Hesitant about cereal

callaann27

Just got back from the doctor and her suggestions have me a little hesitant. My lil man was showing signs of reflux (major spit up, coughing, gagging), so I wanted to get him checked out. She suggested a teaspoon of cereal in his 4oz bottle and Zantac twice a day. I thought cereal for a reflux baby was a No-No?! 

 1) what flow of bottle nipple are you using for your cereal fed babies? 

2) should I even continue the cereal if he is still spitting up the same amount? 

3)  how soon after you started the Zantac did you see at a difference? 

tstephens410

I apologize ahead of time for the format, I am on my phone bumping. I started giving my son cereal in his bottle once a day when he was six weeks old per my pedi's recommendation. my son also has reflux and has since he was born. he also takes zantac twice a day. I just took him back yesterday because he was getting worse. his pedi upped his dose of zantac since he had out grown the recommended amount and he also told me to put cereal in all of his bottles. I can say since yesterday he has not spit up anymore and he seems to be doing better. as for the bottle nipples, used a toothpick to make the hole a little bigger until I got size two nipples which helps. And I noticed a difference in a couple of days when he first started taking zantac. I hope this helps.

rebelina1

I can't answer your specific questions but adding cereal to a bottle is very common for the treatment of reflux. ETA: If you FF Enfamil makes a formula that has the cereal starches already in it to help with reflux. You might want to check it out.

Kristi1971

Both of my girls spit up quite a bit (though it's now slowing down significantly - finally!).  Our Pediatrician suggested 1-2 tsp of formula per oz.  I use 1 tsp per oz.  I've also mostly just used it in their evening bottle before they go to bed.

1. I use the fast flow with the cereal/formula, because it clogs up the medium flow nipples constantly.  Sometimes it still clogs up the fast flow, too.

2. The cereal should help thicken the formula some.  When my girls still spit up, it's a thicker spit-up.  Plus I think it helps keep a little more down in the tummy, thus keeping the acids in the tummy where they belong.

3. It was at least a week before the Zantac was really effective, but we could see a small difference already within a few days or so.  I will say my little girl still has the pain sometimes even with the Zantac, but it's so much improved with it.

Also, our pediatrician recommended the acid reflux pillow for one of my girls as one of them had the heartburn feeling in addition to the spitting up.  You can purchase one through Amazon.com.  It's around $100.00.  It's a bit expensive, but I have to say my little girl with the heartburn does wonders on it.  The 30* angle really helps keep everything down.  At first it seemed weird to put her on the pillow, but she is so used to it now, she even lifts her little arms up, so I can get the straps around her.

Congratulations on your LO!  Good Luck!

callaann27

Not sure if it makes a difference, but he has been on soy formula since he was 10wks old. Soy helped clear up his rashes. 

kaybe24

Does the cereal work right away with the spit up? I don't think DS has acid reflux because the spit up doesn't seek to hurt him and it just dribbled out his mouth. He has pictures scheduled Friday and I know he will spit up on everything and was wondering if I gave him cereal if it would help.

bhead81

Braeden has horrible reflux that we are still fighting.  Seems like we get the meds right and then BAM....it's back.  The Zantac did nothing for us.  The GI told us to wait 2 weeks before counting it out though.  We do use it for flare ups as it is pretty decent for instant relief but not as a long term solution for him.  He is currently on Prevacid compound solution 2x day but I think we need to increase the dose as it stopped working the past couple weeks. He goes in for a recheck in 2 weeks so I will discuss with his dr. 

In regards to thickening, he is on thicking gel as he also has MSPI formula (Elecare) that is so thin he aspirates it when he refluxes.  Our GI is not a big fan of thickening with rice cereal.  He likes using thickeners instead as they do not add extra calories that aren't needed and they don't also increase the chance of allergies that cereal at a young age can.

We use size 2 or medium flow nipples with the tickened formula.

Thinkerbelle80

Change doctors please.  This is way too young to give cereal.  Even the AAP doesn't recommend it till 6 months.  Putting it in a bottle can be a choking hazard so that is a double no no.  Honestly, I'd also be hesitant to give zantac to a baby that young.  I know there were warnings about it a few years back because of some side effects it caused.  

 

Make sure you're not overfeeding if you are formula feeding him by keeping a schedule of when he eats.  Also, try getting a fisher price rock n play for sleeping in at night so he can sleep elevated.  It may help with digestion.  There are a lot of natural probiotic products available for babies that can help with digestion as well.  

 

megaloo27

Zantac seemed to help right away for DD. but it is only to take away pain, it doesn't stop spit up. You can prop the crib mattress with blankets or towels and not have to buy the expensive pillow. If you put a towel rolled up and made into a u shape under the sheet. This will keep baby from sliding down. I am going to hold off on cereal, even though the doctor said we could do it at four months. 

talitha712

We started thickening DD's bottles about 2 weeks ago.  Her reflux is so bad that she aspirates and has turned blue from this more than once.  I was against using rice cereal to thicken but once we landed in the hospital after she turned blue I was willing to try pretty much anything that would keep DD breathing.  So far it seems to be working and DD has only gasped for air once (and only for a second) since we started.  Her norm before that was several times a day.  We also put less formula in her bottles now that we are adding the cereal.

 We use the level 2 Dr. Brown's nipples.  We had been using the level 1 so we moved up.  The level 3 was way too fast for DD, even with the thickened formula.  DD also has some choking issues anyway (we had a swallow study done when she was a month old) and has a really strong suck so we have to be careful that she doesn't eat too fast.