Holding On: The Best Ways to Carry Babies With Reflux

This post title could've been "holding on by a thread." That's how many parents and caregivers feel when it comes to making their newborn or infant comfortable amidst reflux and related issues. 

While the primary advice is to "keep elevated," the actions are easier said than done, when the discomfort reigns and sometimes around the clock.

Below are few tips I found in my own experience and sources around the web:

Straight up holding
For the first six weeks I gave new meaning to baby wearing, as in holding upright and on my chest (and others). It was why I wore a white sweatshirt for that same time too as you couldn't see all the spit up daily. Tough on the inconvenience meter, and my back eventually, but also necessary in my case.

This "Reflux Relief" list on Breastfeeding Quest gives a variety of options for holding and positioning. Parents.com has bottle feeding best positions post as well. 

Spoiler alert: the constant companionship didn't spoil the child. He just told me the other day that he needed his space while he played his legos. 

Baby wearing
I tried with both of my sons the wraps and slings for actual baby wearing but failed both times. Both kids screamed until they were out Tara Greaves, author and former reflux parent blogger at https://aftertheraincomessunshine.com, shared earlier on this site that she "went through three different ones before going back to the first...it was the only way I got anything done in those early months when she needed to be held upright all the time."

See more on InfantReflux.org's Infant Reflux and Babywearing: A Happy Coexistence 

Carriers/seats/swings/positioners
I've written about car seat safety on this blog before, with the same principles tying to other seating devices or swings. The majority of people I've talked to, or read about in online forums, turn to some type of device for relief (both parent and child). The best advice is to do your homework, research products and any recalls, and talk with a doctor regarding the use of any device and the specific needs of your newborn/infant. 

Swaddling?
Pure physics and logic would say that nothing tight (clothing, diapers, etc.) around the baby and its core would be smart in these cases. However, swaddling, aka "the fourth trimester," is typically recommend to try with reflux babies because it creates a soothing effect against the agitation that can make reflux worse. In my case, finding swaddle swagger was about all I could do to catch a break.

Check out this post on Ergo baby from sleep consultant Rebecca Michi "Swaddling our Newborns," and specifically the part on reflux help.



What did you do to keep holding on, and more importantly, would you have done anything differently?

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