Cereal and Sleep Problems

[Anonymous]

Okay, so I know most of you waited until your children were atleast 6 months old to start solids. HOWEVER, I decided to start Henry on cereal last week because of his intense interest in eating and the pressure from the pediatrician.

We did oatmeal for a few days and he ate less than a quarter of a bowl of it made with 1 tbsp oatmeal. He is really interested in it but really didn’t actually eat that much. Since that was successful I then went onto rice cereal. I have been giving it at lunch time and he probably eats about 1/2 bowl made with 1 tbsp dry cereal.

For the past 3 nights he has been up SCREAMING and GRUNTING every 2 hours. This is very odd because the one thing he always had going for him was sleep. . .he would sleep 10 hours a night for the past 2 months.

We just changed to prevacid solutabs about 3 weeks ago and this has helped a lot. He hasn’t been as cranky during the day and at times has been pleasant. So if it is the cereal it is NOT affecting his daytime mood. And his stool has not changed.

Can the cereal be causing this awful sleep? It seems like such a small amount to cause this large of problem? Wouldn’t he be awful during the day? and finally WHY WHY WHY can’t a refluxer have GOOD DAYS AND GOOD NIGHTS????? Could it just be some developmental phase to cause the change in sleeping?

Frustrated and Tired,

Ruby

Henry, 5 months old, reflux

Breastfeeding on the eat-nothing-that-you-like-diet

7.5 mg prevacid 2x a day

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the cereal is causing gas or other digestive issues. Many
babies, especially reflux babies, have a hard time digesting cereals.
We are only now having success with oatmeal at 8 months – still can’t
do rice or barley. We had more success first with some of the fruits
and veggies but it really wasn’t until after 7 months that I can really
say we were able to feed solids without many issues.

[Anonymous]

Ruby,

Many babies have trouble with rice cereal (gas and constipation). He’s not eating enough of it to get constipated, but it could be causing gassiness.

My kids always did better on Oatmeal cereal. Since Henry is only five months old there’s really no rush to get him on solids. I’d stop all solids until he seems to be back to himself and and then try just Oatmeal. (I never gave any of my babies rice cereal).

You should always start with one food and wait at least three days to start another so you will know what’s causing the problem if there is a reaction. If he reacts again when you start Oatmeal cereal, you should probably wait at least a month to try again.

How’s his afternoon and evening irritability? Any better?

[Anonymous]

Christine,

I will take your advise and back off of solids until he is himself again. I went to the health food store today and bought Earth’s Best organic oatmeal for baby and also the E.B’s sweet potatoes, but I’m going to just wait before trying anything for a while!

I think what you said about the oatmeal is correct, since when I look back in his log (I log everything!), he slept fine the four nights that he had oatmeal at lunch; it was when I started the rice all went badly!

The CRAZY thing is that for the past FOUR days, Henry was so GREAT during the day! It was like having a “regular” baby, but the nights were awful. He wasn’t irritable, napped regularly. Now today I have my regular “grumpster” back, but it is probably from lack of sleep.

OH WELL. . .it was nice for a while!

Does your little boy sleep through the night?

[Anonymous]

Yes, and no. It depends on how you define sleeping through the night!? He goes down at 8:15 but is up between 4:30 and 5:30 every morning I never pick him up and he always goes back to sleep eventually, but it sometimes takes an hour or more for him to go back to sleep. He fusses and makes a lot of noise, but rarely cries. But, I hear him so I’m up and I hate it!!! Once he goes back to sleep he usually sleeps until I wake him at 7am to give him his medicine so he can eat at 7:30.

I’m so glad to hear Henry is doing better during the day. He’ll probably go back to sleeping at night again once he recovers from the rice cereal, and gets some good sleep. I honestly don’t know what doctors are thinking when they suggest rice cereal as a first food. I worked as a nanny for years before I had my own, and I saw almost all of the babies react negatively to rice cereal.That’s why I never gave it to my kids unless they have diarrhea; to bind them up.

How’s kindermusik going?

[Anonymous]

Christine,

Well, today kindermusik wasn’t so great. Henry was a total mess and I spent most of the time in self-pity mode on why my baby can’t be a happy baby. However, I was thinking about how you were pregnant during kindermusik and decided if I was pregnant I would probably collapse from exhaustion from all that moving around. Last night he was up again for a couple of hours moaning and groaning and crying even though I didn’t give him any solids yesterday. I’m certain the lack of sleep is catching up to me because I am on the verge of tears all the time. If it isn’t the rice cereal then I don’t know what is going on or how to make it stop.

I know what you mean about hating to hear your child fussing. It is very hard to sleep through that even if they aren’t crying.

Ruby

[Anonymous]

Oh, Ruby…I feel so bad for you. I just wish your doctor would increase his medication.

I know what you mean about the lack of sleep and the crying. I cried all the time from post partum hormones, the miserable reflux, and the lack of sleep for the first 5 months of Myles’ life. Things finally got better when he got on the right dose of Prevacid.

Isn’t there another doctor you could see? Even if you have to travel? It would really be worth it!

[Anonymous]

aGHAHGH

I haven’t fed Henry any solids at all since Sunday at lunch and he still hasn’t slept through the night again and he is moaning and groaning at feedings. What else can it be?

Christine, may I email you directly?

Ruby

Henry, 5 months old, reflux

Breastfeeding on the eat-nothing-that-you-like-diet

7.5 mg prevacid 2x a day

rubicube2006-4-19 20:32:6

[Anonymous]

Hi Ruby,

Yes, you may email me directly. I was going to ask you for your email address, too. Here’s mine – [email protected]

I feel so bad for you and Henry.

My little guy’s reflux is taking a turn for the worse lately. Lots of throwing up, but he’s still eating fairly well and sleeping well, so I guess I shouldn’t complain. I’m just so d*mn sick of this whole reflux thing. I guess we all are.

I look forward to hearing from you via email.

[Anonymous]

Ruby,

Just to let you know, we also had trouble with rice at times and when I look back there were serious sleeping problems that developed (more serious than our first six months of problems!) after beginning solids. I know you mentioned Henry is interested, but you really can delay solids if he is doing so well. You might think about intolerances/allergies which can mess with sleeping patterns as well. It really can happen that they have good days and horrible nights….i think I have one of the poster children for severe reflux, food intolerance problems and good days….monsterous nights!

I hope things get better for both you and Christine and your kiddos!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Anne. Henry has been solid-free for quite a few days and I’m going to keep it that way for a while. However. . .still not sleeping . . .where has my good sleeper gone?

Ruby

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