hospital tomorrow morning to see if they can help me I need this out 🙈🤔

Avatar

4

Read more on Peanut