View Full Version : new baby has colic & reflux...its killing us - ideas? UPDATE
probably not something you would see a guy talk about, especially on a gun forum, but WOW. this is unbelievable; like psychological warfare of some sort. our first daughter was tough, had reflux, but we made it through and heard all the talk of "how the 2nd one is easier..." that could not be further from the truth... this new baby was sent from another planet to destroy us and suck energy from everything. dont get me wrong, we love her dearly, but she is a nightmare. we have switched to some uberexpensive formula only to realize it seemed to piss her off more. I know they "grow" out of it, but she is only 6 weeks old! my wife is a shell of a woman and work is my only refuge, but I feel like im hungover every day. my lawn looks like crap, personal time is nonexistent, etc.. poor me, waa waa waa. to top it off, our 2 year old is very strong willed and hates to be inside all day with my wife and screaming baby.
anything to try? anyone dealt with this? shes on hypo-allergic formula as of yesterday, colic-calm, gas drops, ranitidine, stays in constant motion, etc... no dice.
Ooooh man, that is rought for sure. First, be patient and if your wife is a stay it home momma, make sure you give her at least a 1hr break when you get home.
With that said, I am sure you are consulting your Doc on this right?
I thank GOD that neither of my two boys ever had anything like this, but I know some parents that do and it has caused issues in their marriage, etc.
For sleeping, try the SF EP3 hearing protection. You can sleep with them in pretty easily (done it many a time when sharing a hotel room with a chronic snorer).
C4
davidjinks
08-08-12, 14:14
Does she have a protein allergy?
Has she been tested to see if she has blood in her stool (Good indicator of a protein allergy)?
Go out and get yourself "Gripe water". Follow the directions. Who ever made that stuff should get a nobel peace prize!
What formula is she on right now?
If its Similac (Purple can) than be advised it contains soy protein. It ain't the best shit out there. I will get with my wife and PM you more information tonight if that's okay with you.
Let your doctor know. They can determine if additional testing is needed for allergies or medication for reflux.
If the baby is bottle fed, try mixing 1 tsp of rice cereal per Oz of formula. You will need a level 3 nipple for the added thickness which helps with reflux. Also, try to keep the baby upright for 30 min after feeds to use gravity. Good luck
Yea shes a stay at home. I told her to get out of the house alone and go shopping, movie, drink, whatever to just getaway...but shes reluctant because she thinks its on her instead of realizing sometimes its out of your control. Ill push harder though.
She is on Nutramigen AA, it manages the protein allergy, but she has never been tested. Our Pediatrician is like a demi-God in our community and I trust him. He says physically, shes perfect, and unfortunately, some babies are just this way. We use Gripe Water David, feel free to PM anything you have on the topic.
Been there done that. Sometimes all you can really do is dig in and gut it out. It will end enventually, which doesn't help right now, but it will end.
Cincinnatus
08-08-12, 15:28
I talked this over with the wife since she is also a stay-at-home mom and our kids both went through this--my memory's not as good for the details as hers is, so I'll pass along her words as follows:
"For baby with reflux...check about getting baby on reflux medicine. Ours were on compounded Prilosec for the first 6 months and then compounded Prevacid until they grew out of it. Also, keep baby upright at least 15 min after eating and while eating if possible -- I know, difficult. Burp baby more often than usual. The swing was also a life-saver here -- SIDE TO SIDE, not FRONT TO BACK swing. Front to back will make it worse. Make sure the bed (if you choose not to use the swing) is propped up on one end and put baby's head on the high side.
" Also about the Dr being so highly recommended. If you dont think that they are doing enough for baby, get a second opinion!"
The swing she is refering to was a Fisher Price Ocean Wonders swing. It swings side to side and front to back. (Sometimes called a "cradle swing.") With our kids, we had to put the baby in it for sleeping even at night. Neither kid was able to sleep laying flat due to reflux, but the swing would prop the baby up to a reclined position that was much better.
My youngest had reflux pretty bad and required medication. We really chased the issue until he grew out of it.
All I can say really work with your pediatrician. If your son is on medication and it does not work, let them know so they can explore alternative meds or doses.
Good luck and sleep when you can. You catch up on house work when they go to kindergarten.
Try breastfeeding?
