Well, I changed formula to the HA formula and Georgia's reflux got WORSE. This morning she vomited 3 times in one feed. Only managing to get under 100mls into her. Lots of wind and exlosive watery poo's, screaming..nose is more blocked, now has a weazey chest..not sleeping. I rang karicare and spoke to a women who has said she really should be on pepti jun. So I am getting a tin sent. Now I how do I go all about the rest?
. She is 5 weeks old now and I have heard you can see a free paed before they are 6 weeks is this true?
Im at my witts end with it Its taking a good 1-2 hours to get 100mls into her

It is free.
I'm not sure what the deal is in Wellington, but have a look in the phone book and ring one. That's what I did in Auckland. There is a list of docs in the front of the white pages.

You need a special authority number for Pepti junior, or neocate (which is even better than pj).
Only a paed can do this.
Then you get the formula on prescription. Your GP can write out the script.

Get onto it as a tin will only last half a week maybe, they are half the size of a normal tin of formula.

If in doubt go to your local children's hospital, there are paeds there.

Oh and with the explosive poo episodes today whats happening is shes is taking say 30mls and then starts screaming hysterically..I start trying to wind her, tummy goes hard- I then lay her down to massage her tummy and the runny bum starts..shes then able to drink some more of her bottle once thats happened..we then have been getting vomiting either mid way or after a feed..

What the heck is going on? She had the same thing on normal formula but the runny poo was constipation.. does this all sound familar to anyone?

As you can see Im REALLY at my witts end..this same thing happened with DD1 for months and months and months and I really dont want to have to keep going through this. (We thought it was colic all along )

To go over main symptoms again-
*Projectile vommiting
*Gassy/wind
*Unsettled
*either diareha or constipation never normal stools
*starting to refuse the bottle..went to bottle as was refusing breast in first 3 weeks of life (wouldnt stay latched on ..would scream,fart etc)
*Constant blocked nose from birth
*Weaze in chset
*Not sleeping well, waking regulary and crying

Things I am doing to help'
*Sleeps in a hammock- have placed something in more to put her head more up a bit
*On second day of retitidine *spelling
*Propping her up for a wee while before she goes to bed

Anything else I could be doing?

suomi- Thanks so much for taking time to reply. I am just looking in the phone book now and will call in the morning first thing. Is it worth seeing a private one or do I try and get in to see the one she saw at the hospital (was born at 36weeks)?

Really does sound like issues with milk.
Either a milk protein intolerance or allergy.

Push for either Pepti junior or neocate. They will make you try PJ first.
Neocate is like the gold standard of milk. Completely dairy free.
Once you have the special authority number you can get either.

Good luck.
I'n not sure if there is anyone on here from Wellington. Maybe Roz will know someone.

It is so hard!

Either.
Seeing the one you saw at birth would be cheaper.
Do you have medical insurance?
If not now would be a good time to get it.

We don't have Medical insurance how much is a tin of Pepti jnr and Neocate with the special auth number?

With a special suthority number they cost about the same as normal formula, so $7 ish a tin. (and remember they are half the size, so $14ish a big tin)

Without the number I know neocate is like $100 a tin! So you need the number.

Some paeds are very reluctant to give it to babies. So be really clear with her symptoms and don't down play anything.
I know I used to get a bit fuddled when I finally got to my appointment and never said half of what I wanted to say.
I ended up writing a list of questions and symptoms so i wouldn't forget.
Take that list you wrote with you.

Hi Skyla,
I'm in Wellington so might be able to help!
The hospital paeds can take for ever to get an appointment. But maybe when your GP does the referral (you have to get them to refer to the hospital paeds as I understand it) you can ask them to mark it urgent to move things along a bit.

A private paed is going to take a little time too as they mostly only work privately a few days a week - rest of the time is in the hospital! I think, been a while since we've seen a paed priovately, you'd be looking at probably $100 for an initial appointment.

Failing any of that, considering your little one's age you could probably get some action if you turned up at the hospital ED and made a deal about the explosive poo etc - littlies dehydrate very fast etc!

If you want to see a paed for free because of being under 6 weeks old then you need either your midwife or OB to refer you as it's funded under the maternity system! I learnt that when Thomas was a newborn!

Hey thanks for that info suomi I was expecting a stupid amount like 60.00 a tin!

Hey Eleanor, thanks so much also- I was going to call my midwife tomorow and ask her to get me a referral done. (actually might call her now and get on her back)

Hi Skyela, sounds like you are having a rough time.

I 2nd Eleanor's idea of going straight to hospital and getting Georgina into the hospital system. Also look at the front of the white pages, there are private paeds there. I think **** somthing specialises in babies under 6 weeks old? I will look for you.

I had to take Sasha into hospital at 3 months of age (with bad bottle aversion and reflux, dehydration, however I struck a really bad paed, who was useless. But I did end up getting into the hosptial paed. nurse system. She is much better than Plunket and got me into seeing a really good paed. We are finally now on neocate. The nurse comes and sees me at home, and if I have worries she will talk to the paeds.

You have to be really careful that Georgina doesn't get bottle aversion. Is she on any medication ie losec?

Sasha too rejected the boob so I put her onto the bottle which made her worse. But I didn't know any better at the time.

So if it was me I'd a)go see gp and get referral to hospital, get her onto medication ie losec.

Try and be strong, I too recommend writing all the symptoms down. It can be treated. It really is hard to find a paed or doctor that understands what is happening. My Paed at Wgtn Hospital now is **** *******.

Good luck, it is tough, but this board really helped me and continues too!!

Sorry that sounded a little muddled!! A little sleep deprived today!!

Hey Skyla,
I noticed you're in Upper Hutt.
I know that there are 4 paeds at Hutt Hospital and at least one of those works privately. We've seen ***** **** privately and publicly. If you can find one who works in both systems then you can work acutely with them publicly first and then ease off and see them privately and you don't lose continuity of care.

Just a thought! I've straddled both systems with all the kids (yes 3 refluxers!!!) and having to re-invent the wheel is time consuming, irritating and pointless - unless you aren't getting the help you need and then starting over is the best thing you can do!

Well after a god awful morning I got hold of my midwife again to really get her onto it. She rang a paed at the hospital and they are goign to send me a appointment out within the next 10 days. In the mean time I have a tin of pepti junr due to arrive tomorow and they are going to send me out a number to get another tin of formula in the mean time if it works.

The paed was a women at the hospital and she is very keen to see Georgia and see what is going on. I wonder if its *****..will have to wait for the appointment.

Gosh thanks allllllll soooooooooo much for your help. I really feel for all you refluxing parents. This stuff is hard work! DD was a silent refluxer but nowhere as bad as this. Today Georgia was so unsettled I feed her at 7am and she was still awake at 11am screaming..poor wee button.

She is on retitidine 3 times a day of 0.3mls. She is 3.8kg now so hoping hes got her on the right dosage!

Hi skyela

We're in Lower Hutt and have seen a paediatrician privately (both daughters have reflux). If you get an appointment before your daughter is 6 weeks old you get $100 paid by the government and you'll pay the rest of the fee (that's what happened when we visited a paed privately before DD2 was 6 weeks old).

I know how hard it is to wait 10 days for an appointment with a refluxer. Let me know or pm me if you'd like some more information.

I hope you'll get an appointment soon.

UPDATE: Its getting worse coming out with such force and through her nose..last feed she vomited twice like this right after I feed her. Have been speaking on and off to the midwife all day- because Georgia has been having wet naps theres not a huge concern yet. Her urine is nice and bright though so will keep a eye on that.

Hey Sunflower, Sending you a PM now thank you. I am hoping this appointment is ASAP otherwise Im heading down to A&E..this just sucks

hi, just sent you a pm. Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

skela - we just spent a week in hospital because the reflux was projectile and horrible. I would just take her to the ed at your hospital like we did. ds was projectile every feed almost and not keeping anything down - and he has been on neocate 2 months now. over the weekend preceeding our hospital admission he power chucked most bottles but not all - i initially thought he had a tummy bug but he never got diarohoea (sp?) so wasnt convinced. he still lookd bright and hydrated, but i am glad we took him to the hospital as by tuesday even with contimious tube feeding he was limp and eyes all sunken. the best way for drs to take you seriously is to go to ed, and then you get a paed for free anyway. cry if you have to - always helps!!! besides the fact its upsetting anyway.

good luck!

What about trying her on losec?
It is much better than ranitidine.

But it really does sound like a huge milk issue. This may well be causing her reflux.

Really hope you see a difference with the pepti junior.
If not push for neocate.
We saw a little bit of an improvement with pj, but then things got worse again and didn't improve until we were on neocate.