You come home from the hospital with a perfect, sweet baby but soon realize that sweet baby comes with a fountain of spit up called gastroesophageal reflux disease. Then you might ask yourself, now what?
FIRST, remember to consult with your child’s physician, because this is not medical advice just one experienced mama feeling empathetic for all those other reflux parents out there.
SECOND, remember the basics:
· Burp baby half way through feeding and at the end
· Feed baby smaller amounts more often
· Thicken bottle with cereal (with doctor’s approval)
· Keep baby upright for 30-45 minutes after feeding
· Consider elevating crib or basinet slightly (before baby can roll)
3 MORE TIPS TO HELP DEAL WITH REFLUX INCLUDE:
1. Have enough burp rags and blankets
You can never have too many rags ready at hand. Consider sewing your own if you’re handy with a sewing machine. If not, the investment will be well worth it.
2. Don’t place baby anywhere you’re not okay with spit up
This might seem obvious but once baby starts to roll and move around more he might not stay on the blanket you put him down on.
3. Use cloth diapers as burp rags
Cloth diapers are meant to be absorbent avoiding the wet rags so prevalent with baby reflux.
LASTLY, just remember that this stage will end eventually so have faith and patience along the ride. WebMD states that most babies outgrow reflux by the age of one1. One year seems like an eternity while in the mix of baby reflux, but time does go fast. Use burst mode on your camera to catch those spit up moments—they will keep you laughing through this stage.
1. “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Infants or Children.” WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/infants-children#1.