Baby with reflux and delaying solids ?

[chase_mommy]

My 34 week preemie is now 6 months old and has reflux that isn't getting any better. I have his GI Dr breathing down my neck about solids and has been on me about cereal for a wile. I have been able to hold him off about the cereal since I nurse him and told him he refuses a bottle of breast milk.

I am a huge believer in holding off on solids until the child is ready, we skipped purees with DD and she started eating solids when she was 10 months old. By no means is this little guy ready. Then I start to wonder, does the rules change with a baby with reflux baby? The Dr says the weight off the food makes it harder for him to reflux, but he is refluxing the stomach acid so that makes little sense to me. I realty doubt if I will go on with baby food but was wondering if there was anybody out there who does delay solids and have had a reflux baby, what was your experience? 

[mom2happy]

My baby is 7 months and her spitting up has finally slowed down to about 2 times a day vs all day every feeding.

She is totally not ready for food yet. I tried a few smushed bits of a few things and she pushed me away.

My DS has tummy problems and didnt eat till he was 1 yr.

My DD1 had no problems but she didnt want solids till about 1 yr too.

No worries.

I wouldnt do the cereal though, I feel that no matter how organic or pure they are, grains are still a processed food.

Not to say that I dont eat them, I just wouldnt make that a first food.

I think it might be hard on the stomach (especially one that is immature and not digesting very well yet).

[chase_mommy]

Oh no, no cereal here, period.  Baby cereal is crap if you ask me, we totally skip that step along with the purees.  I figured I was ok delaying solids, I just wanted to make sure before I went in there and got another lecture of why he needs them.  Ugh, I really cant stand most Drs.

I am glad your DD is getting better.  Reflux is a horrible horrible thing!  My little guy is a silent refluxer... last night he refluxed while nursing.  He was so choked up he couldn't breath and started to turn blue.  I sure hope they can get his under control soon, I feel so bad for little guy.

[PatioGardener]

my ds's specialist said they start to get better when they start solids because they spend more time sitting upright.  he doesn't think the food helps it, but the positioning does.

my  7 mo littleguy has actually gotten worse since starting solids (whole foods - fruits and veggies, baby-led weaning) because, imo, he spends all his time trying to crawl!

(we're on prevacid twice a day)

nak - pls excuse typing!

[chase_mommy]

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

my ds's specialist said they start to get better when they start solids because they spend more time sitting upright.  he doesn't think the food helps it, but the positioning does.

my  7 mo littleguy has actually gotten worse since starting solids (whole foods - fruits and veggies, baby-led weaning) because, imo, he spends all his time trying to crawl!

(we're on prevacid twice a day)

nak - pls excuse typing! 

See positioning makes more sense to me than the food.  Our GI briefly mentioned that he will start to get better when his muscles get stronger and then quickly went to "and he needs to start baby food, by next month he should be on stage 2 that will help him get better too." 

[SeattleRain]

I hate to be the voice of dissent but my little refluxer has defiintely gotten better since starting solids. In the morning he gets a puree and in the evening he gets a Tbs of baby oatmeal and some puree. Our evenings used to be quite difficult as he only takes one dose of Prevacid in the morning and as we got farther from that dose, it got harder to feed him since he would be refluxy and resist food. Once we started feeding him oatmeal, he drinks a bottle in the evening quite happily and is sleeping better because of it.

I don't think there is anything wrong at all with baby cereal, nor do I think there is anything wrong with giving your child purees. Both can be wholesome and nutritious food for baby. Personally, I enjoy a nice bowl of steel cut oatmeal and mushed up bananas in the morning and I don't see any reason why he shouldn't have the same. Baby oatmeal is simply regular oatmeal milled very finely. In fact if you're really concerned about the quality of the oatmeal you're serving, you can even make your own by putting your favorite oats in the food processor or coffee grinder and then mixing it with breastmilk (http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/baby-oatmeal.html).

The decision to feed your baby food is your own choice, but I just wanted to share my own experience.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by chase_mommy 

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

my ds's specialist said they start to get better when they start solids because they spend more time sitting upright.  he doesn't think the food helps it, but the positioning does.

my  7 mo littleguy has actually gotten worse since starting solids (whole foods - fruits and veggies, baby-led weaning) because, imo, he spends all his time trying to crawl!

(we're on prevacid twice a day)

nak - pls excuse typing! 

See positioning makes more sense to me than the food.  Our GI briefly mentioned that he will start to get better when his muscles get stronger and then quickly went to "and he needs to start baby food, by next month he should be on stage 2 that will help him get better too." 

our 'doc' is young and into research and teaching at the medical school, and 100% bf supportive (actions as well as words!)  I really like him and his explanation made sense, so i don't feel in a hurry to push solids at all :)

i am trying to get ds to be upright more though.

[Knitting Mama]

I agree with the upright suggestion. Cecilia suffered from silent reflux as a noob, and thankfully has outgrown it. But I spent a lot of time wearing her upright, legs froggied in the wrap. When she was nursing, she was propped up to a 30 degree angle, and the same for sleeping. I never let her be flat, or else she'd be burping up all the time, and swallowing it back down. You could hear her doing it, and it made me feel miserable for her!

[Dootsmama]

My baby has severe reflux - we waited until around 7 or 8 months to start solids. And then we started very very slowly. He had one new solid a week, and very little. I would nurse him, then wait 45 minutes to offer food. He only took about a teaspoon initially. Even now at almost 10 months he eats solids once a day. We are just starting to add a snack in the evening. 

We didnt find that solids helped keep the food in him. I know it's common practice with these doctors lately. Mine doesn't take a bottle either. Now that he is older he catches the reflux (it doesnt always come out, but he still refluxes). We have better control over it with medicine and over time it will get better.

Go with your gut.