Does Anyone Have Experience with the Acid Reflux Where It Doesn't Come Up???

My daughter had reflux when she was a baby, and she did NOT have spit up. We made several behavioral modifications that seemed to help tremendously.

1. keep upright as much as possible at lease one half hour after eating. We actually kept her sleeping in the bouncy since it is on an incline.
2. Fed her SMALLER amounts of formula more often. For example 2 oz. every 2 hours vs. 4 oz every 4 hours.
3. We also switched to soy which was incredible. Unfortunately it also constipated her, so we had start giving her diluted apple juice.
4. We never laid her flat for diaper change, but always had some kind of pillow to keep her torso elevated, especially after a feeding. Actually, we started to change diaper first THEN feed.

All these things seemed to help. Good luck!

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Hi A. - my son had GERD that didn't come up and he was breastfeeding. Here are "Clues That Baby Suffers from Reflux" pg. 389 in The Baby Book by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, RN:
* Frequent blast of inconsolable, painful crying - "unlike the usual baby cries"
* Frequent episodes of spitting up, which may include forceful regurgitation through the nose
* Frequent inconsolable bouts of abdominal pain, day and night
* painful bursts of night waking
* Fussiness after eating: drawing up legs, knees to chest
* Arching or writhing as if in pain
* Diminishing fussiness when carried upright, sleeping prone (on stomach), or propped up at least thirty degrees
* Frequent unexplained colds, wheezing, and chest infections
* Stop-breathing episodes
* Frequent "wet" or "sour" burps,throaty or swallowing noises, gagging or hiccupping
* Excessive drooling

I would hold Charlie up for 30 minutes to an hour after each feeding. I was exhausted because he would sleep during this time and then be ready to eat an hour after the 60 minutes was finished. I tried the elevated beds found at Babies R Us, but they are not angled enough. I tried to make my own by proping up his bed but then he would slide down. Then I found the Tucker Sling (www.TuckerSling.com). It looks funny but works GREAT!. He could sleep in there and I could sleep. Your baby should grow out of having GERD. Once the opening the the stomach grows tighter she should be better. Also once she starts sitting up on her own then the food will stay down better.I also did like one of the other moms and changed Charlie before eating and I had a wedge under his changing pad to elevate his torso. It's difficult and just liking back on it makes me tired. Take comfort in knowing it won't last. Oh he was also on medication. It helped and the pediatrician said he'd be on if until a year old but I tried weaning him off around 5 months and he did fine w/out it. Good luck and remember it will get better. D.

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I do! My son had reflux, exactly like you're describing it. We used the Prevacid, which seemed to help a lot and his breath didn't smell so acidic after starting it. Most resources I've checked recommend keeping baby in an upright position for 30-60 minutes after a feeding. Gravity helps keep the stomach contents from refluxing into the esphogus. Frequent feedings help with reflux because reflux is worse if the stomach is over full. Let your daughter decide how much formula she wants at a time and she will learn to self regulate the amount and hopefully be more comfortable. Thickening the milk with rice didn't work for us, hopefully it will for you. Burp her very frequently during a feeding. If she uses a pacifier you could maybe try giving it to her less, just in case she swallows a lot of air while using it (my son did) and so his stomach was fuller and more prone to reflux. Or, if she doesn't use a pacifier you could try it, sucking helps for some kids. Confused yet? The doctor told us my son's reflux would improve as he aged and was able to be upright more often, sitting, standing, etc. Just a few months after his first birthday we stopped the Prevacid but really couldn't have done it any sooner. I found a lot of help from the Dr. Sears book "The Baby Book" or there is www.askdrsears.com. I hope this helps. GOod luck!
Also, I just read a few of the other responses and Mylicon DOES work for some people. All babies are different and we need to start cutting other moms some slack. We all make the best decisions based on the best information we have at the time. Thank you.

1 mom found this helpful

have you tried any kind of probiotic? Most mainstream peds don't recommend them. All of my children have ended up with digestive problems at some point early on. I used probiotics with my 2nd at probably 6 wks because I found with my 1st that Mylicon didn't really help - I honestly believe it made him slightly constipated and didn't do much to relieve the gas. The probiotics really helped my 2nd - within a day I noticed a change in her gassiness and fussiness. They sell infant/child probiotics at Whole Foods, EArthbeam (in B'game on Broadway) and I believe even at the Mollie Stone. Earthbeam probably has the most knowledgeable staff in respect to natural supplements - if the probiotics are kept properly they will be in a refridgerator. It doesn't take much and directions should be on the container. Good luck - hopefully you find something that helps.

