by Kimball Young
Like most moms, I spent my pregnancies daydreaming about what my babies would be like. What would they look like? What would they be good at? Would they love to read, or sing, or dance? I imagined sweet, sleepy little infants who spent hours snuggling and cooing. What I didn’t spend time daydreaming about was infant reflux. I didn’t imagine myself sobbing in the furthest corner of the house holding a baby who had been screaming for hours on end.
I have 4 children and all 4 of them suffered from infant reflux.
I was on baby number three before I realized there are natural ways to treat reflux. These treatments worked much, much better than the treatments I tried with my older children. So much better, in fact, that when baby #4 began showing signs of reflux I was able to treat the symptoms so quickly and effectively that her symptoms were only present for a matter of days.
First, let’s address what reflux is and what it isn’t.
What Infant Reflux Is Not
Almost all babies spit up sometimes, so how do you differentiate between normal spit-up and reflux? The short version of the answer is this: If your baby appears happy and doesn’t seem to be in any pain or discomfort, it is likely normal spit-up and your child can be considered a “Happy Spitter”.
What is Infant Reflux?
The official term for reflux is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Babies with true GERD are categorized as “Scrawny Screamers”. This may be a misnomer, however. GERD may cause your baby to undereat, because eating is painful causing your baby to become underweight (thus, the term Scrawny Screamer). GERD may also cause your baby to overeat, because sucking and swallowing may help keep the milk they drink down and the acid at bay. Common symptoms of GERD are:
- Gagging, choking, coughing, bad breath, excessive hiccoughing, burping
- Frequent spitting up or vomiting (if it’s projectile, it is more than GERD)
- Fussiness and trouble sleeping
Severe GERD is categorized by:
- Extreme fussiness and/or crying associated with eating
- Refusing to eat/poor weight gain
- Breathing problems
- Back arching
- Hoarseness, sore throat
- Severe congestion/chronic sinus or ear infections
- Spitting up blood or bile
General Advice for GERD Babies
These are the general tips you’ll likely hear if your baby is suffering from reflux:
- Keep baby upright as much as possible, especially during and after feedings
- Allow Baby to sleep on an incline
- Feed your baby smaller, more frequent meals
- Burp your baby thoroughly after each feeding
While I think these tips can be helpful for less severe cases of reflux, I haven’t personally found them to be particularly helpful for babies who are experiencing more severe reflux.
Advice You May Be Given, But Should Ignore
Some well-meaning doctors and friends may recommend you thicken your baby’s milk with infant cereal (either pumped breast milk, or formula).
There are several reasons this is a bad idea. First, thickening formula may lessen the amount of spit-up you’re dealing with, but it may not actually help with the reflux. The idea is that the cereal helps the milk to “stay down” in the stomach, but in reality what is likely happening is that Baby begins to experience Silent Reflux- reflux in which the stomach contents come up and Baby swallows it back down rather than spitting up. This can cause a pattern of Baby bouncing back and forth between diarrhea and constipation.
The second reason this is a bad idea is that there is mounting evidence that babies don’t have the proper enzymes needed to digest grains and should not be fed any grains until they reach at least 1 year old.
Natural Infant Reflux Remedies That Actually Work
- Healthy gut flora for baby. Some cases of infant reflux may be due to an overpopulation of bad bacteria. Adding in good bacteria in the form of probiotics will help to overrun the bad bacteria. Find a probiotic that is made especially for infants, like this one. Powdered probiotics can be given in a spoon with only a few drops of water, or can be added to pumped breast milk and given in a bottle. You can even apply the probiotics to your nipple and allow Baby to swallow it while breastfeeding.
- Nurse in a more upright position. Often, reflux is the result of Baby drinking too much milk too fast. If you’re breastfeeding and have forceful let down, make sure to nurse it positions that allow Baby to have better control of how much milk they’re getting. Try these positions. Read more here.
- Feed Baby from only one breast per feeding. Sometimes moms produce an overabundance of milk. If you’re one of those moms, nurse Baby on one breast only per feeding. This allows Baby to get both the foremilk (the more watery thirst quenching milk) and the hindmilk (the more rich, fatty, nourishing milk).
- Try an elimination diet. The most common triggers are dairy, soy, wheat, and eggs. Eliminate one food at a time and for at least a week. Your child may have an actual allergy to something you’re eating.
- Try Chiropractic Care. This one was the winner for my third baby. He screamed incessantly for the first 9 weeks of his life. Every other thing we tried helped a little, but he was still miserable. When he was two months old, we moved and I was able to try a different chiropractor than the one he’d been seeing and the results were instant and lasting. He stopped screaming during the adjustment, fell asleep and slept for 9 hours straight (he’d slept only 20-30 minutes at a time up until that point!) When he woke the next day he was happy and content.
- Hazelwood Reflux Jewelry. If you’re familiar with Baltic Amber teething necklaces, this suggestion won’t seem like a stretch. Hazelwood necklaces proved to be very effective at helping to ease the acidity related to my babies’ reflux. I ordered mine here.
