Jeannette, I hope "the tape" you have is from Susan Boekel, RD, IBCLC's excellent presentation on GER at the July 2000 ILCA conference. It is not my "specialty," either, but after attending that session, I think it could be! Your pair display some of the classic symptoms she described (pain and crying after nursing, vomiting, weight loss as baby vomits AND self-limits, etc.) Boekel suggests, in cases of suspected or confirmed GER, that parents try some easy, can't-hurt, physical changes: (1) Positioning. ALWAYS keep the baby's head above the stomach -- not just after a nursing! Baby's head above tummy during nursing ... during play ... during diaper changes (put a prop under the pad to keep baby's head up. And don't lift the legs and scrunch up that tummy when wiping! Roll baby to side to clean) ... and during sleep. The last suggestion may be considered controversial (because supine sleeping is promoted to prevent SIDS), but prone sleeping definitely is more soothing to the GER baby. At least, she suggests, use the prone/pushing-up-on-arms position for play with baby in the day. (2) Wear the baby in a sling. (3) Favor a left-side-lateral position for the baby. (3) Use car seats and bouncy seats when baby must be put down. This keeps head up. Roll up a receiving blanket and place it under baby's knees, to prevent that "slide and slump." She also said that babies with GER will often have high sucking needs. GER babies may produce extra saliva ... and, the physical action of sucking helps baby re-swallow the troublesome refluxate that keeps bubbling up from below, and traumatizing the tender esophagus. Often moms will mistake baby's mouthing and swallowing as a feeding cue, when it really is a "sucking cue." Boekel recognizes that using a pacifier for this purpose may be considered controversial, but parents could use a finger as well if they feel their baby is "done feeding, but not done swallowing." I won't repeat here Boekel's thorough discussion of medications/ treatment options. These physical changes may provide some relief to both your mom and baby. Good luck to them. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html