When to Start Cereal? - Inola,OK

E.,

I did not start children #s 2 and 3 until after 6 months of age because I learned from #1 that they just didn't need it. I followed a rigid schedule with him, shovelling the food back into his mouth even though he spit it out over and over again. I finally tasted the rice cereal and almost gagged. No wonder he didn't like it! If you are breastfeeding then that is all he needs. With formula I don't know.

K.

A lot of the new info/studies on cereal an d infants is indicating that babies need to wait 9 - 12 mos. before starting any kind of carbohydrate (like rice or oatmeal). Babies lack an enzyme necessary to fully digest the cereal, so it leads to gas, constipation, and mild food irritability. Many pediatricians are recommending starting with veggies, then fruit, then meat, and then cereal. I know it sounds crazy, but the research is there to back it up. That being said, even if you do give cereal first, you need to wait until 6 mos. Research has also shown that giving cereal before 6 mos. doesn't dramatically affect a baby's sleep patterns.
Peggy M. is right - we are always learning more and the "old" wisdom is changing.
I know it's tough but hang in there! We've all been through it!

Hey E.,

My daughter is 23 weeks old. She recently started on cereal. I have followed everything to the letter and the dr. instructions. I personally think it is to soon to start him on cereal, you run a risk of several things: 1) constipation 2)Food allergies 3)digestive problems. A 7 week old baby shouldn't be expected to sleep through the night. What I will suggest, is as long as he doesn't have any teeth feed while putting him to sleep and you go to bed not to long after you put him to sleep. That is my best suggestion.

Listen to your doctor!!!! 8 week olds are not supposed to sleep through the night! This is a lazy trick! You obviously tried hard for your little guy so enjoy what's part of having him (sleepless nights!)

When my first son was an infant a family member suggested that I put cereal in his bottle because he didn't seem to be getting full. She cut a small hole in the nipple and added the cereal and I did as she said. Well, then the next time I took my son to the pediatrician they said he had gained alot of weight and I told them how he seemed to be starving and sucking down 8 oz. bottles so I had been feeding him some of his bottles with cereal. The doctor just about had a fit! She said that I was force feeding my baby. So needless to say I quit doing that. Your baby is still young and a hungry, growing little boy. he's not ready to quit getting up for feedings.
Best of wishes to you and your family
God Bless

E.,

Wait the 6 months out. Here are the Cliff Notes:

1. The longer you wait to introduce foods, the better chance he has of NOT developing a food allergy. Some foods are better to wait up to 2 years, such as peanut butter and eggs. These types of food run a higher risk of food allergy when they are introduced too early, especially if you or your husband have food allergies.

2. There is no guarentee that putting cereal in a baby's bottle will make him/her sleep through the night.

Trust me...we started putting cereal in my son's bottle when he was 3 weeks old and now he's 19 months old and STILL doesn't sleep through the night. *sigh*

Breastmilk is all your son needs for nutrition right now.

However, if you do decide to put cereal in his bottle, start with a very minimal amount (say...a 1/4 of a teaspoon or less for a full bottle.) I used rice cereal and opted not to use the oatmeal or other flavors. Introduce it slowly and see how he takes to it. Make sure that if you are using special nipples (ones with a number system such as the ones that go with Avent bottles) that you do not clog the nipple with the cereal. You may need to go to a nipple with a larger hole. Be careful not to get a nipple with a hole that is too big and drowns your son when he is trying to drink his milk.

***Finally, if your son gets too full, (babies are known to over-eat,) you can run the risk of him choking, vomiting or even developing colic - due to the excessive gas and pain associated with the new foods, bloating, over-full tummy, etc.*******

I wish you the best.

Every baby is different but pretty much for their first 6 months of life ALL their nutrition needs to be provided by breast milk or formula. A few babies with reflux and a few others others that just grow a bit faster may need abit of cereal here and there. The main concern is that a baby's delicate system may just not be ready for any kind of food and on top of that how would you expect your child to learn how to eat if from the get go you put cereal and stuff in his bottle.
A 7 weks old baby is not phisically ready yet to sleep thru the night. He will still pretty much need to eat every 2 to 4 hours around the clock until 4 to 6 months when they can go wothout eating for longer stretches.

bad idea!!!! their bodies are in no way ready to digest grains at that age. other moms might do it, but that doesn't mean it is a good idea! it doesn't help them sleep. they are waking up at night because they are infants, not due to lack of rice cereal. your dr is right. six months at the earliest for cereals. early introduction of solids leads to a dramatic increase in food allergies, diabetes and obesity in children. he is not ready.

on a side note, when you do start him on solids. fruits and veggies are the easiest way to start, with avocado or banana being a good first food.

No, I don't recommend putting cereal in bottles. It's not neccessarily going to work to keep them asleep--I will add that it did not help my daughter sleep through the night, it only made her gassier--and all it does is add carbohydrates (which raises blood sugar and leads to obesity) instead of other things your baby needs. It may make them stop taking in extra nutrition they need during the night to grow more. I would wait until 4mos to start cereal from a spoon, once your baby had done that a few weeks move into vegetables.

They recommend 6mos for a reason...scientific research suggests that babies who have nothing but formula or breastmilk until then have a lesser chance of child or and adult obeisity and diabetes, and they also have a lesser chance of developing food allergies as children or adults.

M.

I would listen to your doctor. A baby's stomach needs time to develop so it can handle digesting something harsher than milk or formula. Studies have shown thaat introducing solids too early can contribute to obesity later in life. The only reason cereal should be added to milk is if your baby has reflux, which your doctor would diagnose. Most babies won't be sleeping through the night at 7 wks because their bodies aren't ready for it. Remember, it is your doctor's job to keep up with the latest and best information to keep their license, your friends don't have that same requirement.

the belief that adding cereal to the bottle at night to get the baby to sleep through the night is a myth. In fact, if anything, it can make life harder because the baby's not ready for any kind of solids - anything other than breastmilk or formula - so it can hurt the tummy.

The really bad thing about feeding anything other than breastmilk or formula, though, is that it puts your baby at high risk for food allergies.

At this age, your baby is just not meant to sleep through the night. Deep sleeping all night increases his risk for SIDS - when they sleep so soundly, they basically shut down and don't breathe.

6 months really is best. Hang in there. I have a hunch what's really going on is, you're feeling stressed and trying to figure out what your baby needs and how you can all make things work as a family with a new little baby. Hang in there. Some things are just so hard in the beginning. But stay really close to your baby, and keep him close to you. Pick him up and try to figure out what he needs every time he cries. This way, you learn his needs quickly, get the hard times over with, and you get into a rhythm with your baby. Don't be in a rush to get him to sleep through the night. Since you're home during the day with him, you can catch up by sleeping when he sleeps.

Best is to cuddle right up with him. It's the best thing in the world. Find out to safely at askdrsears.com

Have fun!

L.

It's hard for babies to start digesting cereal before 4-6mo. A good test is that he can hold his neck up on his own and is interested in "grown-up" food.

I started my daughter at 4mos, and she did fine. Thats what her pediatrician suggested.

I waited until my son was six months, because until then they need all the nutrition, fat, and calories that come from breast milk or formula. Cereal doesn't provide nearly the same amount of fat, but takes up room that formula or breast milk could have. Your child won't be psysiologically capable of sleeping through the night until at least four months; it's a development issue, not a hunger issue. I'd recommend reading "Baby 411" by Denise Fields and Ari Brown and "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth for more information, first about nutrition and then about children's sleep patterns. I breast fed exclusively for six months, and my son started sleeping through the night at about 4.5 months, and we didn't start him on cereal until 6 months.

Dear E.,

I don't know what the other mothers have said to you about the cereal. My opinion is that is behooves both you and the baby to wait the entire 6 mths minimum before giving the infant cereal! Why? Because you are allowing sufficient time for the digestive system of this child to adjust to the new method of feeding. Remember he has had 9 mths feeding from the umbilical chord. Then he comes into the world and begins to feed from the breast of his mother ( the best method and best quality food for him) or from the bottle of formula. His tiny digestive system needs time to assimilate, adjust, and digest this new food. And now so suddenly you want to put in there cereal!!! Think about it from his perspective, if he were able to speak he may in fact say to you, "Woah, Mom! Give me a chance to handle this before you put something else in my tiny tummy."

By waiting you not only give time to the digestive system to mature somewhat, but you ward off allergies to various foods as well.

I strongly advise waiting. The baby will begin to drink more as he grows and will sleep through the night in due time. Enjoy the time you have with him, feeding him, cuddling him, nurturing him before you rush him into sleeping through the night and no longer needing you. If the baby needs more nourishment he will signal you and you can allow him to drink more milk to fill his tummy. Don't push him into something that his system isn't ready to handle just to give yourself more sleep time. And forgive me if I seem to be judging you or assuming that you want more sleep time. I am assuming nothing of the sort, just commenting on what many mothers have said in the past regarding their infants and sleep times.

With a new born you are able to nap whenever the infant naps which is often throughout the day. Take advantage of the moments he is awake and wanting to be near to you.

God Bless your little one! God Bless you also.

sincerely,
D.

I strongly recommend waiting until 6 months. Giving it early is not generally a good idea, unless your baby is able to sit up and eat from a spoon. Never mix cereal in with formula or breastmilk in the bottle!! I started feeding my baby rice cereal from a spoon right at 6 months, then gradually introduced other foods like the jarred baby food fruits and then vegetables. She's thriving and a great eater and not very picky, except she no longer cares for rice cereal so now she gets the baby oatmeal instead. Really until 6 months the ONLY food your baby should get is formula or breastmilk. My baby didn't have trouble going to or staying asleep, I really would not resort to adding rice cereal to the bottle to get the baby to sleep, personally. I feel there is no reason to rush it.

Everything that I have read states that they can start cereal at 4 months. My doctor told me four months too. There was a study done that showed children who had food prior to 4 months had a higher chance of developing diabetes later in life. Good Luck.

Ifeel very strongly about not giving kids cereal at such a young age. His little tummy isn't able to digest it all. My mother in law would try to sneak cereal in my first child's bottle when she was about 8 weeks to get her to sleep, but she was already sleeping for 7-8 hours at a time. There are so many other ways to get your baby to sleep. Please try everything else before the cereal. Make sure he has a quiet place to sleep at night, that he is comfortable, feed him a lot before you want to go to bed, even try a pacifier. If he wakes up and needs to be changed, do it as quietly as possible with very little light then put him right back to bed. If he is hungry, change him first, then feed him and put him back to bed. It isn't necessary to get up immediately if he wakes. Sometimes he'll go back to sleep, so give him about five minutes or so. Good luck.

I wasn't able to breastfeed after the first 3 days so my son was a formula baby. I don't think he slept through the night until after he was 2 months old. I had friends & family that would try to get me to put dry Gerber baby cereal in his bottle so he would sleep through the night sooner but I told them there was no way. I waited until he was 6 months old, just like the doc & books said. He was fed nothing but formula for 6 months. He was a very healthy baby & always in the 95th percentile. Once he's 6 months old put one to two inches of dry Gerber baby cereal in the bottom of a tall bottle & then make the formula according to directions. Fill er up & shake. One last thing you'll have to do...get the criss cross top nipples & cut the x with scissors so it's larger or he won't be able to suck the formula out. Good luck & follow your doctors orders.

C.

We started solids at 9 months.

Our youngest of 5 children is 3 months old. I have always started feeding them cereal at the age of 4 months, which is what our pediatrician has always told us was okay to do.

The lining of their intestines is not complete until 6 mos. Giving food before this time can damage the intestines. I would wait at least until 4 months to give rice cereal.

