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Support for Wellbeing, Awareness Week 2023
I was recently asked by a team of doctors in training: “What is one thing, you wish we as doctors could give?” And the truth is there isn’t just “one thing”. Babies with reflux don’t just have 1 thing. Families with reflux babies don’t need just 1 thing. I’m a Mum of 2 beautiful little girls. Both have a myriad of ‘things’. Ranging from laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, obstructive apnoea, clefts, high arched palates…the list goes on. Naturally, their reflux has been more complicated than most, but that’s not uncommon for reflux babies. How could I possibly just ask “1 thing” Somehow, we got on the topic of babies being admitted to…
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Family Impact, Awareness Week 2023
Mitchell has found it hard being an older child with reflux and not being understood by those around him. For the sibling of a child with reflux it meant that Victoria lost her sense of security. We would be having a normal day and then a bout of pain would lead to a trip to the emergency department and the whole family routine was thrown out. During COVID Victoria couldn’t travel to Christchurch for Mitchells surgeries and procedures, and we didn’t realise the impact on the child left behind until after it all. Reflux doesn’t just affect the one person but the entire family. We as parents have had to…
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Post Natal Depression: Bec’s Story. Awareness Week 2020
I sit in the comfortable leather chair, feet reclined, and try to count my blessings. A single salty tear runs down my cheek, and then another until my vision begins to blur. Through the baby monitor I can hear him crying again and I know that I must go to him. But I donât want to. The tears begin to cascade down my face now, as I stand, trying to blink and compose myself. I grab some toilet paper and blow my nose, because we have run out of tissues. It feels scratchy but I donât care. I go into his room and I pick him up, making gentle soothing…
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Harper’s Journey- Awareness Week 2020
I think one of the hardest parts is that reflux can appear as an invisible disease, from the outside Harper looks like a healthy and happy little girl, it makes it hard for others to believe what we all live with, the sleepless nights, the stress about food.
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3 Girls, 3 reflux Journeys- Awareness Week 2020
Things ran smoothly for a while and I remember reading an article on reflux in Little Treasures magazine and thinking thank god my daughter hasnât got that; little did I know.