The number one thing I get asked is "How did you handle Nash's reflux?" Mamas have messaged me out of complete desperation and let me tell you...I hear you. I feel you. But it's hard to talk about. I try to anwer this question as best as I can in a short little question story box on Instagram but honestly, there's just so. much. more. Which is exactly why you're here! Before I answer your questions I want you to know our journey so that you can have a little background knowledge. So, here goes nothin'!
Our Journey:
As soon as Nash was born he basically crawled up to my boob for a snack. He was so hungry! :-) He initially had trouble latching in the hospital so we started off with nipple shields right off the bat. I remember thinking...what's the deal? Just eat! Well, hindsight 20/20...he physically couldn't.
We came home and I would nurse on and off with the shield + pump so that Matty Burr and my family could help out by feeding Nash bottles! Then we got to where there were times he didn't need the shield at all! I thought it was doing great and thennnnn the colic symptoms really started to set in. He was clicking while he nursed and ate from the bottle, which meant he was gulping air. I was playing guessing games all day long wondering what could be making him so upset? Was it my milk? Something I was eating? Of course, as moms, we automatically blame ourselves. By 5 weeks I had brought him to the pediatrician and told them something was seriously wrong. I couldn't lay Nash flat. He would arch his back, he was so grunty and squirmy. He cried literally 24/7. I knew babies cried and I expected that but this seemed like way too much. It became alarming because I just KNEW he was in so much pain. After describing Nash's symptoms to his doctor, he said "Yep! Sounds like reflux!" and prescribed a proton pump inhibitor called Nexium. I was familiar with this drug because my father takes it, but I was baffled at the thought of it being prescribed to infants. But...doc knows best! So Nash started Nexium. It took a full 2 weeks to enter his system and the foul acid smelling vomit was neutralized! But something still wasn't right...
While Nash's reflux seemed under control, he still had so many colic symptoms and his feeding was getting WORSE. He would click while he ate, he would pop on and off my nipple, he was SO GASSY after every feeding. Overall, every feeding was just a horrible experience that ended with both of us in tears. Something still wasn't right & I thought, "It's got to be my milk!" So when Nash was about 3 months old, I made the decision to switch to formula & give him NO MORE breastmilk. I wanted all of the mystery & "what ifs" to be eliminated and I wasn't super attached to breastfeeding. I just wanted what was best for Nash so the decision was pretty simple. THIS. DID. NOTHING. If anything, it made the situation ten times worse. So there I was, milk dried up, formula that hurt his tummy, and still no relief for my poor baby. I was at a complete loss. I cried along side of him every single day. I can't even count the number of times I would say "I just want him to be happy" or "I just want him to feel better" as tears rolled down my face. Then out of desperation, I reached out to every single mom friend that ever mentioned gas, colic, or reflux around me. Ugly crying on the phone with them..yep, that was me. My neighbor was the woman who changed everything for us. She said, "Michelle, every single thing you have told me, was literally my son. And I hate to tell you this mama, but he had a severe tongue and lip tie."
A WHAT??? I VERY briefly saw this mentioned on social media while I was pregnant but never even gave it a second thought! Still clueless, my neighbor referred me to the doctor & lactation consultant who helped her son & I gave them a call. In walks, Kellye. A literal angel from above. Long story short, I cried in her office after telling her how the past few months have been. She discovered that Nash had a severe posterior tongue tie and an extremely tight upper lip tie. Which explains why feeding was so, SO hard. He was GULPING air with every suckle. On top of that, after months of stress on his little body, he was extremely tight from head to toe. This resulted in other things like constipation, etc. and the problems compounded. Stressed was the perfect word to describe Nash in that moment and my heart completely shattered into ten million pieces. In fact, my eyes are full of tears as I type this. We began body work with our favorite chiropractor ever, Dr. Brasher, then we had his ties revised. It was easily the best thing we could have ever done for Nash & it will benefit him all throughout his adulthood. He was able to get off of his Nexium about 4-5 weeks after his ties were revised & chiro care was continued. He still sees Dr. Brasher for body work bi-weekly & she remains his favorite person ever. When she adjusts him, he laughs, smiles and talks to her. And in that moment, I can fully see how far we have come. As a mom, all you want is your kids to be happy. I can't explain how hard the journey was but if it can help you, I'm willing to revisit it. You got this mama.
Q&A:
Q- My pediatrician said my baby will grow out of it. How is Nash doing now?
A- This is a common answer from pediatricians but to me, its the easy way out. If the underlying issue is a tongue tie or lip tie, the problem must be fixed. If it isn't there is a chance babies will struggle with gut issues for the rest of their lives.
Q- When is enough enough & medications should be sought out from a pediatrician?
A- I put Nash on medication straight away, but if I could go back in time I would first get assessed for ties by a specialist (lactation consult or pediatric dentist). Next I would begin chiropractic care. If I did both of these things and saw absolutely no improvement, I'd get on meds because I wouldn't want my baby to be stressed anymore.
Q- Have you noticed any foods w/ BLW that cause any reflux?
A- Tomato, big time. Really anything acidic. Sometimes apples do.
Q- Did Nash get the hiccups a lot after eating?
A- Not that I noticed or anything that seemed alarming! But I do know that hiccups can be a sign that they are sucking in air AKA not feeding properly. When Nash got assessed for his ties, one of the questions they asked was about frequent hiccups.
Q- When you switched to goats milk, did you notice it helped right away?
