Six Helpful Tips for Surviving A Baby With Reflux

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When my kids were babies, all I can remember is the puke. The second I’d buckle my son into his car seat, the waterfall of vomit would start. Then I had multiple issues feeding him. He was exclusively bottle fed, but would only eat when I fed him. If I had someone watch him, he would go all day without eating. It was really frustrating not knowing what the issue was with him. It wasn’t until after I had my second child that my doctor diagnosed them with reflux.

When my kids were babies, none of my friends had feeding issues with their kids. I was so frustrated and wished that my kids would eat like other kids. When other kids were eating solids, my son would throw up food all over the floor. It was embarrassing and I never wanted to go out to eat because I never knew when my kid might throw up everywhere.

Eventually, it seemed like he grew out of it. However, two years later, I had a second child. I had hoped that she would be an easy eater. Then at about 8 weeks old just like my son she stopped eating. With my son, if I kept it quiet and held him upright I could get him to eat. My daughter, however, refused to eat entirely.

I had a new doctor and in one visit, she could see my daughter had reflux. Finally, I had an answer. My kids didn’t like to eat because they were in pain from reflux.

Here are some helpful tips for dealing with reflux.

1. Hold baby upright. Almost by accident, I found that holding my children upright instead of on their backs really seemed to help with the reflux. I had done this instinctually with my first son, but my doctor noted that this is most likely why he ate for me and no one else. I was holding him in a way that helped with his stomach pain.
2. Avoid the car seat after feeding. When I strapped my kids into their car seats, a waterfall of vomit poured out of their mouths. I found it helpful to wait a bit after feeding them whenever possible to put them in the car seat or stroller. It didn’t always solve the problem completely, but it did help.
3. Rock and Play Sleeper. This was a lifesaver and the only way we got the kids to sleep for long periods of time. The baby sleeps in an upright position, giving them some relief from reflux.
4. Swaddles. Swaddling my kids really seemed to help. They slept a lot longer and better. They also seemed to be less fussy. When my kids got bigger I weaned them from the swaddling using a Zipadee-Zip. Both kids made the transition easily to the Zipadee-Zip without sleep disruptions or lots of crying.
5. Extra clothes. If your baby has reflux your child is going to throw up. A lot. Just realize you’re going to always need extra outfits on hand. And be sure to throw several into the diaper bag before leaving. You’ll glad you did.
6. Patience. I had to give up the notion that others could feed and hold my kids. With a lot of trial and error, I discovered ways to hold and feed my kids that kept the pressure off their stomachs. Patience was essential because I had to be ok with the fact that I was going to have to be the primary caregiver without breaks until my kids were older and outgrew their reflux.

Read: How to Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies