Reflux, Sleeping W/3 Week Old

Did your pedi say it was okay to put cereal in a 3 week old's bottle like that? If so I have never heard of such and perhaps you should get another professional's opinion. That is not recommended for any child let alone a 3 week old.

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I would not recommend giving him rice cereal at this age. He is too little for that, his body cannot process it, and while he might not be able to spit it up as easily, he doesn't need a filler just yet. He should not get any solids until he is 6 months of age. (that is the recommendation of the World Health Organization and the American Association of Pediatrics) I would check for milk allegies, and also he may just not like the formula you are giving him. In addition I would do have him be more upright like a lot of the other commenters said.

He is not going to sleep well for a while, and that is normal, if hard for the adults to deal with. It will get better, and you will also get more used to it.

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Hi B. ~
Both of my kids have reflux. I nursed both of my children and my pedi. told us not to lay them flat. We bought one of those sleep positioners that were elevated. Both of them used that.I would try that.. if not try letting him sleep in his car seat. I know it sounds weird but they like it . Good lUck

L.

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I hope your Pediatrician ordered a "wedge" support pillow for him to sleep on. My gran
daughter had reflux bad and she had to sleep almost upright all the time. The sleeping position is very important. She was also on an infant version of "the purple pill" for acid reflux.

There are adjustable cribs that can be raised and lowered to different levels. See into one of them.

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When my daughter was like that we changed her formula to Isomil. It's a soy based formula. It might be that he has a milk intolerance. But that doesn't mean he'll be allergic to milk or lactose intolerant. Actually both my kids were on it and they both love milk now. It's a little bit more expensive but it was SO worth it. After one bottle, she was a completely different baby. Good Luck!

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I had a similiar issue with my son.Try feeding him and letting him sleep upright in his car seat at night.You can even put the car seat in his crib.Sometimes keeping them upright most of the time helps. Also if he is cranky during the day put him in his seat and put that on top of the dryer and of coarse hold the seat. The sitimulation of the dryer running soothes them. It worked great for my son. Of coarse never leaving them un-supervised.

Maalox liquid saved our lives. I was told by my sister who is a nurse practitioner at CHOP. to give my 3rd daughter .04 ml of maalox liquid right before each feeding and it will stop the reflux. I swear within 48 hours she finally became a "normal" baby. MY husband and I finally slept two hours then 4. There are Rx's that you can get too but Maalox doesn't have side effects and can be given from 1 week. The other thing is that you can give an additional dose if they do not respond within 20 min. of the last feeding. I did this at the begining to calm her stomach. FYI CHOP (childrens hospital of philadelphia)does not recommend cereal before 6 weeks b/c it is too hard to digest and can cause other bowl problems. I wish that I had know about this when my second child screamed and suffered till she grew out of it around 8 months.

I had this problem with my son but his pediatrician had me switch formula.(we also used Similac) First we tried Isomil (a soy based formula) then when that didn't work (it actually made him worse)another doctor in the practice told me to switch to Carnation Good Start.

Switching to Carnation was a GodSend and when my twins were born it is all we used. Needless to say they never had a problem.

My son had similar problems. I started taking him to a gastroentologist (sp?) when he was about 3 months old. He had me add the cereal to his bottle, and to also raise the head of his bed some. I bought a wedge for under his crib mattress at Target for about $13, and it seemed to help a lot. Good luck!

B.
My daughter had the same problem and wouldn't sleep. We started to put her to sleep on her stomach and it worked like a charm. Our ped. suggested that we put a pillow under her crib mattress to give it a little lift too (if your scared like I was at first to let her sleep on her stomach.) Our doctor also gave us a script for Zantac. Some docs give it some don't. We got the script at her one month appointment. My daughter did grow out of it by the time she was 9 months. She still doesn't sleep on her back and now she sleeps on a pillow (she'll be a year old in 2 weeks). Hope this helps I know how it fells when they only sleep for an hour or less at a time.
T.

Hi B.! My name is A. and I've been having the same difficulties with my 5 week old son Colton and our pediatrician gave us a script for zantac 3 times daily and it seems to be helping a lot, we also switched to a soy formula which has helped with the gassiness and colic symptoms. Your first few weeks your little guy seem similar to mine but, Colton is sleeping 4 or 5 hours a night now and then he gets up about every 2 hours after that. Even though the hospital said to bath him 2 or 3 times a week i've started doing it everyday at the same time, around 9 pm, and then putting lotion on him so his skin doesn't dry out and that seems to be helping a lot with the sleeping situation because he's realizing that it's bedtime after the bath and bottle. He seems to just pass out after his bath, which is great!!
Hope all this helps you!

A.

B.,
I am not a doctor, but my husband is. He is a chiropractor and our children have been adjusted since the minute they were born and we have had the most pleasant children. It is a very good possibility your baby needs it too. I mean think about the trauma they go through when they are being born. The doctors twist them and pull on their little heads and necks to get them out. But if he is out of alignment that could be what is making him so uncomfortable and cranky. I know it isn't the first alternative most people think of to get the help they need but I know it works our kids have only been sick a handful of time and when they are the get over very quickly and they don't even know what earaches are. Their ages are 7,5&9weeks. If you would like to talk to my husband so he can answer any questions you might have, just let me know. He has his own office in Uniontown and he is very nice and gentle and loves kids! Our nephew begs him to check him every time he comes over to the house and he is only 2... They know what makes them feel good.

Hello,

My daughter who is now five months, was having a similar problem. We started using Enfamil GasEase, which is much easier on her stomach. She hasn't had any problems since.

I would also stop with the cereal. He might be spitting up because cereal is just too heavy for his little stomach. Their stomachs are only the size of a marble at that age.

I have found that letting my babies sleep sitting up helps. My son pr fers switching between the swing and the carrier.

hang on and start to worry about reflux if he refuses to take the bottle. That is a sure sign that eating hurts him and he doesn't want to do it. Both of my children spit up everything they ate for the first three months of their lives but no reflux diagnosis. I would get a second opinion if dr. starts talking meds.

As far as sleep goes kiss it goodbye for the next year or so. Also prepare for the sleep deprived fighting that often times occurs in the middle of the night between even the most loving couples.

My husband and I have worked out a system. He is a night owl and I am an earl ybird so he is "on duty" with the baby until 2:00 and I go to sleep as early as I can. I go "on duty" at 2:00 until morning.

good luck

did the doctor tell you to add cereal or did you do that on your own? I wouldn't put cereal in a bottle for a baby so young but if you are going to, oatmeal seems to be less gassy.

Reflux is usually cause by formula and an inability to digest. So I'm really surprise the ped asked you to put cereal in his milk since it usually will make it worse in the long run. Changing the formula might help. Sometimes there are breastmilk bank you can get breastmilk from which lessens reflux.

Hi B.,

My name is J. and my son is 12 months. I had the same problem when he was born. One day when he was 2 weeks old he turned blue. We took him to the hospital and they ran tests on him and turns out he has acid-reflux. They put him on medication, (zantac) and told me to put cereal in his bottle at every feeding. They said to feed smaller amounts but more often, so that his stomach was never empty. They also told me to hold him for 20-40 minutes after every feeding (or put him in his infant seat) and when he is eating to keep him in an upright position (not flat on his back). They also recommended raising his bed to a 40-degree angle so that he wasn't laying flat. After doing all of these things, I saw a huge difference and he was a much happier baby. He is 12 months now and he is still on the medication, but he is doing much better!

I went thru the same problem with my son. For the first month we had no idea why he rarely slept long and was spitting up all the time. Then one day we spotted a little blood in his diaper along with a bowel movement. They tested the blood and found out he had a milk allergy. Having a milk allergy at such a young age can cause major reflux issues. You might want to talk to your pediatrician and see if he should be put on a soy based formula. It's more expensive but it might help. Plus if he does have some sort of milk allergy now taking him off all milk products will lesson or get rid of any future problems with milk. Hope this is helpful :)

Hi B.
I am a 26 mom of 2 ( 15 month and 1 month )Both of my kids have had issues with gas problems.We use Emfamil gentlease and it seems to work great we also got levinson drops from our pedi. that is also working very well.Hope the info helps
J.

