Should I Introduce Cereal at Three Months?

You got a lot of advise already. But I thought I would share my experience. I started my son on rice (just a couple bites) at 3 months. He was constantly spitting up his milk (a LOT) and not sleeping through the night. The cereal was thick and his spitting up was greatly reduced after he ate cereal and by 4 months old he was sleeping through the night. They say this isn't scientifically proven, but hey it worked for me.

Hi M., she is right. i had my baby's on rice cereal at bed time at 6 weeks, (My moms advice who raised 5 kids) they all did great slept through the night at 6 weeks old. One of my daycare moms gives her 3 month old rice cereal in his bottle with every feeding and he does just fine with that. Most of these moms say no, take advice from us moms who have already been there done that with great success. J.

NO WAY! The digestive system isn't ready for it and you can cause all kinds of uncomfortable problems for him. The old ideas have been replaced by updated information because the field of medicine is always learning. Introducing food too early can cause food allergy problems later on.

I look at life pretty logically. We are in a world FULL of diabetes and rice cereal is PURE carbs which turns into PURE sugar.

I actually waited until my babies had teeth to give them any solid foods. I figured once they got teeth, it was their individual body's way of letting me know their digestive system was ready for solids. And I never gave them cereal. I gave them veggies first - it has fiber and nutrients and is WAY lower in carbs.

Cereal stuffs the kid and digests slow, which is why parents feed it to their kids at night to help them sleep through the night, but the nutrients aren't there and the sugar is.

For example:

#1 got teeth at 8 months and started solids at 8.5 months. Continued to breastfeed until 16 months.

#2 got teeth at 4 months and at 4.5 months he reached out an grabbed my chile relleno burrito into his mouth and couldn't get enough. He never had baby food. Hated the texture. Continued to breastfeed until 16 months.

#3 got teeth at 12 months and never wanted ANY solid food. We tried. At 18 months, I stopped breastfeeding her and she finally started to eat solid food. She was soley on breastmillk only for 1.5 years and thrived. No cereal. :)

My MIL fed my husband Apple Jacks at 3 months - this was 42 years ago....I can't even imagine. And she had the gall to ask me when I was going to wean my son of breastmilk when he was 6 WEEKS old. Different generation. Different information.

No. Both the WHO (World Health Organization) and the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) state that you should not start solids until 6 months of age. Starting solids this early is not only unnecessary, but it can be dangerous and have some potentially VERY serious long term reprocussions. For the first six months of life a baby should have ONLY breastmilk (or formula if that's what y'all are doing) and nothing else.

Here's more info:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

Here is a list of all of the medical organizations that give the 6 month rule:
World Health Organization
UNICEF
US Department of Health & Human Services
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Dietetic Association
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Health Canada

Just don't do it. Your baby has his whole life to eat solids. There's absolutely no reason to push it early. And about a hundred reasons to wait.

Your MIL is of the older generation. Ask your pediatrician. My guess is s/he would say only breast milk and/or formula for the first 6 months.

When I first became a mom, someone gave me this tip: respond to any advice/suggestions with nodding, and "I'll ask my pediatrician." Then the next time you see the person, respond "My pediatrician says...."

Another tip: if your gut goes against your pediatrician (re the non-medical stuff, like pacifiers, co-sleeping, etc), lie to your pediatrician.

Hope that helps.

I started my son at two months, and he is far from being overweight!!! You have to do what you think is right. Raising kids is not an exact science, and you'll find that not everyone is on the same page about anything! Relax and let your instincts as a Mom guide you.

No! That can cause food allergies because his digestive system's not ready for this. Dont' always listen to your in-laws. I've learned from experience that they were parents a LOOONG time ago and don't always remember things accurately. Plus, things have changed since then (new medical info, etc.). Listen to your pediatrician and guidlines!!

NO NO NO
a newborn's digestive system is NOT even fully developed yet.
And it can sometimes cause more problems.
It is a MYTH that giving cereal at this age will help.

I don't know your or MIL's reason for giving cereal.... but if you are nursing you want to make sure you are producing adequate supply of milk and that your baby is latching on properly. If not... baby will not be getting enough intake and will always be hungry, thus not being able to sleep well.

Also, 3 months old is a growth-spurt time...and baby needs to be fed on-demand, 24/7. Or they "cluster-feed" meaning they may even need to feed every hour. Thus, growing and developing. This is all NORMAL.
Feedings and nursing, is hard work.
Make sure you know your baby's "hunger" signals.

Get the book: "what to expect the first year" which you can find anywhere or online like at Amazon or E-bay.

All the best,
Susan

There is absolutely no nutritional need for your son to be having rice cereal that early. My family also tried pushing me to feed my daughter solids at an earlier age but I just simply told them that I'm a new mom and going to follow what my doctor recommends and I asked them to respect my parenting choices.

No, absolutely not. Your MIL is from a different generation, when the guidelines were different. Babies actually should not be given rice cereal until 7 or 8 months, as they are unable to properly digest grains until then. We avoided grains until almost one year. Ideally babies should start out on sweet potato, avocado, banana, squash, etc., after the age of 6 months.

Aside from waiting until 6 months to introduce solid foods, as baby's body (swallowing skills, teeth, gut sealed and less prone to allergy etc.) is really ready, some authorities have been thinking that introducing grains first might not really be the best idea. Meats and vegetables and fruits are safer first foods. Less likely to cause blood sugar spiking, addiction to sweet tastes, allergies.
Grains and agriculture came very late in human development and history...it should not be surprising that grain foods may have quite a few downsides, for infants and adults. From a struggling carb lover. Good luck!

Never, Never, Never! Wait as long as you possibly can for introducing any solid food. I know the norm is 6 months but there is new research about waiting even longer. Especially if you are breastfeeding, because bm is more of a complete food than formula so you can hold off longer. At 6 months or earlier they rarely have the reflex necessary for swallowing anything thicker than milk. Plus their insides are just not ready for solids. The longer you wait, the quicker they "get it" once you do start. Not to mention the issue with allergies and gluten problems etc. which are less when you wait and are careful about what they eat once you do start.
Here are some links to help you and your mother in law.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp
http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/html/starting_solids.s...

I know I'm late to the party, but I thought this would help. Get this book: "Super Baby Food." It has a month-by-month list of foods you can introduce, how to check for allergies, EASY EASY EASY instructions on how to MAKE your own baby food if you want, and recipes from first introduction through toddler-hood. It was a godsend.

So much good luck to you!

I introduced it at 4 months.

Wait. Also follow your pediatricians advice. I started at 4 mths under the direction of a GI specialist due to severe reflux & my daughter is significantly under weight. Otherwise I would have waited till she was 6 mths. Before this time their system is not mature enough. There is also research that states starting food too early can lead to being over weight later in life.

no. there is no reason for it. rice cereal can be constipating and hard for some babies to digest. There isn't a need for it right now, especially if you are breastfeeding. (unless your baby has reflux). Babies digestive systems don't fully develop until they are 6 months of age. You are just asking for unnessesary troubles like gas and stomach aches if you do this. We started it at 6 months and it got too constipating so we switched to baby oatmeal.
added: but like everyone says, every baby is different. Ask your doctor and see what he or she says.

I'm surprised how many responses you've had that recommend adding rice cereal at 3 months. Talk to your pediatrician, they usually recommend six months for a number of reasons. Things have changed since we were babies... my brother in law was fed meat at 6 weeks! We would never do that now! Just because our parents did it does not make it right. We also rode around without car seats (or seat belts for that matter), can we imagine doing that?

Talk to your doctor, and follow her advice. Then, let you MIL know that you are following the advice of your doc, an that should be the end of the conversation.

J

I have read numerous articles online in books, and heard from my breastfeeding class, that the longer you breastfeed exclusively the better. I'm not necessarily advocating breastfeeding forever, but if you can do 6 months or even up to 9 months, that is the healthiest path. As soon as you start introducting solids, the benefit of breastfeeding declines sharply. Obviously, you'll want to do this gradually. Don't listen to your M-I-L!! She doesn't know best! The doctors and experts know best, and YOU know best!!

is the baby hungry.. is the baby sleeping thru the night.. if the baby seems hungry, or isn't sleeping thru the night.. try a little... like 2 teaspoons of rice cereal mixed with formula.. try 4 months.. it's better at 4 months... good luck

hi -
I would wait. the GI system is immature and as stated below the AAP doesn't recommend introducing cereal until 4-6 months.

they state (http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f....
"Most babies are ready to eat solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age. Before this age instead of swallowing the food, they push their tongues against the spoon or the food. This tongue-pushing reflex is necessary when they are breastfeeding or drinking from a bottle. Most babies stop doing this at about 4 months of age. Energy needs of babies begin to increase around this age as well, making this a good time to introduce solids."

they also state (http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f...) ...
"When your infant is able to sit independently and grab for things to put in her mouth, it’s time to begin introducing solid foods. Start with simple, basic foods such as rice cereal. "

hope that helps :)

My opinion would have to be no. Are you breastfeeding? Do you not have enough milk, or is he very hungry? Sometimes the older mom's in our family want you to do things the way they did it... I found my mom's baby book and my grandma was feeding her meat at 6 weeks old! Her poor gastric system must have been a wreck!

But science shows that a baby needs only a mother's milk for at least the first 6 months, and I like to think about how we as humans are designed. We start eating solids after teeth come in, which gives us the ability to chew it. Be patient and use your instincts, they're usually right.

If during every meal your son is watching you eat (following the spoon from your bowl to your mouth) and opening his mouth, then you may want to try the cereal. Otherwise, wait. 6 months is a general rule for a reason. It is when most babies are developmentally and physiologically ready.

Hi M.! Your MIL gave you outdated advice. Go with the 6 months. I didn't introduce cereal AT ALL with my kids. It's simply not even necessary.

Personally I did not introduce food until 6 months. But all the books and doctors say no earlier then 4 months old. Babies have a reflex to split things out to prevent choking until about 4 months old and it is not good to put cereal in a bottle. So I would wait. Good luck with the mother in law.

I would not introduce cereal yet if I were you. I think that it can lead to food allergies if you start introducing foods to them before their little systems are ready to process it correctly. If you are using a formula, it should be formulated to satisfy all of his needs and if you are breast feeding it is definitely the perfect food for him right now. I would listen politely to your mother in law and then I would do what your pediatrician suggests to you. After all, the doctor is the one with the education in what is best for your child!!!
I know that when my first daughter was only 6 months old and still exclusively breast fed, my mother in law took it upon herself to feed my baby mashed potatoes and gravy!!!! I can still remember the shock I felt as I came around the corner into the kitchen and found her feeding that to my baby!!! lol Sometimes we MIL's (I am one myself now and a grandma to two precious little boys) can have some ideas that are better kept to ourselves!!! Don't argue with your MIL,just listen politely and then make the decisions that you think are best for your son.

i have 3 daughter 4 and 6 months they both got introduced to rice cereal by 4 to 6 weeks.mainly because it helps with acid reflux in babys...it dont hurt to give it to them. i started out 1 time a day in the morning 1 week later i did it in the morning and a night and so on. now every bottle my 6 month old takes has at least a teaspoon of cereal in it but the bottles are 6oz i would put half teasppon maybe a little more so its not to think to go through the nipple for your son...good luck

6 months is best before you introduce any solids. In fact if you are nursing, babies don't need any solids until 1 year.

If I remember correctly I started my girls at 4 months, which was my peditricains suggestion. I know parents who have started as early as 6 weeks.

