Baby HATES This Rice Cereal for Reflux

Could there possibly be a miscommunication and the doctor actually meant to add tablespoons of formula to the breast milk (and not rice cereal)? That would still give the extra nutrition without making it so thick. There are also formulas that are helpful for people who might have allergies.

FYI--My neice had reflux when she was breastfed. When she was switched to a formula (I think it was lactose-free), she did extremely well.

Good luck to you--and maybe verify with the doctor what to add.

Have you tried not eating dairy for a couple of weeks? My son had a horrible dairy allergy that was causing his reflux, and when I stopped eating it, his reflux was gone (it took about 3 weeks).

At any rate, I would get a second opinion. It doesn't sound right!

I second the suggestion to go see a chiropractor. I brought my son to the chiropractor when he was a little baby for acid reflux and it helped worlds! As long as you go to one that deals with children they can really do a lot for them. I also recommend that you use a powder childrens probiotic. You can get it at any natural food store. It will help increase the good intestional flora in the baby.
Good Luck

Tears are warm on my cheeks! I think something is missing from this diagnosis! My daughter was chubby throughout and did the projectile vomiting, then went right back to breastfeeding - so she never had the f-t-th... but she did end up having a 'wicked' UTI, which may have been the underlying problem, just not checked. We were told reflux, and to keep feeding her. She was hospitalized for two days at four months and I refused the IV. We were television monitored around the clock, but she was having output, so she was getting milk and I was determined it would balance. Her doctor worked with us, and they kept her on meds and drew urine to check counts.

ANYWAY, a girlfriend's son had the same projectile vomiting with her son, and her doc did surgery for pyloric stenosis (spelling may be way off) - and he turned around immediately.

Another did chiropractor... which we also believe helped our kids constipation at that age.

UGH! I just hurt for both of you! You must be totally worn out, tired, and confused!

And I'm thinking you totally need another opinion! Pediatrician, the website mentioned, or chiropractor - even pharmacy... something just doesn't seem right! Even a lactation consultant - who may have encountered similar situations may be helpful, if nothing else, just to vent and talk with. I had one come out to our home and help find a position baby could latch on best with - they are determined to help!

How does your pediatrician feel about what the GI Specialist is recommending? UGH.

I'm thinking I'd camp out at the clinic... let the nurse and doc watch feedings! I did actually do that once, as well. One of our children was not gaining weight quickly enough - but maintaining. I had him weighed, nursed him and had him weighed immediately afterward - filled diaper and all. After several weighings and feedings, both pediatrician and I felt much more secure with my driving home and continuing!

Blessings and GOD-speed a solution!
T.

ok, babies are not supposed to have solids until after 4 months at the EARLIEST... which means that you dont have to start any solids at all until after that point - whenever baby shows interest. some parents even wait the full YEAR to feed solids because the longer you wait, the more easily it is for baby to digest solids. solids arent nutritionally necessary until after a year old... so dont push it if baby wont eat it. that wont get you anywhere. im very concerned that giving him solids is actually causing the issues.... ?

if you need some encouragement, or want to talk about what YOU feel your baby needs, please do not hesitate to email me. would love to help you !!
get yourself a second opinion. and a third. and a fourth. find someone who will give you a better explanation for whats going on. check with WIC if you apply for those services. find a lactation consultant/expert or the local or nearby la leche league.

in the meantime, respond to all of your baby's cries, hold, snuggle, carry, whatever. failure to thrive can sometimes be eased by simply being in constant contact with your baby. get yourself a sling, and just carry that baby. NO it wont mean that baby will always have to be carried. but it will give him the closeness that all babies NEED.