My first child had GERD. It doesn't sound like the doc's have definitively diagnosed acid reflux. Are you assuming this because she wakes up crying? At two months old, infants wake up for several reasons, wet diapers, being cold, needing the closeness of mom. Also, I would never recommend rice cereal for infants under 6-8m/o. It causes constipation and there has never been a link between feeling "full" and sleeping through the night. It seems that perhaps a feeding schedule more consistent with how nursing mom's do it would be more natural to your child's sensitive digestive tract. Nursed infants feed every 2-3 hours. They take in smaller quantities and have fewer episodes of reflux. If you think of the stomach as a bottle, the more you put into it, the more likely stuff will spill out. The reflux part of the diagnosis is when the contents of the stomach spill into the throat causing burning and pain, especially if the child is lied down (tipping the bottle on it's side) within an hour or so of feeding. As an MD and mother of three (one with GERD) I would stick with a hypoallergenic formula, remove the rice cereal, keep your child upright for at least 30 minutes after a feed, decrease the quantity in the bottle, and increase the frequency.
LOL!

My 7 month old had tons of gas whenever I gave him formula (he is breastfed, but got formula when at grandma's or mommy had a drink at a wedding). I figured out that when the bottle was shook to mix the formula, the formula became aerated with tiny bubbles that he drank. That's how he got so much gas. Now, if he ever gets formula, I tell whom ever is giving him the bottle to let it sit for several minutes after shaking to let it settle and let most of the bubbles out. Sometimes I even tap the bottle on the counter to help speed the process. Good luck and congrats!

Maybe you should cut back on the rice. She's to young. I know people who have done that including my cousin with her two children and now their over weight. Good luck

2 months old is to young to be eating ceral, she should be on formula until she is a little older. You think is might be over fed? duh cut the rice or any kind of food and use only formula. Sounds to me that you want her to sleep so you try to over feed her. That is so wrong. Where did you get the idea to feed such a young baby ceral?

My little girl (now almost 4) has similar problems when she was an infant. She was initially diagnosed with the same thing and I put her on medicine and I stopped breastfeeding and put her on the very expensive formula. I didn’t feel right about giving a small baby medicine but if it really helped her, then maybe I could have dealt with it. It didn’t help. She was very, VERY colicky and rarely was feeling good. I won’t go into everything we tested her for but she went through a lot of tests. The end result was her digestive system was fully developed and was working really hard to digest food. The specialist said to put her on the probiotic “Acidophilus” (sp), an over the counter digestive supplement. It worked within 1-2 weeks and we gave her the supplement for approximately 5-6 months until her system matured. She was fine after that and she is a healthy little girl now.

I can’t say your daughter has the same problem but it could be. Demand to see a gastrointestinal specialist and then ask your doctor if you can try a probiotic (acidophilus).

So sorry for all that you are going through. I have been there and felt so helpless until we found this solution. Good luck.

Hi A.,
Sorry to hear about our little one. One of my daughters had reflux. Two recommendations:

1) try to get her to a pediatric GI specialist. They tend to know more than regular pediatricians and suggest a different medication, like Nexeum.

2) check out the website www.momswearingpuke.com. This site is a wonderful resource for reflux or any feeding issue.
Good luck.
E.

I have 7 month old twins and both have acid reflux they both take Zantac and one also takes Reglan. The Reglan is to help the food digest faster so that it can't come back up. He was in the hospital for a month because they couldn't get him regulated. They also wanted to add the rice to his bottle at two weeks old. He didn't end up needing it because the medicine started to work. We also had to put his bed on an incline so that it would help reduce the formula coming back up. We did have to reduce his food intake because he was eating more than enough for his age and the over eating could cause reflux.

Our other son developed his around two months and we also had to put him on the soy formula due to gas. It took a while but we did start to notice a difference. We also gave him the gas drops but I didn't think they did much good either. Once we swithched formulas and got him on the Zantac he did much better.

We still have to continue to get their meds increaced every month or so as they gain weight. They were premies and we told that it can take up to a year for their little systems to finish developing. I would highly recomend that you try the medecine again with the soy. A friend of ours had a child with the reflux that didn't come up and they didn't know it so he wasn't medicated and now he is 4 and they are having a lot of trouble getting him to eat.

F.Y.I. I also was unable to breast feed due to my milk not coming in. They said it was probably the stress of the boys being in the hospital. It broke my heart too, but sometimes our bodies can only do so much.

get a "baby bjorn" baby carrier. Feed her upright while she is in the bjorn. My son lived in that thing because he had that problem too. it really saved us! We also elevated his crib mattress so hes not laying flat and his head was elevated. But really up until he was way too heavy for the bjorn...he was in there a lot! Also try getting Gripe water! it was also a life saver with my first son. You can buy it online or if you have a Longs Drugs they carry it. if your still on nutragin, get it on ebay!

