You know your baby’s in pain but you don’t know why or what to do about it. All babies have reflux except some might be “happy spitters”, meaning they spit up and don’t even realize it, while others have really painful symptoms and can suffer tremendously. The former gives you a laundry problem, the latter gives you a much bigger puzzle to solve.
We can help.
It can be hard to figure out what exactly is causing the discomfort and you’ve probably google’d things like:
- Why is my baby crying?
- How do I know if my baby has reflux?
- Why does my baby spit up so much?
- What foods in breastmilk cause baby to spit up?
- Why does my baby cry so much during or after feeding?
- How can I help my baby with reflux?
- Why is my baby in pain?
It can be stressful to watch your baby experiencing pain and discomfort but not know the cause or how to soothe them.
If you notice any of the following signs, your baby might be suffering from reflux:
+ They aren’t easily soothed
+ They arch their backs and become very stiff during and after eating
+ They spit up frequently and experience discomfort with it
+ They refuse to eat
+ They pull on and off the breast or bottle
+ They are fussy at the breast or bottle
We know reflux is something so many new moms experience with their babies, so we’ve compiled 20 tips to help your baby with reflux.
And please, always remember to consult your physician if you are concerned or feel you’ve exhausted all of your options and aren’t able to give your baby any relief.
If you suspect your baby has reflux, here are 20 tips to try.
- Keep baby elevated 20-30 minutes after feeding (sometimes hard to do!)
- Have baby nap and sleep at an incline with approval by your pediatrician.
- Use a safe swing in the furthest reclined position. Turn it on at a speed that seems to make baby calm. Sometimes just level 2 or 3.
- Use loud white noise. Try vacuum or blow dryer sound via an app on your mobile device or an actual white noise machine. The noise MUST be constant. It should not be waves crashing, music, rainforest sounds, etc. It needs to be a constant sound.
- Swaddle with a swaddle contraption. Halo Sleep Sack with Swaddle Arms and Love to Dream Swaddle Up are great. For a traditional swaddle, use our mom hack!
- Attempt to get your baby calm before trying to feed. To do this, swaddle your baby, turn on white noise and hold them on their left side prior to feeding. You can add the pacifier in this position as well.
- Temperature. Keep temperature cool between 68-72 degrees to help keep baby comfortable. They burn calories and heat up while fussy.
- Gripe Water. True Gripe Water is made of Chamomile, Ginger and Fennel to help soothe the stomach. Check the ingredients before purchasing. Avoid added sugars and brands that do not use these ingredients.
- Gas Drops (Simethicone) Start giving baby gas drops BEFORE feedings starting in the morning to help prevent gas build up throughout the day.
- Colic Calm drops.
- Probiotics. BioGaia makes an excellent formula to help gas and reflux. Probiotics restore the healthy bacteria in the gut and often help babies with reflux. The BioGaia drops also have Vit D which is a great addition, especially for breastfed babies who aren’t getting Vit D found in formula. Gerber Soothe is also made by BioGaia and is the same formulation just without the Vit D. Another wonderful effect of probiotics is they help boost immunity.
- Consider your diet. If you are breastfeeding, there are some foods that can be bothersome to babies: Think: if a food might bother my stomach, it might be hard on my baby’s stomach too.
- Dairy. (You will need to cut out all forms completely for at least two weeks to see the full effect of eliminating it.)
- Nuts
- Soy
- Citrus
- Eggs
- Gassy vegetables
- Beans
- Eliminate whole food prenatal vitamins. If you are taking a prenatal vitamin that is made with WHOLE FOODS, your vitamin might be causing your baby discomfort. The ingredients in the vitamins are highly concentrated amounts of foods that are highly bothersome to a sensitive stomach. Either eliminate it for a few days and see if you see improvement or switch to a synthetic prenatal vitamin temporarily.
- Infant Chiropractor Treatments. Chiropractor adjustments for babies are very different than for adults and can be tremendously effective for babies with reflux. Adjustments are like gentle massages using pressure points around the spine and neck to help loosen any tightness in the body that could be blocking the easy flow of bodily fluids. CONFIRM THE CHIROPRACTOR IS CERTIFIED IN INFANT CARE.
- Cranial Sacral Therapy with a Physical Therapist. Very soothing in helping to calm the nervous system.
- Acupuncture. Needles are NOT used when treating infants.
- Prescription Medication. Consult your pediatrician.
- See a GI Specialist.
- Have baby assessed by your pediatrician or pediatric dentist for a lip and tongue tie.
- Focus on lowering your own anxiety. Anxiety produces cortisol (stress hormone) which passes through milk. Use a meditation app and practice daily. Try yoga or breathing exercises. Check out our full list of tips for managing stress and anxiety. Reach out to a therapist who specializes in postpartum depression and anxiety disorders. Talk to your OB or a psychiatrist about medication if you aren’t able to tackle it with other methods.
Still have questions? Check out our Q&A with Dr. Barry Steinmetz, one of the most sought after pediatric GI’s in Southern CA!
P.S. If you’ve found yourself wishing there was a “cheat sheet” for helping you navigate life with a newborn… you’re in luck! We’ve created exactly that. We’ve taken our 10+ years of experience (and the feedback from HUNDREDS of moms in our classes) and compiled the Ultimate Guide to Newborns.
It includes helpful advice and checklists on topics including:
- Newborn Essentials
- Newborn Sleep
- Self Care
- Postpartum Healing
- And so much more!
Grab your copy now by following this link.