I would talk with your peditrician as ask his/her recommendation.

In a word, NO. your babies digestive system is NOT ready and pushing solids at this age can cause problems later. Breast milk is sufficiant - check with your pediatrician and use his/her answer to explain it to your MIL

I have had 3 children, my youngest is 22 now. All of them were on cereal at the age of between 6-8wks. Now my daughter just had a little girl, she is 9mos. now but she introduced her to cereal at 3mos as well. She is doing great. She is now 9mos and she is basically eating everything.
At 4mos. she was having cereal in the evening as well as veggies (tsp.full) prior to bed. Veggies come first now rather than fruit. Like I said she is now on everything. Plus ppl.food. Nothing big, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoe, stuff like that. When you try something with baby make sure you try it for 2wks. before starting something new, then you can tell if he takes a negative reaction to it. Any pediatrician doesn't want babies on anything only formula until 9mos. however every baby is different and you will find that most have started the rice cereal way before told to.
If you are going to feed this to your son, just give him about a tsp. mixed with formula, don't make it thick, thin it out and feed it to him, then gradually after a couple of wks. thicken it or add more. Good luck!!

Yes it is recommended at six months. Pediatricians before, said it was 4 months but have now changed it to six. Reason being they have found that babies tummies are not ready for any kinds of solids until 6 months. Hope this helps

Wait until your baby is six months old. Right now all your baby needs is breastmilk. If you do decide to feed your baby rice cereal, choose brown rice cereal instead of white rice.

No.
Besides, you should consult your doc.
Every child is different. All of my children were small and at the bottom of the weight scale. So, it was important that they get all the breast milk / formula they could to properly gain weight. Fill a child up with cereal and they'll take in less bm/f. My doc wouldn't let me give them anything else until they were almost a year old.

You want to wait until 5-6 months before giving your baby rice cereal. Babies tummies are too immature to digest it and there's no need because your 3 month old should be getting plenty of nutrition from your milk or formula.-www.weelicious.com

They used to say to do this, my mom did it with me and my sister. Doctors used to encourage it to help kids sleep better. But now they know that it isn't a good idea, and doesnt help with sleeping. This is just one of those things that used to be done, so our moms and grandmas encourage it still. Like babies sleeping on their bellies. That is what they used to tell moms, but now we know better. My doctor told me 4-6 mos with my son, and you can tell by signs whether they are ready. Your doctor will give you information on all that soon, probably at your 4 month checkup. If they don't just give you a handout about feeding, you should ask for info.

I have heard of doctors recommending cereal for some cases, usually if the baby has reflux. The weight helps keep the milk in the baby's belly. But I would only do it if the doc told me to. You should always go with what your doctor tells you in most situations, it is the most current medical advice. I even see on here when someone asks a baby question, the moms with 5 year olds will say different things than the moms with babies. The info changes all the time, and you can only do your best to keep up. :)

I have strong feelings that one should wait until around at least the 6 month mark to even offer. I did some research and learned about the "open gut" that baby has prior to the 6 mont mark. Here is more info on it for you. I never knew why it was recommended to wait the 6 months until I read up on this. Very eye opening:

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/early-solid-food-feeding...

It is never recommended, as MR said, that a baby start on solids at 3 months unless there is a medical condition like severe reflux. And that is only done with a physician's direction.

babies don't even have the right enzymes to digest rice cereal until they are about 9 or 10 months. There are other grains that may be better but you probably should wait until at least 6 months unless your doc says otherwise. For my kids their first food was bananas. Around 7 or 8 months.

We started rice cereal at 4 months on advice from our Pediatrician because my son was HUNGRY! See what your doctor says before doing anything. We had no problems starting at 4 months.

Good luck!

I guess the question is, why does your Mother in law even care? The APA, WHO and many other organizations don't recommend starting solids until 6 months so I would just say that to your mother in law if she brings it up again. I was in such a rush to start solids with my first but still waited until just before he was 6 months and you know what? It is a pain! More dishes, more things to buy, more to pack when you are out, more bibs to wash, etc. So, what's the rush?

