Infant Reflux - advice please | ExpatWoman.com
 

Infant Reflux - advice please

332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 26 July 2011 - 18:57

Hello - help please!
My 4 week old daughter has silent reflux and it's terrible seeing her in distress. The doctor has prescribed two syrups - zantac and mottillium - but apparently it could 3 weeks to take effect. In the meantime I have inclined her mattress and spend at least 10 minutes burping her and then keep her upright for another 15 minutes or so.
She is very difficult to settle, refusing to be put down, and wakes easily during the course of her sleeps. When she is awake, she needs to be held otherwise she breaks out in a cry.
Can anyone please shed some ideas on how to help my little one and help two very distraught and exhausted new parents?
TIA : )

59
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 19:16
M - That is exactly the problem I had with the Dr, they told me his stomach was soft and not gassy therefore there was no problem. I had to insist there was an issue before they found the problem. They tested for lactose intolerance and it was negative so took a stool sample then gave me the drops. I see you have had formula changes - I started on SMA and was told to change to an organic formula so went to Hipp Organic and this also helped. Please lets us know how you get on tomorrow. Good luck!
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 15:18
Yasmine - she was on SMA lactose free for a few weeks and the ped decided to change to Aptamil Comfort. He changed it because her reflux symptoms were not improving. However, for the entire week she was on Aptamil, her poops were all watery and stinky, absolutely no solid bits. Since on Neocate, she is pooping normally and even has managed to poop in her sleep, without any pain, crying or complaining. Hoping this is a sign of good things to come : ) (Never thought I'd be that excited about poop!). Interesting point Kiwi, I should be getting the poop test results tomorrow which will indicate whether she had any bugs at the time of being admitted. As they say in Dubai - let's see .... Lynney - your son's symptoms sound very similar to that of my DD. I am seeing her doc tomorrow and will ask him about this. Every time they examine her belly they say her belly is soft, not bloated but gassy. Thanks again ladies for all your suggestions, it's amazing how talking these issues through with you all not only helps in sorting out my DD's problems but also gives me moral support to keep going : )
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 13:54
temporary lactose intolerance often develops after a tummy bug
123
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 11:57
Yess, whatever you try you should stick to it for at least 2 to 3 weeks to see if it makes a difference or not. My friends daughter had reflux and her ped suggested to use Bebelac EC, and it helped her so I also switched to Bebelac HA after my son developed some kind of problem with NAN. When on NAN he pood 10 to 14 times a day and always green or grey, according to my ped nothing to worry about but it disturbed the **** out of me. I switched to Bebelac HA, the poo was instantly back to normal colour but the throwing up remained, yet not as much as with the Nan. As I said, it all started to change once I was on lactose free. I didnt stay on lactose free for long though, maybe a month and a half. Than I added one bottle a day of normal formula, than 2 and afterwards completely switched him over. I read that lactose intolerance in babies can be a temporary condition and luckily for me my son no longer shows any signs of lactose intolerance. He can now even eat baby yoghurt and fromage frais without throwing up half an hour later. I really wish you all the best and know that you are not alone. Many mothers experience this and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Hugs!!
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 11:44
neocate is the only one which is completely hydrolised, I'd stay on it for a few weeks and so you can be sure it made/didn't make a difference.
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 11:28
Thanks Kiwi and Yasmine. Yasmine, I am glad to read you were able to sort out your son's problem : ) No, she is not projectile vomiting, just spitting up her food. Other symptoms such as excessive arching, leg thrashing, screaming, not sleeping, crying etc are lessening which is good but not completely gone away. Since she has been on Neocate, she has been gulping her feeds which compounds the problem. I have tried different bottles, different sized teats etc but she gets cranky on NUK teats and gassy on Avent size 1 teats. I spend a total of 20 mins burping her during and after feeds. Apart from Neocate, are there any other hydrolized formulas that work and which you can buy in Dubai? Neocate is so expensive and she goes through a tin in three days!!!!
