When is it ok start putting rice cereal into my baby's formula?

Elizabeth - posted on 09/07/2012

I believe you don't put rice cereal into her formula. I gave my baby that is now 18 months rice cereal at 4 months and in a bowl with very little cereal with the formula. The point is to get her used to the spoon. It will be messy for a while before she really takes to it. Are you signed up with wic? They can offer good tips.

Alejandra - posted on 09/04/2012

My mother in law insisted to start my 2 1/2 month old baby on rice cereal at night so he can sleep better and it back fired on us. My baby was constipated for 1 week :( and he suffered so much. I understand every baby is different but i had a gut feeling that my baby was not going to tolerate. For now on I will listen only to the pediatrician.

Laura - posted on 09/03/2012

Babies are supposed to be hungry all the time. Newborns can eat every two hours, it's normal. Their digestive tracts are not developed enough at 8 or 10 weeks to handle food. It's exhausting yes,but eating around the clock is normal and it will pass. Does that mean that something bad will happen if you give them food in a bottle, I'm sure plenty of moms did it and had no problems, but I'm sure many did and why take chances. Introducing foods too early may increase the incidence of allergies and a host of other problems. There is no evidence that putting cereal in a bottle helps babies sleep longer. It just isn't so. My advice to you is just get as much rest as you can, sleep when the baby sleeps and feed her as often as she is hungry. If you are breastfeeding it's easier because you don't have to worry about making and cleaning bottles all day long but if you're using formula just feed her when she needs it. I know you're exhausted and it seems like an easy solution to getting more sleep but it just isn't so. Your baby will outgrow this stage soon enough. You will know when she's ready for food, there are clear signs babies show when they're ready for solids. Talk to your pediatrician if you have any doubts about what I'm saying. I'm sure they'll concur. Get help where you can. If you're bottle feeding, have a friend of family member come over to do a feeding or two so you can get some rest. Don't be afraid to ask for help. This is a rough few months, but it will pass...I promise!

Deeza - posted on 08/31/2012

I was told never to put anything other than milk in their bottles. Something to do with choking I think. But they also say not to wean until 17 weeks but try hold off till 6 months. With my first baby I gave him a few spoonfuls of rice mixed with his milk at 7 weeks for bedtime.

Kathleen - posted on 08/31/2012

Check with your pediatrician. We started our kids at 4 months. Never ever ever put the cereal in a bottle. Make sure baby is stiting upright and feed with spoon. Good luck!

HappyMommy - posted on 08/29/2012

Start at 4 months no sooner it's not good for their digestive system good luck

Angela Vieira - posted on 08/28/2012

Hi Jasmine... I would advice you to wait untill 4months old :)

Babies can develop allergies of fed solids too soon.

And she will sleep thru the night when she is ready...

Be patient, motherhood is filled with sleepless nights and love...



Ps my avice to you would be to not rush things... Enjoy each phase slowly, bottle or breast is all bany needs right now... Good luck huni..



Mother of 3

12 yr old

9yr old

And 11 weeks old... Xoxo

Amanda - posted on 08/27/2012

never

therei is that was perfecter

said milk goes in the bottle

cereal goes in a bowl ands u eat it with a spoon...

Ericka - posted on 05/10/2012

My daughter was born 2/21 and I have been giving her a teaspoon of rice cereal in her before bed bottle to help her stay full longer through the night since she was a month. She never seemed satisified so I started it early and it hasn't cause her any problems. Just start with a little bit and go up from there. The only thing you have to watch out for is make sure she's not getting constipated.

Annette - posted on 03/13/2012

my doctors and healvissitors said to add it to his baby milk in his bottal but only to thinking it slightly but you shoud always do what you feels best as your little one will let you know it didnt cause my son any harm he grown up to be healthy and very full of energy

Annette - posted on 03/13/2012

my son started at 3 moths as he was a greedy thing and was on jared baby food by 3 months also my health vissitor told me you can inroduce it too them at 3 months as long as it is not lumpy and not too thick

Kimberley - posted on 03/12/2012

You can buy a formula thickener from the chemist. Its specially designed to thicken the baby formula or brest milk to help your baby fill up rather than give him/her lots of milk.

Erin - posted on 03/12/2012

I wouldn't recommend staring at 2 months on anything other than breastmilk or formula. Her digestive system isn't mature enough to handle rice cereal. You should try giving more in the bottle, or even often. Those who mentioned not putting rice cereal (or any thing to thicken the formula) in the bottle are correct. You could cause your child to choke, or even aspirate which could then lead to pneumonia.

Kimberley - posted on 03/11/2012

The doctors say not before 6-12 months. However, most babies are wanting food before then. Try her on a little bit on a spoon. If she can swallow it without chocking or gagging then she is ready. Rice cereal in her bottle is fine. She obviously wants and is ready for more. You will know when shes ready, its always advisable at this age to give her a bottle first, then if she want more, give her food. She still needs formula at 2 months. Ours tried solids at 3 months. Hope this helps : )

Colleen - posted on 03/11/2012

You can do it when you think your little one is not getting enough from milk alone. I started at 4 months, but knowing what I know now, would have do e it earlier, she was hungry and my milk was not as fatty as some. My mother started us at 1 month! Just put a little in her bottle, see how they do. My doctor suggested it and suggested even doing more. You may get more sleep and the baby's tummy will be full!'

Christina - posted on 03/11/2012

follow your gut. my kids all had cereal by the time they were 2 months old

Brenna - posted on 03/09/2012

Unfortunately, the question you asked is specific to every baby (which one isnt?). Some babies it helps sleep through the night, other babies eat eat EAT!! 2 monz seems very early, my guess is baby is hitting a growth spurt (my daughter is 7mon and has had one every month and just eats more and more!) Baby is getting ALL the right amount of nutrients and good things from her formula that she needs. Look at it like this, if you were having a healthy salad for lunch, finished, and decided you were still a bit hungry, would you A. have a little more salad or B. eat a bag of bland popcorn until you're full sleepy? Little one loves her formula so why stop? I have yet to start our daughter because after doing a bit of research I found that rice cereal is really empty calories for baby. Rice cereal is only started first because very few babies have allergies to it so its considered the "safer" route to introducing solids. 3-12months is when baby is developing aaalllllll her fat cells she will have as an adult. Empty calories means more fat cell production, which can lead to the possiblity of a fat adult. Again, every baby is different but why risk the possiblity of being overweight now and later? I listened jealously to my friend tell me how her 3month old was already sleeping through the night... turns out she was feeding him rice cereal (he is 4mon and 24lbs, my daughter is 7mon and 18lbs). Sadly, he is now in the hospital severly sick and with breathing problems :( Make sure the choice is for baby (i know how you long to sleep through the night!!) and baby's healthy future. hope this helps! good luck with your choice!!

Samantha - posted on 03/09/2012

It depends on the baby to when you should start solids, most kids start round 4 months on average, My daughter started eating rice cereal at 3 months.

Desiree - posted on 03/09/2012

I started when my son was 3 months old also. He was very cranky all the time and we found out it was because he just couldn't keep the food in long enough. Once we put the rice in he was a lot happier. When I had my first they told me 4 months for food but when I had my second now they say 6 months. I am not sure which one is actually the best but I would go with your gut.

Monique - posted on 03/09/2012

the only thing you should put in a bottle is formula, breastmilk, or milk. you can start rice cereal around 4 months as long as she can eat off a spoon. after she used to eating cereal you can introdce baby food. you need to try one at a time and wait a few days before trying a new one, to see if they have a reaction. around 6 months you can try a little juice or water in a sippy cup

Nessa - posted on 03/07/2012

Kimberly Baker thanks so much can you tell my sister that she is trying to start my baby niece who is only 3 months old going to be 4 on the 15 rice cereal

Lexi - posted on 12/06/2010

Well i know most people to say 6 months but my daughter was always hungry so i started just before she hit 4 months and she was ok you just have to be careful that they don't get backed up, so keep an eye on her poohs and you got no problems =] your child will tell you when their ready

BeeJay - posted on 12/05/2010

My doctor told me to put rice cereal in my daughter's bottle when she was 10 days old. I ended up taking her to him because from the time she was born I was having to feed her every 45 minutes instead of the normal 2-3 hours. She was ALWAYS hungry. So I started putting rice in her bottle at 10 days old and she was fine. She is 18 months old now and is still fine.

