My son is 6weeks old,can i put rice in his formula @ night?

Kerren - posted on 11/10/2009

Your not supposed to add any solids in a bottle thats what my midwifes told me anyway, and there supposed to be nearer 6months before they have any solids my son was 4 and a half but i got told aslong as there over 4 months they'll be fine.

Tiana - posted on 11/09/2009

my doctors told me no but i did it anyways and my daughter was fine and shes still healthy and about to be 1 years old so id do it

Ali - posted on 11/09/2009

Quoting Stefani :

In response to the mother earlier who decided to get her panties in a wad about this and said things that could only make a new insecure mother feel inadequate I say, calm down and remember that these are just opinions. A more experienced mother realizes that even pediatricians don't have all of the answers. Motherhood is not a science it is a passion that requires trial and error but one thing is true.... to be a mother is the greatest sacrifice you will ever make but one that has more rewards. We do this because we love our children and no one has the right to tell you that what you are doing is wrong or make you believe that you just aren't "trying" hard enough. This mother should be ashamed of herself for hinting at the fact that you don't know your own child well enough to know when they just want attention or love. My best advice is to stop....take a breath....and do what comes naturally to YOU. Babies don't crawl, walk, talk or even potty train at the same time so what makes anyone think that feedings would ever be the same for all. Good luck and trust in yourself.

 

 

Thanks!! I didn't know peolpe would get so upset with me asking this!!! I was just wondering!!! Thanks a lot!! :) I do know my child very well, and this lady made me feel like a very bad mother.

 

Ali - posted on 11/09/2009

Quoting Stefani :

In response to the mother earlier who decided to get her panties in a wad about this and said things that could only make a new insecure mother feel inadequate I say, calm down and remember that these are just opinions. A more experienced mother realizes that even pediatricians don't have all of the answers. Motherhood is not a science it is a passion that requires trial and error but one thing is true.... to be a mother is the greatest sacrifice you will ever make but one that has more rewards. We do this because we love our children and no one has the right to tell you that what you are doing is wrong or make you believe that you just aren't "trying" hard enough. This mother should be ashamed of herself for hinting at the fact that you don't know your own child well enough to know when they just want attention or love. My best advice is to stop....take a breath....and do what comes naturally to YOU. Babies don't crawl, walk, talk or even potty train at the same time so what makes anyone think that feedings would ever be the same for all. Good luck and trust in yourself.

Shirley - posted on 11/08/2009

my baby is 6 months old. she is on solids and she still wakes up 3 times in the night. this is because she's teething. could ur little one be teething? perhaps thats why. my baby slept through the night when she was 4 weeks old every night. now she has started teething she wakes up.

Crystal - posted on 11/08/2009

I started my son on rice cereal when he was about 10 wks old...he was showing a lot of interest when I would eat at that point..so I thought he needed something extra. I hate to say it but he did not sleep much better and still at 21 months wakes up at least 1 time per night. At this point he has NO food allergies and has never been above the 20th percentile in weight, he is always around the 90th percentile in height.



I then started him on gerber 1st foods veggies around 3 months. He has never had any digestion or colic issues either. I think you just need to go with your intuition and if you do start the cereal and it causes constipation or upset tummy issues you can always go back to strictly B. Milk or Formula

Meagen - posted on 11/08/2009

i started my son on baby rice cereal when he was 4 weeks. He is 11 months and weighs 25lbs now but sometimes breast or formula isnt enough. So yes it does work and is fine. Just put 1 ounce of cereal though.

Yamira - posted on 11/08/2009

I don't know if you have heard about it but Enfamil has a new product that has some kind of ingredient that makes babies full at night it is called Enfamil Night formula I think...just make sure you check it on the Enfamil website and see if could work for your baby!

