feeding a four month old solids...

Sarh - posted on 05/19/2010

I really don't like cereal in the bottles. Make it runny at first and he will learn how to eat it if you thicken it a little bit everytime after that. I started my daughter on Cereal at about a month old. She was 9lbs 13.5oz at birth though so she was big && needed the extra food. She shortly started jars after that. She is fine, NOT over weight, has no stomach problems or allergies!! She is now 4 yrs old tall and skinny (not too skinny though). Good luck.

Kayti - posted on 05/19/2010

Hey I have 2 children and i started both of them on jar food from 4months old but only pureed stuff.

Collette - posted on 05/19/2010

I would not suggest putting the rice into his milk as it may cause constipation, but make the rice cereal with some of his formula milk. At first feed him with a well mixed rice and milk, almost waterlike texture, and as he get used to feeding from a spoon, then make it with more rice than milk.

I wouldnt start feeding from jars until your son has a bigger appetite because they do go off in the fridge and he would only eat a small amount at a time. I used baby yogurts which come in small pots and are easy for babies to feed from.

I have four children so ive been through all this before, I started at three to four months old and started my kids with a spoonfeed in the evening so that they will fill up, and then get a drink of formula milk after the feed and he should then sleep happily with a full stomach without being constipated which will cause alot of pain for you both. I hope this is helpful to you and good luck.

Chatty - posted on 05/19/2010

@Lisa....I'm curious as to why you put cereal in your daughter's bottles?

Lisa - posted on 05/19/2010

i started rice iin my daughters bottle a couple of weeks ago and I only do it for her first bottle of the day and then her last one before bed. all the other bottle in between are reg formula. I hope this helps you..and solid foods is when he is watching you eat and looks interested in your food thats about when you start solids (jars) that could be anywhere from 3 months to 6 months...I really hope this helps :)

Silvia - posted on 05/19/2010

At my daughters four month check/up my pediatrician wasnt pushing the "solid" foods yet, My 6 month old is still breast feeding but i havent pushed the solid foods very much, every now and then so she can get the hang of it.

Lea - posted on 05/19/2010

Thanks for the reply Amber. As for "teaching" you baby to eat from a spoon, my experience was that my son knew what to do immediately. I think that was how I knew it really was time. Just something to consider. At any rate, I started giving it to him at his dinner time every evening for a few months, and then added veggies one at a time, then added a lunch feeding at some later time, so just gradually. On the Gerber website there are some suggested meal plans but I didn't follow them exactly.

Chatty - posted on 05/18/2010

Kim, I totally agree with you......there's no reason why in today's day and age we can't and shouldn't be able to make an informed decision that works for our individual situation.

Thumbs up for asking, Amber! Now with everything you've heard here and taking into consideration ur pedi's advice you can make an informed decision that works for you and your child! GOOD LUCK!

Kim - posted on 05/18/2010

You are the mom, you get to decide what you do and when. I would suggest you keep in mind the developmental stage your baby is in though.
Babies under 6 months have not yet developed the ensizmes necessary to break down food and absorb the nutrients into their bodies. If you feed them too soon whatever you put in comes out the same as before, passing through with no nutritional benefit.

Babies under 2 are building brain cells. Protein and fats are required to build brain cells. Breast milk and formula are the best sources. Rice fills them up and requires them to eat less of the brain-building foods they need.

Why are the levels of autism so much higher today then they were 50 years ago? Who knows. What are we doing differently? Still not sure. The best thing to do is READ labels. READ about your childs developmental stage. And keep things simple. The closer you can keep things to the way God intended them, the better. (What nutritional value does rice have for adults? Can't be much different for kids, let alone babies that haven't developed their digestive system yet) I do understand the wanting the feedings to be more spread out, but if a baby wants to eat, they need need need it. They will not overeat like adults do, only out of necesity. My son at four months would nurse from 7pm to 9:30, only taking a short break so I could switch sides, EVERY night. Then he would sleep for 7 hours. He was 23 lbs and was skinny as far a babies go (29 inches).

This time is really short in the grand scheme of things. Babies know what they need. It is suggested you not limit fats until they are 2 years because their growing needs requires it.

Do some reading to make your own informed decision. You have the internet at your fingertips. Use it.

Good luck to you.

Amber - posted on 05/18/2010

I appreciate everybody helping out with my question,as a new mother i didnt know anything about not putting cereal in the bottle..my bad. To Lea Cree...YES i was advised from the PED that i could start him on rice cereal. But thats not the only way i feed it to him; I have fed it to him by spoon more than once cause i know he is never going to learn if i dont start teaching him. I will keep in mind all of yalls inputs. To Laura Bundy..Thanks for the heads up.

Melissa - posted on 05/18/2010

Around the three or four month mark you should be able to introduce your lil one to the cereal by spoon. At that age they need to start to learn to use their tongue and gums in a different way than just sucking a bottle. With my two I always gave rice cereal mixed with formula or breast milk right before bed. Doing that helped them sleep better. I am assuming that is why you are currently putting the cereal in the bottle? Like others have said, make it more runny the first few times until you see he is getting the hint to smash it with his tongue to the roof of his mouth. With my daughter she ate the cereal for about a month before we added jar foods. With my son he hated the cereal so I almost immediately added a vegetable to it. My Ped advised me to start with yellow fruits and veggies, then orange then green and go from there. He said the yellows are the easiest on the belly. Also, like said above, feed the same foods for at least four days, doctors say a week, to make sure there is not an allergy. Most of the time the allergy is immediate but, it takes seven to ten days for formula and foods to work out of babies systems. Good luck!

Erica - posted on 05/18/2010

After feeding his normal amount of formula if he is still hungry then rice bottles once or twice a day worked fine for all 4 of my boys they loved it and it gave them a bit more in their tummies, you shouldn't have trouble feeding it in the bottle as long as he is not laying down. Jar food I started early as well all kids grow and mature at a different rate you are the mom and as long as Dr. says it's ok you should do what you think is best.

Kelina - posted on 05/18/2010

I never gave my son cereal in his bottle simply becasue he was breastfed. I also couldn't give him rice cereal becasue he has milk intolerances and it's made with milk. That being said, i don't think there's anyhting wrong with putting cereal in their bottles once or twice a day i know people who did it and their kids never had a problem. The hitng is, any clumps that are going to be too big for them to swallow aren't going to make it out of the hole in the nipple. I started my son on solids at 4 months becasue we couldn't figure out what it was in my milk that was bothering him. Do what you feel is right, and listen to your instincts.

Chatty - posted on 05/18/2010

Every child is different! Do you do it before or after his bottles?

Sharon - posted on 05/18/2010

he loves eating it from a spoon. and when i want to only give it to him a little. he attacks me for more, and he seems to be more filled.

Chatty - posted on 05/18/2010

As long as it's from a spoon, I don't have a problem with that....although I wouldn't do it! The only thing I strongly disagree with is putting cereal in a baby's bottle! There are VERY few exceptions that would make it ok, IMO!

Sharon - posted on 05/18/2010

so.... lol I might get attacked but oh well. Hi! I feed my 3 month old Stage 2 applesauce and pears, and he does just fine. and my doctor doesn't seem to have a problem with it as long as he is handling it well. kk?

Lea - posted on 05/18/2010

Could I ask the reason you are doing this? Did your doc tell you to? You really should be asking the doctor, if not then you probably shouldn't be doing this. If he is truly ready for rice cereal, he will be able to eat it from a spoon.

Jennifer - posted on 05/18/2010

My girl at 4 months started on rice cereal for bedtime and first thing in the morning for breakfast. I started her on the stage 1 gerber fruits and veggies for lunchtime during the day, and I kept her on the first foods for 2 months, then switched her to 2nd foods at 6months, and then 3rd foods at 8 months will mixing some of the 2nd foods into it, so it wasn't so chunky, once she got used to that i just stopped mixing in the 2nd foods, and she was good with the 3rd foods untils he was 1 and then i started her on the graduate meals which she LOVED. Hope this helped.

Lisa - posted on 05/18/2010

I was putting cereal in my sons bottle as soon as the doc said too I put it in every bottle due to eating issues that were effecting his nutrition intake. Jars foods are different your little one will let you know through signals just trust that mommy instinct and DO NOT LET SOMEONE ELSE dictat how you do something every child is different. Just follow the guideline to your childs liking and watch the stuff they shouldnt have until a certain age due to allergy issues. My son didnt want anything to do with bday cake till he was 3 so like I said every child is different. Hope this helps and good luck!

Jess - posted on 05/18/2010

Until I joined COM, I had never heard of putting cereal into babies bottles. Perhaps its a cultral thing. I would see it as a choking hazard and babies need to learn that liquids come from cup/bottle and solids from a bowl and spoon. My MIL told me that she use to crush up biscuits and add them to bottles, again something I had never heard of. The tin of formula my daughter drinks say's that adding anything to the bottle or changing the mixture/consistancy can be dangerous and make a baby very sick.



Not trying to tell you what to do, but just some "food for thought".

