Starting Rice Cereal

My son had a reallyyy hard time sleeping but rice cereal isn't the answer. Sorry to say- it's time. Their little tu tums arent' ready for solids yet even diluted coming out of a nipple. In the long run you will be happy you waited and so will she. We tried it and it didn't help it made him fussier and then we found out that the new research proves it's better to wait.
Lynelle

A good way to find out it to try it. Make up some cereal, and give the baby a little on a spoon. If she is able to use her tongue to move the food to the back of her mouth and swallow without gagging, she is ready. If it just drips out of her mouth or she gags, she is not ready. I started at 4 months, the first time my son was not ready, so I waited a week and tried again, and the second time he was fine.

I worked in the same building with the people from WIC. All research shows that babies digestive system isn't ready and we should wait. Plus, besides having them backed up and possible stomach pumped if not just pain, it could cause allergies. More milk. Good luck.

Please listen to your doctor and don't feed your baby rice cereal yet. As the mother of two young boys, I can totally empathize with how difficult the lack of sleep is. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be exclusively breastfed until 6 months. I realize that not everyone can breastfeed, but part of the recommendation is because their little digestive systems are not ready for food yet. They can't properly digest it. The earlier you introduce foods, the greater likelihood of food allergies (coming from a mom with a son with a life threatening peanut allergy).

I have friends who introduced rice cereal at 4 or 5 months to try to help their child sleep better and it did absolutely no good at all. There are many possible reasons your daughter isn't sleeping through the night. First and foremost - she's only 3 months old. Most babies aren't sleeping through the night yet at that age. And many, not all, still really NEED to eat in the night. There are a number of good books on helping your infant sleep. And I believe most will tell you that you can't really do any kind of sleep training until they are 3 or months old. Get some of the books and find one that fits your philosophy and your child's temperament. (You have to remember that different styles work for different children.)

You also say that it is the nights that you work that she stays up all night. That tells me that perhaps there is something different about your daughter's schedule on the days you work. Children thrive on consistency. They need a schedule - even if they aren't ready to keep it yet. (Mine didn't really start staying on a consistent feeding/nap/sleep schedule until 4 months.) Look at what you are doing with your daughter and make sure you are following the same schedule each day.

There are so many possible reasons your daughter isn't consistently sleeping yet. Don't just throw rice cereal at it when her little body isn't ready for it. I understand the misery of sleep deprivation. I really do (I suffer insomnia now). But look at all the possible causes and make sure you address them first.

Good luck!
C.

Sorry, but you just don't get much sleep with a 3 month old. She will start sleeping more soon. My son woke up every 2 hours until he was about 4 months, when he started sleeping 4-5 hour stretches. Now at 8 months, he sleeps for 10+ hours. Hang in there. And the other posts are correct - solids don't make your baby sleep through the night. My son didn't sleep through the night until I weaned him to formula. Breast milk is the best thing for your daughter, but it is metabolized fast. Hang in there.

It's really best to wait until 6 months to start solids. Maybe she's up late those nights missing you? Is it possible to adjust your work just a little to make sure you aren't working really late?

Hi S.,
I started all 3 of my kids on rice cereal around 3 months. It takes awhile for them to like it because of the texture, but by 4 months they were eating it well. Have fun! It's a new adventure :)

i just want to say that it will be more trouble that its worth. my daughter was breastfed for the first 6weeks. she never slept. i mean NEVER! i was exhausted. everyone told me to put her on formula and cereal. they said she would sleep. SHE DIDNT. she had horrible constipation issues , latose problems, upset stomachs, crazy spit up. it was a nightmare. it also didnt help any of my friends. sleep is a learned behavior. took a while for me to understand that. my son is 4mths old and only breastfed. he sleeps great. it depends on the kid. swaddling really works even if the kid appears to dislike it. i will wait at least 6months to introduce food this time and i think cereal is last on the intro list. fruit is first since it is easiest to digest.-hope this helps

my first question is, do you breast feed? if so, do you pump? if you do and are not pumping yet i suggest to do so. she is probably up on the nights you work late because she knows you are not there. my son did the same thing for quite some time, in fact he still does sometimes. they just miss us. sometimes if there is something that she can snuggle with that smells like you can be helpful; a cloth, blankie, pillowcase. i would try to give her another month or so if at all possible. if breast feeding she is getting everything she possibly needs from you. oh, and i feel for you with the lack of sleep. my daughter, who breast fed until 14 mos, woke up every two hours, every single night for the first twelve months. i feel your pain. good luck!