123
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 10:25
I know in Doha Neocate is free from the government hospital if you have a prescription from a Dr there, maybe the same in Dubai? Out of curiosity have they actually done proper tests for reflux or were they looking for something else and ruled that out so they assume reflux by default? So far the diagnosis has been through observation in the consulting rooms and two hospital stays. The scan I mention was an ultrasound on her digestive system to observe any anatomical issues and the blood, urine and poop tests were to rule out any infections or viruses. Do you think we should be asking for something else??? There are tests for reflux, but they are quite invasive and could require general anesthetic so I can understand your Dr's trying other things first. If it turns out to be a cows milk protein allergy (a casein allergy rather than a lactose intolerance) then the neocate will hopefully do the trick and you may be able to completely remove all meds. Probiotics may also be useful if it is an intolerance. I agree 100% on the invasive testing. As kiwispiers mentioned before you can really try the hydrolyzed formula first. We were on NAN HA for a while before we switched to lactose free as I couldnt find Neocate here in Dubai. The good thing about the hydrolyzed formulas is that they digest much faster than the regular ones so their tummies dont stay so full for long. Is your baby projectile vomiting? This was also the case in my son so he was tested for pyloric stenosis which fortunately he didnt have because that requires an operation. I added a link with information, it does say that girls normally dont suffer from this condition. http://www.babycenter.com/0_pyloric-stenosis-forceful-vomiting_10899.bc
2782
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 10:11
I know in Doha Neocate is free from the government hospital if you have a prescription from a Dr there, maybe the same in Dubai? Out of curiosity have they actually done proper tests for reflux or were they looking for something else and ruled that out so they assume reflux by default? So far the diagnosis has been through observation in the consulting rooms and two hospital stays. The scan I mention was an ultrasound on her digestive system to observe any anatomical issues and the blood, urine and poop tests were to rule out any infections or viruses. Do you think we should be asking for something else??? There are tests for reflux, but they are quite invasive and could require general anesthetic so I can understand your Dr's trying other things first. If it turns out to be a cows milk protein allergy (a casein allergy rather than a lactose intolerance) then the neocate will hopefully do the trick and you may be able to completely remove all meds. Probiotics may also be useful if it is an intolerance.
123
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 10:06
I know exactly how hard it is. My son was screaming and throwing up from day 1 he was born. Often suffocating on his vomit so I was afraid to actually put him down. One doctor even told me he could die, imagine the horror, I refused to sleep after that to keep watching him and still have chronic insomnia from this episode. They can be so miserable from the pain. I have gone through all the possible medications, anti-reflux formulas, breastfeeding, not breastfeeding, thickening breastmilk, changing medication, running from one hospital to the other, barely sleeping or eating myself. It is so hard, for them and for us mothers to see them suffer and not able to do anything. When my son was about 4 months I stopped all his medications, I had enough of all the administration and putting all that stuff in his mouth. He was throwing up anyway, with or without. Sometimes it would be better and than it would come back with a vengeance. I just had enough! The day it ALL got better is when I started giving him lactose free formula and started spreading his milk feeds further apart. Slowly but surely his reflux settled and by the time he was 6 months he didnt throw up anymore.
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 28 August 2011 - 09:56
Hey M - I have some infant Gaviscon that my mum brought from Oz if you want it? Let me know, am based in JBR. I believe you can also get it at the City Hospital pharmacy, when the doc prescribed it there he said he could get it in but I already had some. No longer need it though so you are welcome to it. You can email me on caterina underscore strano at yahoo dot com dot au Hi Sydneygal, I've sent you a PM to your email. Thanks for your kind offer!!
488
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 August 2011 - 21:06
Hey M - I have some infant Gaviscon that my mum brought from Oz if you want it? Let me know, am based in JBR. I believe you can also get it at the City Hospital pharmacy, when the doc prescribed it there he said he could get it in but I already had some. No longer need it though so you are welcome to it. You can email me on caterina underscore strano at yahoo dot com dot au
59
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 August 2011 - 20:15
My LO suffered from silent reflux and problems digesting lactose. I had major issues in establishing the silent reflux but once the Dr finally agreed to test it was confirmed. I was given gaviscon and zantac which did help to the extent that he stop thrashing around and arching his back during and after feeding. He did however still have an excessive amount of wind and seemed to have stomach cramps all the time so more tests and it was established he was not digesting lactose very well. they told me he was not intolerant but was not braking it down very well. I was given colief lactase enzyme drops. There was a huge difference immediately. He did still have a lot of wind and stomach cramps every now and again but he was coping with it because it was not all the time. He stopped taking his meds for silent reflux when he was 16 weeks and has had no bother since. He still takes his enzyme drops but there is now no sign of discomfort from the continuing wind issues. M I hope there is a lot of improvement very soon, I know how hard it is to watch your LO in so much pain.
