Bluedark

Thanks again all. Regarding the dose for omeprazole, it was prescribed three weeks ago based on her weight at the time. So I hope it is fine, but the GP suggested a change in administering. I have now reverted it back to dissolving the whole tablet however it has not done much change. I understand the key is finding the right balance of dose and lifestyle change (dairy free etc). I will speak to the GP ASAP and perhaps ask for referral to KCH - as we actually have not been seen by a specialist consultant. At the moment she feeds so so little (with a lot of crying) during daytime and then wakes up every hour at night to feed. I really hope we improve a bit in the next few weeks. And I know it is ultimately a matter of time...

Regarding the dose, we have seen the GP last week so I think the dose is ok. However GP suggested to dissolve half of the tablet in the same amount of water and give twice the dose (if it makes any sense). This will make the tablets last longer. However as ellie78 says I think it reduced its effect (plus it is difficult to administer drugs with a syringe to 8 week old, it comes out a bit). I have started to dissolve one tablet again and give the normal dose today - I hope it will improve things. I have also been dairy free for a week now, maybe it will improve next week. I really do hope this shall pass too and with the drugs and dairy free she will be feeding again. Good idea to replicate the night time feeds during daytime - with a toddler running around I wonder how calm and quiet I am keeping feeds. Thanks a lot as always

A very belated thank you all - especially to midivydale for your support and offer for a chat/advice/moan. On recommendation from our GP I am on non dairy diet for two weeks and we are going to 'challenge' it to see if introduction of dairy will make things worse. If so she will have tests for potential intolerance and we will take it from there. and ellie78 thanks for the tips on administering the drug. We are still on tablets and they are dissolving much better with your method. I have another question. When we first started using drugs things were a bit more manageable. We have regressed significantly in the last few days though. Feeding is such a challenge that I really do not know what to do. I try to keep things calm and mostly try to feed her when she is still sleepy after a sleep. However even then she just latches on the breast for 30 seconds and throws herself backwards crying. I try to calm her down, she in the meantime continually roots for the breast but starts crying whenever I try to feed her. We struggle for hours at a time like this until she finally has enough (bit by bit) to sleep a bit. Then we start again. Interestingly she feeds ok during night (no significant fuss, feeds and sleeps generally). Can I please ask for advice on how to tackle the feeding? Is it normal to be this fussy at the breast despite the drugs to manage reflux? I do try different positions, doesn't make any difference. We tried giving her a bottle (expressed milk if there is some or formula) and that seems slightly better although she still fights with the bottle. I don't want to give up Breastfeeding but we are both not enjoying it at the moment. Thanks all

Thank you all for your responses and support, really really appreciate it...I feel much better now knowing that we are not alone and it will get better. It is heartbreaking to see her in pain. I know we are incredibly lucky to be on omeprazole this quickly, just pure luck that the consultant at Kings took notice of her fussiness rather than just taking bloods for jaundice (that is why we were there in the first place). And dare I say I think they are working. Together with adopting other advice regarding feeding and keeping her upright as much as we can) there certainly is less crying. I still have millions of questions, hope we will be out of the woods by age of 1. I will be on the forum again soon, I am sure. I will still ask for the infant liquid from the GP; let's see if they agree.

Overground from Denmark Hill goes directly to Shoreditch High Street station, then on a bus. We used to live that part of London and Museum of Childhood is such an amazing place to visit with all ages of children. I hope you enjoy it.

Dear forumites I am bumping this post to ask your experiences about medication and Breastfeeding for my 6 week old daughter, who has reflux (no vomiting). First of all this is a relatively old post, I hope all of you are out of the woods now. I was delighted to find this post which is full of lots of valuable advice and support. Knowing that I am not alone with a screaming unhappy baby (therefore questioning myself constantly with 'surely I am doing something wrong and I can't even console my baby') is very reassuring. Very briefly our story is - after 3 weeks of honeymoon with feeding and sleeping, my daughter started having long spells of crying day or night (or both). Typically we put it down to colic as it was the right time. After a particularly bad day and night we went to see the GP to rule out any other problems. Our GP told that probably it is colic due to digestive sensitivities following a potential lactose overload after the three week growth spurt. She asked me to go on a very plain diet (no dairy or highly allergen food)to see if it makes difference. It kind of did but only a little. Then came the extreme fussiness when feeding. Some feeds were fine but more often than not she wanted to feed but screamed and pulled off from the breast with an arching back when trying to feed. I have spent hours to feed her, with her crying constantly with pain and finally passing out when she is just about full. Anyway to cut it short - last Friday, we were at the Kings to do a blood test for prolonged jaundice. A paediatrician saw us for the tests but my daughter was so unsettled (she wanted to feed but just did not latch with throwing herself back) so the doctor examined her and decided that she probably have reflux (in a way we were blessed to be there during her fussy time as we skipped the GP referral stage). Reading this post since then made me realise there were signs of reflux but as she is not vomiting probably I did not think about it that much. Here comes my questions. We have been prescribed omeprazole in liquid form by the kings paediatrician. Unfortunately Kings pharmacy did not have it so we have been asked to go to our GP to re-write the prescription to be collected from another pharmacy. GP when prescribing converted it into Losec MUPS (tablets) to be dissolved in water and administered with a syringe. I will check this with GP as soon as I can but I thought I will check with experienced parents here. When I dissolve the tablet it does not dissolve fully, there are sediments in it and they don't transfer to the syringe. Therefore I am worried that we are not getting the full effect of the drug. Anyone had a similar issue? Am I missing a trick here? I think I will speak to the GP to have the original liquid prescription next time though. Secondly for those mums who breastfed their reflux babies, I would really appreciate if you can share (on the forum or via PM)your advice on establishing a feeding routine and introducing an occasional (regular) bottle to ease of the pressure on me. Due to our hours of struggle with feeding I feel we are all over the place and it is difficult off me to keep track of how much she had and when... Did anyone come across a Breastfeeding support person who has experience and knowledge with reflux babies? Thanks in advance for your suggestions

