Coping With Reflux

Sickness, common in newborns isn’t it? Well as a new mum I didn’t know that! And it shocked the hell out of me, especially when we quickly realised that in fact we were getting far more of the white stuff coming back than was “normal”. More a less from the word go my son was sick after his milk. “Its normal” that’s what everyone said. Gradually it got more and more, the volume increased as we increased his milk volume, he was literally bringing back whole bottles. Sometimes straight after feeding, other times up to an hour after. Yet he never lost weight somehow. Occasionally as if by a miracle he would keep a bottle down.

But how do you handle a child that vomits everywhere. Left right and centre, over friends carpets, in the supermarket, the car, on the priest, on the mother in law. Do you ever grow used to apologising for peoples sofas becoming stained? Constantly asking for more tissues?

My son eventually grew out of his reflux around 2 and a half years old although it still occurs now when he is ill with a temperature but he has learnt to control it and understand when he feels sick and so it is easier for us to get him to sit down quietly for a little while in order to hopefully prevent an episode.

So if your child’s a sicky one here are my top tips:

• Cheap clothes and lots of them. Don’t bother with cutsie outfits unless its a special occasion, chances are they are going to vomit on it within a couple of hours.
  Quantity of clothes here is the vital thing. Lots and I mean lots. I used to get through up to 6 baby grows a day!
• Small Towels – Keep them in your changing bag. Ideally thick. These are essential for putting over your shoulder during winding ready for the onslaught.
• Kitchen Towel – Great for mopping up any that manages to make its way to the floor.
• NEVER wind a freshly fed baby near any of your drinks or meals!
• Try and avoid getting stressed. Buba will only stress too as will those around you. Simply change buba, clean up and carry on.
• Discuss the issue with friends and family, prepare them and make them understand its not a problem and just needs to be dealt with. Harder with the older generation I will admit who like to exacerbate things.
• In the summer to save changing constant clothes if inside leave baby in nappy.
• Do NOT bath baby within an hour of feeds or you could have a funny coloured bath!
• Have a towel beside the mosses basket/cot in case of nighttime occurrences.
• Once weaning a bib with a lip which is designed to catch food will be invaluable, simply pour any episodes down the sink!

I hope these tips will help some of you in dealing with any sicky babies which you may have in your midst. I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t know babies got sick. Let alone SICK! It can feel hard, it can feel lonely, you get exhausted changing clothes, bedsheets, washing, hanging washing out but just remember you aren’t alone. There are other parents that have suffered the same traumas even if your close friends and family haven’t, look online, meet new mums, no doubt you will find someone who has.

Oh and a bit of tea tree under your nose can do wonders for the whiff!