Well, this is a tricky topic. There are so many differing opinions. I know lots of parents that swear by putting cereal in their bottles. My doctor said that we could start solids at 4 months. However, after doing my own research (through the AAP website and other feeding websites)I decided that 6 months would be best. What I found through my research was that they now recommend waiting until 6 months to reduce the risk of food allergies and they have also found that babies digestive systems just aren't quite fully developed by 4 months. I've heard putting cereal in the bottle is not a good idea but I just can't quite remember the reasoning behind that. I would suggest doing your own research online. You can go to www.aap.org for more feeding information and study results. Whenever you do decide to start cereal or other solids just be watchful for any reactions to the new food. I am happy to hear that your doctor recited new aap recommendations. It seems my doctor is always just a tad behind or a bit off what the aap recommends (I'm looking for a new one). I'm sure you're doing a wonderful job with your new baby boy and you will know what is best for you and your baby. Good luck and enjoy that sweet boy.

Everything I read and heard said to start between 4 and 6 months. I started my first a little before 4 months b/c she was watching us eat very intently and my second at 4 months, she was also watching us eat. That is one signal that they are interested in something other than a liquid diet. I have heard that cereal in the bottle helps them sleep, I've also heard that it can make it more difficult b/c it takes longer to digest...I breastfed so I never tried it. If you do decide to try-use rice cereal-the easiest to digest and only put in about a couple teaspoons with 4 oz formula and go from there to see what works for you. God Bless you, the sleepless nights won't last forever, I promise!

We started our son when he was 81/2 weeks with a little rice cereal in his bottle. You just have to be careful to not put in too much, because they can choke on it. Also, if you do put it in a bottle at night, make sure you have a #2 nipple, or slit the nipples you do have a little because the cereal makes the formula really thick.

The best thing that has worked for us is using the Playtex Ventaire bottles with #2 or rapid flow nipples. Or, you can try spoon feeding a tiny bit of cereal after his last bottle.

I'd just start a tiny bit at a time to see how he does. Also, if your baby has had any kind of gassiness or fussiness, then you probably do want to wait to start him on it until he's older. Our son has not had any of those issues, but if you start feeding them too much of anything else too fast, it can cause problems. It helped our baby sleep, but I also think he was just ready to sleep because the times when we haven't put cereal in his last bottle, he slept anyway.

We started both of my children with a small amount of cereal in the bottle at night at about 1-2 months then gradually worked our way up to more, it truely helped their sleeping. We started feeding them baby foods at 3 months. They both did great and are happy and healthy children now. I hope you find your answer, I would just do what your motherly instinct tells you to do thats what I did and it worked for us. Good luck to you and your little boy.

I would wait till 6 months as well. It WILL NOT make them sleep any better!! I have a 10 month old and she still wakes up. Their little bellys need time to get ready for foods like that.

Starting you baby this young on cereal can put him at risk for food allergies and obesity. I would hold off. Some babies don't sleep through the night no matter what they are fed. My first daughter didn't sleep through the night until she was two. My third daughter is four months and strictly breast fed and she (most of the time) will sleep through the night. He will do it when he is ready. Good luck

The later you start cereal the better because cereal grains are highly allergenic. The earlier the baby is exposed to an allergen the more likely they will be allergic since the digestive tract is not ready for grains. The first and easiest to digest are the fruits then vegetables. I nursed my babies until they were a year old before starting any solids. My son was 20 lbs at 8 months, just on breast milk. Your doctor is right not to introduce these highly allergenic foods early. You will be setting up all kinds of health issues. All your baby needs is your milk for the first year. If you want to introduce a solid earlier, it would best be a fruit like avocado or banana.
B. S. RN CCM.

We started putting a little rice cereal in our daughter's bottle at about 3 months. Her pediatrician started her on oatmeal and apple sauce once a day at 4 months working up to fruit and cereal 3 times a day by 6 months. It won't hurt to start cereal now as long as he is still getting formula for all the good vitamins.
J.

PLease don't start food this early. I started solids at 6 months with my two kids. My second was a huge baby and she only breastfed until 6 months. The babies digestive systems are so immature that a lot of the time cereal is too heavy for a baby's stomach. It makes them constipated and it also gives them painful gas that could keep the baby up, not put him to sleep. Just as they developed in the womb their systems are developing now and 6 weeks is way to early ion my opinion. I also think it can encourage more foods too early and the wrong foods could cause diaper rashes and intestinal pain. The baby will start sleeping through the night soon enough. Hang in there. Also cereal in the bottle is a choking hazard.

Here is what my doctor told me...he's been a whole family doctor for a looooong time and has had many different ages he was "supposed" to tell parents for this. He said that God puts this amazing little reflex in babies' tongues. If you put a tad bit of cereal on a spoon and the baby has the spitting out reflex...which happens for a while...then they are not physically ready to eat the solids yet. Hope that helps...so whenever you're ready to start trying then you can know if your little Munchkin is ready too. :)

This is true...technically studies have found that if you feed a baby cereal too early, they can end up with intestinal/bowel issues...blockages, etc. I have been working with sick babies for years now and have seen first hand...babies needing surgery for blockages in their digestive track. The best bet is to follow the doctor's advice. I did for my 18 month old. I think I started giving her a little cereal at about 5 1/2 months. With my first child whom is now 11...I did give cereal earlier and he was fine, but this is not the case for all infants(and we know more now..such as keeping babies on their backs instead of bellies). Cereal too early can cause serious problems and really all your baby needs for nutrition until about the age of 6 months is breastmilk or formula....that is truely all their little digestive systems are ready for. Hope this helps. Just because people still put cereal in the bottles ....doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Try looking it up on a website(medical) and see what I am talking about. Good luck!

I would never give a baby cereal in a bottle, and unless a doctor tells you to earlier than 4 months, I would wait till he is 4 months old. Their little bodies don't need more than what their special baby milk gives them at this point.

This is a good question, and you've received some great and well-researched responses so far. My ped told us to wait until between 4-6 months to start solids, and to never put cereal in a bottle as a way to introduce solids. Reasoning: starting solids any earlier results in a higher risk of food allergies and health issues later in life; putting cereal in a bottle doesn't teach babies the proper way to eat "solids" from a spoon when they are ready and can cause them to eat too much and ultimately contribute to childhood obesity.

There will be a number of signs when your baby is ready for cereal: holds head up well, sits with support, watches you intently as you eat (maybe even reaches for your food!), can indicate when he is full (turns head away) and seems to be hungry still despite getting in your regular number of feedings each day. We started cereal with our son at 5 months...I wanted to wait for 6 months, but he had been sleeping through the night since around 8 wks and all of a sudden started waking earlier and earlier to eat on a consistent basis...he was ready for more than just mommy's milk, and mommy wanted to get her full night's sleep still! He loved it and was so ready for it, and now at 6 mos he eats 3 meals of solids a day.

As far as when they are ready to sleep through the night, physiologically they CAN sleep through the night once they are about 11 lbs, but it depends on what kind of a routine they have to help them learn how to achieve that. I remember those first sleepless weeks...you start to feel desperate, but this time will fly by and the sleep WILL come eventually. A resource we found helpful for getting into a good eat/wake/sleep routine is the Babywise book. Some find it controversial, but as long as you take parts of it with a grain of salt, follow your instincts and let your baby be your guide, it is great. It helped us create a flexible routine pretty much from birth just by making sure our son took in full feedings when he ate (no snacking!), was awake for a little while after the feeding (diaper change, playtime, etc), and then was put down for a nap after that (watching for signs of sleepiness). By doing those things he naturally started sleeping through the night at 8 wks, he has always been a good eater and taken good naps, and we never had to let him "cry it out". Just something to consider! I hope you find what works for you and your baby! Best wishes!