Personally I feel you should listen to your doctor (that being said babies have eaten earlier than 4-6 months before). I'd definitely wait if you have a history of allergies in your family. I can tell you that my son did NOT sleep better after introducing food so that might not be your final solution. Good luck in your decision (and sleeping)

It's an old wives tale that feeding babies cereal makes them sleep better. Also, infants digestive system cannot digest cereal at this age. That's not to say that people don't try to feed them it this early, they just can't process it. I would wait until 4-6 months.

I HIGHLY recommend the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" (http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp... ). It breaks down exactly what you can expect for your child's sleep at different ages and has great advice while supporting whatever "sleep method" you subscribe to. Skip all the scientific data (unless you're really into it all) and just focus on the sections about your baby's age. It worked wonders for us. :-D

Our little girl turns 3 today and I've noticed that there's a huge difference from raising one child than raising your 2nd, 3rd, etc. All the parents I know, including us (we have been in PEPS, a parents group, since all our kids were a few weeks old), were so excited for new milestones and couldn't wait for the next stage. The parents that now have 2nd kids don't have the time to focus on those things with baby number 2 and it's a much more relaxed, laid-back experience. And amazingly, the milestones still happen at the child's own pace. My advice is to let things progress naturally. You'll be amazed how quickly your baby will grow up and you'll wonder where the time has gone. :-) I still can't believe my baby is now 3 and has grown into an amazing little girl right before our eyes. Good luck with getting more sleep. It will happen, I promise. :-D

i wouldn't because our family has food allergies but your case may be different.

in any case, i just wanted to make a comment about all the 'myth' comments. IMO, these 'myths' or 'old-wives tales' are around for a reason. they obviously worked for someone! (the one that comes to mind now is the old washcloth nipple treatment while you are pregnant. it doesn't toughen your nipples but prepares you you for the pain/discomfort of breastfeeding with your sore boobies.) obviously all kids are different and will not respond the same way, but yours just might.

I have to be honest here...right now, Dr's are suggesting waiting until 6 months before going to any solid food, including rice cereal. I'm a grandmother and a mother to 5 children. When my children were young, we were told to begin rice cereal at 2 months, then bananas about 2 weeks later (and only add one new thing at a time, try one thing for at least 2 weeks, thus you can watch for any food allergies). I never had a child with a sleep problem or an eating problem, nor did any of my friends. My problem is with the consistency of what the Dr's say. For years, approximately every 5-10 years they change their mind on what is best for babies, eating as well as sleeping positions. They continue to go back and forth on it. My own feeling is, it can't hurt to try whatever you are comfortable with, and see how the baby reacts to it...since some babies aren't satisfied with milk alone. I realize I am older than most who post here, and therefore my outlook may be different. But, I know what worked for me, and I raised 5 very healthy and content children (none who are obese, either). Ultimately, you are the one who will have to make the decisions for your children. Also, in the time-line of things, I don't see how one month earlier on the cereal is really that big an issue. As for it being a myth that they sleep longer, try putting a group of women my age in a room and ask them how their babies began to sleep better after getting a bit of cereal. I'm sure they would ALL say, "so much better!" We also did not do it with a bottle. We used a baby spoon and made the mixture fairly thin, and their little tongues would just go to work. But it is a messy process. :-)
Another thing I have to mention is, I've noticed a lot of little ones who are finicky eaters. When my children were small I noticed that they and most of their friends were not very finicky at all. I always felt that could be because they learned to like the flavors of different things from having experienced food earlier. If all you've had for 6 months is milk, then of course baby food and cereal is going to seem "foreign" Just a thought...

Both my kids have acid reflux, so I thickened up their formula with rice cereal probably around 2 months. They are both thriving now. I really don't think it hurts them at all to start putting in their bottle. My nephew had terrible acid and my sister started it in his bottle at 2 weeks, which her doctor knew about. I think if she will take it and fill her up, then go for it. Just make sure you have a little bigger hole in the nipple.

First of all, cereal will not make your baby sleep longer--that is a myth. Secondly, while many children in previous generations were give solid food before four months and were "just fine", we now know that babies under four months do not have mature enough digestive systems to properly digest solid foods--they still lack the proper enzymes. Giving solids to a immature digestive system can lead to problems down the road, such as food allergies. In this case, I think your doctor was right. If you still have doubts, ask him (or his nurse) to explain his reasoning. Babies vary greatly in when they are ready for solids, but four months is pretty much the minimum age. I tried to start my baby at 5 months, but he really wasn't interested until about 8 months.

She may not be waking up at night because of being hungry. There are many reasons kids wake up at night at this age. So changing the food they eat should not be the first solution to go to. My little one that is 5 mo. has been waking at night or not sleeping at all for months. So talk to your dr. read books like Health sleep habits, happy baby.

Adding rice to the bottle does happen and can. But there is a certain measurement you need to use and follow so that they can digest it and swallow it. There are reasons you are suppose to wait until at least 4 mon. to 6 mon. to introduce rice. The digestive track is still developing and if you push things or use to much they can get other issues. Rice doesn't have much or any fiber to it so you can back your child up and they can have tummy pain and be constipated. So you can have more to worry about and treat if you rush and push things your child is not ready for.

I know you have a hard work sched. but don't push your baby to do things and to eat things they may not be ready for. There are other things to look at and to help both of you get the sleep you need. Good luck to you and I hope you find something that works for both of you.

Hi S.,
I would listen to your doctor re not starting until your daughter is at least 4 months old. There is no indication that eating solids makes babies sleep longer, though most people seem to think that. I can tell you that my son stopped sleeping through the night when he was six and a half months old and didn't start sleeping through the night again until he was 16 months old. And we always gave him lots to eat and drink during the day and a bottle before bed, but nothing seemed to work. For him, the sleep issue was teething - he didn't sleep through the night until his molars were finished coming through. There are many reasons babies don't sleep through the night, but not being full isn't one of them, according to recent studies. If you start your child too early on cereal, though, studies suggest they could be more susceptible to allergies, etc. There are also cons to starting babies too late on cereal... In any case, talk to your doctor about why he/she doesn't want you to start cereal and about the sleep issues. Perhaps your little one just misses you on those nights that you work late and gets all keyed up by a different schedule. Babies are an enigma, to say the least. :-)

As has been stated before...feeding rice cereal will not make your daughter sleep through the night. As well - feeding solid's too early may be harmful inthe long run. Hold off as long as possible. You will get more sleep eventually. By giving your babies system to mature - you can run into future problems like allergies and digestive challenges. And that S. - is worth far more than a few months of little sleep.

My daughter was not introduced to solids (rice cereal) until she was 5 1/2 months old, only milk for the first year and a bit was breast milk, continued breast feeding until 3 1/2. She has no allergies, likes most foods (even at 9 years of age) and finally slept through the night at around 4 years of age. So the theory of solids and sleeping through the night is a myth.

Of course - every child is different. Listen to your inner mommy voice - and all should be okay.

I also back up the advice that you should wait to give rice cereal to your baby until she is 6 months old (you also don't have to start her on rice cereal...avocado and sweet potatoes are great first foods as well). My son and daughter both woke up during the night no matter how much they ate at that age. My daughter, who is almost 1, still wakes at night some nights and it has nothing to do with food. My son, now 4, also took a long time to consistently sleep through the night without waking. I think it is totally normal, although very hard on mom. I also think that because of the young age of your baby, trying to wean at night should wait a 2-3 more months. Good luck and if there are nights you are getting a full nights sleep, count yourself very lucky! :)

When I was a baby my mother started all of us at 3 weeks with a spoon. I started my two at 7 weeks and 9 weeks and they both did just fine. You have to make it runny but they know how to use their tongue and get it moved around. I was never a fan of cereal in the bottle. Kids take to it much better if you mix it wih breastmilk or formula.
My kids were eating fruit as well by 3 months.

Dear S.;I started my children on rice cereal when they were six weeks old..they became more hungry ..a little rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula,mix until all is moistened..and for a starter you might try adding some baby applesauce..It sounds like she is hungry..
Good luck to you..

Everything i have read says you should wait until 6 months!!! until they can hold thier head up and sit in high chair independantly. when the thrusting motion of the tongue(in early ages) goes from out to in. when they start watching you while you eat and show an interest in food. this was also confirmed by moms group and the doula that runs my group. but you have to do what is right for your little one.

Okay a lot of people seem to be very opinionated on this subject, but we all need to remember every baby is different. I would talk to your doctor first about starting it. I asked my doctor about this when my daughter was born and her doctor said go ahead and give a little bit right away, I started her at 2 weeks old, but she was a very big baby and I could not keep up. I also challenged my sons doctor about this and he also told me it was fine to feed them a little rice cereal at night. Follow your instincts and forget opinions, because it is your child, no one knows what is best for your baby but you. If you decide to do it my recommendation is only give a small amount and mix it with formula or breastmilk. You might be able to find a bottle specially made for cereal, which will allow her to drink it, in a very thinned out liquid form. Good Luck and go with your gut.

