Waking up Every Hour!

Ditto to Christy's advice below. My son was not getting enough food and I, too, had to add formula and rice cereal. He didn't have any food allergies whatsoever and he slept like a charm. I know people say not to add food, but it was the best thing for my son. I hate to say it, but I could tell when he was a few weeks old that he wasn't getting enough breastmilk and didn't seem to be satisfied with just that. He did weigh almost 10 pounds at birth though. I really think you should try giving him cereal, seriously. Just see what happens, that's all you can do. I used to just love that "full," happy look on my son's face after eating cereal. And no he's not overweight now. He's actually really skinny but it's because he's so tall...14 years old, 120 pounds and almost 6'2". Good luck with you. Try cereal!!!

Hello M.,

I have been there! My first daughter did the same thing. She seriously woke up every hour. I was so frustrated, then a good friend of mine gave me a book that changed everything! The book is titled "On Becoming Baby Wise" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

The same day she gave me the book I read the whole thing and started my daughter on this new "flexible" feeding schedule immediately. My daughter was 8 weeks old. The night before I read the book she had waken every hour during the night. Two days after starting this new feeding schedule she only woke twice during the night and seven weeks later she was sleeping all night long! (eight hours) At six months old she was sleeping 10 hours straight. From eight p.m. 'till six a.m. when I would wake her to nurse her. I then would put her right back in bed and she'd sleep 'til ten a.m.! This book was so informative and told me exactly what to do and taught me all about sleep cycles and how to train your child to sleep(which helps prevent learning disabilities). My daughter had horrible colic and this schedule made her nights and her days easier for all of us. This book also taught me a lot about nursing that I did not know, and I was able to successfully nurse my daughter for 13 months. And like you I didn't start her on baby food until she was six months.

When my second daughter was born I started her on the schedule immediately. At nine weeks old she began sleeping eight hours through the night!
This book works and I highly recomend it. There are several Baby Wise books available that will continue to help you as your child grows. I recommend those as well.
You can easily find them on Amazon.com
Good Luck!

I personally think waiting until 6 months is too late to start solids. I also believe that food alergies develop as a result of waiting too late to start them on food (just my opinion). He obviously is not getting enough from your breast milk. You might try drinking more water and milk yourself to increase your supply. Maybe change your diet to make your milk richer and more satisfying to him. I have never heard of any reported cases of an infant being allergic to rice. I mix mine with white grape juice which is the most easily digested juice for infants.

Rice cereal is not likelt to cause allergies. Babies can eat cereal anywhere from 4-6 months, depending if they are orally ready. I never mixed the cereal in the bottle, though. You could just offer some rice cereal (soon fed) at night before the last breastfeeding session. Four months and six months are growth spurt periods. Also, if there have been any changes in his life, it may cause him to be overly clingy. However, once it seems like he's not eating well during these periods at night, just try comforting him in bed so that he can put himself back to sleep.

Good Morning!

You need to read the book BABY WISE. I will swear by it! There is a big mis conception between fomula feed babies sleeping thru the night before breast feed babies. Both of my children 2 1/2 and 9 months old (still breastfeeding), slept thru the night at 8 weeks and 9 weeks and really haven't woken up since. My guess he is using it for comforting instead of needing to eating. You might want to try comforting him rather than feeding him. Try to get as many feedings in during the day without going over board. Honestly he doesn't need to eat anymore during the night. Even if he is going thru a growth spurt, he would just eat more during the day. You need to get a handle on it now or you will be doing this for a long time. As far as the solid food theory goes, I don't know about that. Both of my kids started rice cereal at 4 months, vegtables at 5 months and fruits at 6 months. By the time I start fruits, I didn't buy any more baby food. Both of my kids eat anything and have no food allergies.

Good luck - L., mother of 2.