It seems that some infants with reflux do better.
http://www.infantreflux.org/Breastfeeding.htm
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montanadave
08-08-12, 15:42
Ah, for the good ole days when moms could buy Paregoric OTC.
No help here, I'm afraid, as I'm not in the daddy business. I hope you hit upon a successful strategy which alleviates your kiddo's discomfort and affords you and your wife some peace and renewed sanity.
Hang in there brother my twins both had this. Definitely be patient and try and work with your wife. I lived on Red Bulls and Rock Stars. I know its some kind of sleep deprivation hell that I could not even begin to describe but you only have about a year to go.:D
We used to put them in their swing which seemed to help with the reflux and let them get some sleep. We elevated the mattress in their cribs too. I'll talk to my wife tonight and get you some more tips.
What kind of helped me is my guys were in the NICU for about a month before we got them home. That kind of made things easier as there were a lot of families that were there much longer. But damn I feel for you.
FromMyColdDeadHand
08-08-12, 16:28
http://www.just4baby.co.uk/acatalog/jolly_jelly_bouncer_l.jpg
Our son had colic and I spent a lot of night with him in one of these, my foot resting on the 45degree member and just lightly bouncing him. Keeps them a bit upright for reflux, they are tied in so they won't fall out. You bounce him, he falls asleep- you fall asleep, all is good. He wakes up, you wake up and bounce him a bit. At least mom gets some sleep.
Our son had colic like crazy and my daughter was a handgernade. Throw her in bed, close the door and BOOM out go the lights and she was asleep. Kids are weird.
Bring her to a Chiropractor that deals with infants. Birth is a violent process that can leave a newborn with spinal problems, often in the cervical spine. Colic can oftentimes be helped with a simple adjustment.
SW-Shooter
08-08-12, 17:28
My son had the same problem, very fussy, reflux, etc... Initially we took him to the E.R., they said it was Colic, change formula, blah, blah, blah. But, the next day he wouldn't stop crying all day. We took him to a new Pediatrician and she got this ghost like look on her face, she snatched him up and had EMT's rush him to the hospital. She knew immediately what was wrong, it wound up he had sepsis. Supposedly when he was born they never checked for it, I guess it's one of those mandatory tests. He's fine now (happy, healthy soon to be 13 years old), but for two weeks we thought we were going to lose him. Now that I think about it I should have gone postal on the ER staff, but at the time I had more pressing matters, praying he would live.
My only advice is to trust but verify, a 2nd opinion in these cases is a must in my book. We almost found out too late, our Ped's Doc said he had roughly six hours before he would have been gone.
I didn't tell you this story to make you worry, just that sometimes a second opinion is the one that makes the difference between being miserable and being happy. The least thing it can do is verify you are on the right track.
Blankwaffe
08-08-12, 17:28
My sisters babies(5) were the same way.She ended up using purity buttermilk for all of them to solve the issue.As long as there no allergy concerns it might be worth a try.
My son had the same problem, very fussy, reflux, etc... Initially we took him to the E.R., they said it was Colic, change formula, blah, blah, blah. But, the next day he wouldn't stop crying all day. We took him to a new Pediatrician and she got this ghost like look on her face, she snatched him up and had EMT's rush him to the hospital. She knew immediately what was wrong, it wound up he had sepsis. Supposedly when he was born they never checked for it, I guess it's one of those mandatory tests. He's fine now (happy, healthy soon to be 13 years old), but for two weeks we thought we were going to lose him. Now that I think about it I should have gone postal on the ER staff, but at the time I had more pressing matters, praying he would live.
My only advice is to trust but verify, a 2nd opinion in these cases is a must in my book. We almost found out too late, our Ped's Doc said he had roughly six hours before he would have been gone.
I didn't tell you this story to make you worry, just that sometimes a second opinion is the one that makes the difference between being miserable and being happy. The least thing it can do is verify you are on the right track.
OK, I think that you've scared the piss out of him although I'm sure that you mean well. Sepsis is a serious infection that generally develops over several hours - especially in children under 28 days old and the un/under -immunized. The child often appears acutely ill within a few hours (fever or hypothermia, pale, grey, floppy, unarousable, no suck, etc.) There is no screening test for sepsis at birth, although mothers are screened for the presence of a particular bacteria (Group B strep) that increase the risk of GBS sepsis in children if not treated.
