Starting Cereal - Jacksonville, FL

I did not start putting it in my sons bottle till 4 months old and I found that he did not sleep any better at night when I did put it in the bottle. Also my friend has a two month old girl also she is doing the cereal in the bottle thing and the baby is still getting up at night so I do not think it helps the baby sleep any longer. Some people say it does but I have not found that to be the case as of yet in my experience. Hope this helps

I wouldnt I would just feed her more often, I did this with my son and his system wasnt ready for it and he went almost 3 days without pooping. Really Id wait till about 3 1/2 4 months, but ask the doctor.

My advice is don’t. If she isn’t full she needs more formula. She is growing and if she is telling you that she needs more to eat she needs all the nutrients in the milk. Her body knows what she needs.

hi there
i am also a stay at home mom of 2 girls. My oldest is 3 and my new born is about to turn 4 months.
Reagan , my youngest, she actually had a hard time keeping down her food . She would spit up alot. But she was still gaining weight, so it was just a nusciance the doctor said. Now around 3 months I actually started giving her cereal with her breast milk. But i only gave it to her around bed time. Around 7:30-8pm. I will actually give it to her 2 times a day now since she is getting where she can eat more of it. It helps her to sleep and hold down some of her food. Only a little though. About 2 tbs to 4 ounces. Too much might make them constipated. You will have to make the hole on the nipple a little bigger so the milk flows out better with the cereal. The ceral can clog the hole

You should still cunsolt your doc, just a precaution. Giving her cereal shouldnt hurt.

I had to put cereal in my baby's bottle at 2 months because of spitting up/reflux. she kept her food down and fed less often. I was feeding her every hour and a half before that. that will keep her more full. it will probably make her constipated though. mine was. as long as she goes every day it is fine. my ped. said that most babies that age on bottles sometimes don't go for a few days but if it is more than 3 they may need help with something. the bad thing is, it is hard to go back once you have given cereal in the bottle because they get used to it and act starved if you don't put it in there. if you get the ok, the best cereal is gerber rice. the other cereals like oatmeal are too thick and won't go through. also you have to start with rice anyway. beechnut is also good. I had to get gerber bottles and used evenflo latex nipples slow flow with them. the bottles were 3 dollars and the nipples were 2.99 for 6 at babies-r-us. you don't have to make the hole bigger. don't put holes in your nipples. it is dangerous and my baby choked really bad. I had to try different nipples and found the evenflo was the best. you can save your nipples for later when they are eating solids or of you only want to give them cereal at bedtime.

Too early! I started around 2-3 months by my doctor's suggestion to help with spitting up. Instead of having a baby waking from hunger, I had a baby screaming in pain because he couldn't digest it and it severly constipated him. It is hard not to be in a rush for them to sleep better, but you just have to wait. One year from now, you will realize that is just the way things are. If she does get a bad problem with spitting up, there are other things they can give you for that. It is better to wake up with a hungry baby then a baby who is in pain, believe me!!

S.,
I've been told and have read that feeding cereal before 4 months can actually bring on food allergies. I waited until 4 months with both kids and no problems. Do some internet research and listen to the moms and you'll do fine.

K.

I would definately take your doctor's opinion over anyone else's. Everyone told me the same thing that they started their child at 2-5 weeks old on cerel but I held strong and didn't start my daughter until she was 6 months old. I think your daughter is way too young and I know my pediatrician would agree. My daugther nursed every 2-3 hours for the full 6 mths, it is totally normal for your daughter to be eating that much and not sleeping through the night. I would definately rethink your plan and talk to your doctor.

HI S.. I feel that she may be to young for even cereal in the formula. her tummy cant break down solids yet, and this might lead to gas and colic. and Lord knows that if your baby doesn't have any of these. Dont help her get them. I started my daughter at around 4mths after her 4mth doctor visit she was in the 25% in her weight( I breastfeed ) and I feed her about 2oz. in the morning and 2oz. mixed with fruit or vegg in the evening. Lets just say I'm no longer conserned. Doctors dont even recomend you start until 6mths. so take your time. If your daughter is thriving dont worry. You'll just be adding one more step in your caregiving. Formula has everything she needs right now. And at her age she should only be sleeping for a few hours at night anyway. If she sleeps longer than 4-5 hour at a time count yourself lucky, mine still wakes up every 3-4 to feed. Welcome to the wonderful world of the 24hr. schedule. Mothers everywhere join this club. And theres no members fee and its a life time membership. :) Good luck

Well I actually read that you're not planning on feeding her solid cereal! However, I think that 2 months is too early to feed her cereal. The other mom was right that she is supposed to be waking up often throughout the night. I would wait until she's at least 3-4 months before starting with cereal in the bottle.

Hi,

You said that she does not seem to get full on formula alone. If she's hungry, she'll still take the bottle. If she stops sucking on the bottle at a feeding, she's full. Babies instinctively eat until full and automatically stop when full.

The saying "sleep like a baby" is just not what we would LIKE it to be. Babies rarely sleep more than 4 - 5 five hours at a time.

Anyone who gave their baby cereal before 4 months by the dr orders obviously had special situations such as vomiting issues... and then, had special orders of when/how.

Of course, you could try a spoon of cereal in her bottle... but I would suggest doing it in the daytime so you can watch her reaction, not at night when you might sleep through a choking or something.

I assume the lady who cut the nipple with toenail clippers sterilized the nipple afterwards.... ick! LOL

Bottom line, try what you think might help. It may work for you, it may not. Dont let others pressure you to do it their way. But remember: these scientific and nutritional studies were not done haphazardly. Take them very seriously.

If your baby is healthy and thriving, I'd wait on the cereal in the bottle. She'll eat until she's full. What is she doing that makes you think she's not full after a feeding? just curious.

Good luck!!

M.

Starting cereal too early can increase baby's risk of diabetes later on. Her digestive system needs time to mature.

I don't think it is a good idea to feed her early. I read that it has been proven that cereal in a bottle doesn't help them sleep through the night. Babies are supposed to wake up often. When they're that small they are supposed to wake and eat every 2-3 hours. My lactation consultant said you should wait until 6 months to feed the baby solids and my daughter's pediatrician said its alright to start between 4-6 months. Their little bellys aren't ready to have solids before 4 months. Just hang in there and it does get easier.

Just run it by the doctor, but I had to start my daughter on cereal early too. I used to put it in the blender to grind it down really fine, then put a scoop or two into a bottle with formula. I used oatmeal instead of rice. Just use a single grain type of cereal. That should help her out!

Both my children were on cereal by the age of 2-3 weeks. My children had major reflex problems and had to be placed on heart & breathing machines. The doctor told me to put cereal in their formula or breast milk. You can start with 1 teaspoon to every 4oz. DO NOT add it to every feeding. First try it at bedtime & maybe at lunch. All you need to do is take a nipple and make the hole bigger with a needle so the cereal can be sucked thru or you can make an X on the nipple. Just watch while your feeding her so she not drinking to fast to get choked. Just remember to use that nipple only at cereal feedings. (formula will pour out) Some doctors will tell you not to some will be all for it. Use your judgement with your child. IF you need anything my e-mail address is ____@____.com I'll be happy to helo you out. Thanks, A. Stoneback

I started giving my daughter cereal when she was about 1 1/2 months old. The first time I gave it to her she slept through the night. If I fed her 4 oz of milk I put 2 table spoons of cereal. By doing this her milk was thicker so she quit spitting up so much. It will not hurt your baby. Now she gets 5 oz of milk and 4 scoops of cereal during the day and 6 oz of milk and 6 scoops of cereal at night.

i started all 3 of my kids around 3 weeks it didnt harm them just start out with just a lil and see how it goes i even gave my son juice at 2 weeks most people will tell you not to do that but i dilluted it with water and he loved it.but every baby is different so my suggestion is to try it see how she reacts and if it dont agree with her then stop and try later.just make the hole in the nipple a lil bigger or use a set of toenail clippers and make a crosscut nipple if you cant find them crosscut nipples are the best but i couldnt find them but like i said you can make your own with toe nail clippers.good luck hope this helps you

I started my daughter on cereal just after 3 months, but she was also eating 8 oz bottles of formula almost every 2 hours. In the hospital, the lactation nurse told me every 2-3 hours is normal for breastfed babies and every 4-6 for formula-fed babies. I was very reluctant to start her on cereal (first time mom, nervous as can be) but my daughter's father also has a son, who is now 9 yrs old, and he told me he started his son on cereal at 1 month. Also, and you'd want to confirm this with your doctor, a woman next door to me had a baby shortly after I did and was feeding her cereal at 2 months, by her doctor's suggestion, because she was spitting up so much of her bottle (about half of it). Her doctor told her to try the cereal to see if that would help the baby keep down more of the bottle.I personally would wait on the cereal if your baby is right on schedule depending on what you give her, breast milk or formula. Also, if she's still getting smaller bottles, try just giving her a little more before adding cereal.

