Every month trash mummy will bring you an honest account of what it’s really like when dealing with the sometimes funny , sometimes sad and finally dam well hard issues that mums and dads have to go through when bringing up children. We will be covering everything from the serious such as Miscarriages, post natal depression , trying to conceive to bringing up twins to the fun lighthearted issues of taking toddlers to festivals, holidays and tales from trashgranparents , aunts & uncles.
This Month we are looking at Reflux.
The first 6 months of my new life with my new baby was, if I’m honest hell .
Well ok not the first 8 weeks as I didn’t know any better, I just thought all babies were really sick all the time. It was only when I started to embrace the coffee mornings and playgroups that I sat there and said to myself “hey why am I only person here with 2 changes of clothing, 6 bibs and 10 muslins?”
It soon became apparent after hearing ‘oh he’s been sick again’ for the 10th time in one morning that I thought this can’t be right. I went to the health visitor who said “it’s fine babies are sick why don’t you get some colic drops from the chemist?” So if the health visitor said its ok then it must be.
Well ok not the first 8 weeks as I didn’t know any better, I just thought all babies were really sick all the time. It was only when I started to embrace the coffee mornings and playgroups that I sat there and said to myself “hey why am I only person here with 2 changes of clothing, 6 bibs and 10 muslins?”
It soon became apparent after hearing ‘oh he’s been sick again’ for the 10th time in one morning that I thought this can’t be right. I went to the health visitor who said “it’s fine babies are sick why don’t you get some colic drops from the chemist?” So if the health visitor said its ok then it must be.
It was a visit to our friends house that made us realise that something just wasn’t right …. We arrived in the morning, clean clothes, happy and looking forward to a nice sunday roast. Our friends just couldn’t believe it, they were shocked that a baby could be this sick. You picked him up “oh he’s been sick” and put him down “oh look he’s been sick again.” You gave him milk; “oh he’s been sick AND he’s now screaming, really screaming!”
We left that day trashtot in his 4th change of clothes and us covered in sick, stinking and exhausted.
I went back to the health visitor and was again told “stop worrying, it’s colic – you should be grateful it doesn’t keep you up at night.” I don’t know if it was my calm ‘work like manner’ or the fact that yes he did sleep through the night and no he wasn’t loosing weight -(milk was the only thing that gave him comfort). It just felt like everyone thought I was being an anxious first time mummy.
Inside I was falling apart! My husband would come home from work to find me in my dressing gown (I gave up on getting dressed due to the sheer volume of washing) me a wreck and dreading the next feed as then the sickness and pain (It wasn’t just the sickness it was the screams after giving him milk and the arching of the back.) would happen all over again, and trashtot in a nappy and bib bouncing in the door bouncer the only thing that bought trashtot any comfort. I stopped going out, I couldn’t cope with the comments like “do you think it because you didn’t breastfeed?” And “your baby is quite possibly the sickest baby I’ve met.” All from people I hardly knew or had never even met before. I didn’t know how to react so I would smile sweetly and then breakdown at home.
I would dread him being sick on a playmat/toy that it was easier just to not go out to groups or coffee mornings so I tried to avoid them. On the rare occasion I did venture out it would be to my friend’s house or with them where I could feel comfortable. It was whilst at a friend’s house that her mum said to me about reflux (her son had it ) , she recognised all the things that was happening and all the things I was doing like giving him his milk in his bath seat so his back and tummy were stretched and he was slightly raised, to trashtot just wanting to stand all the time or bounce in door bouncer. (Trashtot hated just hated being on his tummy).
So when trashtot was 5 months old I took him to the doctor. I planned his appointment just after his milk so doctor could see his symptoms rather than me explain. As soon as we got there he screamed and was sick all over the doctors table. I just broke down I couldn’t take it anymore. The doctor was so understanding and told me I wasn’t going mad, said this was definitely NOT what all babies do and that Yes she thinks he has reflux**. We were put on medication and referred to a specialist. The first medication we were prescribed – Gaviscon didn’t work it made poor trashtot so constipated that it just added to the problems. We were then prescribed Ranitidine 3 times a day on a weight specific dose. This was amazing, it worked! The pain had stopped but the sickness was still there. Finally I felt like I could start enjoying my time off with trashtot and not dread it. We carried on with the Ranitidine putting it in his bottles as it was pretty foul to taste. We went to the specialist and was told that it was most definitely reflux. A scan was booked to confirm and an anti sickness tablet was added to the Ranitidine. We were reassured that it would get better once he was walking. He was still not lying down only sitting up and was nowhere near crawling.