My daughter was diagnosed with reflux early on also. She is almost 7 months, and we are still having a hard time with the spitting up and the fussy ness. I never liked the similac formaula. I have 3 kids and none of them were able to be on it. We put my daughter on Isolmil, and it cured her problems all together. My son however was on alimentum with the cereal, and he was also on zantac. Do you have the baby sleeping on an incline? Putting the babies head in an elevated position tends to help from the reflux hurting them. My other daughter is on nutramigen(enfamil) with the cereal. She has been sleeping in a boppy pillow since the day we brought her home. They also sell wedges that go under the crib to help raise their heads. If elevating the head doesn't work, I would ask about changing the formula. Good luck.. I hope everything works out for you

you might need to change the formula some react different to each child.

I have had three children now and ALL of them have reflux. It sounds to me like your little guy does too. You might want to switch him to Similac Alimentum (I think that is how it is spelled). It is the best for reflux. You will also want to add rice to that. There is a specialist that may want to check out named Dr. Scott Sirlin. He is located in Ashburn, VA and his number is ###-###-####. He also has a nurse practitioner named Kathy that is wonderful! They have a link to a support group that you can join that is a wonderful help! You may have to try the medicine route. Right now I have my six week old on Previcid and Zantac. My email is ____@____.com if you would like to talk. I know how tough and tiring this can be!

It's 100% normal for a baby to wakeful in the night, especially newborns. My son also suffered from reflux as an infant, and his pediatrician prescribed Zantac. It worked wonders for us. The problem with giving cereal to such a young baby is that while the consistency may help to keep his formula down, the cereal may be causing more gastrointestinal upset, leading him to be uncomfortable and wakeful. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely NO solids (cereal, oatmeal, baby food) be given to a baby under six months of age, even if it is only a small amount that is mixed in a bottle.

My suggestion would be to give co-sleeping a try, if you haven't already. Babies are usually more comfortable, and relaxed when they're able to have physical contact with their mothers throughout the night. Also, try swaddling him in a blanket, and allow him to sleep on an inclined surface, or even in his carseat for a night to see how it goes. Keeping his head elevated will alleviate the discomfort of the acid reflux. Good luck, and hang in there.. sleep issues, as well as the reflux usually get much better the older they get!

My husband and I had the same problem with our son. We found out after may different formulas expensive and all that he needed to be on the lactose-free formula. We had to try it give it a week before we knew it was truely the problem.

B.,

I have several suggestions. First, from everything that I have read over the last year or so since my son was born, introducing cereal too early (before 6-12 months depending on the source) can be harmful. For that check out www.westonaprice.org or www.lalecheleague.org or www.mercola.com. There are a lot of references to breastfed babies, but the same should also apply to formula fed babies.

I have suspected my son has reflux, but rarely spits up, so I've done some reading on the subject. A site that I found that is primarily geared to breastfeeding, but has great info on reflux is http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/reflux.html THere is scientific study info about positioning, which is not typically the stuff you hear, even from your pediatrician. Our son has slept on his stomach since he was about a month old, once he could lift his head up. Before that, he was on his side.

Another thought, your son may have a lactose intolerance. Switching formula may solve your problems. That's probably where I would start. With that said, soy formula is a common alternative. I definitely strongly suggest you read up on soy before considering switching to soy. It can really mess with hormone levels, especially in boys, leading to poorly developed male parts! You can read about that at www.westonaprice.org too. Similac's Alimentum is hypoallergenic, lactose and soy free. My friend switched her son to this and it greatly reduced his crying and spitting up.

