LO with reflux spits out cereal - should I wait longer?

[Frogzy79]

Wow it seems I have a new question every day these days! 
My 4.5 month LO with reflux (non medicated, spits out a lot) has been showing signs of being ready for some solids (BF every 2.5 hr these days, watching us eat intently).  I gave him some oatmeal cereal with BM this am, 1.5 hour after his feeding, and he seemed to really like it.   He kept opening his mouth for more, and appeared to take quite a bit in (maybe ate a 1/2 tbspn altogether).  However, 3 minutes later, as he often does when burping from BF, he spat most of it out.  Now I thought that reflux babies were less likely to spit out cereal because of the consistency?  The reason I went with oatmeal cereal as opposed to rice cereal is because I was not able to find rice cereal without dairy at our local store. 
Could this be a sign that his little body is not ready for the solids?  Or should I just try again some other time?

Thanks for the input!

[ZacsMumme]

I would be careful giving cereal as a first food for a refluxer. I can be tough on the gut and digestive system and cause constipation.

Maybe try some puréed pear or sweet potato or pumpkin mixed with some milk? These are very gentle foods on the Tum.

Not all refluxers do better on solids, some do worse

Can I ask why he is unmediated? Do you feel he is in discomfort? Is there a reason for the frequent BF? If he is snacking to ease discomfort he will need to feed more frequently so this could be what is happening.


Hugs x

[ENMS]

was it just like regular spit up or more like vomiting?

[marensmama]

Meats are also a good first food for refluxers!  We started solids late with my refluxing DD2 as she was in a lot of discomfort and I wasn't in a rush to try new things on her fragile tummy.  At 9 months we gave her rice cereal, which she reacted to, and then tried other cereals which seemed to make her reflux worse.  Our paed suggested shredded chicken breast, and she loved feeding it to herself.  That way she could stop when she got uncomfortable.  It wasn't easy though, she was in a lot of discomfort and mealtimes always ended in one (or both!) of us crying.  Once her reflux was under better control she was able to enjoy the experience of eating much more.  You don't HAVE to give your LO cereal by six months, solids before the age of 1 YO are for the experience and learning more than they are meant to be for nutrition!  Most of your LOs nutrition still needs to come from BM, which is way better for them.  HTH

[ZacsMumme]

I keep forgetting about meat Nicole. Z actually did very well on salmon

[Frogzy79]

Thanks for the feedbacks - Sara my LO is non medicated because Zantac didn't work and, when I went back to see out doc, he pretty much said that there was nothing else that could be done and that it would pass. He doesnt seem to think much of it since my LO is still putting on weight.  He is definitely in discomfort though. The frequent BF I believe now must have been a growth spurt, as he is back to 3-3.5 hrs today.  I think I will give it a bit more time before I try any kind of food again, since the reflux is not under control

[ENMS]

I'm so sorry you doctor does not want to help him feel better just because he's gaining weight. My LO was gaining weight fine but was still in a lot of pain / discomfort.

There are other meds options available, I guess if you're interested you might want to see if you can find another doctor.

It's probably a good idea to wait and try a little later again and see if it goes better. Introducing solid foods to a refluxer is not easy

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs, everything Elise says really...
If yor dr would consider a PPI this could help him

[ashley10]

What about some losec to help manage the reflux? My DD and DS1 both started solids at 4months and they were both refluxers and loved solids - just depends on the baby. To start they did spit a bit out and then as they got used to it took more. I started with apple and pear pureed with them.

[ZacsMumme]

Losec is a PPI BTW Marie

[Frogzy79]

Sounds like I should indeed try and see another doc.. Now my LO seems to be hungry all the time again, especially at night.. I thought I was pretty good at distinguishing his different cries, but he has started doing this screech and giving me all the feeding cues (climbing up/down to the breast, refusing the paci, not settling down) coupled with the arching back and crunches forward alternatively.  Last night he was up every other hour doing this!  He fed for about 8-10 minutes each time, which is a bit shorte than his usual, but still.  I thought it could be a growth spurt at first, but arent those suppose to last only a couple days? We're on day 5 of this on and off

I was considering taking him to see the doc again today, thinking it might be the reflux getting worse, but I also don't want this to just be his new thing, wanting the breast to soothe himself instead of the paci. My LO is a Touchy and a bit of a drama queen, so I wouldn't put it past him either..

Any suggestion??

[ZacsMumme]

I does sound like it could be discomfort. Definitely worth writing down the symptoms and maybe going back to discuss a med trial of something like losec.

Are you still offering solids? What ones if you are?

[ashley10]

I would definitely try and see another doctor as to me it really sounds like discomfort from reflux. Mine used to feed lots because he was trying to almost comfort and then would fall asleep really quickly and then up again within an hour or so and we would start all over again! He still feeds lots now but that is more from hunger I have a big boy.

[Frogzy79]

I tried bananas and apples for solids.  He likes the bananas, not so much the apples yet.  Not sure how much he takes in, but at least he's getting the hang of the whole spoon feeding thing   Next will be yams.
As for the discomfort from the reflux, would your LO's arch their backs and turn on their left side a lot?  My LO ends up going around in circles in his bed doing that.. I spoke to the doctor about it, as he has been favoring turning his head to left side like this since birth (not torticolis, he's fine turning it to the right, he just likes turning it to the left better), but again, no real answer

[ENMS]

I think bananas and apples can trigger reflux flare ups, so if his reflux is not controlled, maybe I would steer clear of them for a little bit and see if things improve? Does the discomfort seem worse since you've started these two?

Yes, that is pretty much what DS does when he is uncomfortable from his reflux