OMG! That sounds EXACTLY like my new little neice. Shes about the same age, but the doctors pretty much look at my sis. like shes stupid and ALL babys cry. Agh! She's tried Milacon, some pric. gas reliver the doc. gave her but it does not help, she nurses but has such a had time of it. She seems like shes starving eve ntho she just ate, and she searches franticaly for it, and she gets her self all worked up and wont latch on. She crys I think a good potion of the day/ night. Its like a whaling I'm in pain screaming cry. :( She draws up her legs, but If u rock her just the right way, SOMETIMES it helps. I heard that baby massaging is realy good, especially of the tummy, 1. Start by gently stroking your baby's forehead from the midpoint of the eyebrows up toward the hairline.
2. Press very lightly on the point that lies between the eyebrows.
3. Stroke around the ears starting at the temples and working around to the back of the head.
4. Gently massage the midline of the body from the breastbone down through the stomach and into the abdomen. Do this several times, using slow, gentle movements.
5. Gently massage the upper stomach, beginning just underneath the breastbone and ending just below the belly button.
6. Massage the muscle on both sides of the belly button, working toward the lower belly. You might find that there are tiny areas of tight muscle in that region.
7. With the baby's hand turned palm up, massage the pinky and pinky side of the palm of the hand and the side of the upper wrist.
8. With the baby's hand turned palm up, massage the area 1 inch or so above the wrist fold in the center of the arm.
9. With the baby's hand turned palm down, massage the area 1 inch or so above the wrist fold in the center of the lower arm.
10. Gently massage the web between the thumb and the index finger.
11. Massage a couple of inches below the knee on the outside of the lower leg.
12. Gently massage the space between the long bones connecting the first and second toes to the foot.
13. Gently massage between the second and third toes and the long bones that connect the toes to the foot.
14. Gently massage the baby's back in a downward direction on both sides of the spine, from just below the shoulder blades to the sacrum, the flat bone at the bottom of the spine.

Also I heard chamolmile tea, Ive heard Fennel based producs, or fennal seed teas make Awesome relivers. Give your baby some dill, fennel-seed, chamomeal, or ginger tea too.. Simmer a teaspoonful of seeds in a pint (1/2 litre) of water for 10 minutes. Strain and cool and give it to your baby in a bottle or on a spoon. Do not add sugar or honey as u already know. Amybee try all of them for a wek at a time to try to see which one works out the best.. There is this stuff for collick w/ fennel in it called: Pediacalm. Just another collick reliver, but I personally like the seed tea better. Ive heard about Natures soothing sounds and soothing music to aid in relaxation therapy, like the massage cd's, mabyee work well w/ the baby massage.. also w/ the massage, u can look up good essential oils to masage into ur baby, they may also help soothe,www.crying-babies.com is one website. Some babies swallow air with their feeds which can cause colic if they can't bring it up easily. If you are bottle feeding then experiment with a teat that has a smaller hole (if you have a young baby) and a bigger hole (as the baby gets older.) Don't let your baby get desperate for a feed (Tho it doesn't sound like u are. ;) as she may gulp and take in air which may cause her discomfort. If your baby is gulping milk and air then experiment also with different feeding positions. Maby keep her upright in a baby bobby or sumthin like it, or hold her upright just in ur arms and feed her. 'Wind' your baby after a feed or carry her around upright (over your shoulder) until she settles down. which i'm sure u do. Offer a bottle of boiled and cooled water untill warm, but drinkable, instead of a bottle-feed as there are times when babies are thirsty, especially in hot weather or if they are inclined to be sweaty, Or just need something thirst-quenching. Do this only if she is plainly thriving (gaining weight and producing lots of wet diapers). Offer your little finger (the pad of your finger to the roof of her mouth) or a chewy to a distressed baby who has just fed. Some babies will feed almost continuously when colicky but the extra milk can overload the stomach and aggravate the colic when all they want is to comfort-suck. Even with demand feeding it is possible sometimes to offer the bottle too often. Try placing your baby face-down on your lap over a rolled-up towel, as pressure sometimes eases colic.

Place your baby over your knees so that there is no pressure on the abdomen: pressure sometimes aggravates colic.
Help your baby to pass a stool, if the colic precedes the passage of one. Massage the abdomen very gently in gentle clockwise circular movements or hold your baby in asemi-squatting position, their back to your tummy, legs pulled up a little, again very gently. Take a break from your baby if you are at the end of your tether. Even if your feelings aren't affecting your baby they will affect you and some time out will enable you to survive a very difficult time in your baby's life.Look after your own needs if you have become exhausted. get maby ur hubby, or a really trusted firnd or family member to look after your baby so that you can sleep, or even to have an hour brake to go grocery shopping without the crying, (Or a really nice hour massage or facial, or something really relaxing, like even a half hour in a nother room away from the babe, or when shes sleeping. Put a really nice smelling bath soap in the tub, turn off the lights, put on some candles aorund the tub, and put on some nice relaxing music that you love, and clear your mind. Ditch the housework and simplify any other chores so that you can reduce your stress load. You will find that you can cope better, and If your less stressed, the baby will def. pick up on that, and relax herself. Pains may be better with warmth. Lying on a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or a heating pad under her tummy with a towel on it may help. LOL. ODn't laugh, but I heard this one from a fiend who swore by it. She put her on the dryer in either an infant care seat, or some kind of somethin to fasten her in. Put her on top of the dryer and of course stand over her. The vibrating sensation and maby the wrmethed soothed her baby. Maby even si on top of the dryer w/ the baby in ur arms, or lap, like on her stomache on ur lap. LOL. Well hope somthin works out for you, I do remember what thats like. LOL. Maybee you can keep it posted to tell us what works/ what doesn't, Just nomader what, don't let other people put you down o ryour parenting decions. SOunds like your doing the best you can, and alot of the times you get to the point where u just don't know what 2 do anymore. But I can tell u love ur precious L.O. and u are doing everything in ur power for her. Keep up the good work!
-K.