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 August 2011 - 19:40
I know in Doha Neocate is free from the government hospital if you have a prescription from a Dr there, maybe the same in Dubai? Out of curiosity have they actually done proper tests for reflux or were they looking for something else and ruled that out so they assume reflux by default? So far the diagnosis has been through observation in the consulting rooms and two hospital stays. The scan I mention was an ultrasound on her digestive system to observe any anatomical issues and the blood, urine and poop tests were to rule out any infections or viruses. Do you think we should be asking for something else???
2782
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 August 2011 - 18:08
I know in Doha Neocate is free from the government hospital if you have a prescription from a Dr there, maybe the same in Dubai? Out of curiosity have they actually done proper tests for reflux or were they looking for something else and ruled that out so they assume reflux by default?
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 August 2011 - 17:57
Oh dear, just returned from another short stay at the hospital. We were there for three nights whilst they conducted an ultrasound, blood test, stool and urine tests. DD is nearing 9 weeks and all tests came back fine so the docs are 99% certain she continues to suffer from silent reflux. On this occasion they have added Gaviscon to the Motillium and Zantac she is already taking. Also, they think she may have a cow milk intolerance (she is on formula) and have changed her brand of formula to Neocate - formula designed for premature babies which I believe can only be bought from pharmacies at AED200 per tin! She seems to be doing better and I have my fingers crossed that things will slowly start improving. Only problem is no one seems to stock infant Gaviscon - can anyone shed any light on where I can purchase it? TIA
2782
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 16:45
fingers crossed for you too!
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 14:30
Quick update - new paed did a very thorough check on DD and concluded she does have reflux and is having problems digesting formula (based on listening to her digestive system). She suggested dropping all meds including Infacol except for Zantac. She also suggested a lactose free formula, not because DD is lactose intolerant, but possibly, as Shaf pointed out, she had lactose overload. I'm to try this for a week and see how things go. So, since getting home, DD had her first lactose free formula feed and it was a lot calmer. No frantic kicking or back arching. Less crying and no gurgling sounds coming from her tummy as she was sucking. Burp came up quickly and she didn't cry when it did whereas normally she would. I then swaddled her and left her in the cot, awake. She fell asleep on her own. I have every finger and every toe crossed ....
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 09:17
Shaf, weird that they said lactose intolerance and put you on a dairy-free diet, obviously there is lactose in breastmilk. The dairy-free diet is for cows milk protein allergy, and can take 3 weeks to work. Lactose intolerance is very rare in young babies, apart from prems but lactose overload is more common as you say when the baby is getting too much lactose high foremilk, either because you have an oversupply or feedings are too far apart (or both) and mimics lactose intolerance. There are specific formulas which are completely hydrolised (the cows milk protein is broken down already) and these are recommended over soy milk formulas (as there is a risk of developing a soy allergy) but can be pricey. Worth a try but agree with LD, try to rule out reflux first, pain/distress after feeding is not normal and I would guess it is one of those 3.
378
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 08:02
thanks again for the tips. typing one handed ad holding dd in the other! i have decided to get a second opinion and am going to the doc today. infacol has helped with the gas and the other two reflux meds have reduced the arching of the back and wild screams but she still cries during and straight after a feed. DD is on formula as i cannot bf : ( she has been on sma for five weeks now. latest developments at my end are that dd is only drinking half her formula but is not feeding more frequently. i'm quite worried about this ... SG - hang in there and hope you get some good advice on tuesday. Shaf - how did your DD get over her symptoms/distress? Kiwi - great advice as always, gives us new mums loads to consider : ) Hi M, Sorry you're going through this. It's imperative that you get the reflux completely under control for feeding to go back to normal. Zantac is an H2 blocker, but the body can tolerate a tolerance to it, so gets less effective over time. Most reflux moms resort to a Protein Pump inhibitor such as Losec or Nexium. Nexium comes in sachet powder that is easier to administer than Losec. I highly recommend Dr. Tarek Saleh at Dr. Suleiman Al Habib clinic. He is a GI, but also sees infant cases. After seeing numerous Ped GI's, he was the only one who mentioned Nexium and took my DD's lack of feeding seriously. Good luck.
