Francesca's Page

Hi Francesca,

Thanks for replying to my message. I agree, reading this website brings some comfort to me that i am not the only one with a needy baby.
I have given up on telling friends and family about Shaan's reflux as they don't understand how challenging it is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, i am very lucky to have a very supportive and proactive husband.
Shaan has had a reaction to her high calorie milk (infratrini) and we are now introducing neocate, which doesn't smell or taste as sweet as her current milk. Feeding will be interesting.......watch this space.
I desperately hope that Shaan outgrows this.
How is Max getting on? When did you introduce solids?

Better dash, Shaan is stirring.
Mani

Hi francesca
I was reading your comments about breast feeding and earlier weaning. I too have bee just breastfeeding for 15 weeks now- it's really hard work with the meds tho!!
I was told to wean at 17 weeks which makes me a bit sad as i think it's far too early. But saying that as of the last week or so we have been giving my son rohan a formula feed of enfamil AR at his 7.30 feed before bed and this has made him a little more comfortable. It doesn't fill him up as much as breat milk but he seems in less discomfort at his next feed in the night.
I've ended up giving him a tiny bit of fig baby rice anyway, as it's the best way to give him his omeprazole, so i guess he's effectively stated weaning at 15 weeks. The consultant and health visitor seemed relaxed about this.
We'll have to see how it goes, but i must say he does seem in less dicomfort.
What food are you going to use for weaning? are you going to cut out dairy, wheat etc?
Hope you and your family are doing well
Salx

Hi Francesca,

I just read your post and your situation sounds so much like mine and many others on this site. I hope Max will soon get better and outgrow this. My little baby who is coming to 6 months now is suffering from silent reflux. It has been a nightmare. We tried the H2 antagonist, but it has the side effects which made it worse, so stopped that and in the mean time doing slippery elm ( how is your baby doing on it? ) and going into homeopathy. Also actively trying to find the right GI specialist to prescribe for her the PPI if her reflux does not get better soon. This journey has been tough. I hope we will all be able to ride this out soon!

Hi Francesca,

Thanks for your reply, despite having your hands full....I can only do this at nights when Asha is asleep. Reading on your son's behaviour as you describe sounds just like my daughter! She is highly strung, wants to do everything, demanding, easily distracted etc etc....I would love to hear what you are doing with the homeopathy, diet and any advice would be great! Thanks for sharing and will keep you posted. xx

Hi Francesca,

I just got off the phone with a homeopath from the US ( who holds two doctorates ). She healed her daughter from vaccine damage and her daughter had severe reflux to begin with....and she is now treating over 200 kids and infants with gastric issue including GERD each year. She is also a bio-molecular biologist, herbalist with over 25 years of experience. She tells me that slippery elm is very good and safe for babies and has no side effects. The mucilage helps to soothe and protect the esophagus and gut lining and has nutrients that are good for the baby. The probiotics ( good viable ones ) would also be good if the mother had IV antibiotics after delivery or baby was given antibiotics as reflux can often be caused by an imbalance of gut flora among other things. So thought I would mention it. Keep you posted xx

Hi Francesca,

I just read your post to Helena and saw you were enquiring about Colic Calm...I have bottles of it and seems to help my daughter settle most of the time and since it is natural, has no side effects. Here are their website and you can order it from there www.coliccalm.com. Hope they help....one note, it can be abit messy with the Carb Veg ( it's black ) but my baby loves the taste...it has aloe vera, fennel, chamomile etc all soothing for the tummy.

Hi Francesca

Unfortunately I don't know any homeopaths here in the UK. I'm Spanish and my eldest daughter was treated with homeopathic meds over there by a ped who was also an homeopath.
It is a legal requirement in Spain that all homeopaths must be doctors in medicine. I know that isn't the case over here, so I wasn't that keen on going down that route.
That's why at the moment my baby Alexandra is being treated with traditional medicine. She's on Domperidone, Omeprazole and Infant Gaviscon.
As regards the Colic Calm, I know it's commercialised in the US and can be bought online, the website is www.coliccalm.com.
Hope this helps.
Keep us posted on Max's progress.
Helena X

Hi Francesca
Good luck with all the meds.
I really hope they work beautifully for Max.
Today we're having a bit of a mad day with Alexandra. She's drinking very little formula and is refusing the solids. She must be brewing some cold or infection- she had bronchiolitis 10 days ago- or maybe teething... Just one of those days that us mothers of little refluxers have far too often!
Let me know if Max improves on his new meds.
Take care
Helena X

Do you have an Italian background?

I know you are completely right - I have been here so many times and I know what you mean.

Sometimes though (on those awful low days) you just can't help but feel so frustrated at everyones seeming disbelief of everything to do with the word reflux. I just feel like a paranoid mother most of the time!!!

My latest is questioning whether my daughters constant fussing at the bottle is reflux or just what babies do - my husband thinks the latter but I really don't believe that a 'normal' baby would be on and off the bottle so frequently. Due to my state of mind at the moment I seem to be hyper sensitive to everything and everyone - the doctor could get an earful tomorrow!!! :)

Thx for support
x

Hi francesca
Just wondering how you and Max are doing. Read your blog yesterday but I was feeling so low myself and realised that I wasn't able to communicate without sounding suicidal so I told myself "No, I don't think she needs that at the moment"
So how's Max? I really hope he's more settled and you managed to get some sleep last night.
Alexandra is very unsettled as well. We think it's down to teething but we'll see. It may well be another refluxy patch.
Anyway, must go, she's screaming again.
Keep in touch
Helena X