What formula is your reflux baby on?

I think DD has reflux. She is 12 weeks old. She has always been a fussy eater and takes a long time to finish a bottle. Recently, she doesn't want to be laid flat on her back after eating and is only wanting to eat smaller bottles more frequently throughout the day. She wants to be held or sitting upright all the time. She gulps while eating and at least once a day, formula comes out her nose while she gasps. I called the doc yesterday and their suggestion was to try putting rice in the bottle. I asked if there was a formula that already had the rice in it and she said Similac for Spit Up has rice starch already in it. I picked up some bottles of that and I'm trying it out. I'm curious though what BTDT moms of reflux babies use with their FF babies. Thanks!!

ETA: How did the doc know if your LO needed meds for reflux or if it was a milk allergy? We have an appt next week and if she is the same I'd like to know my options.

Message edited 8/8/2013 12:40:28 PM.

Re: What formula is your reflux baby on?

DD ha reflux and would vomit up almost the entire bottle after eating.
We switched her to Enfamil AR and when we saw it was working we changed over to the Target version of it.
It worked just as well at half the price.

Re: What formula is your reflux baby on?

We did gentleease but we could only buy ready to feed. He wouldn't take the powdered. That got really expensive but it was either that or change sheets/clothes several times a day. Also, we had to put him on his belly to sleep which I know is a big no no, but it was the only way he would sleep. Even after switching his formula, the biggest bottle he ever took was 6 oz. and it took twenty mins. For him to drink it, but no more spit up.

Honestly, at 5 weeks I knew he had it but listened to my pediatrician and waited until one night I got so fed up with the crying baby, formula throw up, etc. the next day I switched his formula and it was like he was a brand new baby. I felt so bad he was in pain all that time. Also, he started completely sleeping through the night(twelve hours) within two weeks of changing the formula.

What formula is your reflux baby on?

My dd was on Alimentum because of a milk intolerance. This is thinner BUT my dd had all the symptoms your dd has especially with not laying flat and drinking smaller bottles more often. The milk cuts the acid. Is she on any meds? I was against meds until I saw how much pain my dd was in. She was on Zantac. The rice in the bottle never worked for her it just made her projectile vomit more.
If there is any milk intolerance it can excerbate reflux or just mimic reflux symptoms. I did a ton of research on this. Once she was on Zantac and Alimentum I had a brand new happy baby in NO pain and NO more spitting up so bad it came out her nose.

She slept in her rock n play until she was 6 months then she outgrew the reflux and was able to lay flat.

And we only did Ready To Feed no powder.

Re: What formula is your reflux baby on?

Thanks ladies! Its seems like each reflux baby is very different. So far today on the new Similac for Spit Up she is more smiley and less fussy. It is still taking her an hour to finish only 4 oz. She just won't take anymore. It just doesn't feel right that it takes her soooo long to finish such a small amount. How did you know to get them tested for a milk allergy? How did the doc know if they needed meds?

ETA: She sleeps in her RNP and only drinks Ready to Feed.

Message edited 8/8/2013 12:39:18 PM.

Re: What formula is your reflux baby on?

You can always go to a pediatric GI.

DS had similar symptoms and was put on Zantac. He's almost outgrown the reflux, but we still give him Zantac before bed.

The rice cereal in the bottle is to thicken the formula, which should hopefully help your baby. For DS, that never really worked. Only Zantac did.

What formula is your reflux baby on?

The pediatrician can test her poop for trace amounts of blood. But its not a definitive answer. My dd tested negative yet couldnt tolerate milk not necessarily an allergy.

She had very bad digestion issues. Diarrhea everyday like 3-4 times a day. Blow outs. She would be good for a day or 2 and then fussy and irritable and clingy for days. I would constantly have to give her pedialyte to 'clear out' her system. It was bad and it was making the reflux worse.

Def talk to your pediatrician about zantac. But ive seen and heard a lot of babies with reflux have milk allergies or intolerance. Like it goes hand and hand. Every singlr one of my friends who either put their xchild on alimenum or nutramigen had brand new babies.

What formula is your reflux baby on?

Nutramigen - she was never "diagnosed", however, this changed her! The formula smells funny, but it is so worth it

Re: What formula is your reflux baby on?

Enfamil AR (rtf) along with 2ml zantac 2x per day...

we have been through
similac advance
similac sensitive
alimentum

we just switched to AR about 1 month ago and so far so good but she poops a TON now. could also be that she began eating solids about 1 month ago.

Re: What formula is your reflux baby on?

DD had microscopic blood in her stool, which confirmed our suspicions of a a milk protein allergy. She is now on an rx formula. She also had reflux -we used earths best rice in her bottles - 1 scoop rice to every 2 scoops powdered formula, and we kept her upright for about 20 min. after each feeding. Look at the ingredients on the rice and in the formula - our GI doctor told us to stick with earths best or beech nut b/c gerber and others use soy in theirs, and babies allergic to milk often have soy allergies or sensitivities as well. The purer, the better. Also, you may have to go up a size or two nipple hole. I personally like adding my own rice b/c I can control how much (ie, now that we want dd to eat more table food and reflux reallynisnt an issie we can decrease the amt of rice in her bottle)