A- We switched around the time Nash had his revision done for his ties. So I'm not sure but we definitely noticed an improvement. Since he is on Bobbie formula now (which is cow's milk) it was probably the revision that mostly helped but a good clean milk source would def help!
Q- What helps a baby for sleeping overnight with reflux? My 3 month old is up a lot.
A- A 3 month old will still be up a lot (Nash didn't sleep until he was 6 months old) but if its the reflux waking him up I have put some tips down below for you that we did for Nash.
Q- People keep telling me to try oatmeal in the bottle. Idk...Have you ever tried this?
A- Okay, I'm pretty sure this is an old school technique. I'm not sure how that would help with reflux but maybe with spitting up? I wouldn't do that unless my baby was very underweight. We did do locust bean gum with Nash for a bit and that helped.
Q- When did you take Nash off of meds?
A- When he was about 4.5 months old.
Q- Was it better on formula at first then got really bad again?
A- Nash's just stayed bad all the time until we did tie revision and chiro.
Q- What were his symptoms?
A- He was always so tense & squirmy. He grunted A LOT. Colic symptoms & tons of spit up. Sometimes I could smell the acid on his breath and one time his voice even got hoarse. He would pull his legs up to his chest and cry after eating.
Q- Did reflux effect your baby's sleep/startle reflex?
A- YES. Nash would wake up screaming frequently. I'm so sorry you're going through that. It's the worst. Hopefully the tips below can help you!
Q- How did you have him sleep comfortably? My 4-week old has to sleep at an incline.
A- We had to get creative when Nash was really suffering and COULD NOT lay flat on his back. I would put him in his doc a tot and slightly ramp it up for him to where his airflow would not be affected. He wore the owlet and this STILL made me incredibly uncomfortable and sad but we had to help him. This isn't encouraged for safe sleep I am just sharing what I had to do. A lot of people also suggested books under one side of his crib.
Q- How long did it take to wean him off of his meds?
A- It took a full two weeks to wean. It was a processsss. OMG.
Q- Did starting solids help with his reflux?
A- I definitely noticed that he spits up a lot less!
Q- What effects did it have on your mental health?
A- I. Felt. Crazy. I just wanted my baby to feel better so badly it killed me. Esp as a first time mom. I just didn't know how to help him. It was the definition of torture. I learned how to take a deep breath and take it just one step and one day at a time. Hindsight I'm sure I had some PPA because of it. Anytime he had a doctor's appointment I'd cry in the car before and after..
Q- Did Nash spit up in his mouth and swallow it?
A- Yes. A lot. And if you've ever done this as an adult you know IT BURNS. Imagine being an infant......
Q- How did you wean off the reflux meds?
A- I reduced his meds by .5 for a week. See how he did, then reduce again.
Q- Silent reflux? She is hungry but constantly refuses the bottle, did Nash do that?
A- Luckily Nash never refused to eat but that was definitely my worst fear. I always felt like it was only a matter of time to where he didn't want to eat anymore because it was so painful for him. I am so sorry you are going through that.
Q- Did Nash have trouble gaining weight?
A- Thankfully no. And that usually makes drs. not willing to help. I had to be assertive.
Q- Did you find Nash's reflux got worse while teething?
A- Now that you ask that, acutally yes. LOL
Q- Did you try probiotics?
A- Yes! Wellements probiotics help us a lot!
Q- The cherry stuff you used while weaning?
A- Ask you pedi about it but its called Liquid Supreme Cherry and it acts like a tums or rolaid would.
Q- EBF baby has started to pull away from feedings and cry. Relux maybe?
A- Your baby is probably having some discomfort while nursing. I would definitely bring for an adjustment!
Tips for Reflux:
1. Check your bottles! A smooth, natural nipple shape worked far more better than a nipple with a bulb shape. The Lansinoh Momma bottles literally saved Nash! & as he got older, we went back to Dr. Browns and he did good! (See the difference below)
2. Assess for any ties by a lactation consultant. If ties are found, please make sure they are revised by a qualified provider such as a pediatric dentist. We saw Kellye Skaer & all of my babies will! (her info is below!)
3. Chiropractic care helped Nash so much & keeps him happy! It's been essential in his every day life! If you are in the Houston area, I highly recommend Dr. Brasher! PLEASE make sure you are seeing someone certified in infant care.
4. Gas drops and colic water can be wonderful for temporary relief once your baby isn't feeling well after a feeding but isn't a permanent or long term solution.
5. Around the world burping technique VS banging on the back! *Google around the world burping technique. It's awesome! Sometimes banging on the back to burp can agitate their reflux.
6. Pace feeding, burping in-between an ounce or two, taking frequent breaks. This can help but didn't seem to help Nash enough.
7. Most importantly, upright for 30 minutes after each feeding.
If you have done all of the above, then medication may be needed, but please do some research before choosing the one that is right for your baby. Most of them require a weaning process as well, so keep that in mind.
From Kellye Skaer, IBCLC:
Hey there mama! My name is Kellye Skaer, founder of Milk&Mom and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Keeping a whole baby alive and thriving is a whole thing!!! IBCLC’s are often the only set of eyes who are watching you AND your baby function together (breast and/or bottle) and are specifically trained in feeding and function of infants. I wish I had been brave enough in my younger years to trust my mama gut and get help, I truly believe lifelong health starts at birth. I offer home visits in and around The Woodlands, TX and virtual visits nation wide. Here. For. You. And cheering you on!!! 💛
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Click for Kellye's Website!