Bottom line, it very unlikely to be sepsis if it has been going on for several days and the child does not appear acutely ill.
Cagemonkey
08-08-12, 18:37
Talk to your pediatrician for a prescription for zantac or prilosec it helps prevent the acid reflux. Our daughter took zantac for 3 months until she out grew the condition, we used a compounding pharmacy that was able to mix the liquid Rx in a bubble gum flavor, CVS and Walgreens only has it in peppermint. We also used DR Browns bottles (helps reduce gas and colic). Try keeping the baby upright or slightly reclined after feeding her and also fold a towel and place under one end of crib mattress to make a slight incline to help with the reflux. Good luck!
Talk to your pediatrician for a prescription for zantac or prilosec it helps prevent the acid reflux. Our daughter took zantac for 3 months until she out grew the condition, we used a compounding pharmacy that was able to mix the liquid Rx in a bubble gum flavor, CVS and Walgreens only has it in peppermint. We also used DR Browns bottles (helps reduce gas and colic). Try keeping the baby upright or slightly reclined after feeding her and also fold a towel and place under one end of crib mattress to make a slight incline to help with the reflux. Good luck!
Not to denigrate the level of medical expertise available on this internet gun forum, but go with the first four words of this story, let the pediatrician decide the rest.
FromMyColdDeadHand
08-09-12, 00:57
OK, I think that you've scared the piss out of him although I'm sure that you mean well. Sepsis is a serious infection that generally develops over several hours - especially in children under 28 days old and the un/under -immunized. The child often appears acutely ill within a few hours (fever or hypothermia, pale, grey, floppy, unarousable, no suck, etc.) There is no screening test for sepsis at birth, although mothers are screened for the presence of a particular bacteria (Group B strep) that increase the risk of GBS sepsis in children if not treated.
Bottom line, it very unlikely to be sepsis if it has been going on for several days and the child does not appear acutely ill.
We are talking horses here, not zebras.
My wife's a pediatrician, and none of my advice is based on her clinical experience, but she is much happier with crying babies than non-crying babies. Non-crying sick babies give her the willies. Crying babies are like the heart attack victim you can't pin down for CPR- they have a lot of fight in them.
Want to know the best part about colic, I was so sleep deprived that I don't remember all that much about it, though I know I spent a couple of months on the couch at night with the bouncer. I really don't remember it (and it was only 7 years ago).
Nothing like taking the kid as a last resort for a ride in the car in the middle of the night, and coming up on a highway CLOSURE for road work at 3am. Sitting there, with a crying baby, stuck in traffic in the middle of the night. That I remember.
mallowpufft
08-09-12, 02:28
Gripe water and gas drops were my best friend with our kids. Our youngest threw up 1/4 of whatever he drank for the first 9 months. It was a long ass time.
One of my nephews had some serious reflux issues and I believe he ended up with prilosec (baby strength) from the pediatrician. My sister in law swore by it. Plus margeritas for herself once her husband finally talked her in to going out with her girlfriends minus the baby.
For my other son who had issues, when the gripe water and such didn't work I would grind up a hard peppermint candy and mix it with 1/4 warm water to dissolve it. My wife mocked me but after the first time I tried it she went out and bought more candies. Peppermint soothes the stomach (Ginger does too) and aids digestion. I'm sure there is a sugar free way to do it but this was easy and cheap and worked for us.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I847 using Tapatalk 2
I've been through it 3 times and currently have a 1 month old. Granted all my kids were/are breastfed, my advice is-
1. Be patient and try to remain calm, somehow they can sense your temperament and it effects them.
2. Keep them as upward as possible when feeding them and burp them frequently while feeding- don't just let them suck down a whole bottle, do about an ounce then burb and so on.
3. Hold them in as many ways as possible to try to get the burp out. My personal favorite is after an ounce or so, lay them flat on their back for 20-30 sec then instantly put them over your shoulder with the bottom of their rib cage just over the top of your shoulder, give a little bounce and burp comes out 90% of the time.
4. I'm not sure of your situation but breast feeding is a godsend.
Sometimes just a change of scenery helps a lot, also there eyes are very sensitive to contrast moreso than actual images at very young ages, all my infants loved shadows- dark room, make hand puppet shadows or whatever, good luck.