Hello A.,

I am a mother of 3, and all three of my children had acid reflux when they were babies. I did not and still do not use formula, I breastfed my kids. I was in the same situation with my oldest who is now 5 and the doctors kept shrugging it off that he didnt have anything wrong with him, but i was constantly covered in puke, and he had projectile vomit. But because he was gaining weight the doctors wernt concerned. So he lived off of little tummies. I also had to be careful as to what I ate because the dairy I ate triggered it more. and when he started eating solids he couldnt tolerate the dairy. He did out grow it at about 18 months. Then with my 2nd child who will be 3 in april was actually diagnosed at 2 weeks with acid reflux and at teh time, the pharmacy was out of the medicine the dr wanted to prescribe (military base) and said just go to the store and get the regular mylanta and give him 2 1/2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) and that was at 2 weeks old, let me tell you it REALLY work well. I gave it to him 2 times a day unless he really seemed like he was in alot of pain. if he was crying and nothing else worked I would give him about 1 ml of the mylanta and he would instantly stop crying and settle down and go to sleep. And then with my daughter who will be 1 this weekend was also diagnosed with acid reflux and the mylanta worked wonders for her too.

I do agree with the others, I dont think she needs to be on cereal at such a young age. Is this something the Dr. told you to do or did you just start doing it? The cereal could be to much for the baby right now. Also it is normal for a 2 month old to want to eat every 4 hours even during the night. I wish you the best of luck, let me know if you try the mylanta and if it works.

Many people have said to cut out the rice cereal and I would concur (unless your pedi has specifically told you to use it). It does not have the nutrients of formula which is what a very young infant needs. Different formulas may help. One of the ideas of colic is that the child has a hard time transitioning from increasing wakefullness during the day to deep sleep at night. Something to weather through. I can still remember 29 years ago my oldest son had "colic" and it was terrible for all of us and it passed after a couple of months. That seems like a long time and I still remember it but it did get better and, perhaps, helped prepare me for other difficult times that were to lay ahead. Also, it may be too early for her to sleep through the night. If she is waking every four hours at night and feeding every four hours during the day a good amount then she's probably getting the same amount when you try to put her down for bed. Some babies don't sleep through the night for quite some time. Good luck!

Hi A.,
I am so sorry to hear that you little girl is having such issues! Okay; I may be old fashioned, but I am curious as to who recommended you put cereal in your baby's formula? I too, made that grave error so many years ago. My children were sensitive to the cows milk based formulas as well. The problems I have faced with both of my older children do still have some affect on their health now. (My son is 22 & my daughter is 16; they both have food allergies, etc.,) As for my youngest daughter ( breastfed for 15 months & soy-based follow-up formula; she's 6 now) I learned that an infant's digestive system is not quite ready to handle solids- even if the doctor told you to do it! I don't know if there really is a symptom of acid reflux where it doesn't come up, but I would question that diagnosis. I would do some research on WebMD and see if there is any information on it. If your daughter is pulling her knees up to her stomach when crying- there are a few methods of trying to relieve the gas or not allowing it to form. Stay on the soy formula- it will help. I understand about the breast feeding, so no; I'm not going to bash you. I understand about seeing our little ones in pain and wanting to comfort them. If you can find it- there's a product called "Gripe Water" and I think you can find it at Whole Foods or Trader Joes... It is an old remedy from Europe that helps with gas and colicky babies- who knows? A friend of mine gave it to me as a gift with my little one- and she really wasn't gassy when I breastfed her!(only when I ate broccoli?) All I can suggest to you is find some tips on helping her relieve some of the gas without medication. Do some research, and talk with your pediatrician. Get a second opinion. My heart goes out to you and your baby girl. I wish you well. Let me know how it goes for you.

Hi my husband and I had a simular situation with our little girl, she is now 7 months and doing well. We too switched from milk based to soy, which helped a little but our savior was gripe water. Mylacon did nothing. The only place I was able to find the gripe water is Longs Drugs. It soothed her tummy and I stopped using it around month 5.
Before we heard about gripe water, we were at our wits end, something was wrong with her tummy alot of spit up and she could not pass gas, while crying after everytime she ate. I could see the difference just after the first use of gripe water, please give it a try, I really feel it could help you.
Congradulations on your beautiful baby and good luck.
M.

My daughter had acid reflux also. I used Carnation Good Start Formula which was great. I personally think the rice cereal is too early. Feed her only on demand and sit her upright in a bouncy seat or stroller or swing after her feedings. It does go away when they get a little older and can sit up straighter. Mylicone drops DO NOT WORK...ask anyone! Try and burp her more often too. I work for an urgent care pediatric clinic and we see this often. Good luck...

My name is L., and yes, I have had acid reflux myself. It is very miserable.It feels like your going to vomit,but you don't. I just elevated my head,when I slept. That helps relieve it. It makes your throat burn. No wonder your baby is miserable. Poor little girl. They make wedges for cribs, you can find them in catalogs or on line. Hope this helps.