- Babywearing. For me, this one is a no-brainer. Babies love to be worn. Choosing a carrier that allows Baby to be more upright with no pressure on the belly is ideal. The Ergo is a great option, and very comfortable for Mama. Other choices include the Baby K'tan and the Moby.
- Swaddling. All of my babies loved to be swaddled, but I noticed the two who had the most severe reflux did best when swaddled most tightly.
- Castor oil packs. Castor oil has amazing detoxing abilities, and can help flush the body of whatever is causing a problem. Castor oil can either just be rubbed on Baby’s belly several times a day or you can use the castor oil pack method. Dip a cloth (cotton, hemp, wool, or flannel- a cloth diaper would be perfect) in castor oil. Apply it to Baby’s belly. Wrap with plastic wrap (to contain messes from dripping oil) and cover with a blanket. Leave it on for 30-60 minutes, if possible. Then, give Baby a warm bath (make sure the water is filtered, I use this shower filter) with a few drops of lavender oil.
One Last Tip
Many babies who’ve dealt with reflux aren’t able to sleep well. Even once they are no longer experiencing reflux symptoms they may continue to be poor sleepers. This may simply be a result of never having had a chance to learn to sleep well. Once your baby seems to be free from symptoms of reflux, make teaching healthy sleep patterns a priority.
Kimball started on her journey to real food and natural, holistic living 9 years ago, when her oldest child nearly died from an allergic reaction to peanuts. She is passionate about wholesome food, her family, and Jesus. Kimball is married to a Naval Aviator and together they are parents to 3 hilarious boys and a sweet baby girl. Their family is currently stationed in sunny San Diego.
giving a baby Calcium bentonite Clay also relieves infant reflux…..mix it with water and put in bottle……works also for adult reflux
Will diatomaceous earth work ?
I have a 8 month old that still has reflux..Doctor gave a formula for A.R. still has it but not as bad..I want him off it because the rice starch in it is making him gain weight….
I have a 6 month old who I started to nurse and he would just puke up and puke ,so I switched his fomula same thing. Switched 3 more times because of other peoples suggestions with no change,as a mother of 3 who had not experienced this before I was at a loss. I had been using essential oils on myself and my other 2 children but was not sure I wanted to or it was safe to use on the little guy. I did some research and thankful for the nurse I had further up on my team decided to start rubbing digestzen on his bottoms of his feet before every meal. I should not have been surprised that his puking got less. I still had a specialist appointment booked so wanted to attend. The specialist said that my son had an over enlarged esophagus that would correct itself in time. I Told him what I was doing with the essential oils and he told me that if it is working to keep using he is all for not giving children medication if it is not needed. If you would like to here more information or I can help by sending you a sample please let me know, I do not like to see anyone suffer expecially children and that is why I do what I do.
Hello. Where can I buy his oil?
Hi, My sister is pregnant with her second. Her first had terrible acid reflux/GERD for 8 months. She asked me to make her a roller ball to use on the new baby if necessary. I have DigestZen but there are things in it that aren’t on the list safe for children let alone an infant. How old was your baby when you used it? His doctor approved it?
Thanks!
Jen
Nursing more upright is good. There is good posture to nursing. Also, gently press lips together while sleeping if they fall open, so not mouth breathing where the tongue position will not fall to the lower mouth area.
Check out Baby Led Weaning because the spoon feeding is too much food even with a baby spoon and spitting it out or swallowing too much at a time can cause airway and digestion problems. This way the child will have more of an appreciation for food meals and eating.
Wow thank you so much for this. This is only my second but my first with this problem. The whole crying in the corner thing yeah and I really don’t like that drs first response is meds. Again thank you!!
Great article. It seems like sometimes people don’t believe babies can get acid reflux. Glad to see it being promoted as truth! 🙂
This was very informative! Thanks for sharing.
Really wish blogs had existed when my kids were babies.
Thank you, Kimball. My 4 wk old son is struggling with reflux. He’s my third, but the first with reflux. I’m pinning this post for reference…really want to avoid medication! Planning to look into chiro care this week. We’re using DigestZen, too, plus elevating his head during feedings and sleeping (elevated mattress). Also giving him probiotics from Klaire Labs. Hoping to find a good solution SOON! 🙂 Thanks again.
Hi there, I have a 6 week old. I’ve read that there are only a handful of EOs safe for this young. I ordered digestzen but then read that specifically peppermint and tarragon, 2 of the oils, should not be used in babies. Thoughts?
As long as u delete them u should be fine look into young living essential oils. They are pure , I have used them on my kids and myself for 4 years now and I have. Never had a problem.
No! They aren’t safe no matter how diluted or pure. Don’t believe the YL lies.
Thanks for this! Last night found me with a husband snoring on one side, a babes writhing around in her sleep on the other, and me sobbing in the middle. LO is 11 weeks old and had reflux symptoms in the first month, which seemed to die down in month 2, only to be kicking up again in the past few weeks. We already do many of the things on this list, but I’m wondering about the necklace – at what ages did your children start wearing it? I think 3mo might be a little young. She’s also gained weight quickly and a bit of a double chin 🙂
I have not used the hazlewood myself, this post was a guest post from another blogger – Kimball Young. Although I did use the amber teething necklace on my son as early 3-4 months old.
