introducing cereal to sensitive tummy?

[Caryn M]

My son is now just about 5 months old. He has a sensitivity to dairy so far, but did not do well on nutramigen or alimentum so we slowly changed him back to simillac sensitive ( originally took him off of it for constipation and colic) he seems to do much better, happier, eats more, finally starting to gain weight (now 12 lbs) his poop is green and now soft with occasional yellow messes when he passes gas. Doc assures me as long as he is happy his tummy will eventually get used to the dairy. It is not an allergy. He does have a little reflux so doc told me to put 1 tsp rice cereal to every 2oz of formula only at night. this only lasted one night. Spitting up, high pitched screaming and pulling his knees to his tummy, and constipation, after just one night! (still wakes up every 2 hrs to feed at night, so it was 3 bottles, 3 oz each) His doc is now telling me I need to get him ready for solids and spoon feeding. She says he should try spoon feeding by 6 months. Meanwhile I should get his tummy ready by slowly introducing rice cereal again starting with 1 tsp to every 4oz this time every 2 bottles for one and a half weeks, then slowly increase the amount of cereal in each bottle, but lessen the amount of bottles with cereal. Confused? Me too. Somehow by 6 months his tummy is supposed to be used to it. And he should be ready to have regular bottles with cereal if not yet ready for spoon feeding. Does this all sound right to you? She said if he has tummy trouble to just stick with it as long as he is still gaining weight and he will just adjust. Advise and suggestions please. Any input is welome. This is my second child, but the first one was a GERD baby and he never went through the spoon feeding and baby food stage so I am new to this.

 

[Kayla]

If I were in your situation I would stick to what is keeping him happy and put off solids until at least 6 months. Nothing in the bottle or anything. Nothing says that a baby NEEDS to start with wallpaper paste anyways (rice cereal ). It would probably be easier on his stomach if he didn't, perhaps starting with bananas and avocado or other things easy on the stomach.

Even at 6 months they are only eating for practice and fun. Breast milk and formula have considerably more calories in them than rice cereal or the 1 tablespoon of food they will consume when they do start eating. I think the worst thing you could do for a baby with a sensitivity is to force it, maybe his GI tract just isn't ready for that.

Check out this article for example: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

It goes into why delaying solids is good, such as allowing the digestive system to mature.

I would definitely get a second opinion though at least.

 

[Coma Gray]

I agree with Kayla.