Good luck with figuring it all out. Your journey has just begun. It is an experience like none other. Enjoy every minute. It goes way too fast. My son will be one at the end of the month and in no time he'll be a teen.

J.

My son was a HUGE spitter-upper... one of the ladies at the daycare suggested giving him some white grape juice. I checked w/the doc since he was so little, and he said give it a try. IT WAS UNREAL!! It helped tremendously. I'm not sure what it is about the white grape juice (cut 50% w/water, and I only gave him 2-4 oz. at most) but it helped a lot!

Give it a try :)

B.,

I have read that babies with reflux are uncomfortable sleeping lying down flat. Other moms have said that they let their baby sleep in the swing (one that has different reclining positions and of course not sitting straight up). Also, moms said that they let their baby sleep in their infant carrier seat, strapped in, of course. I hope Riley starts sleeping better soon. Take care.

I would recomend changing his formula to Enfamil Gentlease. My son had the same problem and i switched him and I haven't had half as many problems with it since we changed it and he is almost 1 now. I hope this helps.

I know exactly what you're going through and I really feel for you. My son was 3 days old when he started with the projectile vomiting. We went to the ER because we thought he was deathly ill. That kid could hit someone from across the room and I am NOT kidding. So, before he was 4 weeks old his Dr had me put him on Enfamil AR, it already has the rice added into the formula. I had been breastfeeding prior to this, but he was just spitting up everything that went in, had to give it up and try the AR formula. Things got better, no more projectile puke, but spit up all the time and everywhere. I couldn't leave the house without changes of clothes for me and him. The Dr said it would stop when he was a few months old and a little more mobile. Nope, then he was just spitting up and rolling in it. Then the Dr said he would stop doing it when he started on baby food. Nope, that just made the spitup change colors. Then they said it would stop when he could eat food that was more solid. Uh uh. Then, he was throwing up chunks of veggies and everything else. Finally, my mother told me that he would stop when he learned to walk, and FINALLY...he did. As soon as he started walking, it all magically went away. I was able to replace my carpet and quit keeping bibs on him 24/7. Somewhere around 6 months they did put him on Zantac, said it would not only reduce the acids in the stomach but would help develop the valve that holds in the stomach contents. I don't think it helped, he usually spit that up too. The ONLY things that helped: Feeding less food/formula at a time, but more often. Letting him sleep in the swing, no matter how badly I wanted him to sleep in his crib. He always seemed to be more comfortable sitting up, and I felt a bit better knowing he was less likely to spit up in his sleep and choke that way. So, good luck. I hope I haven't frightened you. Just keep in mind, this will stop sooner or later, and in the meantime keep an eye out for bibs at yard sales cause you'll trash plenty of them.....

My daughter, Aubrey, who is now 6 months old was diagnosed with reflux. We saw Dr. deZoeten at Children's Hospital. She went through a battery of test and was put on Prevacid and her formula was switched to Enfamil AR. It has rice added to it and decreased the acid in her stomach. The first few weeks were pure hell. In addition to her reflux, she also had colic!
I know exactly what you are going through, hope this helps!!

Hi my name is D. and my son was born 2 months premature and when he was 2 months old we found out he had reflux. Our doctor told us to put cereal in his formula 1 teaspoon for every ounce that he eats. Also he was on medication for his reflux. We also had to change his formula to Nutramigen. That all seemed to work. Along with propping him up when he sleeps. Take some pillows and put them under his crib mattress and use the thing that keeps him sleeping on his side under his butt so he doesn't slide. You can do this with the bassinet too just use a rolled up towel instead of a pillow. You can also put his bouncy chair in the crib and let him sleep in that. I promise it does get easier. And when he starts eating regular food it usually goes away. My son doesn't have any problems with reflux any more.

i feel your frustration! My son also had terribe reflux! He would be sleeping in his swing (sitting up sleeping seemed to help) and would start vomiting across the room! He went to 2 hospitals for testing, but could only figure he had severe reflux. We too added rice cereal to bottles...We also used Enfimil formula and ended up switching to Soy....which helped a little. My son 'spitup' so much we had to use a towel as burp cloth, and often had to change my sons and my clothes! All i can say is he will grow out of it. It definetly dwindled as he got older, but still spit up some until he was at least a year! Hope the cereal keeps things under control!!

