Night-Time Woes and Sleep Positioners

My girls are finally sleeping through the night.  At least, they were prior to this past weekend when they picked up colds.  But for the past month, the nights they slept outnumber the nights they didn't, so that is good news indeed.

Mind you, my girls are 2 and 3 years old.  If you are a GERD mama, you understand the importance of this milestone.  Six months ago I thought there was no end in sight to the nightly drama that occurred in our home.  I pored over all the books recommended by pediatrician and librarian alike, and defended myself to well-meaning friends and strangers who insisted my children would sleep if I just ignored them and let them "cry it out" at night.  The trouble is, the "cry it out" method doesn't work for children with acid reflux.

Think about it.  In a perfect world, the "crying periods" are supposed to gradually decrease from 15-20 minutes at a time to no crying at all, assuming the child is happy, healthy, dry, fed and comfortable.  This method is completely at a loss for what to do with children who have a disease, who are hurting and can't breathe, who cry for 8-10 hours at a time because their pain and fear are so significant.

My first daughter's silent GERD was so severe we couldn't lay her down for even short periods of time because she would aspirate her reflux, choke, stop breathing, and turn purple.  Several times a day and through the night this would happen for her first few months of life.  It got to a point where I was scared to go to the bathroom when I was home alone with her during the day.

Night-times were especially hard.  Our pediatrician was sympathetic to our dilemma.  Because of the Back-to-Sleep campaign as well as legal reasons, he could not recommend that we put her to sleep on her tummy.  But because of her history of choking and her increased risk of SIDS due to her reflux, we couldn't put her on her back, either.

So we held her over our shoulder at night, taking shifts sitting in a recliner so everyone could catch some sleep.  It wasn't ideal, but it worked.  It was the only thing that worked.  Car seats and motion swings scrunched her tummy up tight and contributed to her reflux.  Propping her mattress inevitably resulted in her turning around so her legs were elevated instead of her head.  And so we took shifts until we felt she was old enough to go to sleep on her tummy.

My second daughter had an easier time finding her position at night.  Since she began lifting her head and rolling over when she was less than two weeks old, I had no problem at all putting her on her tummy to sleep.  I even let her sleep in bed with me at an early age, and she would snuggle into my arm and prop herself up, as if she knew that were the best position for her to sleep.

Of course, getting GERD babies to an age where they can sleep comfortably and safely on a pillow doesn't automatically guarantee they will sleep through the night.  GERD babies often have a higher incidence of enlarged tonsils and adenoids, sleep apnea, asthma, and night terrors, as my household knows all too well through experience as well as reading.  Most of the literature I've read regarding these issues pinpoint four years as the target age for children with these issues to sleep through the night.  In perspective, then, my girls must be early learners, rather than late bloomers!

I used to tell my husband I was going to "invent" a GERD baby sleep positioner: one that would elevate the baby or enable the baby to be harnessed into an upright tummy position to reduce their pain and their risk of aspiration and SIDS.  Of course, someone beat me to it!  (In all probability, the Tucker Sling may have already been in production, but I was unaware of it at the time and no one recommended it to me--one of those situations where ignorance is probably not bliss!)

The Tucker Sling
The Tucker Sling comes in a variety of sizes from newborn up to 30 pounds, and it can also be custom-made to fit your child.  The sling itself is a safety harness that secures your child if you prop the mattress to the 30 degree angle recommended for acid reflux babies.  The sling is apparently versatile enough that you can position your baby on his or her back, tummy, or side.  You can also buy a wedge to secure the baby to instead of propping the mattress.  The sling-wedge combination fits into pack-and-plays rather than standard crib sizes, so make sure you order the correct size.  Many insurance companies also now cover the cost of the Tucker sling.
http://www.tuckersling.com/default.htm

The Nap Nanny
The Nap Nanny was designed by a mom.  (Yea, moms!)  It is a foam positioner that elevates the baby while nestling the baby into a comfortable position and securing him in place with a 3-point lap belt.  Although it is similar in style to a car seat or motion swing, the elevation is not as high, eliminating the pressure on the tummy that is so problematic for reflux babies.  Plus, it is easy to transport and can be used in cribs, pack-and-plays, or on a blanket on the floor.  In all honesty, this is quite similar to the design I had in my head, so I am happy to see another mother had the same idea that I did!  I do not know if insurance companies yet cover it, but it is always a good idea to check just to make sure.
http://napnanny.com/the_napnanny.html