Nicole - posted on 11/08/2009

most doctors dont recommend rice or any kind of cereal until 6 months because until then their digestive systems aren't fully matured, but you can always check with your own family dr :)

Emma - posted on 11/08/2009

hi. i had my son sleeping through at 6 weeks with a really easy method. he is still only on a bottle, no solids and is just over 3 months. his last feed of a night is at 10pm. so i wake him at 9:15pm, have 15 minutes of cuddle time, deep warm bath to relax him at 9:30pm and usually try and give him about 15 minutes in the bath and then his bottle at 10pm. if he wakes he only gets his dummy. he sleeps from 10:20pm at night till 6am. a friend of mine suggested just giving them cooled boiled water when they wake as they don't like it so they won't expect a bottle of milk if you don't give it to them.

i have my son on a 4 hour feed routine and have done so since i bought him home from hospital. he gets fed at 10, 2 and 6 regardless of weather he is awake for it or not. i know alot of people don't agree with waking your baby to feed them but i found it easier for me and he is alot more content and happy. plus i know exactly when his next feed is.

i hope this helps. good luck :)

Heather - posted on 11/08/2009

wow some of these comments!!!! my son is growing very fast and he drinking way more than he should have been according to what the dr says at 6 weeks. once he got to 8 oz bottles at about 21/2 months i put rice cereal in his bottle. just a little to start. then i started to feed him just a tiny bite by spoon a couple of weeks later but he liked it better in his bottle. but now i put two of those baby formula scoop of cereal in and 8 oz bottle and he loves it. he has also been eating baby food (stage one) since 3 months old. and he is eating 1 container twice a day now and i will be moving him up once he finishes what i have here for him. my mom feed me and my brothers like this and we all turned out just fine and had no problems with it. and my some has been sleeping thru the night since 2 1/2 months old...infact he usually sleeps about 10 at night and sometimes longer. so to everyone who thinks that you shouldn't do this and it wont help them sleep YOUR SO WRONG!!!! my baby if perfectly healthy and happy...good luck to ya

Sandra - posted on 11/07/2009

You're not supposed to give your baby water. Not until their older.

Yucenia - posted on 11/07/2009

I have a 4wk old baby boy and his pediatrician advised me NOT to give him anything thats not his normal formula and 1oz of water per day. Although many moms told me its ok, i decided to consult w/him 1st so if it helps i would tell u NOT to do it!

Sandra - posted on 11/07/2009

Rice cereal. Just a little though.

Amanda - posted on 11/07/2009

well im a mom of a 3 week old, so i dont know everything but i was told that yes it would help them sleep longer but i was also told not to do it because its hard on their stomachs. It's hard for them to digest so we are not doing it but as i found out our son Kael sleeps better at night if we keep him up longer during the day. Hope everything works out for you and i hope this helps.

Sarah - posted on 11/07/2009

girl i was giving my son cereal when he was two weeks old. he has never been sick and absolutely healthy . and when he was six weeks old. i would give him cereal right before he went to bed andhe would go to bed at 8:15-8:30 and sleep until 6:30-7:00 the next morning. you wont do anything to hurt your child! everyone has their own way of parenting just do what works BEST for you.

Deanna - posted on 11/07/2009

My son was that old when he started eating rice ceareal at night. He was constantly hungry and that him stay fuller at night so we can sleep all night. The doctor's say not to give him anything but formula for the first 4-6 months. Try a little bit to see how he reacts to it. If it works then keep doing it and if not wait a little longer.

Vanessa - posted on 11/07/2009

not necessarily, i gave both of my children beginner rice cereal in their bottle at night and yes they did sleep longer but now with my first son all it did was make him more hungry every time he eats which made him wake up even more as well be careful to because with all three it did give them very bad gas as well for the first two weeks they were constipated and needed suppositories to fix the problem. ( they started eating pablum at 4 weeks) their pediatrician said if they can stomach it then its ok to give them in small amounts. the first few times they may throw up though as they are not use to the change in thickness but not to worry,unless it keeps happening then i would say not to try giving it to them anymore

Erica - posted on 11/07/2009

6 weeks is very early for anything besides milk. My daughter is 6mos and is still on strictly breast milk. A few older ladies I know told me to put cereal in her milk to make her sleep longer, so I researched it online and asked my doctor. I found online that there have been multiple studies done regarding this, and it is a wives talk. It doesn't make them sleep longer, and actually causes digestive problems, obesity, and can cause food allergies. My doctor said that the longer you can go without feeding them any solids, the lower their chance for allergies and obesity are. My daughter now sleeps about 6 hours a night, and then eats, and sleeps another 3 or 4 hours. We have all gotten used to this routine, and I wouldn't jeprodize her health in order to get a few more hours of sleep....doesn't seem like a fair trade. Hope this helps!

Tanja - posted on 11/07/2009

Hi :-) You cant actually introduce rice cereals to babies until at least 4 1/2 - 5 months of age and you should never put anything other that their milk (formula/breast milk) in their bottles. Six week old's generally wont sleep throught the night yet, that can start closer to the 3 month age mark generaly as they still require 3-4 hourly feeds. If your son is not sleeping through the night better by 3 months or so, then you can acually get a special formula from the chemist that is meant to keep babies fuller so they sleep better at night, but be warned they can often make babies constipated as is has a thickener in it, but I would consult a Peadiatrician first. Hope that helps :-)

Heather - posted on 11/07/2009

My son's doc recommended a tiny bit (1/8 of a tsp) of rice cereal in my sons bottle at 8 wks because he had reflux, she also told me that reflux is the only reason a doctor would ever recommend adding cereal at that age. It didn't do anything for him as far as sleeping through the night, but it did help with his crying fits due to the reflux.

Kara - posted on 11/07/2009

You should speak to you doctor before you do anything. We didn't give my son rice cereal until 4 months and that was with a spoon NEVER in a bottle. He's now 6 months and enjoys his rice, oatmeal and veggies...he still doesn't sleep through the night and I'm fine with that...he'll reach that point at his own pace, I won't force him. Please be careful and speak with your doctor/pediatrician.

Summer - posted on 11/07/2009

NO!!!!!!!!!! HE IS 6 WEEKS OLD!!!! 6 WEEK OLDS DONT SLEEP!

Nicole - posted on 11/07/2009

Babies don't normally start sleeping through the night til about 3 months...He should stay on formula/breast milk only til about 4-6 months. Feeding them cereal too early can lead to obesity and other problems

Stephanii - posted on 11/07/2009

NO YOU CANT! ITS A SERIOUS CHOKING HAZARD! why dont you try making the baby rice really runny and feeding him by a small plastic spoon, he will more than likely try to lick it off, but that is perfectly normal.
Normally we don't advise giving solids to an infant until they are six months old, but very many babies can not last this long before wanting more than just milk, However the longer you try to make baby wait the better, but you are his mother and you will 'know'' if baby needs more than milk.

April - posted on 11/06/2009

My son has been on cereal since he was 3 weeks because of reflex. It did not make him sleep longer (I wish) Hes 7 months now and still doesnt sleep through the night. When you start the cereal watch your child bc the rice and baraley gave him more gas.

Cheryl - posted on 11/06/2009

I have a 8 week old and before we found out he had pyloric stenosis (which was corrected with surgery) our doctor suggested us to put rice in his formula. He suggested about 1 teaspoon of rice per ounce of formula but you might need to open up the hole on his bottle's nipple or it will get clogged. My mom who is an RN also suggested us to add rice to his formula to help him gain weight and to sleep longer at night. So I guess, long story short, it is perfectly fine to add rice to his formula so he will sleep longer at night and gain extra weight. I hope this is helpful.

Marie - posted on 11/06/2009

I agree with the rice cereal at bedtime. I started giving my son rice in his formula at 4 weeks and he slept all night. Before that he would wake up every 1 to 2 hours wanting formula. At 4 months i gave him oatmeal in his formula at night. At 6 months my son was wating regular food chopped up!!

Angela - posted on 11/06/2009

Please don't give your baby solids at the moment, it's way too soon for his digestive system. Believe me, I understand the wanting to sleep but go with the flow because if you rush him who knows what kinds of digestive upsets, allergies etc you could expose him to and then you really won't get any sleep!

Tiffany - posted on 11/06/2009

My dr. is fine with it. He says that as long as my baby doesn't get constipated then give her half a teaspoon for every ounce that she drinks. Also she sleeps from 11 until she wakes up between 6:30 - 8 in the morning. Cereal works wonders!!!! RICE cereal only, it's easier to digest.

Samantha - posted on 11/06/2009

Well babies arent suppose to sleep all night,they have to get up and get fed and changed, and its not good to give a 6 week old rice in the formula.Unless your doctor says too.

Nikki - posted on 11/06/2009

I wouldn't at 6 weeks, although they may sleep a bit better they just don't have the bacteria in their intestines that are needed to digest the food yet. But you are open to try, a friend of mine started feeding her second son pablum at 3 months. I would just monitor him to see how he reacts to it. and of course ask your doctor first

Amanda - posted on 11/06/2009

my mother gave it to me and my sis.. so i started putting rice cereal in my daughters at two months... she does sleep all night... and she is perfectly fine... no allergies or anything our doctor said it wasnt good to untell she was four months but we do it anyway... it just really prefers to what u would like to do. good luck !

Jennifer - posted on 11/06/2009

Babies shouldn't get anything other than breastmilk or formula until they're six months old.

Alysha - posted on 11/06/2009

It don't work believe me. at 6 weeks babies arent gonna sleep through the night, they have to eat during the night also, my son has rice cereal in his formula at 6 weeks and still has it, he never slept through the night at all, my son is 3 months, always ask ur doc before doing so, my son is on it becuz he kept spittin up alot after each feeding

Tracy - posted on 11/06/2009

i did that with my son for a longtime and it helped a little bit....tech. your not supposed to put it in there bottles so if you do don't let you doctors know but if you wanna also try you can feed him a little cereal before bed...it will take him a bit to get used to eating it but it will keep his tummy fuller longer....i started feeding my son cereal around 2months by mouth and took it out of the bottle...but every shild is so different

Stefani - posted on 11/06/2009

In response to the mother earlier who decided to get her panties in a wad about this and said things that could only make a new insecure mother feel inadequate I say, calm down and remember that these are just opinions. A more experienced mother realizes that even pediatricians don't have all of the answers. Motherhood is not a science it is a passion that requires trial and error but one thing is true.... to be a mother is the greatest sacrifice you will ever make but one that has more rewards. We do this because we love our children and no one has the right to tell you that what you are doing is wrong or make you believe that you just aren't "trying" hard enough. This mother should be ashamed of herself for hinting at the fact that you don't know your own child well enough to know when they just want attention or love. My best advice is to stop....take a breath....and do what comes naturally to YOU. Babies don't crawl, walk, talk or even potty train at the same time so what makes anyone think that feedings would ever be the same for all. Good luck and trust in yourself.

Deja - posted on 11/06/2009

I dont know if it actually works better. But alot of people think that if the baby's tummy is full he's less likely 2 wake up. usually that's why they wake up bc there hungry. My son will be 7 months on the 8th and he's been getting cereal is his milk since 4 months. So my answer is yes he can have rice in his formula. Your baby should be eating cereal, and baby jar food now...

Donna - posted on 11/06/2009

i started giving my daughter cereal in her bottle at 4 weeks. just put a little bit in the bottle and that should help him sleep all night. dont forget u have to make the hole in the nipple a little bigger with the cereal. good luck on whatever your decision is

Kristie - posted on 11/06/2009

Oh yeah and one other thing...do you understand why there are slow, medium flow and fast flow nipples? Babies at 6 weeks can not handle anything other than a slow flow and cutting a hole in the nipple will only make is so he gets more air in his stomach and more prone to chocking! AND..he may be colicky! Could be the formula. maybe he isn't doing well with that particular brand. Why not talk to the one who really knows best at this point..THE PEDIATRICIAN! They don't have a degree for nothing.

Kristie - posted on 11/06/2009

Why are you in such a hurry to give the baby cereal? He is 6 weeks old! His digestive tract is not ready to handle anything but formula or breast milk. I am so sick of moms out there not trying everything else to sooth the baby and instead only think of shoving more food down a baby's mouth! Walk the baby. Craddle the baby. Let the baby sleep on your chest. Nurse him if you are breast feeding. Did you ever thing maybe he is cold? or hot? maybe he needs to be changed? or maybe he is hungry or JUST WANTS ATTENTION?????????? Did you not know you were going to have sleepless nights? And for the record...babies sleep patterns are developed in the womb and there are babies who do not follow the "norm" and sleep much less than 10-15 hours per day. My 4 month old has only been sleeping 6-7 hours per day since he was 10 days old! He is 6 weeks old, it is about his needs right now..not yours until he is about 4 months old. Once he is about 4 months old and you have done everything you can think of to cal him..then you can leave him in his crib for 5-10 min crying and walk away. Check on him again. You may find he will fall right to sleep on his own. By the way, I'm betting your 6 week old is in need of cuddle time with you and putting him to your chest is the best thing you can do instead of shoving more food in his mouth. Does the word obese and overweight kid come to mind because that IS what you will do if you give that kid anything other than what his stomach can handle.

Lisa - posted on 11/06/2009

if it works for you then go 4 it

Lisa - posted on 11/06/2009

my grandson was on creamy mash potatoes and veg at 6/7 wks no salt in the tatties mind you...... Don't know about the rice thing in formula !!! never heard of it N don't like the thought of it to tell you the truth...

Rachel - posted on 11/06/2009

NO NEVER NOT EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, your health visitor should have told you that. you would be a very irresponsible parent to even consider giving anything other than formula or breast milk to a baby that young.

Jennifer - posted on 11/05/2009

Remember these are ALL just everyone's OPINIONS and personal EXPERIENCES. I think you should do whatever your instincts tell you to do...not your sleepy brain..but your fully awake mind. I chose to put rice cereal in my daughters bottle at night when she was 8-9 weeks old. I didn't do it bc I thought she would sleep through the night, I did it bc she seemed hungry after a bottle. I did seek my pediatrician's advice first. He said it was ok as long as we didn't exceed 2 tablespoons per 4 oz of formula. If you purchase a larger size nipple (size 3 versus size 1 ...dr brown's bottles) it won't clog up. At 12 weeks I introduced her to oatmeal cereal. Now she is 4 months old and takes the first bottle of the day with oatmeal and the last bottle of the night with rice. She is consuming 5oz every 4hrs and is in the 70's percentile for weight and 90's percentile for height. She sleeps from about midnight to 8-9 am. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Taneisha - posted on 11/05/2009

Well My daughter has slept threw the night since she came home from the hospital if you want to put cereal in YOUR babies bottle because you want some extra sleep then go for it because My daughter likes cereal in her milk and also applesauce gerber food she gets happy when she is fed and has had a nice warm bath! ANd she normally doest wake up til about 8 or 9 the next day and you should also keep him up longer at night you can get more sleep that way also.

Aprilrose - posted on 11/05/2009

BTW, you will need to slightly open the hole on the nipple for the milk and rice cereal to flow.

Aprilrose - posted on 11/05/2009

I believe that the "wrongs" and "rights" regarding the introduction of solid foods is completely up to the parents comfortability. As mothers we want to get the rearing of our children 100% accurate, whatever that means :) So, we often have black and white perceptions of what we believe is appropriate for our child (everyone has a strong opinion, yet none of these opinions are absolute). With that said, I suggest that above all, it is important to USE YOUR INTUITION.

I also questioned whether or not to give my son rice cereal at 7 weeks (I heard from a relative that they sleep longer). Interestingly, at first, I made it a quest not to give it to him because I felt pressure from others to "do the right thing" and stick to what pediatricians suggested. I also didn't know if it would hurt his little sensitive tummy (he was very gassy/ fussy).

Anyway, after a lot of research and very little sleep, I decided to test a bit of rice cereal in his breast milk before bed (my husband gives him a bottle of breast milk at around 10 to give me a break). I only put about 1 tsp in the milk and HE SLEPT 3 ADDITIONAL HOURS! He had no complications whatsoever! Slowly we increased the amount to 2 tbsp and today, at the age 4 months, he still loves his rice cereal in his B milk. He actually gets annoyed when he doesn't receive it because he wakes up so often.

If you are still struggling with sleep in a couple weeks, it might help if you test a small amount in your babies milk (that is if you are comfortable with it). It is important that you take care of yourself in addition to your baby because without your well being, the little one suffers too. Remember, you can't mess this up! Use your intuition!

Hanna - posted on 11/05/2009

Quoting Kathy:

I think theres enough ppl saying no or talk to doc so I won't, I just wanted to say to the moms that think a baby NEEDS a feeding at night... I was told never wake a sleeping baby, my 6 week old rarely wakes up at night, and most times if she does shes up for the night. If shes not waking up to eat she can't be too hungry...

That is true, but you are also told to feed on demand first few months. so if your baby doesn't wake up it means that she doesn't need to eat, her son does wake up because he is hungry. She is asking to add cereal to not have to feed him as often and we are telling her that it's not something she should be doing that early on. the only thing she should be doing is making sure that her baby sleeps the longest at night (i.e. that one sleeping period where she does sleep 4-6 hours should be in the night rather than during the day).

Stephanie - posted on 11/05/2009

well they dont put labels on things telling you what ages to give it to your baby for no reason. giving solids to early can cause digestive issues and they are prone to childhood obesity. my baby has reflux or colic or something and i get a special formula for her not add stuff to her bottles. and baby's should wake up during the night its what baby's do my babys 8 weeks and she still wakes 1-2 a night and i get up and deal with it if you wanna be a mum you gotta put up with the sleepless nights