PAIF Graduates Exchange

Hi Christy -

I am so sorry you are going through this with Tyler and I totally undertand where you are coming from. When Alex was about 4 weeks old he started just screaming non-stop inbetween feedings. We assumed he was just a fussy, colicky baby. We sang and walked and drove, we tried everything to get the crying to stop. I never thought refulx because he was always hungry. He nursed fine and was growing at a great rate. He never spit up, so we just went with it. Then one day he screamed for 7 hours straight. I was at a loss and ended up calling our pediatrician. The nurse heard the screaming and told us to come in right away. After a general check with everything seeming fine the doctor mentioned reflux, but not the spit up kind, the silent kind that you are experiencing. He said he was mostly likely crying b/c he was in pain from the reflux, but he was still hungry after a couple hours, but we didn't know b/c we didn't make the connection. He was put on Zantac three times a day and I noticed a huge difference in two days. After a few days it was like a new child had reappeared in my house. I hated to put him on the meds, I hated it, but after I saw the difference it made, it was such a huge relief.

So he started on the meds around the middle of October. And I kept him on the full dosage until he went to daycare in December (I didn't want the daycare to give him the meds), so I took him down to twice a day. In January we tried once a day with success, and then nothing. So he was out of it by five months old. I know it may take some babies longer, but I pray you and Tyler find some relief soon. Keep me posted!

I think I remember you saying something about this episode way back when Em but didn't realize it was reflux. Thanks for the hope and information. I really hope Ty grows out of it soon.

Hi Christy -
Both of my boys had reflux...they didn't spit up a lot either, they also had milk protein allergy which made them pretty miserable as well, but the reflux was awful - prevacid twice a day is what eventually helped for that, it did take a few weeks but at least they weren't waking up screaming after being asleep for only 30 to 45 minutes...I know it's so frustrating and heartbreaking. I've heard that the hypoallergenic formula can help babies who have severe reflux as well. I think it made a difference for our son Reid he seemed to suffer more with the protein allergy and the reflux than Cole did- he would drool constantly because of the acid coming up into the esophagus - the GI told us that when it's severe they won't swallow their saliva .

Have you raised the head of the crib up? it doesn't have to be high, we used scrap 2x4 that my husband cut to fit under the legs. That did seem to help a little.

I hope he's doing better.

Heather

I'm going to ask the pediatrician if my boy twin might have reflux. He spits up a little, but he's been crying a lot in between feedings like he's in pain. We have both twins on breast milk plus Nutramagin formula. My babies are 3 weeks old.