My sons doctor told me to wait until almost 6 months old. There have been some recent studies that have been done and they are finding that childhood obesity and feeding solids too early is connected. Really all the nutrition your baby needs is in breast milk or formula. Solids are just more for parents fun and baby to have some stimulation with taste and texture. I would wait.

Hello S. \''/

We started with the rice cereal at about 2 - 3 months old...she is now 11.

She took to it very well. She was very satisfied and content. As we all know.....every baby IS different. So, if you truly feel that your child is not getting enough to eat, then I would start out gradually with the feedings.

I have to say, in order for your child to love vegetables as she grows up(any child for that matter)....one should start them out at a very young age. Be creative with the vegetables....there are a lot of herbs for flavoring. You will find that your child will want vegetables as she becomes a pre-teen. If you look around you, you may see that a lot of kids nowadays won't eat their vege's. I'm proud to say that my daughter eats her vege's and fruits. She's a pretty healthy eater. It all has to be emplemented at a young age. I remember getting grossed out because the vegetables were cooked. I was in high school too. lol. Today, I love vegetables raw or cooked.

So, enjoy your daughter! She is going to grow like a wild fire! lol
Take Care!
\''/ M.

What do you think you will be accomplishing if you have your baby eat rice cereal? Rice cereal will not fix your problem. Are you nursing? Look at your diet. Your baby will sleep better if you are eating right(no caffeine etc.) If she is on a bottle make sure she is not gassy from not burping or maybe it gives her gas from the dairy in it. Also, routines are good.

Hello S.

I would listed to your doctor. It isn't recommended to give them anything other then milk/formula for six months. My doctor said it was because their bellies can handle it. Hang in there my son is 18months and still wakes up sometimes. But at three months it totally normal for her to be waking up. I know since our parents gave us table food when we were weeks old its tempting.
Good luck

Doctors are so goofy sometimes. "Cannot" is a big sign that you need to see a new doctor. If he/she didn't explain why, in a way that you could argue with, then they don't have a logical leg to stand on.

Now, I am not a big fan of starting food that early ... but I am sure aware that it isn't a "cannot do it" situation. Pff.

I aimed for the 6-months-only-breastfeeding thing recommended by the Pediatricians now. But three of my four were interested in food before that, and I considered meeting their individual developmental needs more important than following medical "standards" that have nothing in particular to do with individual reality, change with the blowing social winds, and in our case, had already again and again proven to be fearmongering and inapplicable to our babies. The "standards" are very useful if they can be explained to you and if you can argue with them, because then they are adding information to your parenting, and the doctor would learn about your baby as an individual.

Standards are not useful if they are preached.

I had one that breastfed exclusively to like 10 months. I had two that started eating at 4 months (mashed up real food--I don't bother with rice cereal or any of that, but that's partly because I waited until the baby was developmentally prepared, by their signals and reactions, for food), and they both weaned themselves 'earlier' (both after a year). The fourth started eating at 5 months but still nursed (for comfort) almost to two.

If your baby can't handle your work schedule, can you drop those work times, just for a few months? Because it will probably only be a month or two before she starts sleeping longer and more soundly, in general. (We forget that every stage is pretty short, at this age. Not like when a kid is fourteen ;). )

--K

I'm going to have to disagree with some the mamas who claim that "thickening" up the bottle with the cereal is a myth--I don't think it is a "myth" for ALL kids. Once we started doing that with our daughter--she did sleep for longer stretches. Every kid is different though, and maybe there was just something about her metabolism that helped her relax a little better when her belly was full. We used organic brown rice cereal, and she was a formula baby (yes, breast is best--but this mama never made more than 2oz a day!). We did that in her third month, and then by four months she was sitting upright enough in her high chair that we started feeding/spooning her the rice cereal. Then, we pureed avocados and she ate those and rice cereal until about 5 months. At six months is when we started all the other soft foods.

Contrary to what most of the "parenting" books would suggest, my formula-fed, cereal-in-the-bottle, solid-foods-at-4mos-baby has no allergies, no digestive issues, and has only been to the doctors for her well-child visits. So instead of questioning myself constantly like I did her first year of life because I thought those books must be the gospel, I have learned to allow myself to feel confident that I have done what I thought/felt was best for her. It also helps that our pediatrician is extremely understanding about the difference between "standards" as Kristen mentioned, and doing what might actually be right for a certain child. As other mamas have pointed out, some people feed the babies with a spoon when they're a few weeks old!