This sounds SO familiar. I believe your daughter has colic. 2 of my 3 daughters had it, and they nursed/drank CONSTANTLY. I never tried using rice cereal in their formula until they were about 4 months old(we used Nutramigen, too..and then soy) but by then colic was almost over. The mylicon drops seemed to help a little, but really, not much helps colic. Laying her on her stomach may help her as will practicing the "colic hold" (she'll be on your tummy on the inside of your arm, with her head in your hand...if that makes sense!) Really, the best thing is to get some relief from others willing to hear her cry. Hang in there...but know that it DOES pass! FYI, my girls weighted over 8 lbs. at birth and remained big girls. When we switched to strictly formula at 4 months, one of our daughters drank 32 ounces in one day! So maybe she WAS hungry!

Sounds like you're on the right track. But 2 months is too young for solids, even rice--her system can't handle it yet and that may well be giving her gas, and could be contributing to reflux. When you think she has gas, try bicycling her legs; hold her up right against you gently and bounce gently; take off her diaper and let her thrash her legs (babies often know what they need to do, but the diapers get in the way);& gripe water may help. Sometimes when babies get reflux they don't spit up, but gag and swallow it back. she may not have reflux, and if she does, it doesn't sound like she has it bad (like arching her back and crying when she tries to eat), but you can reduce & prevent it by trying not to overfill her tiny tummy--for newborns, feed small amounts but frequently--and also try to keep her from crying too hard b/c she'll then be gulping air (this can cause belly gas too!). There are some great resources online for how to reduce and prevent reflux, and gas, without resorting to meds. Good luck!

Hi A. congratulations on your new baby girl! First i would recommend using the NUK nipple because this is the best it duplicates breast feeding better than any other nipple and makes the baby get the formula more slowly with less air, which by feeding her smaller quantities more frequently will help. Also make sure after every 2-4 ounces stop and burp her even if she cries once she burps she will feel better, then after the feeding keep her in an upright position like sitting her in her car seat or baby carrier. Last but not least babys usually out grow reflux. Best Wishes
D. D

I breast fed my daughter for 11 months and she still had problems. We used Gripe Water and it was like our little miracle cure. We had it on hand at all times until she was about 2.

Best of Luck,
A.

gripe water did wonders for my son..good luck :)

Hi A.,

I would stop the rice cereal at her age. Rice is constipating at at her age her digestive tract is still developing and could be working against you. Typically you would begin solids, even in formula closer to 6 months old.

Hi A.,

I haven't been the mom of a baby for a long time, but I didnt' think babies were supposed to have any cereals or anything but breast milk and/or formula till about 6 months old. It sounds to me like her tummy isn't ready to digest rice. Does your doctor know you have her on cereal?

Good luck. It hurts to hear your baby in pain.

I have 3 reflux babies. The only thing that seemed to work for them is a formula called Neocate. We also used Reglan and Zantac. but not for long. Neocate is an amino acid based formula not a cows milk or soy based. Also If you have insurance it is considered a medical grade formula and the insurance should cover it. It can be ordered thru the pharmacy and also thru APRIA HEALTHCARE they will deliver to your home for you. Ask your dr if you can try this since he will need to write an RX or just look on ebay for some. it is SHS NEOCATE. Message me if you need more info.

Your daugther may want to feed not because she's hungry but because the milk soothes the throat. My daughter was 1.5 months old when diagnosed with acid reflux. We've had success with Good Start Supreme DHA/ARA and Prilosec. She's gone from a cat napper/only slept well if held to a 6 month old that sleeps 10 hours straight through the night. Hang in there - there's light at the end of the tunnel.

In the meantime, I found this webiste helpful, even though based in Australia
http://www.reflux.org.au/index.php

This is a great book available at many libraries:
Colic Solved - The essential guide to infant reflux and the care of your crying, difficult-to-soothe baby / Bryan Vartabedian

Don't be too hard on yourself over not being able to breastfeed, you're still a wonderful mommy!

My daughter had acid reflux of this type. It was easy for us to figure it out because both my husband and I had the same problem when we were infants. The way we solved it was by having her sleep in a chair. We bought the baby papasan and it saved our life. Sometime, during the day only, we would put her in the car seat for short naps. No crib for her, until she was about 4 or 5 month old. Of course, I was breastfeeding, which pretty much ruled out intolerance, but we treated the problem "mechanically" and it worked.
They were hard months: she wanted to be fed little and often, which was tiring on me but I can understand why. Sometime, when we felt she had a big feeding, we would hold her upright up to 20-30 minutes before putting her down.
Hope my story may be of any help.
Good luck!

Good morning-

My daughter had the same challenges and we had to go 1 step further with the formula to the similac Alimentum formula and all the gas, solid feeling stomach issues went away.....

We tried the carnation and the the others but the similac really seemed to work the best. And I didn't breast feed either by choice. Hope this helps a bit and I have been where you're at and my daughter is now 18 months and happy as a clam.

