acid reflux at 3 weeks? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

laurafaith · 05-08-2007, 02:04 PM

hi everyone my son will be a month on saturday -- and im convinced that he has acid reflux he..
spits up constantly
wakes up from sleeping with an ear piercing cry
cries after eating
only seems comfortable upright or on tummy
he tugs at the nipple and arches his back and cries when trying to feed and never wants to eat a full meal -- just snack
he also passes gas ALL THE TIME

doesn't this sound like acid reflux??? im sure thats what it is -- but when i call the doc today he made me feel stupid -- he said we couldn't diagnose a 3 week year old with acid reflux -- but they can right?? i just want to help my son -- he did so good then the last 10 days or so have been awful -- he also never sleeps for more then 40 minustes --

what should i do??? thanks!!

AZ24 · 05-08-2007, 10:53 PM

Well, to start, every baby has reflux when they are born...just to a different degree. Your doctor should never make you feel stupid! Every baby spits up and every baby is different! I breast fed my daughter for a year, so I can't exactly relate, but I can in a way. I had to learn the hard way just like everyone else. Yes, your baby grew inside of you, and you know your baby better than anyone else. However, you two are just meeting each other and it didn't come with instructions. It is a trial and error process.
It sounds like you are giving formula, right? Have you tried trying a different brand? I heard they all don't sit the same in every babies belly. Maybe try giving small feedings with plenty of burbing opportunites in between. I know that with my daugther after nursing, if I burped her over my shoulder she would puke every time, but not if I sat her up.

The crying in the night could be plenty of different things. Have you tried swaddeling your baby? That always helped my daughter feel safe and helped her sleep TONS longer. She was sleeping 6 hours by 5 weeks old.

Hope that helps,
Stacey

laurafaith · 05-09-2007, 07:16 AM

im breastfeeding

mkgbrook · 05-09-2007, 07:57 AM

It is possible, especially if the child has a lot of mucus and post nasal drip. These are signs of allergies. excess drainage causes increased stomach acid with nothing to neutralize it.. thus generating acid reflux. My son got his and was treated from 2 mo on as a side effect of allergies and teething. He cut his first two teeth and 2 months and didn't slow down after that..

Sincerely,
MG

liloulou · 05-09-2007, 08:21 AM

Since your Dr. isn't diagnosing anything yet (and maybe he/she knows best about the reflux thing at such a young age) I can give you some tips to deal with the reflux. My little girl had it and ended up on baby zantac, but we first tried these:
Feed more upright, not lying down
Burp a lot, but lightly too so he/she doesn't lose all the milk
Sleep propped up a bit to keep milk down
If possible, feed smaller amounts and more often. (this really helped when I tried it)
After a feeding, keep him/her upright for 20-30 minutes to let the milk settle (this really helped too)
If these tips don't help, talk to your Dr. again, but I'd try them for a few weeks.
Then, your Dr. may suggest thickening a bottle of formula or breastmilk (ONLY if your baby is taking a bottle though). Mine told me not to do this since I'm mostly breastfeeding.
A last resort is really medication... who wants to give their little neonate some meds.... it's sooo hard.
However, if you're baby chokes a lot or seems in a lot of pain... talk to the Dr.