LO has been struggling to put on weight for the past 6 weeks. More recently, he's also been getting increasingly grouchy and struggling to settle when laid down. It all came to a head 3 days ago when he was crying so inconsolably and arching his back so much, I took him to the dr and he has been diagnosed with reflux. He throws up about 10 times after each feed and can still be bringing milk up 2-3 hrs after a feed. He can't settle to sleep (in cot or my arms) for any nap or bedtime now without screaming himself to sleep. He is so uncomfortable and in pain that the back arching is happening right the way through the day now. He's been prescribed gaviscon which we started two days ago, but he seems mostly to be throwing that up as well and still in pain .

Have just been for a weigh in today and he's now tracking under the 25th centile (from originally tracking along the 50 line for several weeks) - and has also gained absolutely no weight in 2 weeks.

I feel so helpless and hate to see LO in so much pain. I can't stop crying and feel like I am just stressing him out even more. I thought reflux was supposed to be something worst in newborn babies, but he's never had a problem up until recently.

Against the backdrop of all of this are extended family telling me we should be giving him baby rice in his bottle to settle him off to sleep, and should be weaning by now, or trying formula (he is fully breastfed) to help with the sicking blah blah etc etc... They haven't mentioned any of this since he was diagnosed with reflux, and our health visitor has been very clear about none of this helping and also that switching to formula would only aggravate him all the more... but I dread being near this family now for their comments. LO cries all the time so I don't feel comfortable being near them at the moment. I just feel like I am not doing right by LO (and family, maybe not on purpose, will only make me feel even more like this), I just don't know what else to do - need some reassurance that it will pass, and/or any advice for what I can do to help him...

No advice as I have no experience with reflux but I thought I would offer a !

Please do not give up breast milk! My LO suffers with reflux badly and it would be so much better if I could bf her but my milk was not enough as she was a premmie and didnt latch when she had to.

There are ways that you can help your LO. For start you have to see a doctor that will accept this as a problem, doctors can be very annoying about reflux they tend to say that LOs will outgrow it but they are not the mums of those beautiful babies that ache all day!

I know that you can get gaviscon, and pump your milk and give by bottle, this way you can thicken your milk enough for your baby to digest it better and will give them a medicine that can treat reflux without any horrid side effects. Rice will not help as it doesnt thick breast milk only formula.

Please do not introduce formula, cows milk protein is so harsh for babies with reflux my LO cannot still settle with the milk and we are on lots of meds because of it. I wish I could still BF. Dont listen to your family see your doctor there are solutions for you and please dont give up, I know how distressing it is for you, I cry very often when she is in pain, you only know what is best for your LO

x

Btw you can slowly start introducing solids, but very gentle stuff, such as rice cereal and only like a spoonful a day at this stage. I will be introducing solids fwhen she is 4 months, even though I would have preferd if possible to wait till she is 6 months to avoid triggering allergies later on in life! But her reflux is so extreme I just cannot see her in pain anymore

There are meds for reflux other than gaviscon. Ask your gp for a ped appointment. My 14 month LO has intermittent reflux and has only just been prescribed medication.