The last 4 days Abby has been quite unhappy for most hours of the night and day. The doctor increased her old med and added her on a new one, but we were still dealing with frequent tummy problems. Last night at church, Abby's stomach flared up and led to a very long and tiring screaming fit induced by her pain. By the time I got home, I was worn out and desperate to try ANYTHING to make her stop hurting and quiet down. I pumped 4 oz of milk then added a tsp of rice cereal just to see if that would help at all. Amazingly, as she began to suck down the bottle, she began to calm down more and more. By the time we finished the bottle, Abby was content and peaceful. For the next 30 minutes or so, she played in her crib happily while the mobile was spinning overhead... she didn't vomit once (which is a big deal if you have spent any time with Abby). I am not sure if this is a coincidence or if thickening her milk helped a little when her tummy was upset. All I know is that Abby was happy for the rest of the night and was able to nurse normally again without any difficulty until she woke up this morning. This morning when Abby's tummy started flaring up again, I pumped 4 oz again and added the rice cereal. She sucked down a little then went to sleep in my arms.
(Abby watching her mobile in the crib content after getting her rice cereal last night)On a side note: I've read for hours on the argument of whether or not to introduce rice cereal to babies this young. I know it is not recommended by most doctors due to the fear of the babies developing food allergies. However, I also know that giving GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) babies rice cereal is considered an exception to the "wait until they are 4-6 months old" rule if medication doesn't work.
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Mattie Leigh started getting rice cereal at 2 months in her formula (I tried breastfeeding but she only got about half an ounce per feeding and the pediatrician said that giving her that little and then having to give a bottle was pointless). Our pediatrician wanted us to try the cereal before he put her on Zantac. He told us to add 2 teaspoons per ounce of formula so she was getting 4 teaspoons per bottle. I kept adding it even after he put her on the Zantac until her body adjusted to being on it and then I dropped it to half a teaspoon per ounce for another couple of months. It took the combination of the cereal and the Zantac to keep her from spitting up. As she got older, she was able to take just the Zantac. I hope the change in meds and the cereal helps Abby out and that you all get some relief.
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