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 31 July 2011 - 06:50
thanks again for the tips. typing one handed ad holding dd in the other! i have decided to get a second opinion and am going to the doc today. infacol has helped with the gas and the other two reflux meds have reduced the arching of the back and wild screams but she still cries during and straight after a feed. DD is on formula as i cannot bf : ( she has been on sma for five weeks now. latest developments at my end are that dd is only drinking half her formula but is not feeding more frequently. i'm quite worried about this ... SG - hang in there and hope you get some good advice on tuesday. Shaf - how did your DD get over her symptoms/distress? Kiwi - great advice as always, gives us new mums loads to consider : )
429
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 21:55
Hi... My dd was prescribed the same thing. And it doesnt take 3 weeks to take effect.. just about 3-4days. I would highly suggest you also look up Lactose Overdose. They suspected lactose intolerance for my baby, and put me on a diary free diet for 2 weeks to no use. Only after my own research did i find out that the doctors forgot a vital point. If a child is lactose intolerant, she wont put on weight. And my dd was gaining weight. Anways, long story short, she had lactose overdose along with GER. She took the medication only for 3 weeks before i stopped. And, as much as ppl rave abt cecile here, i dont recommend her.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 19:52
SG The good news re gassiness is that the more mobile they get (as they get older) the more easily it passes, lots of tummy time is good (unless your baby HATES it) and baby massage/bicycling legs etc. Obviously sleep training/ignoring a baby that has any painful medical issues would be inappropriate even if you were otherwise OK with CIO techniques. You could try probiotics, some studies have shown they are more successful than infacol type things. I agree, the hardest thing is not knowing, you just wish the Dr could say "its this 100% and three doses of this pill will fix it forever", but welcome to motherhood I guess :(. M have you considered a cows milk intolerance?, can you switch to a hydrolised formula? and do try smaller feeds more frequently, I know it seems like a pain with feeding schedules etc, but if you consider that reflux is essentially indigestion, and babies actually evolved to be having little sips every so often, then it makes sense to try and avoid big bottles overwhelming their tiny tummies. Anything to not see your baby in pain right :(
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 14:54
Hey M...we're seeing her on Tuesday so I will let you know how it goes. I'm not entirely convinced DS has reflux...he's definitely a bit of a chucker but methinks his issue is more gas related...and since he's been on the reflux meds he's been gassier than ever so really don't know...am going to call the paed tomorrow for a chat. His napping has improved over the weekend, just did a 1.5 hour nap, although last night was a disaster he as up most of the night but was extremely gassy too :( Don't you just wish they could tell you what the problem is! Perhaps something just like Infacol will be enough to help him, I just feel awful about giving him all these meds especially when I'm not convinced that reflux is the problem. Will report back when we've met with Cecile.
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 30 July 2011 - 12:01
we do try and put him down as soon as he seems tired and he does go to sleep eventually but seems to have this ticker that wakes him after 30 mins, or even earlier sometimes! I do darken the room, have white noise going and use a dummy too. I too am anti CIO esp at this age so we will see what Cecile comes up with...hopefully something!! Thank god last night my hubby took over for the first half of the night and I got a bit of sleep in another room. Don't think there is any day night mix up - he doesn't sleep enough in the day for that...and I do always keep him in bright light during the day except when trying for a nap. Luckily my mother in law is here at the moment otherwise I'd be going mad - she is currently trying to put him down...we will see! thanks for the support...!x Sydneygal - how did you go with Cecille? Another person whose baby had reflux recommended Cecille but like you, I'm not a fan of the CIO, particularly if the baby is in distress. DD is now spitting more than usual, the rocking around the clock continues ....
