Our Reflux Journey: What Finally Helped My Baby

If breastfeeding a newborn wasn't challenging enough, our reflux journey began when my little girl was around two months old.

At first, it seemed fairly minor. She would occasionally be sick after a feed, which I knew could be normal for babies. But gradually it became more frequent until she was being sick after almost every feed. Sometimes it would happen immediately after feeding. Other times it would be halfway through a feed, or even hours later. It didn't seem to matter whether she was lying down or being held upright. Nothing made a difference.

Like most parents, my first step was to seek advice from healthcare professionals. I spoke to doctors and health visitors multiple times, hoping someone could help us find a solution.

Unfortunately, every conversation seemed to end with the same advice:

"Hold her upright for 30 minutes after a feed."

While I know this advice helps many families, it simply didn't work for us. In fact, I often found that moving her after a feed made things worse and triggered even more sickness.

Trying Medication

After several visits, we were eventually prescribed Omeprazole.

At first, I was hopeful. During the first week, it seemed to help. But as time went on, the improvements faded and the reflux returned.

Each time I went back to discuss my concerns, the response was to increase the dosage. Eventually, we reached the maximum dose, yet I still felt like nobody was listening when I said it wasn't solving the problem.

The cycle of appointments, advice, and disappointment became exhausting.

Looking for Answers Myself

After months of sleepless nights and endless internet searches, I came across discussions about early weaning and how introducing solids had helped some babies with reflux.

Before trying anything, I spoke to a doctor for advice. Rather than discussing weaning, I was prescribed Gaviscon.

Unfortunately, that didn't help either.

At that point, I felt like I had run out of options.

Introducing Baby Porridge

When my daughter was around 4½ months old, I decided to try a small amount of baby porridge.

The first few attempts were far from perfect. She didn't really understand what she was supposed to do with a spoon, and most of it ended up everywhere except in her mouth.

But with patience and practice, she gradually got the hang of it.

What surprised me most was that around seven times out of ten, the porridge stayed down.

Compared to what we had been dealing with, this felt like a huge breakthrough.

Of course, it only helped with one feed each day. The rest of the daytime feeds and the night feeds were still a challenge.

The Game Changer: Carobel

As I continued researching, I came across something called Carobel thickener.

I wasn't sure whether it was worth trying, so once again I asked for advice.

The response?

"Hold her upright after feeds."

By this point, I felt like I'd heard those words a hundred times.

So I decided to try Carobel for myself.

I picked some up from the chemist, bought a wider bottle teat, and gave it a go.

The difference was incredible.

Almost overnight, sickness became the exception rather than the rule.

My daughter would still occasionally be sick if she was rolling around or particularly active after a feed, but it was nothing compared to what we had experienced before.

For the first time in months, feeding felt manageable.

Looking Back

Was it entirely the Carobel? Was it because she was getting older? Was it a combination of both?

Honestly, I don't know.

What I do know is that introducing porridge and later using Carobel made a dramatic difference for us when nothing else seemed to help.

Every baby is different, and what worked for my daughter may not work for yours. But if you're currently dealing with reflux, endless washing, constant outfit changes, and the feeling that nobody is listening, I understand how exhausting it can be.

To Any Parent Going Through Reflux Right Now

Reflux can make even the simplest parts of parenting feel overwhelming.

The endless laundry, the ruined clothes, the worry after every feed, and the frustration of feeling like you're not being heard can take a real toll.

If you're in the middle of that journey right now, know that you're not alone.

Keep asking questions. Keep advocating for your baby. Trust your instincts.

And most importantly, hang in there.

It really does get better.