Busting 3 Myths of Reflux, Silent Reflux & Colic
It's time to bust some reflux myths... Maybe it's being Irish. Maybe it's the complete frustration I feel when another mum replays her last conversation with the doctor about her baby's reflux.
It's time to stop lying to ourselves.
It's time to stop believing that everything a doctor says is true because they are a doctor.
Sorry, this is not the case, and you probably know this already in your heart but are scared to admit it because it might mean no one has answers. And this is a scary place to be.
Give me a few minutes, read some of these myths below and see how you feel then...
Are you ready?
1. Reflux is Normal - no, it isn't
This, and other myths that doctors spread, really anger me because they are completely incorrect.
The entire system is set up poorly. The NICE Guidelines are bullshit too.
Saying that reflux is normal is saying:
- it’s completely normal to be in constant pain. - it’s completely normal to throw up every meal you eat
- it’s completely normal to be unable to sleep because of pain and discomfort - it’s completely normal for you to be unable to participate in LIFE because your body is in constant discomfort
This is completely wrong and unethical.
This is NO WAY to treat our youngest and most vulnerable members of society.
If you, with your own voice, explained your baby’s symptoms to a doctor as if they were your own, would they ignore you?
Would they tell you, “It’s normal; you’ll be fine in 12 months' time”, and if they did say this, would you think it was an acceptable answer?
It’s NOT an acceptable answer. It’s cruelty in action. And I’m calling time on it.
Yes, I want to change the NHS, and that is going to take time. However, I’m not waiting by the sidelines until the doctors are ready to entertain a better way. I’m here now, helping people just like you change their lives.
I’ve been there. Twice. I know the heartache of holding your screaming baby, helpless to ease their suffering and feeling clueless as to what to try next.
Let me tell you that this doesn’t have to be a guessing game. This is not about “trying” the next thing.
When we read all of the baby’s behaviours and symptoms as a pattern, we can figure out, rather quickly (within an hour), what is causing their discomfort.
And when we do this, we know what specific action to take to help them.
If you want to learn how to read your baby's symptoms, go here for my free symptoms tracker.
2. They're just a colicky baby - they are so much more, and they have colic
Colic is probably the most unhelpful diagnosis a doctor will give a baby, and lots of babies are officially diagnosed with it.
It does nothing to help the baby or parents and allows the medical profession to cast us aside without a care in the world.
If you’re reading this, you probably already know that the term “colic” is a complete write-off.
Colic is officially defined as "Crying for 3 hours a day, at least 3 days a week, for at least 3 weeks."
If your baby is screaming for 3 hours a day, there is something wrong.
It could be that their “routine” is out of sync with their needs. Are they getting overstimulated too often and, therefore, too tired?
Are they reacting to something in their food and so are uncomfortable and trying to tell you this?
Where there is a repeatable pattern like this, there is a reason. ALWAYS.
In my work, I have always found that colic is strongly (like 95% of the time) associated with digestive discomfort, and this is 100% resolvable with the right support.
You see, our babies have a naturally immature digestive system. This means they do not have all the digestive capabilities they will have as they grow.
This is why some babies "grow out of" colic and reflux. It’s actually because their digestive systems have matured.
The truth be told is that when a baby is upset, and the medics have checked that there is nothing sinister going on, it’s time for us, as their parents, to start observing and listening to them much more closely.
When we observe everything that is going on for our babies, we can completely resolve their discomfort and pain because we can make changes in how we are supporting them. But only when we listen to them.
The medics don’t help because the guidelines they need to follow don't ever ask, "Why is a baby unhappy/uncomfortable/in pain?"
You already know that your baby is unhappy for some reason, and the start of deciphering what is going on always starts with observing their symptoms.
3. Your baby is gaining weight, so cannot have reflux - not true
Babies with reflux can gain weight perfectly, gain weight excessively and lose weight depending on how their reflux is affecting them.
Taking excessive weight gain first, why does this happen?
Babies with reflux experience pain and discomfort of stomach acid burning and irritating their oesophagus. They learn very quickly that the act of feeding washes this acid back into the stomach, and so they ask for more milk to soothe the pain.
Additionally, suppose a baby has trapped gas or constipation. In that case, they instinctively know that the act of feeding and swallowing stimulates peristalsis in their entire digestive system, and so they drink more to move this along to be more comfortable.
Hence, the baby can be asking for food a lot, feeding a lot, and gaining plenty of weight, with or without vomiting some of the milk.
In the case of a baby with reflux losing weight, this happens because they cannot keep enough of their milk down to gain sufficient weight.
In both instances, the answer lies in figuring out the underlying cause of their reflux.
When a baby is gaining weight perfectly or excessively, the answer lies in understanding why a baby is uncomfortable all the time and what is causing this discomfort.
When we resolve the discomfort, the baby doesn’t need to ease their own discomfort and so starts to ask for milk on a hunger basis.
Then, a baby isn’t gaining sufficient weight, and the answer lies in figuring out Why They Cannot Keep Their Milk Down and Addressing This.
Not changing the consistency of their milk to make it more difficult to vomit out.
Yes, this helps some babies; the side effects of thickening agents are threefold:
- They continue to absorb fluids as they pass through the digestive system and can contribute to constipation.
- They are complex carbs that many babies cannot digest properly, so they ferment in their gut, causing trapped gas, bloating, etc.
- The thickened milk now holds more air bubbles within the milk, which are not released in the stomach to be burped out, so go into the gut, contributing to more trapped gas and abdominal discomfort.
Our doctors do not apply this approach because the WHO does not tell them to. In fact, there is no recommendation ever to understand the cause of reflux.
How can I help?
In the 'Reflux Free Baby' Workshop, I walk you through all the symptoms you need to observe and record for your baby, what they mean, and how to use them as clues.
I tell you what the clues mean individually and when they occur with other groups of symptoms.
And this leads us to be able to say what is causing each baby's reflux with much more confidence.
Based on this, I tell you what specific action to take for them.
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