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. My boy had colic and acid reflux. He also had several choking incidents where I gave "infant back blows" to clear his airway. I had PPD(post partum depression) I thought I would die, I was alone, but you are not. Thank goodness for that! Sounds like you are getting good advice so far, but I wrote about my experiences and they are posted on this awesome website, "Associated Content." So far, I have written two articles about what I've learned from this experience with my son, as a single mother.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/202007/treatment...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/25158/acid_reflu...

Anyone who wishes to ask me questions may do so through mamasource.

L. M

Hi B.,

My twins had reflux when they were little, that was 19yrs ago, the doctor switch their formula to isomil with me adding some rice cereal to each bottle, that help alot, I also kept them wrap up in a receiving blanket to give them a snuggle fit, they like that, they now have something called swaddles to wrap them up. As some of the other moms had said keep them in a sitting chair.they like to feel snuggled. and not all of the time that u feed him he is hungry, because some of the time they will eat if they're having gas pains and we think their hunger pains. hope this helps.
K.

p.s i forgot how are is bowel movement, is he going everyday.

Did your doctor advise you to put cereal in his bottle? He seems a little young for that. I would definitely check with your doctor to make sure you are feeding him properly since they're bellies are so sensitive when they have reflux. You don't want to make the problem any worse.

My daughter has reflux as well. She was prescribed Zantac, which has been a lifesaver for us. She was pretty much a nonstop screamer as an infant and would wake every hour or so at night. She was also diagnosed with a milk allergy, so you may want to ask about that possibility also regarding the fussiness.

As far as sleeping goes, you can prop the head of his bed up a few inches so that the contents of his belly are more likely to stay down. Also, we bought the Miracle Blanket (www.miracleblanket.com) for our daughter, and it worked wonders. The first night we used it at age four weeks, she slept for seven hours.

I would definitely get a solid plan from your doctor and see a GI specialist if need be. Don't settle for the "colic" label--the most common causes for "colic" are reflux and milk allergies, both of which are treatable. There is help out there! Good luck.

2 tsp per 2 oz is a good starting point, but tell your ped, he may need to increase, or may need to go on a medication. There is also an Enfamil AR specifically made for this. AR stands for added rice, but the way it is engineered, it works even better than adding the rice cereal yourself. I'm not sure if your baby is on the formula with DHA and ARA, but in my experience that can increase gas and spit up in some babies. You may try the Good Start Advanced without the DHA and ARA, adding rice cereal, which I have found to work well in these situations. You should try each suggestion for one week before moving onto something else.

my daughter who is going on five months has serve reflux so bad she wasn't gaining weight you should ask your ped if you can swithch his formula maybe try the soy that didn't work with my daughter but it did work on my other daughter who is now three she had reflux to but not as bad.. my daughter now is on nutramigin (enfamil) (hypoalegenic formula) with one teaspoon of cereal per oz and her crib is reclined upward take a large pillow and put under the crib mattress or let your baby sleep in a bounce seat since they are reclined up (my daughter sleeped in one until she got big enough for me to put her in the crib) good luck

Tuck him into his car seat while he's sleeping! The incline is just right to take the pressure off his tummy while he's sleeping. Also, check with the ped. to see if you can switch his formula. Nutrtigem is like a miracle!!
Good luck! 3 weeks old is still so little, things will get easier and easier as he gets older!

Both of my younger boys had reflux and with the first one I tried Zantac which tastes nasty and was hard to give. The second one I tried Tagamet. He loved and took it with no issues. He was around the same age maybe a week younger. Your son will sleep better if his tummy isn't so acidy. Talk to the pediatrician he can provide you the medicine for him and the proper dose.

