Reflux Misery

Boober Enjoys Her Sweet Potatoes

Back when Baby J. was two weeks old, she started showing signs of reflux. She was a breastfed baby, which I've read means reflux isn't supposed to be as bad, but it was about as bad as it gets with Baby J. For awhile there, it was like 95% of what she ate ended up coming back out. Her clothes were always ruined. She always smelled of stomach acids. And she was generally miserable. You could really tell that the reflux was bothering her. Some babies are happy spitter-uppers, Baby J. was not one of these babies. On top of this, the reflux was making it near impossible for Baby J. to gain weight. At one point, she was in the 6th percentile of weight (94% of babies weighed more than her).

Now, when Baby J. turned four months old, we were able to start her on cereals. I know some people wait until six months, but we were immediately ready to try; we were hoping it would help the reflux. Did it help?

Yes It Did! She took to cereals immediately. She loved them. She stopped enjoying breast milk as much (she drank it, but she was less interested), and she wanted more cereals. The trend continued when we tried vegetables. It was like sweet potatoes were the greatest food in the world, because Baby J. would be in heaven when she was eating it. Fruits were even better. Apple sauce? Pears? Peaches? You name it, she loved it.

At her most recent checkup, Baby J was in the 45th percentile for weight. She still looks skinny, because she's rather tall. Still, we're all happy now that the reflux has passed. I know it can last a lot longer for some people.