I switched to ready to serve soy formula instead of powder, and that helped my 2 month old out alot. I don't know what the difference is, but some how it did make a difference.

You know I got a DVD called "Dunstan Language" by Patricia Dunstan, I saw her on Oparh and she really helped me understand what my baby was trying to say to me! She is 6 months old and has been awesome. My son sounded exactly like your daughter with gas, acid, and the tummy aches. Sometimes I think babies need to fed more often than we think - and rice, per my pediatrician, is a no no before 6 months (although we started my son on it when he was about 8 weeks too!). You should try and watch the DVD it helped me figure my second baby out very quickly and she is a happier baby because of it. Also, my doc prescribed my son a liquid drug for nasua/regergetation since my son spit up a ton. It really helped him since it did not matter what formula we used!

A great help for gas: lay baby on her back, with nothing to restrict her tummy (diapers, elastic waistband.) Grasp both her feet gently in your hand and fold her legs gently up to her chest. Make a slow *clockwise* circular motion with her feet, so that her knees are also making a circular motion above her abdomen. This will often massage the torso and hips a little and trapped gas bubbles can move down and out. Another option: rub her tummy gently in a clockwise (for your hand), smooth circular motion. So you'd start a little below her ribs, left side, lower belly, right side, then back to top. Another option: massage the baby's feet - find one of those acupressure charts and see if there are specific points that help calm her, but just a general foot massage can work wonders.

In England they make a medicine called "Gripe Water" which has dill and some other herbal stuff in it. My daughter would spit it out, but it works like a charm for some.

These may help the symptom, but I wonder about the cause. The rice worries me. Are you giving rice on doctor's orders? If so I'd get a second opinion. Her system may not be mature enough to digest the starch, she might develop grain allergies by consuming it so young, and there should be plenty of nutrients in the formula you're using. I'm not a pediatrician but I'm fairly sure that only breast milk or formula are advised for babies under 5 or 6 months. And a baby's tummy is only as big as her fist. They can only drink a few ounces at a time. And that means they need to feed frequently. Remember every baby's different, and even if your son slept through the night naturally, she might not. My daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was about 15 months.

I wish you the best of luck, and good health to you and your family.
Sincerely,
A. in Alameda

At one point in time, my son had horrible acid reflux. At age 2 months, her digestive system is far too immature to process rice, so my first recommendation would be to get rid of that from her diet. It's very harsh on her little system. Secondly, for the gas pains, I'd recommend fennel-based herb drops for babies, such as "Super Catnip & Fennel" by Limited Edition Herbs (www.liquid-herbs.net), or "Tummy Tincture" (www.herblore.com). Additionally, I can highly recommend Dr. Adel Abi-Hanna at Dr. Marjorie McCracken's Pediatric Gastrointestinal (GI) Specialists' group in Los Gatos. And one more hint: If she's having trouble passing gas, try massaging her tummy in a reverse L-shaped pattern (than follows the natural line of her large intestine), then bicycle her legs so she can release the gas.

I am sorry to hear you are having such trouble isolating what is wrong. I would start by saying you should see a gastro ped's Dr. I took my son when he was two months and it really helped all the problems we were having. His symptoms were, a rash from being allergic to the formula, constant moving and bringing up of his legs screaming but not being gassy ans sleepless nights due to laying on his back - he has to be held. You would listen to his belly and it sounded like the high sea during a severe storm. He was already on Alimentum formula -- alot like nutramogen and just as expensive... it helped but wasnt the solution. The gastro Dr then recommended VSL#3
www.vsl3.com -- "VSL#3® is a high-potency probiotic with 450 billion live bacteria per packet. VSL#3® is a medical food for the dietary management of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), an ileal pouch (IP), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)." For babies a 1/2 pack a day at around the same time everyday. This product is a dream!

She stated that little tummies dont come out fully developed so they have a hard time adjusting VSL adjusts the system and makes digestion easier -- it also made me feel better that the Dr herself a new mom of twins had both her children on VSL from birth -- our children are the same age.

My son started sleeping through the night and eating larger amounts of food at each bottle feeding about a week and a half after we started him on VSL.

I also have a 7 month old daughter and started her on VSL at about 2 months as well because she was having really bad gas issues -- its worked for her as well.

I breastfed and bottle fed from birth for both because I just simply didn't produce enough unfortunately. So don't feel bad about having a medical condition - your doing the right thing for your child.

Also, regarding overeating -- I dont think babies can overeat if they get too full they just throw it up. My experience has been the only thing you can try and train them to do while young is schedule them to try and eat and sleep at the same times each day. Sounds like your already doing that.

Best of luck and please ask your Dr about VSL -- it really is a dream.
N.

Hi A.,
I know that when adults have acid reflux, its do to too much wheat, and when they cut that out of their diet, it goes away. Not so sure about that for a 2 mo old baby. But what I would do is get her to a Chiropractor who can make a minor adjustment. They are very helpful with babies if you have a good one!
To help relieve the gas you can lay her down and do the bicycle exercises.
Hope this helps a little, S.

