Sleep positioning for infants with GE reflux?

Question

My infant is 3 months old and was just diagnosed with GE reflux that sometimes causes her to choke on what she spits up. They didn't tell me any suggestions for sleeping-and I'm terrified she might do this while I'm asleep and that I won't hear her. What's the safest way to put her to sleep on her back?

Answer 1

Elevated the mattress in her crib/bassinet or you may have to resort to letting her sleep in the swing which is the only thing that helped my son with his horrible reflux at night (I did run it through the pediatrician first).  They just can't lay down on their backs because it really does make the acid worse so they wakeup screaming from it.  

Answer 2

mine is 2 mos old and we have the same prob; however when we tried slightly elevating her mattress she slowly slid down off of it so it really didn't do any good; she's on medication and she sleeps on her back and she's fine, i just make sure and stay up with her quite a while after she's eaten....gl

Answer 3

Let her sleep on her side, ya know how they say lay a drunk person on their side to sleep so they don't suffocate on their own vomit...

Answer 4

All three of my little ones had reflux, so I have a lot of experience in this department.  My oldest slept on her stomach on a pillow in our bed (I didn't know anything about SIDS then), my second slept on his stomach in a crib with a folded up blanket under the crib mattress to elevate it a bit (he wouldn't sleep on his back at all) and my third slept in her bouncer seat for the first 3 months ( a carseat would also work) and then was well enough to lay flat in a crib, also on her stomach.  I tried and tried to get my kids to sleep on their backs but they never would.  My pediatrician said that their preference for tummy sleeping might have something to do with the reflux.  

As for spitting up- my doctors always advised that you don't lay your baby flat for 45 minutes after a meal, so that is where the carseat sleeping comes in handy.  At 3 am you don't really want to entertain your baby for 45 minutes while they digest.  They also have special 'nest' type things that go in your bed for her to sleep in where you could prop it up a bit and then she would be right next to you if she started spitting up.  

Good luck and I hope she outgrows it quickly!

Answer 5

My son had severe acid reflux when he was small.  Pretty much slept on egg shells for many months.  He slept in a baby swing a lot of the time if he was too fussy to sleep in his crib.  We used crib blocks to increase the angle of the bed. Hope this helps you a bit.

Answer 6

My daughter had horrible reflux and I had the same problem with her.  She couldn't ever be away from me cuz she was always choking on her spit up.   I put a big wedge under her mattress.  They also have a special thing you can put in the crib that will keep them in the right place.  Another choice is letting her sleep in a swing or bouncer seat.  I ended up getting a bassinet and putting a pregnancy wedge under the mattress to elevate her head and that way she slept in the room with me.  My baby was hospitalized with complications from reflux and while we were in there they showed me to roll up the recieving blankets together to make a tube shaped roll that was about 4 inches thick.  THey made it into a U and Put it around her sides and under her feet to prevent her from sliding down the bed.  Good luck.