as far as being under the curve for height and weight, figure it this way, with massive amounts of overweight kids right now, being UNDER the curve is a good thing. amounts that he is eating is NOT as important as his overall behavior and steady growth. sure, he should be growing, and kids do have stops and starts with growth, but not all kids are the same. the curve charts that they use to determine percentage are frustrating because it does NOT mean that your kid us underweight, it just means hes smaller compared to other kids his age. there is NOTHING wrong with this - my son, and a few kids of our friend's have ALWAYS been under the curve. sometimes my son did pop above the curve in height, oru friends 3 year old is FAR over the curve in height... but never in weight. this is FINE!! trust me, like i said, with the large amount of kids grossly overweight, this is NOT an issue. the issue is his reflux sure, and if he is not acting 'normal' - which means normal for him, .... thats the difference. you as mom are the closest person to your son, (and dad if involved you didnt mention him...) ONLY YOU know your child inside out. stick with that - connectiveness and constant response to his cries and needs during the first year will help your instincts grow stronger. either way, if YOU FEEL that something is wrong, get that 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinion. if you feel that he is fine, please, by all means, forget about the solids and just nurse him! :D there is NO reason to push solids on him - hes telling you hes not ready - he doesnt want them! ;D trust me, this is OK!!!

Oh, I have a now 12 yr old who lived through this. I could go on forever. We had failure to thrive, the Dr even reported us to social services. Long story short: we survived. He still has awful GERD, and has had extensive GI workups at our Childrens Hospital. You can email with specific questions. But, he's 12 now, and is small andlight, and eats small amts all day, has permission to have 2 extra snacks at school a day. That's him, anyway, ____@____.com. I feel for you, that was one of the darkest periods of my life. Everyone blames you, and you are just doing what the Drs tell you to do....very tough times. Glad its' over for us.

I will echo everyone else - the cereal is not working, and is causing MORE issues (choking, not breathing), so stop it. I can't believe he suggested that, and especially that thick! My daughter was on Zantac at first, but it didn't help, and she hated it cause it has a STRONG mint flavor...we switched to the Prevacid solutab - cut it in half with a pill cutter and then rubbed the half on the inside of her cheek with our finger till it dissolved, when she was about 2 months. Worked MUCH better. I still exclusively breastfed, and we just trie to keep her upright all the time, and fed her small amounts every 1.5 to 2 hours.

We also bought a Tucker Sling for her to sleep on/in - that made a HUGE difference in her sleeping. http://www.tuckersling.com/

After more research on my own, I found I had a problem as well as her having reflux...I had a milk imbalance/oversupply, she was getting too much foremilk, and not enough of the fatty hindmilk - all the lactose was hitting her intestines at aonce, and with no fat to slow the digestion/fermentation of the sugars, she was getting VERY GASSY - her poops turned for the typical breastfed yellow and seedy, to bright green and stringy /mucousy like seaweed!!! It was so bad, she even tried to refuse the breast for about a week...she would only nurse in her sleep - awake she would scream and push me away! I figured this out by searching the web, the Dr. had no clue, and I solved it by not switching sides/breasts in the middle of feeding - in fact for a couple weeks, I had to nurse only on one side for 2 feedings in a row, and then do the other side 2 feeds in a row....it sloved the baby's gas issues almost immediately, like after half a day poop was back to normal, took 2 weeks to get my supply to decrease enough to go back to one breast per feeding, and we never got to the point where I hadto/could have her eat both sides in one feeding, and I nursed till she was 9 months.

She was always small, and still is, almost 2.5 years old, and only 24 lbs. and 35 inches...10th and 25th percentile. Out Ped we had at th ebeginning never told me percentiles, I think not to scare me, bacause although small, her development was consistent, she was on her own growth curve, and her mental deveopment was way above average. She is just petite!

I say nurse him and see if you can get some prevacid and keep him upright as much as possible, in a carrier on you, or swing or bouncy seat, or try to get one of these Tucker Slings, they work wonders!

Go to a different Dr., too!!!

Good Luck! They usually grow out of reflux by 8 months to one year!

L.
I am so sorry that you are going through this! I highly recommend that you consult with a chiropractic who is board certified in pediatrics. I have a great one who has a clinic in St. Louis Park and Shorewood/Excelsior area. If you want any more information, please contact me. I am certain that I can get you a free consultation with him. I tried this myself and it made a world of difference! My son did not have as severe of a condition as it sounds like your little one has, so I can only imagine how much he could help you. It is certainly worth talking to him (Or another pediatric chiro.) Good luck!

