For bottle-feeding a baby with reflux, the best position is upright (seated at about a 45-60 degree angle), using gravity to keep milk down, and holding them in this position for 20-30 minutes after feeding, with options like the koala hold or elevated side-lying if needed. Keep the bottle tilted so the teat is always full of milk to prevent air gulping, which worsens reflux.
Helping your baby with reflux
Here are some gentle ways to help your baby with either type of reflux: Try different feeding positions: Upright holds often help. You might sit your baby facing your breast, cradle them down your body, or lie back with your baby on top.
If you place the baby on its left side to feed it increases the space from the bottom of its stomach to the oesophagus making it less likely for them to vomit or reflux. at the top of the lap and their bottom against your stomach.
What can I do to help my baby with reflux? Adjust your baby's position. While feeding: If your baby is younger than 3 months old, you can put your baby in an elevated side lying position while they are feeding.
Positioning Your Baby
Avoid placing your baby in a car seat or swing during this time as it may increase pressure on their belly and cause more symptoms of reflux. Place your baby on their back during sleep in an infant crib without loose blankets, pillows, toys or care supplies.
When bottle feeding, sit your baby up as straight as possible - this helps stop them swallowing too much air. Try to make sure the milk fills the teat and there are no air pockets – you could try using an anti-colic bottle to see if that helps.
It's not only warm milk that can soothe a baby suffering from reflux. Cold milk can help as well! Each baby has a different preference and will decide whether or not they are willing to take milk at a certain temperature. The ideal temperature for formula or breastmilk is around 98.6 degrees, or body temperature.
To prevent spoiling, use prepared infant formula within 2 hours of preparation and within one hour from when feeding begins. If you do not start to use the prepared infant formula within 2 hours, immediately store the bottle in the fridge and use it within 24 hours.
Is acid reflux worse for babies at night? When babies are suffering from acid reflux they prefer to be held upright. Fussy behavior from reflux can occur all day, rather than just at night. However, if acid reflux is uncomfortable it can cause restlessness in your baby and difficulty sleeping at night.
Propping your baby up in a sitting position is a good way to let gravity do its work to prevent your baby spitting up. How to do it: Place your baby on your lap so their back is against your chest in an upright position. Bottle feeding can also be a time to get to know one another.
While both breastfed and formula fed babies can experience reflux, research has shown that formula fed infants have episodes of reflux more often than breastfed babies and they last longer.
The 5-3-3 rule refers to a nighttime structure designed to align with a baby's developing circadian rhythms. In practice, the baby completes a five-hour stretch of sleep, remains awake for three hours—typically for feeding or quiet play—and then returns to sleep for an additional three hours.
If your baby tends to swallow too much air during feeding, check the bottle nipple to see if it's clogged. You could also try a faster-flow nipple. If you're using powder formula, try giving it an extra stir with a clean fork to help get rid of air bubbles.
Dr. Dasgupta explains, "Research suggests that pacifiers can aid babies suffering from silent reflux. The sucking motion stimulates saliva production, which helps neutralize stomach acid, while the act of sucking itself has a calming and soothing effect on the baby."
Positioning your baby in an upright position during bottle feeding or feeding on their left side may help with symptoms of reflux during and after feeding. Placing your baby on their left side increases the distance from where the milk sits in the stomach to the opening to the oesophagus, thus making GOR less likely.
While holding your baby upright for 30 minutes after a feeding may allow for some of the feed to leave the stomach, the majority of the feed remains in their stomach after that time. When you lay your baby down, their immature LES could still open, causing them to spit up.
This is a great position for babies who have reflux or who are prone to vomiting. If you place the baby on its left side to feed it increases the space from the bottom of its stomach to the oesophagus making it less likely for them to vomit or reflux.
Overfeeding signs are more obvious and severe and include:
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