Solids question

[hub1176]

We started feeding DD solids (rice cereal and oatmeal) because her doctor thought it would help her to keep her formula down. I'm confused on how much and how often we should be adding the cereal.
Do you only add it for two meals during the day? I was giving her about 3 tablespoons at every feeding which I think is too much (although she was eating it :o )
Since we have added solids should the number of feeding go down? We are still going about every 4 hours during the day but she STTN.
She has been fine with both rice and oatmeal can we try other stage one foods?
I just want to make sure she is getting enough but we're not overfeeding her.

[Marisa]

According to Dr. Sears' site, you should begin with one-fourth of a tablespoon of cereal and then increase to a tablespoon... 3 tablespoons at each meal for a baby who's only four months old sounds like a lot to me, considering that under normal circumstances you probably wouldn't have even been encouraged to start solid food yet.

She definitely still needs the same amount of formula for the next several months; solids -- especially the cereals and purees -- do not contain the essential fats for brain development which are so important in the first year. She may taper off the amount she takes as she gets closer to a year.

I probably wouldn't give her any other foods, considering she's started cereal rather early. If she already has a sensitive stomach you're only running the risk of irritating her more.

[dzmattie]

So do you mean you are putting the cereal in her bottle or feeding it to her?

[hub1176]

Marissa, we had been adding rice to her bottle on Dr's advice because she was refluxing - she would spit up hours after a meal.
We were putting in 2 full tablespoons and she was drinking it down - It helped a little. Since she is gaining weight and not unhappy we decided not to do medication but feeding her solids instead - I am wondering what the lesser of the two evils would be solids or the meds? She seems to love eating from the spoon (although she'll be doing it less than she was:) )

[hub1176]

dzmattieoops we xposted - we were adding rice cereal to her bottle -according to the Dr. we should have been doing a full tablespoon per ounce, but even with the wider nipple she couldn't get it out so we halved it. However she was still refluxing so I brought her back and since she was a few days shy of 4 months the Dr. said we could either giver her medication, which seemed excessive since she is gaining weight and unbothered by the reflux or start spoon feeding her the rice and oatmeal. Since she is very young to be eating solids there didn't seem to be any adive how the amounts and times. Everything I read has said it's too early to start.

[solongtogo]

is she eating a formula for sensitive tummies? I know enfamil makes one called AR lipil...

[hub1176]

solongtogo we tried that early on in the whole reflux process:) The Enfamil and Similac make her constipated and that makes her cranky and fussy - we are using the Good Start which at least keeps her regular.

We tried to reduce the feeding amount - but it doesn't matter if it's 2 ounces or 4, she still is spitting up hours later.

We did the Enfamil AR Lipil - constipation/fussiness

We propped up the head of her crib -useless since now she turns herself all around.

We did add the cereal to the bottle - it helped a little but she was still spitting up hours later.

Medication would be an option if the reflux bothered her or she wasn't gaining weight but it doesn't and she is. It's just messy and smelly.

Honestly feeding her the cereal and oatmeal from the spoon hasn't seemed to solve the problem either though.

[Marisa]

Yes, I definitely see the advantage of a little cereal as opposed to going on meds, esp. when it doesn't seem to be bothering her. (What they call a "laundry issue" more than anything else, huh?)

Honestly, I think it's just something she'll grow out of, as I read more of your description. Sometimes babies just have a little bit of a hard time with formula, but it sounds like you've found one that's among the easiest to digest. As she gets bigger and her digestive system matures, she won't have trouble keeping things down as much.

If she's otherwise happy and gaining weight, that would probably be my assessment.

[hub1176]

Thanks Marissa!
I have reduced the amount of cereal and the times we feed it to her. The reduction hasn't seemed to bother her. I also went back to adding it to her bottle because she still has tongue thrust making spoon feeding not the most efficent way of getting the cereal into her belly.
I love when they label it a laundry issue - it's also a carpet/floor/furniture cleaning issue! :) And there is nothing like having her throw up all over me in church and having the elderly man behind us start gagging.

[Traciann]

My DD has the same problem. She spits up alot (and I mean alot!) after she eats. But she is gaining weight well and isn;t unhappy about the spitting up as most babies with reflux are. We didn't do cereal in the bottle just because she is BF and gets so few bottles. I just started giving her oatmeal a two weeks ago. I only give it to her once a day after a feeding...I just put some in a bowl maybe 1 1/2 teaspoons? I don't plan on giving her more than once a day until I start veggies/fruit at 6 months. The nurse metioned to burp her every 5/10 minutes and then after she is done eating set her in the carseat(not bouncer as that shakes her tummy) for 20 minutes to give her time to digest her food. It has helped some...but nothing 100%. She said the reflux will settle down more once she is eating more solid foods. Until then we are just making sure we have lots and lots of burp cloths around.

Traci