Hugs for the desperate situation. Failure to thrive is a serious designation. Reflux is terrible.

I don't think you mentioned your lo taking any meds that may help the reflux? That seems strange. It was suggested to us to try the cereal at 4 months for reflux before we went on meds. Cereal did nothing to help; it only increased gas. If your son is choking on it, it is dangerous.

The information on the Midwest Acid Reflux Children's Institute literally changed our lives. If your lo is on meds, perhaps you should check out the dosing memo for drs on the left side. Also looking at the dosing calculator will let you know if your lo is taking a dose that is big enough for age and size. Our son was WAY underdosed, and his reflux was not controlled. I would think a gi would know proper dosing, though??? It does have a medications link on the right side; it states how all the different meds work. Perhaps something else may work better if you are using something now.

www.marci-kids.com

I know of someone that actually called MARCI and received a lot of help. Maybe worth checking out...

L. - I feel for you. We are going through the same thing with our 3 month old. We used the Avent bottles with their 3 way nipples for her rice/formula mixture. This helped her out until her meds could kick in.

She was initially on Zantac, switched to Prevacid (during a 2 week stint at Children's Hosp.) and then we had Zantac added back in per her Dr and Peds GI doctor as she was really struggiling to eat/keep it down. Don't be afraid to switch GI docs if they aren't supporting you. You may want to ask about adding Zantac (Abby gets Prevacid at 6 and 6 and Zantac at 12 and 12). Recently, her GI doctor recommended dropping a dose of Zantac and her feedings plummeted and she started vomiting again so I put her back on them.

We also went to the feeding clinic at Children's and they offered some tips that helped out too.

I've found you are your baby's advocate and you need to speak up loud sometimes. Luckily they do grow out of this...

L.-
Sorry you and your little one have been through so much these last few months. It sounds like you have gotten some bad advice unfortunately.

I agree with everyone else on the rice cereal, stop it as it can do more harm than good on a baby that young. I also find it strange that they would rather he feed from a bottle than at the breast. Feeding from the bottle makes a baby more likely to overeat and not be able to regulate his appetite.

I think a baby with reflux is supposed to drink frequent small meals and preferably at the breast. I would let him lead the way. It sounds like your supply is fine if you are able to pump is food, so I would just stop the pumping and strictly breast feed him every 2 hours or so. (More if he wants). There should be less air/gas bubbles because of the better latch and he will be able to feel full faster so he doesn't over eat.

I also agree with the dairy thing, it's worth a shot to take it out of your diet for a couple of weeks to see if that helps.

I really hope your baby gets better quickly, just go with your gut as Dr.'s are not always right. Nothing is better for baby than his mothers milk straight from the breast.

-E.

My heart goes out to you and your little one!

First of all, putting cereal in the bottle and cutting the nipple hole goes against everything I'd been told by our doctor, as well as read in baby books. I would stop the cereal regardless of what the GI says. Sometimes you have to follow your heart and your gut instinct.

My daughter is 2 now, but the day we brought her home from the hospital was the day her reflux started. The doctor put her on liquid Zantac, small drops 3 times a day. It helped, but wasn't working completely, and she was too young for a higher dose. We went to a GI once and never went back. The GI wanted me to use $50 a can formula and do all kinds of blood tests and whatnot, but I just couldn't put her throught that. So I spent my nights awake on the couch with her sleeping on my chest. As long as she was on her tummy in an upright position, she didn't get reflux and could sleep.

The day she turned 2 months, she was old enough to start taking Prevacid. It came in actual pill form, which I put half of a pill into a syringe then sucked water into the syringe. The pill would dissolve in the syringe so I could easily give it to her every day. It was a miracle worker. After 2 days, No acid reflux at all. I tried stopping when she was 9 months and 12 months but she went right back to the reflux so she was on it until she was 15 months.