Please also think about adding craniosacral therapy (CST) to this list. It can be very beneficial for many ailments including reflux.
Our LO was diagnosed with acid reflux at 3 weeks. Of course her Dr’s first suggestion was NEXIUM(5 mg suspension granules once per day). I was personally ,not the least bit happy about the suggestion of putting such a young baby on meds. So, i researched a ton of “natural alternatives” and immediately came upon the suggestion of using DigestZen by DoTerra and immediately became excited because i have a cousin who’s wife is a DoTerra sales consultant and i knew i could likely get the oil within the day(well, i did. THAT evening to be EXACT!!) I was extremely excited to try it on my LO since i had politely declined my Pedi’s offer to write her an Rx. Get home give baby a nice warm bath put a dab of DigestZen on baby’s tmmy and soles of her feet(as suggested by my cousins wife. I mean she’s the consultant, SHE SHOULD know, right?)WRONG!!! I may as well have put juice on my LO, while this stuff smells amazing. I believe it to be more of an aromatic(hence, essential oil) than ANYTHING that would ACTUALLY help with reflux symptoms. Let me just say I am GLAD i didnt have to pay the $25 plus shipping for it then wait for it to arrive because this stuff SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK!!!DON’T EXPECT A MIRACLE , OR WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!
sorry that did not work for you, not all remedies work for all people…but it is worth a try!
hi Roxanne, at what age did your older children got over the Reflux?
Cheers from Austria Sandra
Hi sandra,
This post was written by a contributing writer, Kimball Young, so she is the one who I would ask if I were you. My children (luckily) did not get reflux.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
My 1 month old baby has reflux, and my health visitor recommended a staydown formula for reflux.
The problem I having is feeding her the milk as some teats don’t let the milk out when she sucks and the other teats are too fast.
So I have gone back to the ready made formula and am giving her the infant gaviscon.
I don’t know if I am doing the right thing by her
http://holisticsaffron.com/cured-babys-acid-reflux-7-days-natural-remedy/
I’ve heard good things about these homeopathic remedies and also avoiding acidic things in your own diet if breast-feeding! I’m ordering them tonight and going off of coffee for my 2 1/2 month old… 😀
Did this work for you, Natalie?
Thanks for these natural remedy suggestions! I will try these with my baby and let you know how they work.
Being checked for tongue tie/lip tie should definitely be on this list too. Reflux is one of the big red flags and ties often go undiagnosed. Dr. Kotlow in Albany, NY has great info on this topic.
This post helps a lot. Thank you! Recently I visited my 3 wk old son’s pedia, and he said everything is fine. I got alarmed when he vomitted projectile twice a day atleast then the rest spit up every after feeding. Sometimes the milk is already coming out of his nose during the night. Thats why I rather stay awake than seeing my son gasping for air since the milk came out from his nose. When they can over come these reflux thingy? Do we have to deal with it for months??
My baby grew out of her reflux around 6-7 months of age. Until then I used essential oils and Chiropractic care which I believe both helped tremendously. I used a pinch of Culturelle powder probiotics daily. Starting solids around 6 months seemed to help too. Good luck!
What ideas do you have for treating an toddler with acid reflux? we tried EVERYTHING!, necklace, chiropratic care, feedinds up right, small feedings, we cut out cow milk and drink orangic…. and his acid reflux is worse?! my son was a silent acid refluxer, and now at 16 months he moving around like crazy and now he is spitting up. He was never a big milk drinker… and now hes a picky eater i believe due to this. We see a specialist because not even meds will work. What are your ideas? what are options i can do? he has a yojurt daily.. im losing my mind 🙁
I hv 2 month old boy…with very bad reflux….doctor has put him to enfamil a.r…..but he’s not putting on any weight …..nor wth reflux….pls help
I live in San Diego and I’m curious what chiropractic office you used for your little one. We have a chiropractor we use but it never helped with our first and now that our second is here I’d like to jump on it right away with a good chiropractor that specializes in infant care
For a child over 6 months, try putting 0.5 ml of apple cider vinegar in their water bottle. No more than 1ml otherwise it will be too sour for baby.
You could also add the vinegar to milk bottle but may change the taste.
We used the novolac allergy formula which was made with rice. Is in a green container. It certainly helped the reflux but I was constantly unblocking the teat as the formula was so clumpy.
My youngest son suffered from severe reflux which was a terrible experience, he was up most of the night screaming and was not gaining enough weight. Our pediatrician did not like prescribing medicine to babies unless it was absolutely necessary. He gave us a number of different natural remedies to try, and were told to use an AR forumla. We also tried a chiropractor that specialized in this specific problem, to no avail.
Unfortunately nothing helped much and we ended up having to get a prescription medication to fix the problem (It was a few years ago and cannot for the life of me remember what the name of the medication was)
My doctor has me thickening My 10 week old baby’s formula(Gerber good start) after reading comments I did not want to anymore but she couldn’t keep any milk down at all I had to go back to thickening….
I use mommy’s bliss and gas drops as well. I heard baking soda can help is this true?