Life with Reflux

name: Sue

date entered: 08/10/2007

country: Australia

story:

I am a mum of two beautiful girls 5 and 3mths.  Both pregnancies were hard as I had preeclampsia with both. With my first child we were told that they were an eptopic child and prone to allergies. This was fine until we started her on solids and she would react to most foods that we prepared for her. Now as a five year old she is still a fussy eater due to her start with foods.

On having my second child I assumed they may have allergies as well, as they run in the family. But I was not ready to have a child with reflux.

In the first six weeks the crying and vomiting and general unhappiness of my child was distressing to me, my husband and my other daughter. Reflux is not seen as a major illness in the people that I have spoken to; some people say, "Is that all that is wrong with her?", and I am happy that overall she is well, but it's hard to care for a child that is vomiting at the first taste of milk and crying for up to one hour after a feed.

But the biggest impact this has had on me as a mother was on my other daughter.  She already felt funny not being an only child anymore but now she had to share her mummy with one that cried all of the time.  With time I'm sure she will get used to it, but I have had to make an extra effort to make time for her when the other one is asleep and settled.

Administrators note: Sue also has a story in the 'ART Mums' section

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