One other thing, our doctor told us that babies shouldn't start cereal until they are at least 4 months (I've also read that in baby books) And rice cereal can actually make the reflux worse in some little ones, so he had us forgoe the cereal all together. She was on strictly formula until she was 6 months and then we started baby food. Our daughter was even in the 20th percentile for weight when we decided to skip cereal. Just because they are thin doesn't mean they aren't healthy. I truly hope it all works out for you. I know how hard it is.

My advice to you is to find a good pediatric Chiropractor in your area...Look on the ICPA website to find one. Chiropractic is VERY effective for this sort of problem. It usually is caused by birth trauma...there should be no reason why your breast milk isn't enough...he just needs an adjustment to help his gut work properly.

HTH!
Hang in there - find a chiropractor, and it will get better!
C.

First of all, I just want to say that it must have been so horribly scary when someone had to do CPR on your sweet baby. I'm glad that he was revived! My daughter is almost 4 but when she was little, she had tons of GI problems and they all stemmed from food allergies. I had to take dairy, gluten and eggs out of my diet and she did well with that. I wonder if any of this could be allergy related?
Good luck!

Ok I am HORRIFIED at the advice that doctor gave you, let alone some of the advice given here! Formula will make this worse, and there is no need to swithc him to some expensive formula when you have what he needs for free.

Breastmilk is a natural antacid, so if anything ,nursing him on demand is HELPING him and in no way hurting him. If he was truly lactose intolerant, he would be very ill, nhot gaining at all, and he would more than likely have already been in the hospital and diagnosed. Its highly doubtful he's allergic to your milk in any way, but its possible he's reacting to something IN your milk, like cows milk/dairy.

Rice cereal will make it worse, and then will end up making him constipated anyway. I would skip it, especially 4Tbs to 4oz of breastmilk... thats insane! And it pretty likely he's aspirating most of htat into his lungs instead of swallowing it to his tummy. Really dangerous.

If this were my child, I would nurse him on demand all the time. Nurse him one breast per session, do NOT switch back and forth. If you have a forceful letdown, then chances are he's getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmil, this will produce reflux like symptoms and make him horribly gassy and irritable. So one breast per session, and let him nurse until he falls asleep, or falls off the breast content from nursing. DO NOT SWITHC BREASTS! He needs the hindmilk to thrive, grow, and it contains the fats his body needs to grow, and his brain to grow as well.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go back to nursing at the breast, find an IBCLC (BOARD certified LACTATION CONSULTANT), not some random nurse at the hospital, an IBCLC, and contact your local La Leche League inc and speak with them. Your son needs your breastmilk right now, and by nursing him on demand, one breast at a time per feeding, and stopping all supplements, you will see an improvement in his little body.

Please pm me if you need any more information or support. But please go back to nursing at the breast, stop all supplements, and only one breast per feeding, no switching it up. Your little guy needs this.

Finding a chiropractor won't hurt either, an adjustment may make a world of difference in your child too.

I would see a different doctor, different clinic if you have to. To have them expect a 13 week old infant to eat a thick cereal mixture that even my 9 month old would have refused is not right. I can see maybe mixing a little bit of cereal in a bottle, though not recommended, but just a little to give it some uumph, but still be plenty runny, therefore it would be much easier to get through a cereal nipple. I think he required way too much cereal for a baby that hasn't had it before. And my daughter hated Rice cereal anyway. she preferred the oatmeal or the multigrain cereal, even barley was better than the rice cereal. Hope you find somehting that works.

I am sorry you are going through this. I would talk to the doc more and demand better solutions. What is the reason for doing the bm in a bottle instead of at the breast? I would bfed him instead of the bottle, that would at least comfort him and, as you said, he nurses well. I would stop the cereal in the bottle, that is not safe. If your doc can't help you, see another doc, seriously. I feel for you and your little boy. I am sorry.
S.
mom of 3 and daycare provider

Oh my gosh, that all sounds so awful! I have heard just the opposite of rice milk for reflux, it just seems to make it more painful coming up. I always was told, never put cereal in the bottle. Was this an "older" DR? I would think smaller, more frequent feedings. If you still want to go to a Dr. I would get another one. I am so sorry for your LO.
Good Luck

I feel so bad for you and Wesley! My 10 month old also has acid reflux and I was told to stop breastfeeding to help it. I did that, and the projectile vomitting stopped, but then it was the same amount of puking, just not projectile. So they put him on Zantac, and 8 months of that and nothing changed, so they put him on Prevacid now and that seems to be working, they put him on an anti-puking medicine that starts with an R - I can get you the real name if you want - and they put him on a steriod called Pulmicort to strengthen the muscle that goes from the stomach to the esophogas and it has helped tremendously! Keep on them until he gets better - that's what we had to do! Keep me posted and let me know if you have any questions about certain medications we've tried!!