I think I got incredibly lucky on this one. The midwife who visited me after my birth, who was the third midwife visiting me, was very considerate and quickly picked up I was a bit upset about my labour. She let me talk about it with her which felt really good and she also arranged with the Kings to contact me in the new year to book an appointment with the consultant midwife to talk through my hospital/birth notes. I was planning to arrange a debrief as I think it is important to do it sooner than later, whilst the experience still fresh in my mind so really happy that it will be arranged in a few weeks time. Perhaps talk to the midwife who is caring for you after the birth for advice. Good luck.

Congratulations! We will have 2.5 years age gap when the baby arrives in the next few weeks. We read there is a house inside my mummy. It was good, I don't think it would have worked if my daughter was younger. We started talking about her little sister in the last couple of months, not earlier. To be fair we were not even going to start then but she started showing interest in the bump so we talked about baby growing inside, she will come out when she is ready etc. and this book tallies up with that.

Thanks for all the organisation! I think I can come on the 18th however I have my daughter (she is 2.5) with me on Mondays. We might make an appearance and I might be allowed a cup of coffee before she gets bored;) however I would be very keen to meet some of you as we are relatively new to the area...

I believe Mustela products are also very good. They are much cheaper in the US if you like them and has an opportunity to buy from there. We use its sun cream and face creams... I use earth friendly for bath as it is easier to find in supermarkets and like...

I am pregnant too and the morning and evening commute has been a challenge I have to say...I normally take 9:12 or 9:19; as they are close to 9:07 they are relatively quiet. 90% of the time I can get a seat. Maybe you should try before changing your working hours. I also check the live train information on my way to the station and if there is any problem with 9:07 I don't get near to denmark hill station (on almost all occasions I couldn't even get on the train if that has been the case). I go to ED instead to London Bridge and take 521. Good luck. At least the hot summer days are over, trains were nightmare then!

I thought as much...thanks.

Hi all Did anyone receive an odd email today from the manager of little fingers Montessori nursery asking for money (as she is robbed in Manila and her money is stolen, she can't get her bank transfer in time so she is asking for a loan of money). I would like to think her account is hacked or something to send emails to her contacts. Otherwise I think the email is very odd...or maybe I am very sceptical. At the same time I am really not sure asking money from people who are current or potential parents of a nursery does not sound very professional.. Anyway - I thought I would check Thanks

Hi I am expecting my second baby in mid-December and planning to give birth at the KIng's. I am looking for a doula and before trying to identify and contact few from Doula UK or similar websites, I wanted to ask if there are personal recommendations. I am looking for someone who has been to VBAC births, if at all possible. Any other suggestion on how to go on about this would be much appeciated too.. Thanks all

My daughter went to Smithfield House Children's Nursery for over a year (age 11mo to 2 years).We stopped it as were offered a nanny share but I contemplated a lot about moving her out of there as she was so happy! It is easy to get to from ED, denmark or Herne hill to Farringdon, then 4-5 mins walk to the Smithfield market. I rate them very very highly, its owner / manager has a lot of experience in childcare (although she is back in Scotland for a while as her other nursery's manager is on maternity leave) but she left the shop to other very capable hands. The staff continuity is really good. It is not Montessori but I really liked their approach which supports independence and preference of each child (the leader of my daughter's room had a BA in children studies). Their space is big and newly designed, has a fantastic feeling when you enter into children's rooms. Toys books are all new and very age appropriate. They don't have outside space but they go out to parks, libraries, Museum of London every day (unless it is really raining). I can go on and on...because they are relatively new and has good space I think they still have spaces available, although I think they have been selected as a preferred supplier for the Bar so it was getting busier...happy to give more info if you pm me. I don't work for them (;))just had a very good experience with them when I also explored all other local childcare options in my old neighbourhood and I was so happy to have found them...good luck with your search...