Just remember the most important thing is having a healthy child, time will pass quick.
It's probably worth it to call the hospital and consult with a lactation consultant- fancy word for a girl who helps out with new borns and breast feeding mothers- I kNow youre not breast feeding currently but these girls have helped me more than any doctor x100, it's at least worth a shot, seriously in my experience there real pros.
ditto others
one thing I know can be handy is a journal of things take good notes on eating and amounts and times of things after including BM and such how it is looks etc..
sometimes that journal can come in handy when trying to nail down things a bit more and can show some trend in things
not saying anything you dont know :) but take a breathe our little guy was not like our first we made jokes all the good went into her and he got all her bad :) hahahahah
but he had a tough time sleeping first few months
we had this swing thing that was more sideways swing he slept in and I slept on the couch the first few months like others trying to push him to sleep a bit in a more lounged position but at a few months he went down like normal
and lucky we work from home so I would go take a nap and she would take over so depending on your hours ?
support of course is a big thing but if you can take a brunt of it for 6 hours and she can take the brunt for 6 hours and share the other time it sure gives one a break of crying baby etc..
wish I had a miracle cure
just think how quick it seemed since you found out she was prego and had the kid and how quick this time will pass
This is the wife of AGR1279.
He said that it must be bad if this is posted on a gun forum.
I highly suggest the Aiden and Anias baby blankets for a tight swaddle. They are at target for about 40$ for a pack of 4. Money well spent.
The other thing that will likely help is the Fisher Price Rock and Play. It's like a rocking reclining bassinet. It makes baby feel like he is being held.
Swaddle with the Aiden and Anias blankets and when he goes to sleep try the rock and play to help get some rest yourself. The rock and play is at an slant that helps baby keep food down and not to choke when food comes up.
If we had only had these two products with our first baby it might not have been so many years until we decided to play russian roulet and have the second one.
Good Luck!
Thank you for all the advice and kind words. Nice to know there are peers to discuss these things with. Just to clarify since some PMd me:
Baby was breastfed first, we are proponents of it and it sucks that the formula was recommended by the Ped. Our toddler was breastfed until 1 yo.
We have swaddles, swings, bouncing chairs, vibrating chairs, nap nannies, boppies, gripe water on tap, gas drops, etc... Perhaps its patience we are lacking.
This isnt Dx via the web HMAC, so dont worry. We are tight with our Ped on the level we can call his cell. He was my wifes Ped, thats the only way we got him. He didnt want us to switch to formula and basically said keep breastfeeding and just get help from family. We pushed for an Rx because its just too hard at this point.
We will prevail, and like one poster mentioned, all you can do sometimes is just dig in and hang on. It just seems like her little quality of life sucks and thats upsetting.
I really wanted to try for that boy on baby 3 but at this point im done with kids. Maybe I will feel differently in a couple years...
Again, thanks fellas.
SomeOtherGuy
08-09-12, 15:21
Our firstborn was colicky for her first 6 months (!). We tried pretty much all the things listed above and none really worked. Sometimes using a baby swing, or the vibrating bouncer chair, would help - mostly daytime. Nights were awful and we basically got sleep in 2-hour shifts, if lucky. It was terrible but we survived.
What I can say is to use whatever human resources you have available - if you have good relatives close by, have them come over some nights so you two can sleep through the night, it makes a HUGE difference in how you feel. If you're on a military base, maybe some friend's wife or some medical service can help. If you're in a big city, often the delivery nurses at hospitals will moonlight to take care of babies overnight - either for rich people who just want a quiet night, or for people with extra difficult babies. Not cheap but it might be an option. (To state the obvious, this isn't a job for an ordinary babysitter, only for someone with tons of experience with newborns.)
All I can really offer is that you will survive, and it gets better.
It would be completely reasonable to ask your pediatrician about another opinion from a pediatric gastroenterologist. Testing for reflux is not an unreasonable approach at this stage.
SW-Shooter
08-09-12, 17:55
OK, I think that you've scared the piss out of him although I'm sure that you mean well. Sepsis is a serious infection that generally develops over several hours - especially in children under 28 days old and the un/under -immunized. The child often appears acutely ill within a few hours (fever or hypothermia, pale, grey, floppy, unarousable, no suck, etc.) There is no screening test for sepsis at birth, although mothers are screened for the presence of a particular bacteria (Group B strep) that increase the risk of GBS sepsis in children if not treated.
Bottom line, it very unlikely to be sepsis if it has been going on for several days and the child does not appear acutely ill.
I definitely wasn't trying to scare him. My son was less than a week old and appeared in all forms to be healthy other than the constant crying, reflux, colic like behavior. His color was good, as were the other tests. They failed to take blood at the ER, which would have revealed the infection. The strange thing is my wife tested negative for all the known causes, which we then chalked it up to the delivery staff. William Beaumont AMC was/is/and always will be a shit hole.
My point was no matter how good the doctor is, the ER Peds Doc was supposedly the best in the city. The thing is some Doctors think they have seen everything, that is until something is brought to them that they haven't seen before. We tried everything, including those Homeopathic dissolvable pills. Mine was a cautionary tale of listening to one Doctor, that was my point.
I will pray for you and yours, it is a very trying time. I hope the little one gets better soon. But remember, you have the terrible two's ahead of you as well.
montanadave
08-09-12, 18:01
But remember, you have the terrible two's ahead of you as well.
Read the OP again.
He's got a "strong-willed" two-year-old at home right now, along with the colicky newborn.
Poor guy's getting it with both barrels.
Make a tincture of catnip and add it to the formula.. Honestly. it works when nothing else will. The pharmacist will get you the pure/regulated stuff. Cheers.. Ron
Make a tincture of catnip and add it to the formula.. Honestly. it works when nothing else will. The pharmacist will get you the pure/regulated stuff. Cheers.. Ron
OP, this is what I meant by being careful about taking internet advice. I doubt you'll find many pediatricians or gastroenterologists that would recommend catnip for your newborn.
Thank goodness I never had to experience this with my 2 kids. Like others have said, check for allergies and get some acid reflux meds. Wear earplugs or muffs (or both) to keep the stress level down. I still wear muffs when driving with the family on long trips when my son starts acting up. He hates long van rides and the muffs really take the edge off. Good luck.
OP, this is what I meant by being careful about taking internet advice. I doubt you'll find many pediatricians or gastroenterologists that would recommend catnip for your newborn.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/267534-how-to-use-catnip-for-infant-colic/
Notice the references, including
"British Medical Journal"
"University of Maryland Medical Center"
Now, I have not gone and looked at the references themselves.
The important thing is not if it is pediatrician recommended for colic or reflux or anything. The real question is, is this something that can cause harm to the infant. If not, then I would not care what the pediatrician thought. There are lots of folk remedies that work but which a pediatrician might know nothing about. So the important question to ask the pediatrician is: will this harm my child. (And if they say yes, ask them for references or information to prove they are not talking out their ass).
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OP, this is what I meant by being careful about taking internet advice. I doubt you'll find many pediatricians or gastroenterologists that would recommend catnip for your newborn.
Mine did.. So did my mother and grandmother.. To each his own.. JMO.. Ron
Yikes OP. Wife's 7 weeks with our first, and we're not exactly spring chickens. Both of us have a MAJOR life change coming in 7 months and I'm a bit nervous. Thrilled, but scared shitless at times when my imagination wanders. Mainly energy levels of my wife I worry about. And, well, mine too.
I'll pray the good Lord can grant your baby some relief and give you guys the perseverance, wisdom and JOY to get through this step.
Yeh, this thread is pretty typical of Internet medical advice. Folk remedies, homeopathic nostrums, and anecdotes about what grandmammy used to do. If it were my child, we'd be using diagnostic and therapeutic regimens that had some actual science behind them, reported in actual peer-reviewed literature, not some magazine in a chiropractor's waiting room.
OP, I hope you can find a solution that will relieve your poor little kid's suffering. Chronic reflux is a bitch, and if that's the diagnosis, you'll be fighting it for years to come. I just heard almost an exact replay of your description today in my office. That patient is now 17 and his GERD rules his life still.