HI,
Breastmilk doesn't work for all babies, maybe trying some formula would help. The doctor may have samples you could try. Good luck!

Oh L., I am SO sorry! Call the Dr. back and tell them you expect a better solution NOW. In the meantime just nurse him. Cereal in a bottle is dangerous, as you found out. He probably needs comfort more than anything right now so let him nurse as much as he wants.
The doctor needs to come up with a different solution. Seriously. They can't put you through this.
Have you tried chiropractics? My daughter had severe reflux and did meds and chiropractics. With my son we used craniosacral therapy due to a traumatic birth and had a lot of success.
Being a new mom is HARD when you have to deal with your baby having trouble. Don't be afraid to DEMAND more things to try and ask as many questions as you like.
I hope and pray that this resolves soon so you and your little one can get on with enjoying life! Be strong mom!

My son had horrible reflux, and turned out to be lactose intolerant. I would try a formula like nutramigen - that will give him extra calories (honestly, calories are needed and onkay for babies)

I would definitely seek a second (and maybe a third) opinion from a different doctor. Something is not right with what your doctor is telling you.

Also, if he is able to breastfeed from the breast without choking, by all means, feed him as much as he is willing to drink!

My prayers are with you and your little one. Hope things get easier soon for both of you

Is he on any type of medication for his reflux?

If your child is CHOKING on the rice cereal, then this is not the solution. you should not have to worry about your child breathing on top of everything else you are worrying about. Thirteen weeks is WAY too young for cereal and everything I've heard is that cereal in a bottle is very dangerous for a tiny baby -- as you have seen yourself.
I'd get a second opinion. And maybe a third. You need someone who will work with you and support your breastfeeding relationship with your baby. Actually, I'd talk to a lactation consultant and see if they have any suggestions for a breastfeeding-friendly doctor.
Also, though it'll suck, I'd try cutting out dairy. That seems to cause a lot of issues for some babies.
Good luck! Don't be afraid to stand up for your son, he deserves it and he can't talk yet.

has he actually had a swallow study to see what's really happening? I saw a "medical mystery" show where the FINAL diagnosis was that the child's stomach was actually herniated through up into the chest cavity. VERY RARE, but.....in that case, the child had surgery and has had NO issues since. Sorry I don't remember all the details. I guess my point is, have they done other diagnostics to come up with reflux, or are they going with that simply based on frequency of vomitting/spitting up. Good Luck!

Hi L.,
I agree with so many of the other posts. Go back to the doctor and have them run more tests. Call Children's and get a swallow study done asap. Have them check for food allergies. Whatever you are eating will show up in the breatstmilk, be it dairy, gluten, wheat, etc. You may have to switch to a formula if it is food allergy because it is very difficult to figure out what you need to avoid.
Adding rice cereal is very filling and can also cause constipation to add to your woes. There are thickening agents available that are not so filling such as Thick It and Thicken Up.
I have a son with Down syndrome who aspirated and a daughter who had significant reflux. I also own a business with products for kids with special needs and one thing I've learned is that the parents must be strong advocates for their children. Unfortunately, you need to be as educated as the doctor and not be afraid to INSIST on further testing. Most of the time, the parent is correct in pursuing these issues.

Best wishes with everything!!
God Bless,
K.