Kimberly - posted on 11/23/2010

My pediatrician told me to never put the rice cereal into the formula. You should start feeding her rice cereal on a spoon when she is no younger than 4 months. Every baby is different and you know your baby better than anyone else; but I have been told that babies younger than four months are not ready for solid food yet, their stomaches are not ready to process solids.

Jill - posted on 11/23/2010

I started giving my 5 1/2 month old cereal about 2 months ago just in the morning and just a very small amount. At her 4month check-up her doctor told me to slowly start her on baby food (only 1 kind at a time for a few days to watch for allergies). She hated the plain rice cereal so to give it some flavor I added half a thing of fruit and she enjoys it so much more. We now mimic regular meals with her (cereal in the AM, half a container of veggies and fruits for lunch and supper) and she also gets a 4 oz bottle of apple juice a day (2 oz apple juice/2 oz of water to dilute it). All of this was directed by her doctors.

Amanda - posted on 11/23/2010

My daughter was 2 months old when I started giving her cereal in her bottle.She was 3 months old when I started giving her baby food. They usually tell you to wait until 3 months to give them cereal and 4 months for baby food because they say the earlier you give them baby food it can cause allergies. You do what you think is best for your child. My daughter was taking 2 bottles full of cereal and formula back-to-back. It was time for her to go on baby food. Cereal is supposed to help them sleep through the night, but you have to make sure you put enough cereal in the bottle without making it too thick for them not to be able to drink it out of the bottle.

Shannon - posted on 11/22/2010

The recommended age to start babies on rice cereal is between 4-6 months. It is NOT recommended to put cereal in the bottle. It can be a choking hazard and it also encourages babies to ignore their natural full cues. It is a misconception that it will help baby sleep at night. Every baby is different and she will sleep through the night when she is mature enough and ready. Around 4 months (if you feel she is ready) start giving her a small amount of rice cereal mixed to a thin consistancy. SPOON feed it to her. Do rice cereal for a week or 2 to be sure there are no allergies and then you can move on to oatmeal. Do the same thing to ensure there are no allergies. Once you have moved through the plain rice and oatmeal cereals you can start her on stage one baby foods. (this I would say closer to the 6 month mark) It is best to start with the least sweet tasting veggies. If you start with sweet veggies like sweet potatoes or with fruits baby is less likely to want to try the other things. Remember it takes between 10-15 different times trying a food for baby to truly decide if they like it or not. Do one veggie at a time and give her that same 1 veggie for at least 5 days before moving on to the next veggie to ensure there are no allergies. Once you have moved through all veggies she can start on the fruits. Do the same thing. One fruit at a time for about 5 days each. Good luck and best wishes!

Danielle - posted on 11/22/2010

they say dont give them anything till 4-6 months. but if shes still hungry try giving her bit more milk to start with, if that dont work. try her on baby rice. but dont give it to her in her bottle as it will get stuck in teat and could cause choking. try a small bit on a spoon and see how she goes, if she manages to swallow it (which some babies cant) then increase it small amounts each week. i know you what her to sleep though but dont feed her food to late as it will give her tummy ache and she will then probably be up all night

Cathy - posted on 11/22/2010

Everybody always says wait till 6 months but because my baby was always hungry i started at 3 months. I started with rice cereal. Just 1 teaspoon every morning for a week. Then a bit more the following week. By the 4th week she had it morning and evenings. Not to late though. She use to eat at 9am and then again 5:30pm. At 4 months i started on jar foods (no 1). It's not the same for everyone though as kids can develope allergies if they start feeding to early. My baby took to it very easily and loved the rice cereal. She's 7 months now and eats 3 times a day + a snack.