It's amazing how frequently their sleep patterns change! Just when you think you've got the perfect system down, they throw you for a loop! It may be a growth spurt, teething, a cold, but something is always changing at this age. My son did/is doing the same thing - he is now 11 mo old. Probably around 4 mo, he started waking every hour. That went on for a week or two, then he went longer between waking, then we went back to every hour. Recently he has been nursing almost every hour, except the last few nights he's back to a few hours in-between. He was exclusively breastfed for at least the first 6 mo, and is still breastfed. So, I guess what I'm saying is, this is completely normal (although exhausting)! I will note regarding your follow-up comment though, he does sleep better the farther he is from me. According to our pediatrician, babies can smell your breastmilk from up to 20 feet away, so I'm sure this influences that frequent night feeding when your baby is sleeping near you. I've gone through phases where I've moved him to a Pack and Play about 5-7 feet from my bed for several days to lengthen his sleeping (to 3-4 hours stretches). That works, then I move him back next to or in my bed and eventually we go back to frequent feedings, but that comes and goes on its own even that close to me. I'm sure we could get him to sleep through the night if we put him in a different room and let him cry it out, but I'm not comfortable with that. It is such a short period in their lives that we get to be that sole source of comfort and enjoy that snuggliness, I'm willing to tough it out for awhile. I do use a pacifier some and during certain phases have found that every other waking or so I could give him the pacifier and he would go back to sleep on his own. Two more quick things, you're right about the solids/cereal, and as you can see from lots of advice here it doesn't help but we all try it hoping it will! And the other is just a brief cautionary tale about a friend - she moved her baby to his own room and he started sleeping through the night, but as he started entering the "too distracted to nurse during the day" phase, he was nursing less and less because he was no longer nursing at night and he just completely lost the interest/desire to nurse at about 10 mo and she gave up. So, that also motivates me to keep up my night nursing, it may be keeping my son nursing longer too.

I'm a NICU nurse and there is no reason you can't start cereal now. I would just try supplementing with a bottle after you get done breastfeeding just to see if he'll take any more. If he does that might mean he's not getting enough from the breast. I wouldn't go so far as to add cereal to the bottle, but maybe give him some before bedtime.

M.,
You may not want to hear this, but your son may not be getting enough to eat. I had that problem with my youngest daughter at the same age when I was breastfeeding. She would eat well, but was still hungry. We had to start her on formula and cereal, in addition to breastfeeding.

it may be a growth spurt. sometimes they start waking more frequently to eat and then it will back off again for no apparent reason and i always thought it could be a growth spurt

I am sure that he is just going through a growth spurt!! The reson that formula feed babies sleep longer and keep the formula in their system for longer is because it is harder for them to digest. By giving them breastmilk you are giving them the best natural thing for them even though it may go through them quicker.

I don't know if I really have any advice, but both of my kids have done the same thing. I exclusively breast fed for the first 6 months for the same reasons you mentioned, but once I did start them on cereal and baby food they didn't sleep any better. My son nursed for 18 months and he didn't sleep through the night until he had stopped nursing, even though he was eating regular food and only nursing once a day. My daughter is 12 months and she just quit nursing and sleeping through the night. I just kept nursing them whenever they woke up, but some people say that you should not feed them and just let them cry and only feed them on a regular schedule (like every 3-4 hours). I'm not a big fan of that idea so I would just feed my kids and they would go right back to sleep. I know it's tiring waking up so often, but for me it is what I thought was best for my kids. Sorry I wasn't much help, but I just wanted you to know that you aren't the only one with this problem.

I'm new to Mamasource and this is my first response, so if I'm duplicating someone else, please forgive me!

Both of my girls (now 5 yrs and 20 mos) went through a transition phase at 4 months too. They say it's about the time children can begin to sleep through the night. My girls were both exclusively breast-fed during this time and did learn to sleep through the night. I know that some people don't like it when books are recommended, but we have "lived by" and used "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. I feel that his approach was very flexible and teaching parents understand how babies' brains develop and how that impacts sleep parents throughout life was invaluable to us!

All the best to you, Gabriel and the reunion w/ his father!!

Hi! My son went through the same thing at 4 months. I do think it's a growth spurt thing at that stage if they are eating well and not just needing comfort. If you pump, you can always give him that after normal nursing time just to make sure he's really full before going back to sleep. Then, hang in there and see if it slows down after another week. That's what happened to me - just when I was really worn out things got better. We waited until 7 months before starting solids for the same reasons and he now (age 3) has no food allergies or digestive problems. I would continue delaying solids as long as you can.

(Since I am a new mom, it's ok to take my advice with a grain of salt! I did read about this in a parenting book, though.) One thing to check is if he is eating very frequently during the day (you didn't comment on this and so I don't know whether or not he does) - if he's too busy and distracted by playing and taking his environment in during the day, he may be making up for it at night. Try nursing him every 2 hours during the day and see if it helps. Good luck!