Have u tried elevating the head of his bed? Also try keeping him swaddled so when he flails around he won't startle himself.Our daughter had reflux really bad, I mean major pukage. We had to put her on med. and switch formula due to milk sensitivity.After he eats don't lay him flat right away, for about 1/2 an hour keep him up right to give him time to digest.(Bouncy chairs and swings saved us)It sounds like you r already figuring out what he needs. It's trial and error every babys different they just need time to adjust to this world.Keep up your good work, it gets better.

my baby is 2 months and we have the same problem. our doctor gave us zantac to help. seems to be working cause he doesn't scream like he's in pain anymore. he's still spitting up so we may try the cereal too, but we want to ask the doctor first. we also put a block of wood under his crib mattress (reccommended by doctor)so his head is elevated slightly to help the acid stay down.

I had almost the same problem with my now 7 month old and the Dr. put him on Zantac for infants I only had him on it for a month or two till he got adjusted to my breast milk (yes breast milk) he was having tummy upsets and would not keep very much down and was up all night sometimes. But it did help alot. Good luck to all.
B.

My son was like that too, but all I did was switch him to Isomil and start using Playtex bottles with the drop-ins. To me 4oz. or more at one feeding for a 3 week old sounds like too much that may be partly why he is spitting up. A little spit-up is ok...my son would spit-up a little bit after each feeding up until he was 6 months and able to hold his own bottle!

hi B.. the dr thought my lil man had reflux. we had to do a 24 hr sleep apnea test on him along with a scope down the throat. has ur dr oredered one for him? they can tell whether it is reflux or if theres something else wrong with him. is he gassy too? have u tried giving him mylicon drops if he is? my oldest one was like that, and the finally diagnosed him with colic. my mom and i had to take turns staying up with him so we could get some sleep. good luck. my dr told me to give him cereal and he was 4 weeks old. the oldest was 3 weeks. it may also be the formula. i had to use nutramigen lipil. the lil man sleeps propped up in a car seat or i have a pillow in his crib that i prop him up in and i put wedges around him so he satys up. thats has helped quite a bit.

Hi B. my daughter is 5 months and we have had the same problem since birth, at first we switched her to the soy formula but that made her more gassy. then we tried zantac and similac allimentum formula that worked for awhile. now she is on allimentum and prilosec and that has been working great for about 2-3 months. God luck M.

My daughter went through this too. She cried non stop because it caused her pain. It is the hardest thing. I tried lots of the same things you are. After about 2 weeks someone suggested that I take her to a chiropractor. At first I thought it was crazy until I started looking into it. I am telling you, we went into his office with her screaming and came out with her smiling. He was so gentle. She immediately went #2 and then took a 3 hour nap. It was amazing. After her first week she started sleeping through the night. She is now 14 months and I take her monthly. It helps her teething and constipation. It is truely amazing. Just make sure if you check that they do pediatric adjustments before you schedule. Good luck with everything.

Hi, I'm S., my daughter had reflux, she's now 15, good news most baby's out grow it.

My son had horrible reflux. He had choking episodes in the nursery several times after he was born. When we took him home, he could not lay flat and even sleeping on the incline seemed to cause him pain. The ped suggested putting him on his belly but he still screamed in pain. We tried Zantac and Pepcid but neither worked. Both of my daughters had reflux but not as bad as my son. They, at least, did not choke. Finally, we took him to a GI who put him on Zantac and Prevacid together. It seemed like a lot of medication for such a little baby but it really worked. He suddenly was able to sleep flat and wasn't in pain.

One thing to keep in mind is that some peds don't want to use medication. My first ped wouldn't treat my oldest with medication. She developed asthma and by the time she was three she was on daily medication to control it. When we took her to see a specialist, he suggested we put her on meds for the reflux. The asthma slowly got better, she still has it but is no longer on a daily regimen of meds. There is a lot of research linking untreated reflux to asthma.

Good luck.

my daughter had prblems with reflux and out ped sugested that we tilt her crib so she sleeps at an angle, with her head up. i worked for her. good luck