I have raised three healthy children and now my daughters both have children. My one daughter is nursing and her baby is 6 weeks old. He will take an alternate soy bottle for a feeding if she needs him too. It sounds like the rice for a 2 month old is too much for her little tummy. However, she should probalby be taking a full 6-8oz. bottle at her age. Maybe skip the rice and give her a little more in the bottle feedings. I kept all of my children off dairy products and they did great. I believe the milk formula started the acid reflux in the first place. If you keep her just on the soy formula her body should regulate itself. Have you tryed a ounce of prune juice to 2 ounces of water ( baby juice) and also, just plain distilled water, a couple of ounces a day? Pure water will alkaline her system. Too much dairy causes acid!
Hang in there with the soy and try the juice/water combination. It has worked wonderful in regulating my grandson's bowels and he no longer has the painful gas.

My advice would be to stop the rice milk - 2 months old is WAY too young for rice, and this may completely solve your problem!! - , up the bottles of formula during the day, and try switching her to an organic soy formula. Baby's Only says it's only for 12 months up, but I've talked to the manufacturer, and they only say that b/c they want to support exclusive breastfeeding in infants. Good luck!

OK I know your getting tons of advice on this, but I have to agree with another person that said to cut down on the rice cerial. Acually you could try to cut it out all together and see if it helps. My kids were fine and heathly without cerial, until they were older. When I did try cerial at about 5 months,they were sure unhappy, until they got older like after 10 months old. I think Babies just need formula or breast milk until they can handle cerial or soft foods. Good Luck!

Hi,
My neice has a 2 1/2 month old and had the same problems you are describing. She went to a natural store and they put her baby on Goats Milk. While drinking Goats Milk you have to take a few other supplements with it, but she is such a happy baby and doing quite well now. She is actually sleeping 6 hours straight through the night since this change. No more tears or pain.

Our son had acid reflux at that age (not the kind that doesn't come up, but besides that, your daughter sounds similar to my son) and the doctor suggested putting something under his mattress so he was on a little tilt. I actually got this foam thing from babies r us. That helped him a lot so things go down easier. Also, he had bad gas too and cried from the pain in his stomach. We gave him gripe water and cocyntal, the fluid not the tablets. You can get it at most places, walgreens, whole foods. The mylecon drops didn't work for him until he hit 3 months. But to let you know that his stomach just had to mature a little more. He is almost 4 months and doing so much better. By 3 months it was more manageable. But I know that painful crying can just hurt your heart. Good luck.

My nephew has the same problem. I will call my sister in law and find out what has been working for her and get back to you. He seems to be doing much better now. He had the same symptoms, eating more often, crying for no reason. Not sleeping at night. And you have to remember, with the acid reflux, they dont seem to eat as much at a feeding because of the discomfort from the reflux. I will get back to you.

soy is basically a non digestable protein. seek a holistic organic and natural opinion. mainstream doctors are highly skilled yet not trained in alternative approaches

Hi A.,

How frustrating for you! You are doing a good job for your baby girl. I've been working in the perinatal field & with newborns for over 11yrs & I have a resource that I can recommend you look into. Are you familiar with Infant Massage? you can buy "Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents" by Vimala Scheider McClure. It's a short paperback, like $15 new. There is a chapter dedicated entirely to
gastrointestinal issues. Also a chapter just for dads & another for siblings, which is really cool.

When babies are born their gastrointestinal systems are very immature. Painful gas & reflux are common symptoms as is colic. Parents often complain of these issues & the babies seem to "grow out of it" at some point, which further validates much of the time these chronic symptoms are due to an underdeveloped gastrointestinal tract. Meds sometimes take the edge off temporarily, but often have other side effects that should be considered.

There are very simple techniques you can do that literally tone your baby's intestinal tract with very gentle touch. It's also a wonderful routine that your baby will learn to associate with calming her own body & her big brother can learn to do & it helps to overcome sibling jealousy issues. There's been a TON of research & it's common practice to have infant massage in the NICU units at the hospitals now. Research has proven that babies' growth & development is truly stimulated by touch.

It may take a week or two to really notice the benefits, & you can continue to pursue other options & incorporate the massage with your other methods. It's a complimentary approach. But I will tell you that I've had countless clients who've screamed success & have avoided or cut out meds once they got into the routine. We've done it for our own children as well.

You can also look into probiotics. "maxi-baby-dophilus" is a fabulous brand that our pediatrician turned us onto. It strengthens the digestive system & also her immune system & can be used with meds if necessary.

Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions. Good luck!

C.