I am so sorry that you and WEsley are going through this!!!I thought my little girl had it, but thank God that it wasn't near as bad... I highly suggest finding an infant chiropractor immediately! And another opinion from a 2nd ped. Now, granted, I don't have a medical degree but (doctors hate this!!!!) it sounds like 2 problems. More often than not, a newborn boys top stomach valve isn't fully developed, and so doens't close all the way, allowing milk to come up more easily. My understanding is that a high percentage of boys have this, and can be misconstrued as GERD, reflux, etc... This valve will strengthen with time. 2nd: Have his pyloric valve (spelling?) checked, this can be done by ultrasound I believe. It's the lower valve of the stomach and it sounds by your description that it may not be opening, which would then not allow food/ milk to pass, so you just putting milk/ cement on top of milk already there.

It's amazing me that your ped would suggest to give him basically cement without checking with the technology available to him. Back to taking him to a chiro. they can teach you how to massage both valves (externally) to assist in the opening and closing.

You are Wesley's only advocate, speak up and don't be quiet in thinking you will anger the ped if you say anything that contradictes him. Good luck and I'll pray for Wesley's quick recovery!

I have been fortunate not to have had a child with reflux, but have had quite a few friends that have experienced similar issues. The were treated with meds and also had their heads elevated in bed by propping up the mattress on one side.

I am not a doctor, but a mother of four and have always heard not to feed cereal through a bottle because of choking issues. If I were in you shoes, I think I would seek a second opinion.

Also, is the bottle feeding being suggested to measure intake or for some other reason? It doesn't seem to be preventing the vomiting. Just one other thought, I had a child that could not tolerate rice, oatmeal cereal worked much better for her.

I wish you luck this is a very difficult situation. I hope you and your son will both be better soon!

G.

My instinct says the doctor is wrong and you should breast feed his little face chubby. I am wondering there may be an issue with his digestive track that is being over looked.
I think the more your nurse him at your breast the better chance your body has of making the special formulated milk he needs.

But please follow your instinct for your child. I have never delt with gerds.

I agree with all those who said get a second opinion. I would cut milk out of your diet and at the same time ask the doctor about meds he can take. Putting cereal in the bottle is not a good idea. I'm suprised he even told you to do that. I would call first thing this morning and tell him your guy choked on it and you will NOT do it again.

L.,
My heart goes out to you. This sounds like a really stressful situation for you and your son.

It seems that if your son is nursing eagerly, you should nurse him as much and as often as he wants, holding him close to you, and upright for as long as you can afterward. Nurse with both of you topless, to encourage skin contact.

And, if I were in your shoes, I would get another opinion. Perhaps from a doctor who has a more holistic view of infants. Shoving cereal into a bottle doesn't sound right...I have always heard that was a big no-no. I also have read that infants don't have the swallowing ability until they are at least 6 months old, so no wonder he is choking!

I didn't look to see where you are located, but I go to this great place, The Parenting Oasis, that has been very helpful to me, and you may want to check it out. On Tuesday's they have a New Mom group, and you may be able to get some more information there (and support!) parentingoasis.com

GOOD LUCK!
K.
parentingoasis.org

What are you supposed to do? Start listening to your mama instincts!! The doctors do NOT know everything. You don't need their "permission" to do anything, and you certainly don't have to do everything they recommend or prescribe.

It sounds like you knew right away that the doctor's advice to start pumping and give him thick cereal wasn't quite right. I could go on and on about what your doctor had you do, but all I will say is: PLEASE start seeing another doctor!! If I'm reading your post right, your doctor's "advice" almost killed your baby.

What your baby needs most right now is breastmilk, followed by formula. It sounds like he does best feeding from the breast, so continue it. If he needs more calories or you think that cereal would be a good idea, please give him the cereal on a spoon, while he is sitting up.

His acid reflux may be caused by a food allergy, from something you are eating and is present in your breastmilk. The easiest and fastest way for you to determine if that is what is going on is to go on what is called an "elimination diet". You would cut out all major allergens from your diet for 2 weeks, and then slowly add them back in one by one. Let me know if you want more info.

It's great you are checking out Chiropractic care! You should also research Hyland's Colic Tablets and Gripe Water to see if they are something you think would help.

It sounds like you've been to hell and back--good luck going forward!