Reflux

Reflux

Advice:

Before introducing any medication to a baby I would suggest to analyse the following questions and if you have specific answers for all of them, perhaps medication is the right path for your baby.

-How the reflux diagnosis was made?

-Has the doctor given you a time frame for the medication to work and “cure the baby”?

-Are you aware of all the side effects of medication in babies?

-If your baby is on medication, have you seen any improvements?

-How many types of medication are you using and why?

-Have you increased the doses of medication before any improvements?

-Do you know that most babies outgrow reflux after 4 months?

If your baby ticks more than 7 from the following list then you can consider this as a chronic Reflux case.

1.      Is not eating

2.      Is not gaining wait.

3.      Each feed baby arches his back.

4.      Irritated throat.

5.      Struggling to feed properly.

6.      Bad breath from stomach acids.

7.      Not sleeping well.

8.      Recurrent ear infections.

9.      Has asthma.

10.  Has eczema.

11.  Crying for hours.

12.  Projectile vomit.

If your questions can’t be answered easily and your baby scores less than 7 from the list above then the following tips can help you to pass the mild reflux stage of your baby

Tips to pass the mild Reflux stage

*Feeding by demand is the common cause for overfeeding, vomiting the extra milk is the result.

1.      Establish a feeding routine.

2.      Feed baby after waking up.

3.      After every feed maintain the baby in vertical position for approx. 20 mins.

4.      Lie baby slightly upright in bed

5.      Check that the nappy is not too tight

6.      If breastfed, check mums diet to avoid too much food that contains acid like chocolate, tomatoes, strawberries, lots of fat, coffee, etc.

7.      Avoid lack of sleep - Gastro system not functioning properly.

8.      Check that baby is not swallowing too much air (aggressive eating)

9.      Burping after feeds.

10.  Check for delayed maturation of gastrointestinal track (if baby is premature).

11.  Check for the over-reactive letdown.

I hope the information above was helpful, if you have any concerns, questions or wish to have a chat, please do not hesitate in contacting me, my details are on at the top of each page.

Thanks

Liliana Amaro

Certified Sleep Consultant.

The information above is Not Medical Advice.  The advice you receive from me is for informational purposes only and is intended for use with common early childhood sleep issues that are wholly unrelated to medical conditions.  My advice is NOT intended to be a substitute for medical advice or treatment.  Always seek the advice of your doctor or another qualified health practitioner regarding any matters that may require medical attention or diagnosis, and before following the advice and using the techniques described in the provided information.  Reliance on any information provided by Liliana Amaro is solely at your own risk.

Long and constant Naps

Before beginning with naps is very important to answer the following questions and have very clear that the naps will be predictable and constant once the night sleep has consolidated and without dramas. If your baby doesn’t sleep well during the night is a warranty that the naps will be occasional, with different duration, this means that won’t be  routine and your day will be difficult.

One solid night of sleep in babies from 0-3 months is when they sleep in 4 hr blocks, and if the baby is older than 4 months 6 hours is the Ideal sleep length and for babies from 6 months, 8 hrs or more.

The key questions are.

1. How many naps you baby need during the day?

2. What is the minimum duration of this naps?

You can check on our website the “Magic Sleep Table” this shows and an average of sleep length for the babies and kids up to 5 years.

If your nights are good but your day naps are all over the place, this is the right information that will help you to get on the right track to establish the predictable naps. Remember your baby is developing and sleep is needed it as eating. The parents need to learn that sleep for a baby is vital need at day and night.

How to achieve an effective nap

1. Put your child to sleep in the same place;

Putting your child to bed in a familiar place lets them know they are safe and that they are in a place where sleep is expected of them.

2. Before beginning the Nap create a relaxing and fresh atmosphere.

Is a very important cue for those babies that are more than 6 moths up to 4 years of age. Is advisable to close the curtains, put soft music, in hot places a Fan can work and temperature of 21°. Television is not advisable.

3. Put your baby to sleep in a Dark place.

This is very important if the nights of your baby are good nights, this is the key to stimulating the sleep during the day. Darkness activates the hormone called “melatonin”. Don’t worry if you cannot stay at home during the day, a jumper, the dark fabric can help you to block the light away from your babies face.

4. Create a predictable routine.

A short routine is advisable, will be the indication for your baby that is time to nap.

             Example:

                               -8:00 breakfast

                               -8:30 play

                               -8:45 book-song

                               -9:00 put in cot awake

5. Wait a few minutes before intervening

If your baby makes a noise before completing 1 hrs nap, do not respond immediately, give him the chance to get back to sleep.

This are the 5 basic steps to achieve longer and constant naps, if you have any doubts or wish to implement a routine for your baby or toddler do not hesitate in contacting me to begging soon

l.amaro@zzleepmybaby.com

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