You're so right not to start foods yet. Try ignoring his crys and see if he will drop back to sleep. During the day he should be waking, eating, playing for an hour or so and then back to sleep and starting the whole cycle again. There should be 3 to 4 hours between feedings by this age. A good book on the subject is Baby Wise. Redeemed (corner of Republic and National in Springfield) should have it.
D.-mom to 9 (all breast fed)

I don't really have any advice, I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I have a five month old who's just started doing the same thing. It could be a growth spurt, maybe teething. I just hope it passes soon! I do advise taking a nap with him during the day if you can. It makes getting up in the middle of the night a little easier. Or even try co-sleeping during this phase if you can. Good luck!

I would suggest a pacifier or something else. Once you do something a few times in a row, it becomes habit. So if you are feeding him every time he wakes up, he is going to make a habit of it whether he is hungry or not. Maybe give him a bottle of formula before bedtime if you think it sits heavier in his stomach...but I think a few nights of not feeding him on the hour will do the "trick". You can check on him, make sure he doesn't need anything, kiss him and go back to bed. Don't pick him up or turn the light on. If he is ok to get up once or twice a night, only get up and feed him when it has been 4-5 hrs or whatever the "norm" is for you. Each baby is different and it will take time, but you have to stay strong, it will be for the best :)

I am a mother of two grown boys (young men). This is just preparing you for when your baby is a teenager. If you thought you were going to get sleep again after the baby was born - you will - after the baby is grown and out of the house. As soon as your child finally sleeps really good all the time he will then turn into a teenager and sleep time is once again OVER. Enjoy this, as a baby he is not keeping you up waiting on him to come home.--- Sorry, just a little honest humor. My boys were both over 2 years old before they slept all night. Keep your baby off solids as long as you can and still get the nurishment he needs. You just have to accept that they do get hungry more often while just on milk. If you think there might be something wrong check with your doctor. Think of all the bonding / holding time you are getting right now. You will one day turn around and wonder where the time went and wish you could hold them again. Kiss them often and hug them lots.

After breastfeeding 2 babies, my guess would be a growth spurt! Especially if it lasts a day or 2 or 3 and is back to normal. What can you do, except feed him when he's hungry? :)

My son did that also...I discovered that it was a comfort thing for him. Do you actually "let down" when he nurses at night? I finally let my son cry for two nights and after that he did not wake up again. Hope this helps.

Not all babies sleep the nite away,your son is hungry or want's to be cuddled,so follow his lead I know it is tiring but you are breastfeeding and that is a good thing to continue.Feed him change him burp him then lay him down swaddled if he likes it.If he cry's let him be he'll soon change and you'll miss the nitetime feeding's.They grow so quickly!!!

M.,
Congratulations on being a breast-feeding mom and especially not wanting to use solids too early.
A baby eats until its body tells it that it has received the nutrition it needs at that time. Perhaps the reason he's not sleeping longer between feedings is that he's not getting the nutrition he needs from your milk. But don't take that statement as a leadin to feeding him solids or formula as both are NOT good for him. I would recommend that you check your diet to see if you are getting enough nutrition for both of you. Keep in mind that Mother Nature takes care of the mom first and the baby second. Find nutritionally dense foods...that is foods which have strong food value and not white bread and potato chips. The best food I know of is Phi Plus which can be found at: www.yinyang.wholefoodfarmacy.com They have many organic nutritious foods but Phi Plus is best. In the meantime, ripe bananas are the best food and are almost identical with human breast milk. If you ever decide to feed your son solids, mashed ripe bananas is the best food you can give him. Good luck!

My daughter is 4 months also. She's good about sleeping through the night since she was 8 weeks old. I've noticed that after her every 3-4 hour feedings she still seems hungry.(She's forumla fed)So we started giving her rice cereal. She's now on oatmeal. She's doing great and hasn't spit up. Obviously, this is what she needed. I think that may be what your son needs too. The guidlines through WIC and also our ped. say to start cereal at 4 months of age. I did with my two other boys, they all seemed fine. As long as your child can sit supported it's time to start solids.

my dear M., you are stressing yourself out. Take a break, relax & try putting your baby on a feeding schedule Was prescribed by a dr. for my Gabriel at that age. after a week of scheduling him to go for 3-4 hrs between feedings he was sleeping through the night. Sounds like you have enough on your mind, without lack of sleep interfering. Good luck. (also, all babies are different, dispite what the books say) There are babies who need solids as early as 2 weeks after birth, so if your son is that hungry... feed the boy :) (mine all started at 2-3 mo. on cereal & are great!