332
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 12:41
Thanks for all your replies, tips and advice ladies. It's a great support to know we are not the only ones dealing with this and I am sure we won't be the last! DD has been on the meds for a week, she is on a moderate dose for the moment. I have noticed that she has stopped thrashing her arms and legs during and after feeds and no longer arches her back whilst screaming in pain. She still wriggles but doesn't go purple in the face as much as she did before the meds. Hopefully this is a sign that the meds are working. She is still in some distress after selected feeds - usually every second feed actually. In addition, I have gone back to Avent anti-colic bottles and teats (can't breast feed due to complications) after using NUK orthodontic teats for slow release. As she is now 4 weeks old, I could see she was getting terribly frustrated with the slow flowing NUK teats and seems much happier on the Avent ones again. But initially the Avent ones were causing her to gulp down too much air. I've also been using Infacol on the doc's advice. DD is now passing gas more frequently than she used to. The miracle swaddle from Mothercare is super - DD is much calmer when sleeping and when she awakens we can hear her moving about for a few minutes but then she usually gives up and goes back to sleep. Last night she fed at 10pm and settled instantly, woke up at 2am on the dot and took an hour to settle and was up again at 6.30am - if only every night could be so good! As for sleeping, Kiwi is right - the more sleep a reflux baby has, the better. If I let her sleep when she wants as often as she wants then she ends up sticking to the evening feed and sleep times. A pacifier also helps to complete the digestion process. All the best to the other mummies dealing with reflux babies : )
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EW GURU
Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 11:14
I know exactly what you're going through. My DS was two weeks old when the screaming and throwing up started. I also had a 2 1/2 yr old at the time who never had issues so I didn't know what was going on. Went to one dr at the City and he was saying I wasn't burping often enough, feeding him too much, or it was an allergic reaction to the milk. I was then recommended to Dr. Loubser and before we got into his office he told us what DS had. Unfortunately for us it was the full blown reflux so projectile vomit. Although I'm sure the silent type is just as hard because it seems like they are fine for the most part. Our little guy was put on Losec. I also tried Infacol to help ease the gas like pains til the meds kicked in. He was off the meds at 6 months. We still had the vomitting but the pain did stop. I found that the baby swing was my mental life saver. He basically lived in it and occasionally slept during the night in it. I know some may think it would be wrong to do but when you deal with the non stop hysterical reflux cries you do what you can. I also found rocking him with his back to my stomach and in the laying on his side position really calmed him down and helped put him to sleep. DS is a year old tomorrow and we still deal with some of the vomitting (asking our dr about it tomorrow) when he's teething and trying to eat chunkier foods. It will get better. I know its never the ideal position but if you have a chair that reclines that always was the best for getting our DS to sleep on our chest and unfortunately we had to sleep that way a few times.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 10:06
M, hope your little bubba gets through this reflux asap, must be horrible and sad seeing her in such discomfort :( SG, Only just read this now as EW wasn't working for me till now, hang in there girl!!!
488
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 09:55
we do try and put him down as soon as he seems tired and he does go to sleep eventually but seems to have this ticker that wakes him after 30 mins, or even earlier sometimes! I do darken the room, have white noise going and use a dummy too. I too am anti CIO esp at this age so we will see what Cecile comes up with...hopefully something!! Thank god last night my hubby took over for the first half of the night and I got a bit of sleep in another room. Don't think there is any day night mix up - he doesn't sleep enough in the day for that...and I do always keep him in bright light during the day except when trying for a nap. Luckily my mother in law is here at the moment otherwise I'd be going mad - she is currently trying to put him down...we will see! thanks for the support...!x
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 09:45
SG the only thing I can think of is have a look at the timing of your naps and your whole wind down routine, the darkness of the room etc, and consider white noise as a sleep cue. (its a good one because you can leave it on all night and its not a prop because it will be on whenever your baby wakes in the night) As you might have figured I'm anti CIO, and your baby is far too young for it anyway so will be interesting to see what Cecile comes up with for you. Hope you get it sorted soon, sleep dep is awful! My one year old has just been sick and I had 2 nights of him not settling back to sleep for hours in the night even with feeding which has literally not happened since he was around 3 weeks old I feel wrecked so I can't even imagine doing that for as long as a week. Oh an just in case you have a day night mix-up, make sure you take your bay into bright sunlight first thing in the morning and as often during the day as possible (obviously short patched given the heat) and try to avoid interacting too much with your baby during night feeds, keep the lights dim/off etc.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 27 July 2011 - 09:06
hey kiwi...no we still swaddle for naps and for night sleep. The little rascal just did a 30 min nap and is wide awake and chatting away as if to say that's enough for me! And 20 min of this 30 min had me patting and shushing so to me it didn't feel like 30 mins at all! I do think these short naps are starting to impact his night sleep - as its getting worse. Last night wasn't too bad, he did a few stretches of sleep although at one point was up for almost 2 hours! He's almost 12 weeks now so it should be improving rather than getting worse. I'm hoping Cecile will be able to help with the nap side of things, the only place he seems to nap for a long time during the day is if I go for a drive and he falls asleep in his car seat, but I'm a bit worried to do this every day! If we can get him napping more during the day he might sleep better at night. As for the reflux, I am going to keep an eye on him with the meds as not too happy him being on so much and we'll see how we go...
 
 

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