You might also be surprised that now that she's three months old, she might ease into some longer stretches of sleep. Are you still swaddling her? I swaddled until about 3.5/4 months and that was also very helpful.

Good luck S., it does go by fast!

S.,

Most doctors are telling you to wait until the baby is 6 months before introducing cereal. They need to wait because they can't swallow solids yet. I would talk with your doctor before trying anything on such a young child.

S.
mom to 5 19,7,3,2,6mo (not yet eating cereal)

you really shouldn't start giving your kid food until they are at 4mnths old, i wait until mine is about 6mnths. they needed mothers milk as much as possible that is where they are going to get all the nutrients and they can't process food food yet until about 4mnths plus...

S., I would urge you to take your doctor's advice. Your baby is very young. Most pediatricians recommend waiting until a baby is six months before giving her cereal. I'm sure there are lots of parents who give their young babies cereal - it may help with sleeping. But that doesn't seem like a valid reason to me. I know it's hard to be sleep deprived, but I promise it won't last forever. I would always remind myself that, in the big picture, these stages that children go through don't last long. It will get better, and your baby will be better off. One more month will go by quickly. Keep looking to other moms for support and encouragement, and keep looking to your doctor for the rest. Good luck to you! (It'll be fine.)

Hi S.,

This is a question with a lot of different opinions out there so here is mine. Giving your daughter rice cereal is not necessarily going to help her sleep on those nights that you are gone until late. It will if the problem is that she is very hungry but if the issue for your daughter is that you are not there to do the usual routine then feeding her the rice cereal with not change things on that front. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to exclusively breastfeed for the six months and then introducing rice cereal and solids. (I don't know if you are breastfeeding or not but I have never heard of a doctor recommending adding rice cereal to a formula fed baby's routine until 4 months of age.)

Often, I think, people start doing rice cereal earlier because they feel that their babies are needing something and the only thing they can figure out is more food. Sometimes that is just the ticket, especially if the infant is big and starting to get close to their daily limit of formula. Other times they don't get the results they were hoping for. I happened to be an infant that fit into that whole reaching the limit on formula thing and having to start rice cereal early, and no it don't think it scarred me for life but then back then it was considered just fine to give infants water to drink and now we know that that actually causes a calorie deficit and is harmful to infants. So we all live and learn.

As a massage therapist I have to say that the evidence out there that touch and cuddle time are just as important as food for growth and development of infants is overwhelming. Just consider that when your daughter acts like she needs something it may or may not be more food. (I am absolutely in no way suggesting that you not work or change your hours, just hoping that you will consider all the possibilities.)

Also, you could just ask your doctor why it is recommended to wait until 4 months of age. The reasons for the recommendation might help you in your decision. Or the American Academy of Pediatrics website might have something as well.

I hope that you have great success in figuring out exactly what your daughter needs!
S.

Wow! You are getting so many replies! I thought I would give my two cents. Studies have shown that there is no real change in sleep habits of babies once they are introduced to rice cereal. Some people tend to think- full stomach=full night sleep, but unfortunately, the data just doesn't back this up. I would defer to your doctor and let them know that you are really struggling with this issue. My son has never slept well even when I have breastfed him until I thought he would burst and then tried to give him more pumped milk- he was up two hours later! What did work for us- when he was about four months old- slowly spacing out his night feedings. We started by just trying to hold him off for 15 minutes the first night, then 30 the next, and so on. I think he was nursing out of habit.Check with your doctor on how many night feedings she should be doing at three months (maybe two?). Also, the other problem with rice cereal is that it tends to make babies pretty constipated and this can lead to more discomfort- i.e. less sleep. Bottom line- your doctor is a specialist in babies and they are up to date on all the best techniques etc. Yes, the recommendations tend to change every 10 years or so and that's because we are getting better at collecting information on what is best for our babies. Good luck!!

A.

It is not recommended to start solids until at least 6 months. My dd started around 9 months. Rice cereal is really not nutritious, and their digestive systems are so immature. Usually the signs of readiness are that they should be teething, sitting up on their own and grabbing or being curious about your food before they are ready for solids.

Check out this http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

I remember several parenting books mentioning that it is a myth that feeding solids before bedtime makes your child sleep longer. If you can hold out a bit longer as your doctor recommended, I'd try to do that. The months will go by faster than you can imagine.