Dear all Those who are in London, what a weather for 'summer' bank holiday. There you go. It is however nice to have a bit of freshness in the air, it was so humid. Thank you all, particularly Alieh for your support and suggestions. I felt much better. I have my 25 week appointment with the GP on Wednesday, I will raise some of my concerns with him (I know I should not do this but I compare this pregnancy to my previous pregnancy, I do not feel half healthy as compared to that, really breathless, constant swollen feet, feeling huge already, etc. being a working mother running after a 2 year old in her 'spare' time does not help;)). I will also try and get hold of a consultant midwife from KCH after bank holiday to speak particularly about my anxieties on VBAC. I am sure it will be fine. I guess partly it is about managing expectations, Gardens have a different system than other surgeries that, I am assuming as long as you are considered not high risk, you don't see a midwife into your later stages of pregnancy. It does not feel right but it is what it is. Apologies also that I hijacked this thread with my own concerns and problems. We are going to be brave not to buy a double buggy in the first instance. I have a feeling that I will be carrying the baby in a sling most of the time and use the single buggy we already have for my eldest. I am slightly concerned as she is not good at staying in the buggy but I will see how it goes... Take care all

On another matter, I had another non urgent question. What is the best way of searching for a doula? Google gives couple of doula networks that you can search through but I am looking for someone with VBAC experience and a mid December is not a great time to secure someone in case I go further then 40 weeks it is very close to Christmas. In the most ideal world I am hoping to find the right person with VBAC experience and who is relatively local / worked with kings before...Where do you think I should start searching, does anyone has any personal recommendations, could there be any further information available from the midwives? Thanks all. Hope everyone is keeping well and have great bank holidays...

Really appreciate all the suggestions. I have not achieved much. I checked the letter the surgery sent me about the availability of antenatal care in the area. It states clearly that Lanes are attached to DMC and there is a waiting list for them and the old registries to DMC will have priority over newly registered patients. So in short I don't stand a chance. And you are right Brierly is for home births, something I don't consider for VBAC. So I am staying where I am. I called the surgery to see if I can see a midvife instead of a GP and there was no luck. And I asked that what is the alternative to this situation that I need some support and would like to see a midvife and all I heard was a lot of rubbish and random questions, I just gave up. I have been calling the kings maternity helpline since Tuesday and not once it has been answered. I left a message but no one got back to me. I called again today and they are now closed until 28 August until 9am. I am appalled by all this I have to say. Either I am not speaking to the right people or not asking the right questions but I am a 24 week pregnant woman, I have a specific question that I would like up speak to a midvife about (it is not urgent so I don't want to call the maternity assessment unit) and I simply have no one to talk to. Is this really normal? do you have any other suggestions? I don't understand why there is a 'helpline' if no one bothers to answer the calls...sorry about a bit of a rant but we moved here recently and I received excellent antenatal care in our old neighbourhood, without stressing about not knowing who to speak to if there is a problem / question. I am finding this lack of support really surprising...

Thank you for your suggestions Wanhope and Bonfire. I am not that attached to the Gardens Surgery although we are registered there as a family and they are attached to Townley Road for Health Visitors (a reasonable level of surgery and HV service is particularly important for my 2 year old daughter). I might stick with the Gardens for the moment (the reason we have chosen there is that they are known to be 'family friendly') but will look into whether I can have a different care during my pregnancy. Will look into this and will keep you posted (if interested) for any updates. It is obviously sad to hear that the level of care offered in the area differs sigficantly. Having said that I am still at my early stages of pregnancy, I am hoping things will improve from now on.

Pebbles and J-mo, do little girls attend to these too? We are interested for our little girl who is 2y2mo. One of my work colleagues trains / coaches London welsh junior team and he has invited our daughter to join but they are all the way in Richmond so couldn't commit yet. Thanks

Hello all Lovely to see this thread, I want to join too. My second baby is due on 12 December. We are new to the area moved only six months ago. this thread made me think about those glorious early baby days meet ups with nct girls;) I think I will look into those coffee mornings for second time mothers to meet more local mums. Maybe we organise a get together through this thread after our babies are born (fingers crossed all goes well for all of us). I was thinking the other day that I am nearly 24 weeks and haven't seen a midwife yet since the booking appointment. I am at the gardens surgery and the next antenatal appointment I have is with a GP, who is yet another different health professional I will see during this pregnancy. I think I miss some kind of continuity/familiarity. I am still trying to get my head round the system in ED as when I called the surgery to book my 25 week appointment the lady said she will see if she can book me with the midwife but she is fully booked apparently, so I am booked in with a GP. I thought that is not that cool. But reading here that they try to keep those appointments for when you really need then after 30 weeks that kind of makes sense. I hope that is the case though. My first baby was c-section due to breech presentation and I am considering VBAC this time. I have hundreds of questions and overall a bit anxious about the birth so I would have loved to have some access to midvifes at this stage. I am sure it will all sort itself out in the end. Hope all the scans are going well. I had my two scans and staff at kings were excellent. Talking about excitement for scans they always need to take my blood pressure twice on hospital visit as first one is so high. I get so nervous... Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Thanks for the suggestions, good to know that we are not stuck with one alternative only.

Hi all We are about to start a nanny share (both families are first time employers). I wanted to ask suggestions on the nanny payroll services companies. Nannyshare.co.uk suggests Nannytax, is everyone who used Nannytax happy with their services(speed, getting things right, customer care, etc)? Or can you suggest other services you have used? Thanks all