Surviving Reflux

We have finally come out on the other side of GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). Though it took a long nine months to finally say this, I feel like screaming from the top of the Willis Tower: Cam is officially off all meds, all special formula and is sleeping beautifully, laughing constantly and not spitting up any more!!

The medicine thing was actually a fluke... I actually forgot to give him his dose one day last week, and noticed he was fine. So, I took a leap of faith and haven't administered his Prevacid in a week and he's been sleeping better than ever, eating well and not puking. I couldn't be more thrilled! I wanted to celebrate this huge accomplishment and also document some of the things that carried us through this incredibly challenging period of Cam's life. Whether I help someone else out or use this as a reference for the next baby (who I pray will not suffer from the same pain), I hope writing down these things will not only benefit the future, but celebrate how far we have come!

• In the beginning, keeping Cam upright after feedings (at least 30 minutes) was key. This meant that really he didn't get much tummy time, but he also didn't get a flat head because he was being held or "sitting" up most of the time. 
• We spent a LOT of money on products that we thought would help Cam -- a wedge for the crib, thick burp cloths/bibs, various bottles/nipples, and more. The wedge was pretty useless (he slid off it all the time) but the Aiden and Anais burpy bibs were the best investment for a pukey kid.
• We also tried many different sleeping arrangements since the kid could only sleep for 20 minutes without waking up from puking. He started off in the newborn bassinett on the Pack N Play which was slightly elevated. Once that small incline (maybe a 5% incline) wasn't enough, we put his bouncy chair in the Pack n Play and he slept there for several weeks. We finally got a couple hour stretches out of him in that thing. Life saver... until he was getting too big and I was too nervous to not be awake watching him.
• Enter the Rock n Play. Oh, the Rock n Play. Best $50 we spent by far. Cam slept in this elevated bassinett for six months!! Once his reflux subsided a bit by six months, we moved him into his crib where he did fine. I was so afraid the transition would be brutal because the little babe had never slept flat on his back, but he LOVED spreading out in his crib. It was so easy, and my worrying was really just wasted time (as usual). 
• Sitting up. Both our GI and Pediatritian said as soon as Cam starts sitting up on his own, his spit up would subside due to stronger stomach muscles. So I encouraged him to sit up way early. Luckily, he was a strong kid anyway, and by four months was really able to sit up well.
• We went through two medications and three various formulas. We started with Axid which really didn't do anything for him (and we think actually caused some tummy pain for him) and then moved onto Prevacid. We started with the liquid suspension of Prevacid and then moved onto the solutabs. The solutabs seemed to work a bit better, though it was harder to get all the medication in his system since we had to dissolve it ourselves. We started with Enfamil Gentlease forumla, moved to Similac Sensitive and then finally settled on Nutramigen which he used for about three months. We are now back on Gentlease. 
• I am pretty sure we wouldn't have survived without the help from our family, friends and amazing doctors. My mom stayed with us for 5 weeks in the beginning, then flew back on an instant's notice to help rock Cam, hold me as I cried, and came to countless doctor appointments with me. My sisters, friends and neighbors all brought food, spent hours on the phone with me detailing what worked in the past for them, and mostly just listened to me. And our doctors, who never rolled their eyes when they saw me in the office for the third time in a week. They sat as long as I needed and answered my questions. They held Cam when he wouldn't stop crying and I just needed a break. I am so thankful.

I'd also like to offer a small piece of advice to anyone else going through this that I did not receive from anyone. When getting ready for a new baby, do not put in new carpets. Luckily, when Rick and I debated about replacing our carpets a year ago, we decided to wait on it because Cam has successfully ruined all our carpets with stains from his "juices." So in a way, I have my little bunny to thank for starting the carpet shopping process now because neither Rick or I can stand looking at ours any longer.

I really think the best thing for Cam was growing up. The bigger he got and stronger he became, the more comfortable he seemed to be. People told me all along it would get better at 2 months, then 4 months, 6 months, etc. Everyone had their own opinion on when I would see the light, and I spent many weeks counting down until that next time period when I would feel free from the reflux hell. By about 4 months old, I realized he'd overcome this on his own timeline and it was a slow process, but he did it. I'm so happy that he's happy. I'm so proud of us for making it through without going completely insane. I'm so thankful he was our first baby because I can't imagine doing this with another child to tend to.

I feel like we've won the gold medal in Reflux Survival, but instead of a heavy medal strapped around our necks, we get to walk away with this as our beloved prize: