Formula / Gripe Water / Rice Cereal Q's

I can't help much on the formula since it has been 14 yrs for me since I used it but I would say you are feeding him whatever it comes out to after it is mixed up and you should be able to add cereal to his formula just a teaspoon or so for now maybe 2x a day 1 being before bed.

1. For the 7th oz of water put in a 1/2 scoop of formula. ie; 1/2 the water of serving=1/2 a serving of formula.

2.Good question. Don't know the answer. However, it doesn't matter just as long as it's not too much or too little. 8.5 oz bottle does seem alot to me for a 4 month old especially if supplementing with cereal.

Gripe water.
1. I don't know what Gripe water is. But you can mix things with formula. Try it and see if it works.

Rice Creal Questions.
1. You can mix together. However, you need to read the nutritional facts to see if they would be getting more than 100% of daily allowance of iron when combined. Iron may constipate your baby and is not healthy for your baby to get too much. They make formula without iron too. But when feeding your baby cereal, it is the process of swollowing and mimicking chewing solid foods. So if your baby is use to swollowing watered-down cereal, then switches to thick formula, he can do some choking because he's use to drinking that flavor. Play with the different styles slowly and put 5 bibs on your baby when starting to feed. You'll know why later. Where bibs with outfits because it is easier to take off a dirty bib than to change outfits because spitting up will occur. Remember to gently burb after every, EVERY, feeding to leesen spit-ups and ease baby's tummy. Mom wearing black shirts at this stage is a waste of time.

2. Try Googling wic for guidlines. No, you do not need to feed the two together. Your baby will let you know how much they want to eat. Make an 6 oz bowl and stop when signs of tired come or any other sign to stop. He'll probally eat no more than 2 oz. Same with bottle, 6 oz and burp after every 2 oz. Feed cereal when at home (messy) then save bottles for convienent times (outings)or when others are willing to help. It's a relief if your baby lets others feed them a bottle. Make sure you get a couple of burps out of your son before laying him down. It will come back to haunt you if you don't. Plus,a baby that young will throw-up in thier mouth and drown because they won't turn thier face to let it spill out. Choking is silent.

Hope some of this helps. I'm a mother of three (6yrs and younger). So I understand the confusion. It's awesome you are asking questions. You're already off to a good start.

Ds mom... here are just a little input as far as rice cereal is concered....

Rice Cereal Questions:
1. Why can't I mix Rice Cereal in with my son's formula when I feed him?

No one actually says you CANT mix rice cereal with the formula. many mothers actually do it in hopes that it will help their child sleep thru the night. I did it with my son and honestly, i havent noticed any difference. but it does make the meal more substantial and maybe it keeps him fuller longer.

2. How much rice cereal do I give my son and do I feed him the Rice Cereal with every bottle?
Or just certain meal times? In addition to his bottle or a separate meal all together?

I mix 4 tblsp with an 8 oz bottle. and i use the variation avent nipple to allot for the thicker formula. I just give it at bedtime. as his bottle. Thats all.

Im not sure as to the other input you got but i hope this helps. If you have any more specific questions, please ask.

R.

Hi. I have been a pre-school infant teacher for 14 years, so I have cared for my fair share of infants.....

As far as the formula goes, since it's 1 scoop per 2 ounces of water, it would make sense (to me, anyway) that 1/2 a scoop would be correct for 1oz of water. Meaning 7oz of water would require 3 1/2 scoops of formula.

As far as the gripe water goes, I wouldn't find it necessary to mix it in with the formula. Babies usually like the taste. I've always given it after the bottle, but you should just experiment doing it before and after and see what works best for your baby.

Cereal can be fed anytime you think your baby is hungry for it. I would definitely not put it in a bottle, though. To me, that's just lazy. If your son has been cleared to start solids by the pediatrician, I would start with a small serving in the morning or at night. Doesn't really matter if it's before or after a bottle. Every child is different. Formula or breast milk should be the number 1 source of your child's nutrition at this point. So if you feed it before a bottle and you find he's not taking a bottle afterwards, reverse the order. As long as your baby is getting the required amount of formula a day it doesn't matter when you feed it. You'll find a routine that works best for you and your baby. Some do it before, some after, some in between bottles. But when he first starts cereal, once a day is enough. Then you can increase to twice a day, and soon after that he will probably be onto other solids like fruits and veggies.

Good luck!! :)

from what i have read giving rice cereal in a bottle is a bad idea for 2 reasons... 1)adding calories in that manner to a diet has been shown to be linked to childhood obesity, and 2) their gastrointestinal systems are not developed enough to take in cereal in the same way they drink milk. If your son is super excited about food and ready to eat then perhaps introduce rice cereal or fruit or vegetable once a day to start and work from there. In my experience most kids are not totally ready for food at 4 months, and it is usually closer to 6 months when they really start to take a spoon to the mouth.

D.,
To make it easier on you I would just make an 8 oz bottle and waste the 1 oz. It really is not that much to waste. If your adding the powder to the water it is truly a 7oz bottle. The powder just makes it rise, but it is really how much water you have started with.
I would give the gripe water to him before he eats 1/2 hour.... That is what my sis did with her baby and it worked better. It absorbed better in her tummy.
If your going to start solid food, the best thing to do is start using it with a spoon. The younger the better to teach them new things. The cereal gets too thick in the formula and then you need bigger nipples for the bottle.
No I would not give him rice cereal with each bottle. I would start for only 1 meal/day. I preferred night time 6:30-7:00pm, followed by a nice warm bath, with some gentle play time after the bath and then followed by a feeding (nursing/bottle). Then by 8:30pm all my kids were down for the count.
If this is his first time with solids, I would start with 1 tsp of cereal, add formual or BM, whatever you use, and make it so it is not too thick and not too runny. Runnier at first. He will spit it out but not because he doesn't like it, but because it is new texture in his mouth. Scoop it up and put it back in and he will get the picture. I always added a small amount of apple/pear juice to the cereal to give it a more appealing taste.
Try this for 2 weeks or so, see how it goes then you can start introducing your veggies... 1 new veggie every 4-5 days to make sure he doesn't have an allergy. After all veggies, then I would introduce fruits. I always added a bit of applesauce/pears to the cereal also.
My kids are great eaters. They were all on table foods by 10-11 months.
They're still great eaters and they are 9yo twin girls, 6yo girl and a 1yo boy.
Need anymore feeding advice, let me know.
Trish

7 ounces of formula is 3 1/2 scoops. If I remember right it is 1 scoop for every 2 ounces. If it shows 8.5 ounces then thats what you are feeding him. I always took out 2 ounces to use with the rice cereal. If it is too much then just make 6 ounces and it will end up being 7. When I started rice cereal at 4 months I would give her a tablespoon in the morning and at night. In about 2 weeks or so I had worked up to about 1/4 cup per day (peditrician recommendation). You can put formula in the rice cereal to mix it. I always used formula with rice cereal, because it's better for them then water. I would usually do the bottle 1st and then give the rice cereal. Also, you shouldn't put formula in their bottle unless recommended by a pediatrician. There is a reason but I can't remember it off the top of my head.

You should follow the instructions on the formula labels. Don't try and split the measurements up as messed up formula makes for a sick baby/diarrhea. The reason you're getting more formula is simple water displacement. The volume of the water increases when you put more formula in, just like when you sit in a bathtub and there suddenly seems to be more water. Like everyone else who has responded says, mix 6 oz. if you want 7. Otherwise, mix 8 and don't feed him all of it.

Also, 4 months is pretty young for rice cereal. I didn't feed it to my son until he was almost 6 months. Did the doctor tell you to do that? Don't put it in his bottle or you'll increase chances for bad digestive problems. That's why they say not to do that.

Which leads into Gripe Water. Are you giving him Gripe Water because he's having a sore stomach? Maybe try cutting out the rice cereal for now and see if it helps. Instead, give him another full bottle per day. He should still be eating 6+ times/day. Good luck!

HI there!!! I was in the the same bost as you when my daughter was first born. Here is what I have found that works.

1. When I put in 7oz of water how many scoops of formula do I put in? (guide is only for 2,4,6,8 oz)

For a 7 oz bottle use 3 1/2 scoops.

2. After I put in my 7oz of water and add my formula, why do I get 8.5 oz, and how much am I truly feeding my son? Is it 8.5oz or 7oz's??

He is still getting the needed 7oz. It is just how the formula works out.

Gripe Water Questions:
1. Can you mix the 1tsp of Gripe Water in with my son's 7oz bottle of formula?

I found that just using eye dropper and letting them suck the grip water from there works really well. I dosn't hurt to try it in his bottle either.

2. If no, is it best to give the Gripe Water before or after my son eat's?
You can give your son grip water either time, before or after feedings.

Rice Cereal Questions:
1. Why can't I mix Rice Cereal in with my son's formula when I feed him?

First off it depends how old he is. I did this with my daughter when she was about 5 months old, only to help her get through the night with out waking up. I also started my daughter feeding her rice cereal at 4 mo. once a day. Then at 5 mo I started to feed her rice ceral 2 a day. Then by 6 months I was feeding her 3 times aday with a fruit or veg mixed in with the cereal. So her schedule work out to be

Wake up - Bottle
9am Cereal w/fruit (jared baby food, pears, apple sauce etc.)
Nap 9:30a - 11a
11am - Bottle
12:30p Cereal w/Veg
Nap 1-3pm
Bottle-4pm
Cereal with fruit or veg - 4PM
Bottle 30 min before bed.

2. How much rice cereal do I give my son and do I feed him the Rice Cereal with every bottle? Or just certain meal times? In addition to his bottle or a separate meal all together? - I started off with 2-3 Tab of dry cereal then added formula or water when using fruit or veg.

Good luck I know that this can be hard. Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Here's some good info about starting solids from www.kellymom.com

Developmental signs that baby is ready for solids

Solids readiness depends on both the maturity of baby’s digestive tract and baby’s developmental readiness for solids. Although the maturity of baby’s digestive system is not something that we can readily observe, research indicates that 6 months appears to be ideal for avoiding the allergies and other health risks of too-early solids. After this point, different babies are ready for solids at different times -- developmental readiness for solids cannot be determined using a calendar. Most babies are developmentally ready for solids somewhere between 6 and 8 months.
Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

* Baby can sit up well without support.
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
* Baby is ready and willing to chew.
* Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness.

I can not answer your formula questions as I breast feed, but I wanted to let oyu know that 4 months is too young to start solids. Some pediatrician's say it's ok. But there are so many allergies today it is best to wait until your son's digestive system is more mature. You never put rice cereal in the bottle anymore. Rice cereal is food and formula is breast milk replacement. You never mix the two. You want your son to learn how to eat solid foods and to know the difference. I would also start with veggies before cereal at 5 or 6 months. Don't rush it. Putting cereal in the bottle will not make him sleep longer. It will just put an overload on his little GI system. Go to www.kellymom.com

1. 3.5

2. Might want to try powder then water in bottle...reverse the order...

Not sure about how gripe H2O works, but I don't see why not...what does the box say? Doctor or nurse practitioner?

Clogs the bottle nipple...hard to clean out and for him to suck out of bottle w/out air in his tummy?

What did your pediatrician say about intro to food? Cereal then formula. As much cereal as he can take. Start watery, then add more rice cereal than water...

All the BEST,

K.

Seems like most questions have been well answered! But, just my 2c worth - I used to give ds gripe water before he ate, but that was when it helped him. It really depends why he needs it - our little boy had reflux and the gripe water seemed to settle him stomach before he ate. If it is more to get burps out after he feeds, I'd do it then. I never mixed it. PLus he seemed to like the taste and it calmed him down (the reflux was obviously painful).

I believe they say not to mix the cereal with the formula IN THE BOTTLE is because learning to eat solids is a completely different skill to drinking it. I used to mix the cereal up with formula in the bowl. They only need a bit to start (and 4 months is pretty early unless he is very hungry, and it doesn't sound like it if you're only doing 7oz bottles). When he starts, a couple of tablespoons first thing in the morning will be more than enough. To start with it is just so they learn how to deal with solid food. It takes a few months to get to it being a nutritious meal.

Hope that helps,
E.

Hi,

As for your formula question: You either make a bottle that's 6 or 8 oz and follow the directions. Why do you insist on 7 oz? Then you'll either have a baby who's still a litte bit hungry or a little bit left over. If he drinks the whole thing after you out in 8 oz + formula, he'll have had 8.5 oz or whatever it came out to.

Gripe water: Yes, you can mix gripe water into the formula bottle. I don't think it makes much difference if you give it to him before or after. I always put it straight into the bottle, and you can visually see how the bubbles disappear.

Rice cereal: I assume you're asking about putting rice cereal into the bottle? He may not be ready for it, and the point of giving rice cereal is to get babies used to eating, not drinking a thicker substance.
Mix a little rice cereal in a bowl with formula or water and feed it to him a meal times like breakfast, lunch, and dinner so he gets the idea. If he doesn't want it or spits it out, give him a bottle and try again later. You may need to try many, many, many times! :)

Hope this helps!

I suggest you mix rice cereal with a bit of formula until it's the consistency of applesauce and feed him with a baby spoon. I just started my 5 month old on solids a couple of weeks ago and that's what my ped recommended.
Rice cereal tastes pretty bland, by the way, and I found that my son takes it more readily if I mix a bit of pureed fruit into it. He actually prefers vegetables to the rice cereal. So to get him to eat it (for the iron content) I mix it with either fruit or sweeter veggies, such as pureed carrots or sweet potato. He wont eat it plain.
How much: about 2 Tablespoons a day to start and see how much he's into it. After one week of 1-2 Tablespoons a day, my son now loves food and eats one small jar of it daily, sometimes in one sitting!
When: I don't think it matters. Chase it with a bottle or don't. Just go with baby's flow.
His diapers will really stink now, in case you didn't know, so be prepared!

Can answer about Gripe-I would not mix it in with formula and I would only use it when needed either before or after meals or in some cases both times.

Cereal is not to be fed in a bottle. You can mix it with formula but then it is to be spoon fed. I always gave food and bottles seperately. Formula at this age is most important, it is where they get all their nutrition. So maybe a morning bottle then an hour later a little cereal.

Also the AAP does not recommend food before 6 mos., I would chck with your MD if you have not done so already.

S - For the formula work with the 6 measurement and then cut the 2 measurement in half and you will have the necessaary amount of formula to add to the water.

As far as the 8.5 ounces you have after it is made.......if you are supposed to be feeding your son 7 ounces then follow the directions for 6.

What is Gripe water? Did you mean Grape? Have you ever had grape juice mixed with milk? Honey, mix it with water. (I would use bottled water but I don't know what your tap is like.) This is a way to establish a babies system to a tolerance of citric juices. Once they get used to it you can increase the amount of juice, slowly until they are drinking it right from the baby food drink bottles they make now.

As far as the Rice cereal that is a personal call. I used to put it in my kids bottles and it never hurt them. Just don't put in so much the formula is thickened beyond a comfortable drinking capacity. If your darling is drinking really thick formula you need to feed him with a spoon and give him lowfat milk cuz he's ready. Always check with your doctor though.....