If you have checked with his doctor and there is nothing wrong otherwise, it is possible he is a more mature child and hungry-if that is all to worry about then go ahead and feed him a small amount(SMALL AMOUNT) start with just an ounce of the gentlest cereal and see how he does with it, especially at night. Also You may want to give him some water when he fusses to ease his hunger. You do not have to give it to him every feeding, however this may let him sleep longer and then wake upready to nurse. How is your diet for the nursing? Are you eating enough of the right foods to give him nourishment-check that also.

Dear M.,

I had started both of my children on cereal at 3 months old just because they both starting eating every hour and they will start rapidly gaining weight at this rate. Unfortunately the doctor said that the cereal is made from a lot of the same components as formula (not necessarily breast milk)and does not necessarily digest any slower therefor may not help them sleep any longer but will keep them from gaining so much unnecessary weight which can slow down their motor skill learning process. The cereal did help my litte ones sleep longer. I started a Tbls. of cereal in a bottle just to make sure they would not choke and then I gradually added more and more. I started feeding them with a spoon as soon as they could support thier own head very steady. They say you should never bottle feed cereal but I did for the first couple of weeks. I had to secure them in a highchair with a scarf around their torso and tied the scarf in the back. Sound crazy but it worked since they could not sit up on their own. They were successfully eating from a spoon in a couple of weeks! It was great!

If he is eating enough during the day and doesn't need more ounces of milk. Give him water at night or every other feeding at night. I did this with my kids and they started sleeping through the night shortly after I started giving them bottles with water at night. I guess they didn't think water was worth waking up for and they slept through the night by 2 months old.

Kudo's to you on breastfeeding!! He could be begining to teeth or going through a growth spurt, both could make him stay up all night to teeth. another option is a sudden change in his life. Have you recently gone back to work or school? Your breasts are his securtiy blanket and anything that strikes him as different he will want to nurse more. Don't worry he really can't nurse too much, for him at least. If you do end up moving back to NY he will probably do this again or more if it hasn't quite by then. Be carful about putting him on a schedule because a baby will tell you when he is hungry. Babies on schedules that don't fit with their body can literally die of starvation. I don't recommend letting him cry it out either, if needs to nurse then he needs it. Listen to him he will tell you what he needs. Don't worry I know your tired but try to sleep when he does (if your there) and this will pass. Be tough and hang in there.

I know that you do not want to start your son on solids, but it at four months they need more substance to their food to sleep longer. You could pump and before he goes to sleep out one scoop of rice cereal in the bottle, It will not be putting him completely on solids, but it will help put a little weight in his belly to help him sleep longer. Due to it taking longer to digest. Just try it for a couple of days, and if you do not like it then you can stop. He is growing, and needs more substance. Hope this helps.

If this is the first time he has seemed this hungry he is probably going through a growth spurt. Usually babies go through them at about 3-4 months and again at 6 and 9 months too. It should pass in a week or 2. Good luck:-)

hi my name is J.. i have a 6 month old little boy. about two months ago i decided i had to change something in our schedule b/c i was getting absolutely no sleep. if your son knows that you'll pick him up when he cries...he'll cry on and off all night just to get the TLC.=) what worked for me is to leave him in his crib...don't pick him up. let him cry for at least 20 minutes or a little longer if you can handle it...i couldn't.=) then if he is still crying stand by his crib and soothe him...but still don't pick him up even if he cries harder. it's a hard habit to break for me, b/c i always want to pick him up when he cries, but i realized i'm actually forming the habit for him and he's getting a bad night of sleep also. hope this helps.=) i had a couple hard nights, but now he only wakes up once or twice to eat.

I would recommend pumping and giving it to him in a bottle. Give him a good four ounces before bed. He should take it all. Do this around 10pm or so and then put him in the bed. If he wakes then he probably needs a pacifier and if he cries, let him work it out himself and see how he does. It will probably resolve itself within 10 minutes. There are studies that show that breastfed babies can sleep all night starting at 3 months of age. I did this for my little girl at 4 months and she started sleeping all night. I was back to work and getting up in the night was KILLING me. It worked and she has slept all night since then.

