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Gracie's Story |
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Karen,
I was so pleased to find your site. I have
debated for quite a while on doing something just like you did. I have
had 3 children - all with acid reflux. I have learned a great deal with
each one of them & I would be glad to share some things with some of your
readers that worked for me.
- The [reflux] sling - that worked great for us
- I highly recommend it. We did not use a "wedge" - the sling we ordered
just went over our mattress in our crib. We just hiked up the crib with
blankets, pillows, etc. to get it to a 45 degree angle.
- We started out with Zantac as well, and I
never thought it worked well. My pediatric GI specialist told me that the
prevacid or nexium works better than the prilosec. They all work the same
way by stopping the stomach from producing acid, but the prevacid or
nexium absorbs more of it. My 6 mo. old started on nexium when she was
about 8 weeks old. I thought that it did work better for us. We get it
in a capsule form - I just dump the beads into her mouth & then wash it
down with a medicine dropper of water. We tried a liquid prilosec, which
did not work for us at all - I found out later that it does not work as
well in the suspension form. Also, any kinds of these medications need to
be given at least 20 minutes before a meal.
- Reglan did not make a big difference for us
either - it also has a lot of undesirable side -effects.
- Carafate did not work well for us - My GI
ped said that it somehow counteracts with the nexium & weakens it effect
on reducing the acid.
- Maalox - we have gone through this by the
gallons!! I think it works best when they are having a "fit", it seems to
calm them down & give them some instant comfort from the acid coming up.
We have used adult strength, cherry flavor - it has has anti-gas in it. I
would put it in a binky-medicine dropper & she would suck it down easier
that way. I always felt I was gagging them with a regular medicine
dropper trying to force it in while they were crying. Note: never give
maalox within an hour of an acid-reducer like the zantac, prilosec, or
nexium - they basically counteract each other.
- We used Dr. Brown's bottles - I'm not sure
if it made a big difference, but they did a great job of creating a vacuum
in the bottle - no extra air. You can find these at Babies-R-Us.
-Our 3rd baby had a hiatal hernia, which
made things more difficult. She squirmed all the time & never entered a
decent sleep. She still doesn't sleep well. Something happens at
40min., because that is when she wakes up - definitely not ready.
- I carried my babies around in a sling next
to my stomach for the first several months - that seemed to be the only
way they could sleep - plus I could accomplish a few things - especially
with my 3rd - sitting and rocking all day were not an option!
- Lastly, I know this might sound crazy, but
we took our 3rd baby to a chiropractor. My mom was seeing this
chiropractor & she was telling him about Gracie. He said he knew he could
help her. I reluctantly brought her in - searching for anything to make a
difference. It really did help a great deal. He explained it that these
certain vertebrates were out (T6 & T7). These vertebrates were connected
to the stomach muscles. Anyway, by keeping those in place, it would help
strengthen the muscle that let the acid flow back up her esophagus. My
husband & I were huge skeptics, but I will tell you that it made a
dramatic improvement! I'm sure there are many different kids of
chiropractors out there, but this one made a huge difference in Gracie's
life. If you are from the Kansas City, MO area, e-mail me & I will be
glad to get you more information about him.
- I hope that something here can help
someone. If you are dealing with a reflux baby right now - I am so
sorry. It was one of the hardest things I ever experienced. I had heard
that it was more common in boys, so when we found out our 3rd child was a
girl I was certain that we were in the clear. She was one of the hardest
of them all. When I realized that she was showing symptoms as early as 6
days old, I was overwhelmed - my doctor even put me on some
anti-depressants for a while - and I am a very"in-control" person. Please
feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kelly
Reprinted with permission.
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Disclaimer: By viewing this page, you are acknowledging that you have read and agree with the Terms of Use. This website is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your physician with any questions you may have regarding your child's condition. This site was last updated May 30, 2007. All contents copyright © 2007 InfantReflux.Org. All rights reserved.
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