Reflux in HG babies

[phaerelastra]

My 1st pg was so mild compared to my second one and DD1 has never had a single feeding issue from birth to the present. I spent the whole pg this time medicated and while I worried about birth defects and other complications, it never occurred to me that Kathleen might end up with stomach problems. Maybe that was naive of me?

I breastfed for the 1st 3 weeks and while she had trouble latching, feedings and dirty diapers were completely normal. I had PPD pretty bad for a while and needed to stop BFing, so I put her on formula. She was constantly spitting up, almost as much as we fed her would come right back out. So the doctor had us switch her to soy formula, and while she spits up more than any other baby I've seen, it was a significant benefit to be on soy. But then she had trouble going to the bathroom, which I figured could be pretty common because I read up on it a little. The doctor told us to start giving her apple or pear juice (one ounce per month of age, per day) and it made her bathroom troubles easier, but not what I would call easy, either.

I feel horribly reminded of HG every time she spits up a lot, like it's my fault and I did this to her. I feel like the medicines I took affected her stomach so that she won't have normal digestion. She practically lives on gas medicines and gripe water. The gripe water has been great for her hiccups, but because it contains ginger, I kinda roll my eyes at it like when people offered me ginger ale and crackers for my HG.... LOL

DH just tells me that there's no way to tell if my HG caused this, because he and I both have other tummy issues in our families that might have been passed down to her anyway. Between ulcers, IBS, spastic colon, and some babies with colic, we pretty much had a good chance of this happening anyway. I still feel responsible for it, though.

Is there anything that worked well for your babies with similar problems? Certain early foods or different brands of formula that were easier on the tummy? We're starting cereal this weekend (so exciting!), so it won't be long before she has more options than just the soy.

[slterwil]

My second girl had to take ranitidine for the first six months and mylicon as needed. She was in a lot of pain. First one I didn't have any meds and she still had the reflux and puked a lot...it was a mess all the time. Once I quit bf'ing the the first we tried a whole bunch a formulas before settling on gentlease. With the second one, we went straight for the gentlease after the problems started. Hugs. You didn't do this to your baby. I was feeling that way too with Ri and then I remembered that Erin had the problems too.

[Hotbrass]

My first and third had really bad colic for almost 5 months. My second projectile vomited after EVERY feeding for 4.5 months. All seriously exhausting and sleep depriving. All were exclusively "baby led" breast fed. I don't know if any of this counts toward your question, but I've wondered if this was an average ratio and just normal baby stuff.

[AnneCan]

Well, this original post was made a few weeks ago, but since the conversation has continued... Has your baby's tummy settled with solids??

DD has horrible horrible reflux from birth. She had troubles latching for the first 3 weeks, so I pumped and bottle fed while working with a lactation consultant. She would scream (loudly!) for hours out of hunger and pain. She had 2 different special x-rays of her stomach and they came back normal. We tried ovol and different gripe water formulas, but nothing helped. Actual baby formula make her choke to the point where she was blue ...especially the special formula for babies with digestion problems (scary!!!!!!). She was finally put on Zantac after a few weeks, but the dose was too low. She vomited a lot, all day and night. She did improve a tiny bith at 6 mos when she started solids, but not much. Finally, at 10 months she was transfered to a pediatrician who up'd her dose and it settled down within weeks. We stopped the Zantac around 14 months-ish. I honestly think that Zantac would have improved things much earlier had she been on the proper dose from the start.

I notice that a lot of HG moms have babies with reflux. I'm not sure what the connection is, but it seems pretty common???

[Cin]

We have noticed a correlation here between HG and reflux (and other feeding issues) -- even when the mother had zero medical treatment for the HG during that pregnancy.

[cariedear]

That's scary!
My baby girl was a preemie 5 pounds and had trouble latching on too , I went ahead and gave her formula because she had lost weight and before I had her I had lost a preemie, so I didnt want to lose another one.
She threw up alot, about a couple times a week shed have spells of nights when she would just toss her formula up alot!And she screamed and cried.She had the hicups everyday until she was about 1 and a half.
The Drs said preemies usualy have a gard time latching on.
Also they said formula babies usually throw up more and they told me to pay attention to her wet diapers and so on.
I have another baby on the way now.

[phaerelastra]

Wow, I forgot I originally posted this. Kathleen was put on soy maybe at 2 months or so, which had helped a little in comparison, but once complained to the doctor at (I think) the 6 month visit, he put her on Enfamil AR, which was the best thing we could have done. She spits up the tiniest bit if she leans over after a bottle and sometimes a meal. We started solids at 4 months, at the directions of the doc, which really helped her put on weight. She's been in the 5th percentile for weight and the 30th for height, so I was embarrassed to tell anyone to avoid having my baby crackered... instead, they gave me a problem for starting solids so soon. Well, everyone but the doctor gave me a problem, but the nutritionist from WIC was a real pain in my ass.

So yeah, I think the formula change was absolutely necessary, which made keeping down solids more possible because I used that same formula to make her cereal. So both together did wonders, and once she was crawling, her stomach was almost 100% better. She's getting close to one now, and I would say as long as no one leans on her belly, she's fine. I still blame HG, even if I don't blame myself anymore.

[andyjewell]

my HG baby never had any reflux issues.

[Trudy]

I know this is an old post but to wanted to say that my personal thoughts and that stats in NZ are that HG/meds and reflux are not connected. Thankfully my kids had no issues at all. Out of all the 100+ babies I've cared for those with reflux issues were not HG pgy's. About 8 years ago now Pediatricians began saying that 50% of babies in NZ were having some degree of reflux issues. Based on that alone says there has to be something else causing it.

[justme]

Most people think structural issues when they hear reflux, but the truth is that food allergies/intolerances are actually a common cause of reflux. The food issue can be to any food and it can be to any degree. If your baby does not respond to any of the regular suggestions - elevated sleeping, for example - you might want to try food eliminations. It is easier with an older toddler but dairy or gluten are the most common culprits. Skin prick allergy tests are not as effective on children under 3, but they can do blood tests. If you are breastfeeding, you have to eliminate the offending food(s) from your diet. Food allergies/intolerances are on the rise; recent statistics suggests that 1 out of 13 children has some type of food allergy or intolerance. Many people will tell you that if the child does not have an anaphalyctic reaction it is okay, but you need to consider the offending food as a poison to your child and understand the health and behavior affects that it can have.

[phaerelastra]

After nearly two years of stomach issues for Kathleen (she's 21 months old now), we've decided it's a family trait and not an HG thing. It sucks though. We started having problems recently because we would put her to bed with a cup of warm milk with cinnamon (I know, I know, never put them to bed with their cup or bottle, but I'm a sucker), and she would wake up screaming like a banshee around 1 or 2 am. It was always something wrong with her stomach and until she got either the gas out or we got her to poop, she would be inconsolable. We started giving her gas medicine at bedtime with the cup, and that helped a lot. So that clearly pointed out to us that she has some kind of milk sensitivity (so do I) and it gives her horrible gas sometimes. Now we give her the cup of milk (she demands cinnamon in it still, and it's the biggest word she can say ) while she watches one last evening cartoon, and then we burp her on the way to bed, which has worked out perfectly. I can't remember the last time I had to burp her, because she won't let me, but it's nice to have these young baby moments with her again. And to know her stomach issues are genetic, for sure, kinda sucks. She's going back to the doc pretty soon because she still has gas issues that make her scream like a maniac, so this is far from over.

Just wanted to update. I hope everyone's babies are doing better now that they're a little older.