Yeh, this thread is pretty typical of Internet medical advice. Folk remedies, homeopathic nostrums, and anecdotes about what grandmammy used to do. If it were my child, we'd be using diagnostic and therapeutic regimens that had some actual science behind them, reported in actual peer-reviewed literature, not some magazine in a chiropractor's waiting room.
Nothing against the diagnostic. Always a good idea to find out what is wrong, if possible.
But your attitude means you will miss out on a lot helpful solutions to problems and good health. If the item will do no harm, i.e., is not dangerous, then there is no harm in trying "folk remedies". Many of them have good solid foundations but I bet most doctors wouldn't know it. As science starts to look at them, many are found to be helpful and good solutions.
And if they don't work, then there is no harm either. I wouldn't just go take anything or give anything to my kid or for myself, but if the doctor cannot show me it is harmful, then at worst, it is a little flavored water.
And I wonder if you read the link I posted that references medical journals and university medical centers for the "catnip" thing.
OP, I hope you can find a solution that will relieve your poor little kid's suffering. Chronic reflux is a bitch, and if that's the diagnosis, you'll be fighting it for years to come. I just heard almost an exact replay of your description today in my office. That patient is now 17 and his GERD rules his life still.
no comment.
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We may have found a breakthrough in the strangest of places. We bought a pack of "The Windi"- its basically a magical fart stick. You lube it up and put it in the babies butt and crazy things happen. My daughter, Mila, had the longest single gas expulsion I've seen and then passed out. The cramping, fussing, all of it stopped. She woke up and then pooped enough to fill up 5 diapers. Slept again, awaking only to eat. She didn't fuss or fight or make any painful body language. It's amazing. I'm not saying this is the key since we obviously can't use it every time she has stomach issues but at least I slept 6+ hours even if they weren't consecutive. Very thankful.
montanadave
08-11-12, 18:55
We may have found a breakthrough in the strangest of places. We bought a pack of "The Windi"- its basically a magical fart stick. You lube it up and put it in the babies butt and crazy things happen. My daughter, Mila, had the longest single gas expulsion I've seen and then passed out. The cramping, fussing, all of it stopped. She woke up and then pooped enough to fill up 5 diapers. Slept again, awaking only to eat. She didn't fuss or fight or make any painful body language. It's amazing. I'm not saying this is the key since we obviously can't use it every time she has stomach issues but at least I slept 6+ hours even if they weren't consecutive. Very thankful.
Glad you found some relief for both your little girl and you and your wife.
And if this weren't a thread dealing with an infant's health, I can't even begin to think of how much fun we could have with that post and your particular choice of words. :laugh:
We may have found a breakthrough in the strangest of places. We bought a pack of "The Windi"- its basically a magical fart stick. You lube it up and put it in the babies butt and crazy things happen. My daughter, Mila, had the longest single gas expulsion I've seen and then passed out. The cramping, fussing, all of it stopped. She woke up and then pooped enough to fill up 5 diapers. Slept again, awaking only to eat. She didn't fuss or fight or make any painful body language. It's amazing. I'm not saying this is the key since we obviously can't use it every time she has stomach issues but at least I slept 6+ hours even if they weren't consecutive. Very thankful.
This happened to our then infant daughter. My mom kept telling us she was constipated and needed an enema. He stomach was rock solid. Her diapers were mainly filled with fluid and little solid matter. We told her that she was crazy and the doctor said never to do that. After days and days of this we were desperate. So we took moms advice (who happened to be up there that night) and did it. The results were amazing. The poor thing stopped screaming the moment things let lose she stopped the screaming, let out a sigh, and fell asleep while going and going and going.
Good to hear you found some effective help for her. Think I may know a few irritable adults that might benefit from such a device.
We may have found a breakthrough in the strangest of places. We bought a pack of "The Windi"- its basically a magical fart stick.
Having never heard of this before, I Bing'ed it
http://www.fridababy.com/shop/windi-for-gas-relief/
interesting.
Glad it worked!
I guess that you don't need a pediatrician or MD for everything.
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FromMyColdDeadHand
08-12-12, 00:57
Take some to the range and after your buddies try your new 'duck caller' tell them what it really is...
I'm going to sell my own version and call it "The Butt Trumpet".
ThirdWatcher
08-12-12, 01:13
Warrior Princess, the Younger had this problem. Mylecon Drops helped her a lot.
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