Normal?

LO is 5 months old and the doctors think he has acid reflux. This morning at about 6:15 he ate a 6 oz bottle with an ounce of oatmeal in it. Now, almost 4 hours later after he's slept, he is spitting up chunky, foul smelling formula. And it obviously tastes nasty because this face and tries to spit it out like a grown person would. Is this part of the reflux? He has done it since he was born pretty much when I brought up with his doctor and asked if he could be lactose intolerant she said no because he's actually gaining weight but didn't explain why it was happening. He is still gaining weight but just barely. He gained a pound in two weeks or something like that. It wasn't very much. Should I be worried? Is it the reflux or something else? And as I was typing this some just came flooding out flooding out of his mouth...

Can I ask why you are putting oatmeal in his bottle?

My son had reflux and was huge and gained plenty of weight so they actually missed the diagnosis... it can be reflux but usually they do test to confirm it... it is hard to tell some babies just spit up... my sons was finally diagnosed when he would actually stop breating due to throwing up... his was usually right after he ate though not hours later so it is hard to say... sorry I don't think I am much help haha

That sounds pretty normal for AR, my first had horrible AR, so we used a formula thickener and that helped.

Try having him sitting up for a good while after feeds and see if you can slightly incline the mattress of the cot with a thick book underneath the mattress, it should definitely help.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Kylees Mama:</b>" Can I ask why you are putting oatmeal in his bottle?"</blockquote>




I'm assuming for the acid reflux that the post was about.

Quoting Boob Juice Factory. [EBFB:" That sounds pretty normal for AR, my first had horrible AR, so we used a formula thickener and that helped. ... [snip!] ... see if you can slightly incline the mattress of the cot with a thick book underneath the mattress, it should definitely help."

He sleeps on an incline in his play pen already.

Quoting Kylees Mama:" Can I ask why you are putting oatmeal in his bottle?"

some Dr.s will have you do that to help with AR

Quoting Kylees Mama:" Can I ask why you are putting oatmeal in his bottle?"

Because the medicine they gave me was doing absolutely NOTHING when I could get him to take it. THe doctor told me I could put oatmeal in every bottle to help

Quoting *beck-i* {JAS08}:" My son had reflux and was huge and gained plenty of weight so they actually missed the diagnosis... it ... [snip!] ... up... his was usually right after he ate though not hours later so it is hard to say... sorry I don't think I am much help haha"

Yeah they didn't do any tests.... Just said ok this is what is is give him this medicine and come back in a week. Well they didn't give me enough medicine to see if it would work. So they gave me more and I can hardly get him to take it. (I don't blame him its SUPER....minty..... Thats the only way I can describe it. It burns your nose when you smell it and it tastes gross.) So another doctor told me to put oatmeal in his bottle. And he can sit up for like 2 hours after he eats, go to sleep for an hour or two, wake up, and it will come flooding out of his mouth sometimes. Sometimes its not a whole lot, but this time he had been sitting up for a good hour before it came up

Quoting XDaniGirl:" Yeah they didn't do any tests.... Just said ok this is what is is give him this medicine and come back ... [snip!] ... of his mouth sometimes. Sometimes its not a whole lot, but this time he had been sitting up for a good hour before it came up"

I know it took awhile for my sons meds to kick in and if we missed a dose he would have problems for a day or two so maybe they need to give you more before it will start to help him... AR is no fun to deal with but once it is under control it will be like you have a new baby... I know it was that way for us... Good Luck and I hope you get some answers!

Since he is 5 months old my suggestion is to spoon feed the oatmeal instead of putting it in the bottle(I'm surprised he said to put oatmeal in the bottle.. Its usually rice cereal since oatmeal is thicker). Burp frequently during feeds. Sit him upright in a bouncer or bumbo seat after each feed.

Yes the foul smell is normal for reflux but the chunkiness is coming from the oatmeal.

Quoting Sami&Baby Silas:" Since he is 5 months old my suggestion is to spoon feed the oatmeal instead of putting it in the bottle(I'm ... [snip!] ... bouncer or bumbo seat after each feed. Yes the foul smell is normal for reflux but the chunkiness is coming from the oatmeal."

It was chunky before the oatmeal

Quoting XDaniGirl:" It was chunky before the oatmeal"

Hm that's strange. My son has reflux but it doesn't come out chunky. Do you feed with warm bottles or room temp?

Quoting Sami&Baby Silas:" Hm that's strange. My son has reflux but it doesn't come out chunky. Do you feed with warm bottles or room temp?"

I heated them until he was about 3 months but now I guess just room temp. I wash the bottles out with scalding water and then use cold water from the faucet to make the bottle. So it kind of evens out to room temp. Even when I was using filtered water it would still come out chunky...

Its chunky because stomach acid curdles the milk.

You are doing everything right, I'd try a formular thickener until you can see another Dr for a second opinion. They should be giving something to reduce the production of acid rather than just trying to neutralize the acid.