I would dread him being sick on a playmat/toy that it was easier just to not go out to groups or coffee mornings so I tried to avoid them. On the rare occasion I did venture out it would be to my friend’s house or with them where I could feel comfortable. It was whilst at a friend’s house that her mum said to me about reflux (her son had it ) , she recognised all the things that was happening and all the things I was doing like giving him his milk in his bath seat so his back and tummy were stretched and he was slightly raised, to trashtot just wanting to stand all the time or bounce in door bouncer. (Trashtot hated just hated being on his tummy).
So when trashtot was 5 months old I took him to the doctor. I planned his appointment just after his milk so doctor could see his symptoms rather than me explain. As soon as we got there he screamed and was sick all over the doctors table. I just broke down I couldn’t take it anymore. The doctor was so understanding and told me I wasn’t going mad, said this was definitely NOT what all babies do and that Yes she thinks he has reflux**. We were put on medication and referred to a specialist. The first medication we were prescribed – Gaviscon didn’t work it made poor trashtot so constipated that it just added to the problems. We were then prescribed Ranitidine 3 times a day on a weight specific dose. This was amazing, it worked! The pain had stopped but the sickness was still there. Finally I felt like I could start enjoying my time off with trashtot and not dread it. We carried on with the Ranitidine putting it in his bottles as it was pretty foul to taste. We went to the specialist and was told that it was most definitely reflux. A scan was booked to confirm and an anti sickness tablet was added to the Ranitidine. We were reassured that it would get better once he was walking. He was still not lying down only sitting up and was nowhere near crawling.
After the second dose of the new medications I noticed that trashtot looked slightly bewildered and dazed, I then saw he had a floppy tongue and didn’t have any control over it. I had read in the leaflet that this was a rare side effect – muscle spasms in tongue in children and to stop immediately! A quick call to the doctors and was told not to give anymore and that he has had an allergic reaction to it! At that point I decided I can deal with sick without pain. So no more anti sickness .
7 months later sitting in the hospital trashtot laying on a couch hooked up to scan tummy full of food I heard the words oh you poor thing you must be really suffering you most definitely have severe reflux!’ I looked at the doctor and just said ‘ thank God for that I thought I was going mad for the last 7 months!’ I then quickly apologised for my instant relief at finding out my son was poorly. But I was just so glad to finally find out I wasn’t going mad and that there was something wrong. The doc said that once he started walking he would be fine. He wasn’t yet crawling and we had given up on tummy time a long time ago. The doctor said he probably wouldn’t crawl, and he didn’t, well he crawled for about 1 week and then at 10 months started walking! Now 1 year on trashtot is off all his medications – has a very healthy appetite. In the last year we have probably had 2 or 3 reflux episodes which have been brought on by eating too soon before bedtime. Now the only change of clothes required is after he has been rolling around in the mud!
7 months later sitting in the hospital trashtot laying on a couch hooked up to scan tummy full of food I heard the words oh you poor thing you must be really suffering you most definitely have severe reflux!’ I looked at the doctor and just said ‘ thank God for that I thought I was going mad for the last 7 months!’ I then quickly apologised for my instant relief at finding out my son was poorly. But I was just so glad to finally find out I wasn’t going mad and that there was something wrong. The doc said that once he started walking he would be fine. He wasn’t yet crawling and we had given up on tummy time a long time ago. The doctor said he probably wouldn’t crawl, and he didn’t, well he crawled for about 1 week and then at 10 months started walking! Now 1 year on trashtot is off all his medications – has a very healthy appetite. In the last year we have probably had 2 or 3 reflux episodes which have been brought on by eating too soon before bedtime. Now the only change of clothes required is after he has been rolling around in the mud!
**WHAT IS REFLUX?
Reflux is the word used to describe what happens when the stomach contents come back up into the gullet or into the mouth.
Sometimes the valve action isn’t as strong as it could be. In babies it is because the sphincter action of the diaphragm isn’t fully developed. During the first year of a baby’s life, the sphincter action gradually gets stronger and their chance of having reflux decreases.
Around 50% of babies will get some reflux but in only a small percentage of these is it a real problem. At the age of 10 months the number is down to about one in twenty babies.
Tips on surviving reflux
Listen to your gut if you really think somethings up don’t think that somebody else knows best.
Dont stress about baby needing tummy time. If they have reflux the last thing they are going to want to do is lie on their tummy .
I found the plastic baby bath seat was great until baby could sit up . We used it everywhere including when giving milk
Raise the cot at head end by placing a pillow under the mattress . Hold your baby upright for up to 20 minutes after each feed
Try giving your baby smaller but more frequent feeds
Burp your baby every two or three minutes during feeds
Useful Links
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/health/reflux/
http://www.babyreflux.co.uk/knowledge/questions/40/Feeding+Tips
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