I actually started my daughter on cereal when she was about 10 or 11 months because she would drink an 8 oz. bottle of formula at least every 4 hours or less. When I had taken her to the Dr. he suggested that I start putting cereal into her bottles. Now to do that you'll need nipples with bigger holes.

This is way too early to start cereal. Their bodies are not ready to process solid foods quite yet. If you feel she needs more food, go ahead and put some in her bottle...not alot, but some. It is an UNTRUE old wives tale that cereal makes a baby sleep longer.

At this age, they still have the reflex of pushing everything out with their tongues...You really need to wait until she is AT LEAST 4 months old before starting solids....

This is a great timetable to let you know when to feed her what...
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyfeeding/1400680...

Dear S.,
I wouldn't start cereal yet. Your daughter's digestive system is not mature enough and it could cause more problems. Babies her age are not biologically ready to sleep through the night. It is a brain development issue not hunger. The fact that she is actually on formula will help with the sleeping issue because it breaks down more slowly. The first three months can feel like one long day(or night!). Good luck!! K.

Hi S.,

Can't wait to read the responses you received re: this topic. We have a three month old son and have the exact same question. Our doctor recommended waiting until four months but we may try to talk with him again because I'm just not sure I agree... Let us all know what your doctor says!!! :-)

I would not start her on cereal yet. It's too early. It takes some babies longer to sleep throught the night. Again, sleeping through the night for babies is a solid 5 hours straight. Also, even adults wake up through the night if you think about it. Except we know how to put ourselves back to sleep. Well, most anyway. hehe. Aynway, your baby may need you for comfort still. If you lack sleep maybe have the baby sleep with you until she is a little older.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) acknowledges that there are no "strict" age guidelines on introducing solid foods to your baby. However, the AAP, along with the CDC and the WHO do recommend that you offer nothing but breast milk and/or formula until you baby is at least 6 months old. This ensures optimal nutritional exposure and may stave off food allergies amongst other issues. Further studies have shown that an infant's gastrointestinal tract has not or may not have matured enough to properly digest/utilize solid foods until around 6-8 months old! (

Studies show that babies are highly individual in developing a readiness for solid foods. One baby might seem to be ready for solids at 4 months, while another shows no signs of readiness until around 6 or 7 months. Just because your friend's baby may have began eating solid foods at 4 months of age does not mean that your baby should. Please keep in mind that "outward" signs of being ready for solids do not mean that your baby's inner digestive system is mature and ready! You should thoroughly discuss starting your baby on solid foods with your baby's pediatrician.

If your pediatrician insists that you start your 4 month old infant on solids, ask him or her to explain the benefits of starting solids early. You might be surprised to hear the answer is not based on nutritional science! And remember, you never HAVE to begin introducing complementary foods simply because your pediatrician has suggested that you do so! Only when you have thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of introducing solid foods with your pediatrician will you be able to have a better grasp of just when you should begin offering baby solid foods.

I would definitely talk with your doctor 1st. There are many factors that you need to consider. 1st- your baby's digestive system needs to be mature enough to handle cereal (which it is not at 2 months), 2nd- your baby should have at least doubled her birth weight (cereal takes longer to digest so she will feel full longer but it does not have the caloric content that you baby would get from formula or breastmilk...and that's what a baby needs at this age). 3rd- you should never feed your baby cereal in a bottle. It can pose a choking hazard and it defeats the process of learning how to eat. If she can't attempt to eat from a spoon she isn't ready to eat cereal. Sorry if I sound like I'm on a high horse, I am not. I just had a lot of pressure to start my daughter on solids before she was ready, so I did a ton of research. C. c.