Once a baby reaches 12 lbs, their stomach should be able to hold enough to make it 8 hours at a time. Even with a growth spurt (which they do get at 4 months), every hour shouldn't be necessary. There are some other requests about "crying it out" and alternatives to that. You may want to check some of those responses for ideas!

First of all....BRAVO for you breastfeeding exclusively!!! I did it for six months before introducing cereal and baby food (but still nursing...no formula!). My son went through a growth spurt around the same time. It can be a pain, but STICK WITH IT!! Maybe your body needs to produce more. Your baby is telling your body to do so with more frequent feedings. Be patient. Your body knows what to do! Another couple of good resources are the La Leche League http://www.llli.org/ or try http://www.lllusa.org/web/KansasCity.html for local area info and KellyMom http://www.kellymom.com/
Good Luck! Best Wishes! God Bless!

I had this problem in the beginning with my oldest daughter. My ped told me to get a small battery powered radio and put it on a soothing station in the crib with my daughter when she goes to bed. If she wakes up at night,its not always to eat. The sounds of the human voices will calm the baby and the baby will listen intently for YOUR voice and lose interest in crying and will fall back asleep on their own. Its worth a try, it worked for me and soon she didnt need it anymore, as she had leared to calm herself and return to sleep.

Our first one did the same thing. It was so bad that he never slept in his crib! So, finally, when he was 17 months, we put him in his bed and let him cry. I cried. Then he slept through the night.

The second one we put him in his crib at 6 months. He cried. I cried. He slept through the night. By the third night, the crying was over.

Now this third little guy was the easiest ever. We put him in his crib at 3 months. He cried. I made it without crying. The first night I went in after 10 minutes and again after 30 minutes - did not pick him up. After 45 minutes, I fed him again, and he went to sleep. The second night, he was asleep in a half hour. The third night is when the magic works. Now he goes down for naps even right after I nurse him and he's still awake. He still wakes up during the night once occassionally, but he goes right back to bed after I feed him.

Make a routine, even at this age. Ours for the baby is change diaper, put on jammies, give kisses all around, rock and nurse, and place in bed. In bed he has his little Tag Blankie (he loves fabric) to hold and suck on, and I turn on his FP Ocean Wonders music. If he's still quite awake, I'll turn the little light and fish motion on with the music.

If you have any other questions, let me know!
T.

If this is your first child, I know you want to do everything by the book. Just a few years ago, my oldest is only 6, then I have a 4 year old, they recommended feeding them rice cereal mixed only in breast milk, or formula when they were 4 months old, I now have an 8 month old, and they way its better to wait until they're 6 months. I fed her rice cereal at 4 months, it never hurt any of my other children, I have 3 total. Its your choice, I just found it easier to feed them a little rice cereal before bed to help them sleep better. Also try giving them a lavander bath before bed, and use the lavander lotion. Maybe try adding an extra day feeding or two, but by and by it will work.

It could be teething or a growth spurt. My daughter (now 2 years old) did this every so often. What helped me survive was to keep her close, either in bed with me or in a crib by the bed, so I didn't have to be so awake to take care of her. Also, I stopped looking at the clock. That way I didn't know how long it had been since she woke me up before and I felt less frustrated. The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley may be helpful to you as well, but if it is teething or a growth spurt, it will pass and you just have to be patient. Trust your instincts. You know your little Gabriel better than any of us. I hope you have some restful nights coming your way soon.

I remember those times, and don't miss them at all. Other than feeding him regularly during the day, there isn't much that you can do. Part of it may be teething, in which case I would suggest giving him Hyland's teething tablets right before bed and seeing if that helps. Part of what breastfed babies in particular are craving is the cuddle time along with the physical nourishment. I know biologically, babies at four months old are ready to start sleeping through the night, but my breast-fed baby didn't sleep through the night until after she was a year old. On the bright side, there's something unbelievably wonderful about having time with just you and your baby. Having long, interesting novels ready at my bedside helped me maintain my sanity in the middle of the night, and Starbucks helped me maintain my job. Good luck!
T.

