I think you will need to find out what exactly the problem is. If it is reflux, the problem is at the level of the oesophagus/stomach and you will have vomiting, if it is gas/colic, the problem is more on the intestinal level and there will be irregular stools etc. As your baby grows older, you should be able to understand the problem better (we too thought of reflux at first but I was certain after a couple of weeks that the problem was at a lower level).<br><br><br><br>
If it is reflux, holding your baby upright as much as possible, esp. after meals, should help a bit. Get a baby carrier you feel comfortable with. I have not had this experience myself but I know people who had 2 reflux babies in a row and they said this: medication helps very little actually but gives the parents the feeling they are doing something about it, and after a year it should gradually get better... (seems like a long time, I know !).<br><br><br><br>
If it is *just*gas and colic (which is what my daughter had), and you have a temperamentful baby, the resulting screaming can be just as bad as in reflux but the initial problem is not so painful or spectacular (as in projectile vomiting which often accompanies reflux). However... you will want to find ways to ease the colic. Gripe water and gas drops are not sold out here so we used fennel seed oil (drops on the pacifier). Using a pacifier has indeed been a lifesaver for us. I also gave my baby small quantities (4 oz. a day or so) of organic fennel seed or chamomilla tea once she was 2 months old. I massaged her belly and carried her against me a lot ! What helped to calm her down was going for long walks (used to be the only way to get her to sleep, walking her and taking her for drives !), letting her nap in a baby recliner or car seat, and watching tapes for tiny babies which seemed to have a hynotic effect on her, LOL ! Bathing used to help as well esp. with lavender or calendula oil. If it is gas (don't do this with reflux !), you can also put her belly down across your legs while sitting and massage her back. Gas and colic gradually improve at 10-12 weeks.<br><br><br><br>
My daughter is now 5 years old, but she still has regular tummy pains and is constitutionally constipated. I give her extra olive oil mixed in her food and I used to give her water I had soaked prunes in when she was little... as an infant I have had to give her parafin suppositories a few times when she hadn't pooped in several days and had a hard belly. The digestive sensibility of the colicky child remains, whereas I have heard that reflux does go away completely as the child grows older (though I suspect that these reflux kids do have sensitive stomachs still).
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