Community› The Bump Message Boards› Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Babies: 0 - 3 Months
New Discussion

Rice Cereal for Reflux and Changed sleeping schedule?

FirstTimer123FirstTimer123 member
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Hello,

I have had a paranoid mama day... Firstly, ALL night baby was clearing his throat. He barely slept and obviously neither did we.. I called his doc who said he may have some reflux issues, so he suggested mixing a little rice cereal into his formula, which I will try tonight... Has anyone tried this for a 3 week old?

Also, this week baby started being awake for 7 hours in the day ! (8:30-4:30 or so!) This cntinued until yesterday. Today he is back to sleeping a lot in the day... I took his temperature and he is fine... Kind of worried about him!

 Anyone have any insight on any of this??

Report Reply to Post

Re: Rice Cereal for Reflux and Changed sleeping schedule?

  • ndebellondebello
    I have heard of it, but 3 weeks seem extremely early. Digestive systems of infants cant handle food that young. 
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Daisypath Anniversary tickers Photobucket <a href="http://s1058.photobucket.com/albums/t411/Ndebello/Facebook/Noah Thomas Bush/?action=view
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • ccd122psuccd122psu member

    Wow, this sounds sooo much like us! Matthew would be awake almost ALL day with no (or very little) naps. He's also a very noisy sleeper, he always sounds like he needs to clear his throat or cough or something. I figured he had reflux when his face would scrunch up, his back would arch and he would scream until I'd put him up on my shoulder and pat (hard) on his back. It's exhausting.

    He is on .4ml of zantac 3x a day. When that didn't seem to be working the Dr. suggested we add 2 tsp of rice cereal to each of his bottles.. This was last week. After 24 hours, all of the sudden he started pooping, like FULL poopy diapers, and wouldn't stop. I think he pooped 12 times in a 3 hour period before I called the Dr. And of course they sent us to Children's hospital cuz they were worried about dehydration. He checked out fine.

    They weren't sure if it was the rice cereal or if he caught a little bug. However, they did say the cereal should have made his poop a little more solid and it definately wasn't.

    The thing about rice cereal is this (as told to me by the ER doctor). While some dr's feel that the cereal is heavier so it should hold the acid down, others feel that since it is heavier, it stays in baby's stomach that much longer and therefore the reflux stays longer.

    We immediately stopped the cereal. His pooping is normal now. It has been over a week on the zantac. Is it working? Ehh, I'm not sure. He is starting to nap some during the day, and honestly, nighttime isn't too bad.

    You might want to try the cereal in a few bottles at first, not every bottle. That's what the ER dr told us. See how that goes before you add it to every single bottle.

    Hopefully it works for you! Good luck to you!

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • BellaOsoBellaOso member

    Please consider switching to Enfamil AR instead of mixing your formula with rice cereal. This formula is thicker and intended for acid reflux babies. It is slightly thickened with rice cereal compounds but they are not as heavy as the actual rice cereal. It is also premixed and comes out of a slow flow bottle quite nicely.

    We did this and it has worked great my DDs 1 supplemental bottle a day and she is a reflux baby. 

    Parent's Choice also makes an identical store brand version of the Enfamil AR. You can also request a free sample of Enfamil AR and the Parent's Choice version through their websites. Just print a coupon and go get your freebie for Enfamil, or go to the Parent's Choice website and they will mail you one.

    If he does have reflux try to have him sleep on an incline to save him from the acid rising in his throat while he sleeps. Also keep him upright for 20 - 30 minutes after he eats. 

    Good luck! :) 

    image


    Report Reply
  • eav2ceav2c member
    I personally would get a second opinion before mixing with rice cereal. There are other formulas that you can try, too, before going to extreme measures of mixing in rice cereal. My LO sounds like a billy goat for a good 30 minutes or is after a feeding... He spits up a lot, too. Are you burping? Try going for three burps rather than just one... Try gas drops, too. Anything to try and help before mixing with the cereal, IMO.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • FirstTimer123FirstTimer123 member
    I picked up Similac Sensitive for Spit up instead... Got great reviews online so will try that first before the rice cereal. I also feed that he is way too young for the cereal... Hopefully it will work!
    Report Reply
  • sroddy12sroddy12 member
    I mix 2 teaspoons of rice cereal in my sons bottles per doctors orders for reflux and it has worked wonders!  It does make it more difficult for him to poop, but his reflux is better.  He is also on prevacid for reflux too.
    +hpt on December 27th, 2010--miscarriage and D&C at 12 weeks--angel taken too soon but never forgotten Clomid started June 2011-- +hpt July 2, 2011--grow baby grow :) Chance Bryant born @ 31 weeks due to abruption Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • NikkiRaymondNikkiRaymond
    DD1 had rice cereal in her bottle (to manage reflux) starting when she was about 4 weeks old, I think it was.  She did fine.  I did have a hard time finding the right nipple for it to get through, and then not too fast. Anyway - the point I wanted to make was that she did great with it until she was one year old, and never had any issues.  I am considering doing it with this baby soon because I am pretty sure she is having reflux symptoms as well. 
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"