I would suggest that you put him on a feed schedule during the day of every three hours. Once you have established that schedule, he should have plenty to eat to carry him through the night. A four month old has a large enough stomach to carry him through the night. My kids are breast fed and maybe 2x midnight and three, but that should be it. It is a habit. Is he sleeping in your room? My boy woke up in his basinet until 5 mos old, until the first time I put him in his crib. I couldn't hear every single noise, and we both slept better.

I don't have any advice but I can sympathize. My daughter (exclusively breastfed) has been doing this since 4 mo and hasn't STOPPED and she's 6 1/2 mo. It's driving me batty! I did find that putting her in a crib rather than her bassinet helped her go to sleep initially but she's still waking up every hour most nights. Then she'll *occasionally* wake up only 3 times, but I can't figure out anything we do differently on those nights. We did start some solids at 6mo but she didn't tolerate cereal so we've just moved on to fruits and veggies with no change in her sleep. I have stopped nursing her except at every 3 hours at night so hopefully with some time she'll stop crying for it.

It is probably a growth spurt and you should just wait it out until you start producing more milk to meet his demands. My 1 year old did the same thing at 4 months. Unfortunately I wasn't producing enough milk due to some breast surgery that caused scar tissue to block most of the ducts in my right breast, so I had to resort to supplementing with formula. I know it isn't much fun waking up so much, but it will just take some time until your body can catch up with his hunger. Good Luck!

I had a similar problem with my son when he was around 4-months. He was waking up twice a night, and everything I read said he should be able to sleep through the night, which he had done on a few occasions so I knew he was able to. It turned out that he was waking at those times out of habit rather than a need to feed. Once I stopped nursing in the nighttime, he was able to sleep all the way through. Another thing that helped us end night-time wakings was weaning him off his pacifier. If he woke up in the night and it wasn't in his mouth, he would cry and have difficulty going back to sleep until we put it back in his mouth. When we stopped giving him the pacifier, these erratic wake-ups stopped. We did let him cry, but usually it was less than 5 minutes and almost never longer than 10. Within a few nights he was sleeping all night.

I am a mother of three girls 2 to 6, and I discovered a great book when my oldest was 4 weeks old and not sleeping at night. Its called Baby Wise. What I learned to do was put her on a strict 3 hour feediing schedule during the day. Even waking her if I needed to. After feeding her, I played with her, trying to keep her awake, then at the appropriate time I would lay her down for a nap still awake, to teach her to fall asleep on their own. It took a week or two, and it is difficult to listen to them fuss themself to sleep. But it is worth it when their little metabolism stabalizes and they start to sleep longer and better at night.
Hope it helps and hope you try it. I have three girls to prove it works.

If a person child or adult is use to eating at a certian time they get hungery then. Unless your son is underwaight and needs the extra feeding just let him have water after 10 pm until like 5 am. it will get him out of the habit of eating at night but will satisfy his thirst and need to suck.
this advice was from a peditrician when my kids were babies and I past it on to my daughters who use it on my grandbabies. it works! don't pick him up just keep the bottle in the crib and give it to him as he is still laying down, as he gets older and can hold the bottle himself he will get his own drink when he needs it if it is in the crib for him to find.

"Baby Wise" and "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" were books that helped me in getting down a routine for sleeping during the night. My 5 month old has been sleeping 11 straight hours since about 4 months. Coincidentally, at 4 months we started giving her rice cereal 2 hours before bed time. Could you reconsider your stance on not feeding solids until 6 months? If he is hungry, the cereal might help. Also, I agree with a comment below that sometimes when they wake up in the middle of the night, it's not necessarily because they are hungry. It might take a week or 2 to get down a routine and break any habits but it will be worth it to you both!

I know it's rough but your doing whats best for your baby.Good for you!!!Hang in there!

it truly sounds like it is time to start cereal. Yes, some parents feel they should wait as long as possible....but many others have started at 4 months (or even younger: both of my sons had different pediatricians & BOTH boys were started on cereal before 6 weeks. I kid you not! This was at the request of the doctors, not at my request. & it worked.)
Now for me: I've spent most of the last 20 years at home, the last 5+ as a home-based childcare provider. My younger son has peanut allergy, & 2 of "the babies" have food allergies.
My recommendation would be: don't be afraid to try cereal. You will know immediately (up to 2 weeks) whether or not your son can tolerate rice cereal. (the other cereals seem to be more allergen-possible.) & most doctors today are OK with 4 months. What does your dr say? Good luck.