41 answers

Need Help with Newborn with Reflux

Hi moms...this is my first time seeking advice but I've seen how helpful everyone is. I had my little girl a month ago and I never thought I could love someone so much. But I'm having an extremely hard time adjusting to being a mom. I feel like I have no maternal instinct and lately the sound of her cry is enough to send me over the edge. She was diagnosed a few weeks ago with reflux and we're trying to make her as comfortable as possible but when it hits her she screams at the top of her lungs and is basically inconsolable for 15-20 minutes. The doctor told us to add rice to her bottles but now she is having trouble going to the bathroom. So the rice helped with the reflux but gave her a different issue to work with. So basically my entire day is spent walking around the house with her or sitting with her. She won't sit in her swing, won't go down for a nap, nothing. I don't know what I'm doing anymore and I feel as if I'm going through this alone since I'm home all day by myself. My husband is very helpful when he gets home from work and will spend every second of the night with her to give me a break. But nothing I do when I'm here with her seems right and he doesn't truly understand what I go through all day. I'm at the end of my rope and feel as if I was not meant to be a mother. I hate feeling this way because she is so beautiful and perfect but I can't help it nor can I shake the depression I've sunken into. Any advice on how to deal would be greatly appreciated.

What can I do next?

Featured Answers

My daughter had her first child two months ago. Her Pediatrician prescribed pediatric acid reflex medecine and my daugher also discored that her child is allergic to cows milk and spices. Since she breast feeds, she has had to change her own diet.

Hope this helps.

H.

2 moms found this helpful

My son was born 7 1/2 weeks early back in June. He has reflux. My doctor also told me to give him rice, but also had a hard time going to the bathroom. They had me switch to oatmeal & he did really well with that & he was also put on zantac which has helped. He is doing better now with the zantac & is still having oatmeal in his bottle, but they recently started him on jar food.
It will hopefully get better soon.
Good Luck!

2 moms found this helpful

I could have written this myself! My son had bad reflux and was put on Zantac, which didnt help and then put on Prevacid, which did help. In addition, he was fed Enfamil AR and I gave him an OTC Tummy Soother, this whole combination helped a lot. By 6 mos my son was off everything. I was a depressed mess...I had a lot of help from my family. I think for the first few months my family rotated days off to help me out. I couldnt have gotten through it without that. Also, try to get out. I was afraid to take my son out because he cried so much, but honestly he was never as bad when we were out and busy. This too shall pass!

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

My son had this and if you are formula feeding trying Enfamil Lipil A.R. it worked great.

2 moms found this helpful

wow - this sounds exactly like my first few months with my newborn (he is now two). Understand that you are not alone and that this too will pass. I look back at those months and think that I should have tried to enjoy it more so if that is possible, I would give you that advice. However, I understand that with out sleep, or a sense of control, it is very difficult to enjoy anything. If the doctor's have suggested medicine - I would not hesitate to put her on it. I waited 8 weeks to put our son on medicine and it was the most difficult 8 weeks of my life. After that, when the medicine kicked in, things got a little better. If you are breastfeeding, you can also try changing your diet - I cut out wheat, gluten, soy, nuts, and dairy....it was tough but that also made a difference. Best of luck to you - just know that so many of us went through this and you will look back and wish you took more pictures and spent less time pulling your hair out.....best of luck to you!

2 moms found this helpful

K.,
You're doing fine! You will make it through this. Keep up the good work - you and your daughter will get through this bit of weather, and you will be closer for it.

If you are still concerned after all the advice I'm sure you have received by now: get a second opinion. There may be something the doctor missed, something simple, who knows?

You aren't alone, and your husband's willingness to take up the reins when he comes home is admirable - you truly lucked out!

Find yourself some soft earplugs - the kind that lower the noise level about 30 db, and walk with your daughter, try different positions with her, sing to her, love her, play lots and lots of music for her.

Do you keep music running at night? My SIL told me basically the womb is like a fishtank - though you can't tap on the glass, it still gets pretty loud in there. When a baby is born, the silence is painful - they're not used to it -they're used to all the noise. A heartbeat teddy or just plain music (that was all we could afford!) CDs playing will help a lot.

Good luck, and Congratulations!
M.

2 moms found this helpful

soy helped with my little one. Reg. formula gave her bad reflux. Now she is 10 - still has reflux.. but we know what causes it.. like red sauce, salad dressing, to much citrus fruit... It will get better. Just remember you have a wonderul baby... don't panic.. I panicked with my first one.. I thought about like what if I mess up.. and he becomes someone terrible.. or if he fails kindergarten.. I had myself crazed.. once I calmed down .. he seemed to calm down too. Good luck... try a different formula. Also my daughter couldn't have the formula you mixed with water.. I had to have premade.. the kind with water got her sick.. go figure??

2 moms found this helpful

I know from personal experience what you are going through and it is very difficult. Things WILL get better. I gave my son Mylicon in his bottles, I truely don't know if that helped or not. I tried different formulas and ended up with Nutramigen. It was a little expensive and smelled awful but worked really well for my son. I have heard from others with babies with reflux that Nutramigen worked well for them as well. It is a pre digested formula. It's good for babies with colic as well. I fed him smaller more frequent bottles. I made sure I burped him every ounce to ounce and a half. I tried different bottles and ended up using Dr. Browns. Of course he was up right 90% of the time. After meals including in the middle of the night I would sit up with him for at least 30 minutes before laying him down. The Dr. tried putting him on Zantac and that didn't do much. The pedi gastroentorologist put him on Prilosec which worked a lot better. The fussiness improved a lot. The throwing up did not improve. I refused to put him on the medicine that could have helped with that. To many side effects. We used a crib wedge as well so he could be more upright.
Reflux went away just after his first birthday. You do need help. Accept help from neighbors, friends, family etc.. Good luck. Email direct if you wish.

2 moms found this helpful

I could have written this myself! My son had bad reflux and was put on Zantac, which didnt help and then put on Prevacid, which did help. In addition, he was fed Enfamil AR and I gave him an OTC Tummy Soother, this whole combination helped a lot. By 6 mos my son was off everything. I was a depressed mess...I had a lot of help from my family. I think for the first few months my family rotated days off to help me out. I couldnt have gotten through it without that. Also, try to get out. I was afraid to take my son out because he cried so much, but honestly he was never as bad when we were out and busy. This too shall pass!

2 moms found this helpful

I can't offer any advice about the reflux, but I would urge you to find a new mothers support group in your area that you can go to. Not only will it give you a great source of support, but you will learn a lot from other women who are feeling just the way you do.

Try the hospital where you gave birth or call your pediatrician's office to see if they have a listing for a local group.

The first three or four months with a new baby can be so hard, but you are not alone.

Good luck, K.!

2 moms found this helpful

I went through the same thing with both of my babies. You need to add some apple juice to the bottle with the rice. That'll take care of the constipation.

2 moms found this helpful

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