Stick with your pediatrician's advice, not your mother-in-law's....My pediatrician said six months.

Good luck.
-M

Nope, wait until 6 months. Also, a study just came out that babies who are started on solids before 6 months have weight problems later in life. Babies dot need solids until 6 months and it's hard for them to digest food any younger than that.

You are the only other M. I have ever met! My vote is no, unless there is some reason recommended by the pediatrition. I know your MIL means well, but things are changing in the feild and it is just not recommended anymore. Talk to your pediatrition first.

Unless your mother in law is a doctor I'd tell her to butt out and follow my doctor's recommendations.

Some say a year. Don't rush it. God Bless! J.

My grandmother told me to introduce cereal to my lil ones at that same age and since she raised five kids of her own and countless foster babies i started to feed my lil ones the cereal but then i told the dr and he told me that introducing my lil one to cereal that early could lead into childhood obesiety but my lil one is now six goin on seven and hes just te right weight so i say go for it but dont tell your dr hell just talk you out of it

no...its best to wait til 6 months b/c a baby's gut is still open at 3 months...the only time u should introduce cereal early is if baby is having reflux..and you should start with oatmeal not rice..rice constipates...MIL's are old school and aren't up on how things are done these days..you may want to join babyzone.com or babycenter.com ...if you are breastfeeding go to kellymom.com ...be careful with introducing cereal ...talk to your pediatrician about it.

my daughter started rice cereal at 3 1/2 months. but she was showing the developmental readiness signs. her dr said 4 months for cereals and 6 months for purees. but if your baby is breast fed i think its a little later. you can try rice cereal if you think he is ready and if hes not then you can save it for later :)

That generation ususally did things differently because they didnt have the information we have now days.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises to wait till 6 months because baby's digestive systems aren't ready to process anything other than breastmilk yet. You risk your baby having allergies, eczema, asthma.....if you feed him/her anything else too soon.

WHY??? Your baby's belly is not mature enough to handle this. Just stick with breast milk.

The American Pediatric Association is split on this issue; some say 4 months and some say 6 months but NONE say 3 months.

The most important person to consult regarding the dietary and nutritional needs for your child would be his pediatrician. Wait until the baby's 4 month well-child checkup and ask then.

If your mother-in-law has had several years of training as a medical doctor with specialization in pediatric care, then take her advice seriously. Otherwise, listen to the recommendations of your child's pediatrician.

Nope--his little digestive system will not handle it well. Wait til 6 mos.

Do to the increase in allergy's in kids I would not recommend giving rice cereal that early. Just go to the website American Board of Pediatrics and go by what they say... 6 months is best!

No... you breast feed and introduce cereal at 6 months. There is a reason they recommend it at 6 months: allergies, etc. Your mil needs to let you raise your kid the way you see fit and go along with it. Her job is to love the kid and spoil him/her as he/her grows.

I was told the same thing by my mom. As the other posts said, their digestive systems just aren't ready yet. I have three children, and I waited until they were closer to five months. And really it didn't make a difference in how they slept. I don't think it has anything to do with sleeping through the night. Talk to your doc.

Hi M.!

I have 3 kids and I've always waited. Our pediatrician told us that their tummies have not matured enough before 4-6 months (we always waited 6) to be able to digest the cereal. I know that rice is a virtual "non-food", but it still digests differntly than breast milk/formula. Also, since the baby receives all of it's nutrition from the breat milk/formula alone (rice cereal has no real nutritional value- it's just very gentle on the tummy and helps teach the baby how to start "eating") the cereal would be taking the "space" of the milk and your baby would be getting less nutrients.

It's always best to ask your pediatrition- I think the general "rule" is that your baby should be triple it's birth wieght before you start to introduce solids.

Be blessed

K.