Chatty - posted on 05/17/2010

I have no problem with the cereal or even other solids early but NOT in a bottle UNLESS specifically instructed by a doctor for a specific reason! Putting cereal in a bottle is potentially dangerous isn't a risk I would be willing to take.

Bridget - posted on 05/17/2010

I started my daughter on cereal (not in a bottle) at 3 1/2 months- at the advice of her doctor. Once she got used to eating I started her on pureed food. By 4 months she was ready and eager to eat pureed fruits and veggies. So you can start your baby as soon as you feel he is ready, and he is willing.

Elisha - posted on 05/17/2010

hay.. i dnt du tha rice stuff well i did but i du that as breakfast in a bowl not in tha bottle.. and i was feed my lil boi on jars wen he was 4months old nd he loved them soo give it ago all yu can du is atleast try nd c how he reacts coz he myt not actually b ready 4 it..

Nikkole - posted on 05/17/2010

if you havent started to feed him cereal with a spoon yet, i would do that first. My lil girl is 7 months and we started to give her cereal at three months and soild food at 4 months. Her doc was the one that told me to start giving her cereal at 3 months and soilds at 4 months and we never had a any kind of problem.

Alicia - posted on 05/17/2010

Try giving him cereal with a spoon, not in bottles. Start off thin then move make it a little thicker after a few days so that he isn't choking on it. After he can handle thicker cereal mixture than you can add first foods, first alittle in the cereal until you can just feed him straight from a jar.

Kat - posted on 05/17/2010

at 2 months, my son started the rice cereal with applesauce. it hasnt hurt him at all. just helped him stay full because formula alone wasnt satisfying him. he's now a healthy 11 month old

Jessica - posted on 05/17/2010

i only used the cereal bottle before bed, occasionally during the day when she thought she was starving. and i have been giving my baby jar food for about two weeks now, ad shes five and a half months. she has the hang of it now so i would say that would be fine, even tho i guess technically you arent supposed to do that or cereal til 6 months. but i just went with my gut instinct instead of letting the doctors raise my child for me they want to....

Chatty - posted on 05/17/2010

WHY are you putting rice cereal in his bottle? IMO, you should NEVER put rice cereal in their bottle....the only exception being in extreme cases where you've been instructed to do so by ur doctor for a specific reason....ie. reflux



As for the solids....they recommend by 6 months but starting them a lil' sooner isn't unheard of! Start him off slowly......one thing at a time for a couple days at a time so you watch for allergies!



Good luck!

Sarah - posted on 05/17/2010

Cereal should be feed by spoon not bottle. At 4 months the most important thing is his formula, so feed that first and then cereal. Make sure he is not decreasing in the amount of formula he is eating. Each baby is going to be different as to how much they eat for cereal/foods. Some babies just need cereal once a day others will do 3 times a day. If you are feeding him his formula first and doing cereal second after a full bottle you will be able to tell if he is still hungry for cereal or not. As for jar food most doctors don't recommend starting that until they are 6 months old. Again formula is the most important thing at this age, so the need for the jar food in their diet is not there.

Penny - posted on 05/17/2010

i think it can be a lil dangerous putting in his bottle, maybe give it him on a spoon, he should be fine taking it off a spoon, might be a bit messier but it will teach him how to control his tongue whilst eating.

Lisa - posted on 05/16/2010

I started my son rice cereal after his 4month app. & the doctor told us to start him with cereal & after a few days we added some jar veggie and the dr told us he would be eating like us eventually but to see if he's allergic to anything we needed to give him one thing at a time for a few days then we could try something else for another few days. he suggested that we give him the veggie most undesireable & work from veggetables to fruit...then we mixed veggies in the cereal & sometimes fruit. he loved it. but unlike how your doing it...we gave it to him w/a spoon in a dish not a bottle. bottle was the way to drink. spoon & dish was the way to eat.

Lisa - posted on 05/16/2010

I stated my bub on rice cereal at about 4 mths. She had a few mouthfuls for breakfast.The nurse told us that if bub mimics us eating when we eat she os showing signs she is ready to try solids. I never put it in her bottles. I don't think you would need it in all ur bubs bottles if any but thats ur choice. my sister in law gave her bubs rice cereal in the bottle for there night feed to get them to sleep through the night.

Laura - posted on 05/16/2010

oh boy hold on tight amber you may get attacked on this post, not by me though lol.. anyways, my boy at 4 mos i started rice cereal only like a half tbs to full tbs in the bottle at his last feeding b4 bed and his first in the am.. he was sleeping through at this point..i started jar food at about 5 mos a lil over..