Hi A.: My name is D. K and I probably am old enough to be your grandmother, however, all mommy/baby problems seem to endure thru the ages. My first born, a girl, who is now 43, had what they called colic in those days, unfortunately for me and her, she cried with stomach cramps 24 hours a day, it seemed, the only time we could get her to sleep was to driver her around in the car. In any event, waking up every 4 hours to eat, for a 2month old is not unusual, my youngest grandaughter who is now 18 mo. old was waking up every 2 hours until just recently. Have you tried not giving her the rice cerial, I know I also did the rice cerial thing and it didn't work, but since you are not breastfeeding, you might try Chamomile tea, make sure you use distilled water, it does held somewhat, and it sure helps me when I have stomach problems. I know your worn out, but in time it will work itself out. Good Luck

My son had acid reflux though his came up some of the time. We did also go through him not sleeping at night and constantly wanting to eat. I figured out that the only way he felt relief from it was during his feedings. He was breastfed but I am sure it would have been the same if he had been on formula. We had him on Prevacid from about 2 months through almost 7 months. We gave him the Prevacid right before bed and this seemed to help him sleep a little longer but he was probably 6 months before he slept more than 4-5 hours at night. He is 18 months now and we are still carefull about what he eats or drinks. If your daughter is gassy you might try rubbing her belly in a counter clockwise motion and bringing her knees up towards her belly. This always helped my three boys pass or at least work it down any gas they had.

A., TRy some homeopathic rems. When my now 4 yr old had that prob. my Aunt told me to try chamomile,ginger, and mint tea. it worked wonders. I was also unable to brst feed him due to medical issues and medications i was on. dont. knock yourself out for that. We as mothers do what we can when we can. use you gut instink. good luck
D. A

My son absolutely loooved to sleep in his carseat. Do you have one of the ones you can carry around that has her tipped up a little? We had one of those zip-around snuggly fake lambs wool things so he was always nice and toasty. He refused to sleep in his bassinet at all. The Dr. said he may have had acid reflux. He grew out of it and is now 2 and starting to climb out of his crib. If she sleeps in h er carseat, try that. I put mine on the floor next to my bed at nioght (never onthe bed or she may tip over).

K.

My niece has a little girl now 2 years old and has the same problem. It was discovered when she was about 10 months old and seemed to be having seizures. However, a physician checked and it was acid reflux. She has certain things she does, like having her sit up for 30 minutes after she has eaten so the food can be digested so far. I will contact my niece and see if she has any other suggestions. D.

Have you tried Gripe Water? That helped with our daughter and gave her relief when the Mylecon drops didn't do it.

And for what it's worth, I've had friends with very fussy, gassy babies who were breastfed, so that doesn't always guarantee anything. So much of it is luck of the draw.

Best of luck to you! Hope you find a solution that works.

Hi A.,
I am sorry to hear about this. I went through the same thing with my now-4-month old baby girl. When she was 1 and 2 months old she had such terrible gas we didn't know what to do. My breast milk, and different formulas seemed to keep it up. Finally we switched exclusively to Nutramigen. That took care of it! (soy made it the worst.) Yes it is soooo expensive, but worth it. Then, shortly after that, she started crying when we'd feed her, but a different kinda cry. She would be super hungry and gulp food, then cry a shocking, piercing scream. When we took the bottle away, she'd cry again because she wanted the bottle. She'd gulp, gulp, then cry the piercing scream again. We took her to a gastroenterologist and she said it was acid reflux. She wasn't spitting up but it was coming up in her throat. She started taking Zantac 3x a day and NO MORE CRYING! We have her on Zantac still... they say leave her on it for 3 months+. Everything is better, with an occasional bad night. Best of luck and it will pass soon!!!!

A., Wow, that's a tough one. It's too bad you're not nursing her. That always seems to be so much easier on little tummies but that ship has sailed.

All I can offer is that since she cries mostly at night it may be colic.

I know that a screaming baby is very difficult. I had one that screamed for 4 months then wouldn't nap for more than 30 minutes a day for the first year. He also woke up 2-3 times a night for his first 1 5months of life. That was tough but we got through it.

He is now 19 and one bonus for me was that after infancy he has been my easiest child to raise (out of 4). Maybe yours will be too.

Hang in there and get a good support group to hold the baby to you don't get too overwhelmed.

This too will come to an end.

Hugs to you,
A.

I don't know much about fomula feeding as I was fortunate enough to be able to breastfeed my 3 children. However, I am surprised to hear that you ar putting rice cereal in the formula. Most doctors don't recommend cereal until at least 4-6 months because baby's system is too immature to handle cereal. Maybe you might try cutting out the rice cereal for a few days. Good luck.

Mu daughter had similar problems but fortunately I could breastfeed.

OK, it sounds like your daughter might be allergic to soy and have a lactose intolerance. Start by getting Sally Fallon's book "Nourishing Traditions." In there is a recipe for formula that is cow and/or goat milk based. It is detailed but has a gentle, very nutritious and natural approach to formula. Soy is a huge factor in many allergies for children as well as gas. Stop the rice. It is basically a filler and has little to no nutritional value.

She may have to eat smaller amounts more frequently. Just the case with kids who have reflux.

Next, make sure her bed is raised at the head end on a 30-45 degree angle. this helps keep things down. Also, when she is eating with her head slightly elevated. When she is done, make sure you have her in an almost upright position for at least 10 minutes. Don't have her hunched over, it compresses the stomach and forces some food up.

Hope all this helps. I really tried to stay off of medication for my daughter. She is doing wonderfully now and once the soy was out of her diet all together, she did a complete turn around!