I fed my 5 month old boy oatmeal cereal for the first time last night at 7:30, gave him a bath and prayed for a nice long sleep. Instead he was ready to breastfeed again at 8:30, 9:30 and at 10 he started screaming! This went on and off til 5 am. The only way to get him calm would be to walk around and pat his back. Just when I thought I could lay down with him (we co-sleep) he would be screaming again. He wouldn't nurse all night, wouldn't take a bottle or pacifier. I changed his diapers, his clothes, gave him tylenol, checked his temp. (he didn't have one) and nothing - he just screamed til he passed out. I called the on-call doc at our hospital but by that time he was asleep and she said it could be a number of different things, i.e. teething, new food, upper respiratory infection, ear ache and advised if things didn't get better to see a doctor today. Well he is much better today (still no temp, has pooped, nursed and is sleeping) so I am just left wondering - what the heck was that?? Was it the oatmeal? Have any of your children acted like this? He does have a runny nose and a little cough but we have been though this and an earache before without all the screaming!! I just don't get it.
I always stuck with the rice cereal because it was filling and seemed to cause less gas. I would strongly encourage you to get some Little Tummy's Gas Drops (much cheaper than Mylacon). They work wonders and are very safe for the kids... best way to know if they have gas is if their bellies are really tight. We virtually lived off the drops with my eldest and consider the drops one of the MUST HAVES for every new mom.
I'm sorry you went through that. Sometimes with babies they just aren't ready for certain things or will end up allergic. It could even just be timing. But if I were you I'd wait another couple of weeks before offering cereal again and try rice next time. You did say this was the first time?
Suzi
It may have been a little upset tummy from the cereal, try the rice cereal first, the oatmeal my have been to heavy on his little tummy. Need to start with single grain then move up to double grain etc. He may have just been needing and wanting you, my son was a breastfed baby and seemed like he wanted to nurse all the time. I started him on rice cereal at 5mths.
the oatmil was probably to harsh for his stomach to digest so he had a belly ach next time make sure you have gas drop's they work wonder's even with a belly ach.
It has not happened to me, but it has happened to a friend of mine. She has a 6 month old that I am currently babysitting. She did and come to find out he had a ball of gas. She gave up on it and went back to rice cereal. Good luck and I hope that helps ya. They do have baby gas drops that do work wonders. I know I have had blessings with that. My fingers are crossed for you and a good nights sleep. All of us mommys sure love that.
~S.
i agree with gayle and shannon. first, i was told to start with rice cereal as it is easier on their tummies. i bet the oatmeal was just too heavy/hard to break down, and he may have gotten gas from it - my son was sick probably five times his first winter (born in september), but the only time we really thought something was terribly wrong, he screamed for an entire night, just hysterical, so we rushed him to the ER, and even after all my "experience" with him being sick so much before, i was shocked to be told he just had gas. they have great stuff at walmart/drugstores, i think it's called mylecon drops or something similar to that, that works wonders. i'd just wait a week or so and start over with rice cereal.
