ok when to start rice cereal??

Janessa - posted on 11/29/2011

They say don't start it until 4 months, and really you can wait even longer if you want to. I wait longer with each child, in fact my little 7 1/2 month old right now, still almost only nurses. Every now and then I'll try and feed her some solids. She doesn't really want it though. They really only need formula or breastmilk the first 4-6 months at least. Then if you want to you can start trying solids.

Sherri - posted on 11/29/2011

Mine were no longer breastfed by 4mo's and were put on solids first by 3 1/2mo's because he was intaking way to much formula and had to be slowed down and the last two were put on solids by 4mo's. They were ready and formula was simply not enough for them any longer.

I think it is great some babies are not ready till later in life but also people need to realize some babies are just not until at least 4mo's of age.

Tracey - posted on 11/29/2011

Sharon has a point: you *don't* know until much later if early feeding had any negative results. My oldest is 15. I tried feeding him rice cereal on his 6th month birthday, and he purely hated it and spat it OUT, just as he'd managed to hook his finger around his pacifier when a few weeks old and hurl it across the room often enough, crying, that I figured out he really meant it! I abandoned cereal for a couple of weeks because he hated it so much, and started him on meat. We just found out he has a mild gluten allergy that manifests in ADHD, which we knew he had at the age of around 3 and suspected earlier. And gluten allergy is often a factor in ADHD.



My two girls both rejected solids out of hand until the age of around 11-13 months (13 months for my older daughter and 11 months for my younger). They were both exclusively breastfed until that point. And the older one, who was 2 months premature, was 75th percentile for weight and height, unadjusted for her prematurity, from the age of about 3 months. I did try her on rice cereal, too, and she has ADHD too. With the youngest, though, I knew about that research and skipped cereals until she was over a year old. She doesn't have ADHD. There could be other causes in the other two, like I was eating a "normal" American diet while pregnant with them but was eating pastured-fed, traditional food with her, but that was our experience.



And given the amount of diabetes now in the family that hadn't surfaced when my oldest was born, I'm really glad that all three pretty much rejected cereals. Just wish I hadn't offered it several times to the older two, especially to the oldest.

Stifler's - posted on 11/29/2011

what's the big deal with them feeding often?

Aneta - posted on 11/29/2011

Our daughter is 4 months this Dec 7th. I started feeding her rice cereal about 3 weeks ago and found that she is not needing to be feed as much and so offten.
We feed her just her formula during the day and at night depending when she falls asleep for the night roughly about 2 6oz bottles in the evening with rice cereal. I give it to her straight in her bottle. I mix 6oz of formula with 2 teaspoons of rice cereal.
I`ve done this to all 5 of my other childen and they are all great!

Sharon - posted on 11/29/2011

Your first responder (Tamara) is spot on, as are many of the others. Food of any kind for a baby under four months (even six months) is just like giving them poison. Their systems just aren't ready for it. Six months at least is preferred and many babies can go longer. You will get a lot of people saying they fed their babies early and they are OK, but, really - how do they know? We still don't know what causes a lot of childhood illnesses or conditions. If you're really unsure what advice to take the best person to see would be a respected lactation consultant - they are specialists in this area and know more than most doctors. Find one that knows a lot about formula, because obviously they focus on breastfeeding.

Erin - posted on 11/29/2011

Like so many of the other ladies, my opinion (which is backed with scientific fact) is that a) your baby is far too young for any solid foods and b) rice cereal is empty calories and a complete waste of time.

Feeding every two hours through the day and sleeping that amount at night is actually VERY good for a baby that age. He is still only an infant. Night feeds are just part of the job, and should not be used as an indicator for readiness for solids.

Just relax mama. Enjoy your baby while he is still so little and don't try and push him into the next stage. Feed him his milk when he is hungry and wait until he is 4-6mths and can sit up by himself. Even then, he may not be ready til later, and that is fine too.

Stifler's - posted on 11/29/2011

In a bowl at daytime. I started with 10am and 4pm for offering solids. I never put rice cereal in the bottle, very unnecessary. If they're spitting it out everywhere and not even opening their mouth for it, they're not ready.

Julia - posted on 11/29/2011

the purpose of starting solids is to work your baby towards eating three balanced solid meals per day (and snacks). The timing is set at 6 months to start and beyond because until 6 months babies do not require any additional nutrition. They also do not have the developmental aspects in place to properly digest the food (ability to sit up unsupported, loss of tongue thrust reflext, internal digestion system etc).

Starting your baby on solid foods just to get a few more sleeps is a bit misguided. Solid foods will not garuntee that your baby will sleep longer or better. And never put cereal in a bottle!!!!!

You might be tired, but it sounds like your baby is sleeping well. Waking during the night to eat is natural and necissary at this stage in their life!! Most babies wake during the night to "top up" thier tummies until 9 months, after which, if they are eating well during the day with healty solids, is no longer nutritionally necessary.

If I were you, I'd get a few reputible parenting books. Consult your local public health unit.. Ours has great literature on starting solids, the time line and the reccommendations by Health Canada for what foods to start (iron rich foods first - meat is the preferred) and when the physicians have determined the appropriate age for baby's health to start solid food.

Leslie - posted on 11/29/2011

I gave my rice cereal after being a month and she went for frive hours in the night before waking up.

Minnie - posted on 11/29/2011

I second the suggestion of meat as a first food. Liver, egg yolks, are truly your best bet nutrition-wise.

Melissa - posted on 11/29/2011

Thanks ladies.. I will take to note on all this..

Tracey - posted on 11/29/2011

New(ish) research most pediatricians aren't aware of: the average age of having the right enzymes to properly digest grains isn't until 18-24 months! This is one possible reason behind the explosion of things like gluten allergies, Celiac/Sprue disease, and other allergies. Babies DO have the right enzymes at the start to digest meat, so the new recommendation is to start them on unseasoned, well-blended meats first, and then progress through dark green vegetables to brighter vegetables to fruit to dairy, one new thing at a time, and not introducing grains until at least 18 months. This also helps get iron into babies. Breastfed babies are born with a store of iron that is generally depleted at 6 months, so starting them on meat at 6 months makes perfect sense. I did this with all three of mine and it worked well. Helped them to not have a sweet tooth, and helped them to expect flavor in their food!

Kellie - posted on 11/29/2011

Actually Heather you're wrong. When you make up the cereal you make it with either plain boiled water, formula or breastmilk. I think what you're trying to say is don't mix it and feed it to him in his bottle.

Here is a link to info about what to look for to determine when your baby is ready for solids:

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/r...

I would also skip the rice cereal, waste of money and time.

Heather - posted on 11/29/2011

Not until he is between 4 and 6 months old. They say, when he starts sitting up on his own, then he is ready to try baby good. Honestly, he shouldn't have it till them. You should NEVER mix rice cereal with formula, that's BAD information. He is doing just fine with what your giving him from what your stating. I would leave things the way they are. He is only 10 wks. old Mama.

Maureen - posted on 11/29/2011

Please don't. Look up any respected source and they would advise against it. I know you at tired and want him to be contented but there is truly no developmental or physical problems yet adding rice can create issues.

Sherri - posted on 11/29/2011

Should be at least 4 mo's old before introducing any solids. Cereal is fine just mixed with a little fruit or formula but definitely wait a bit longer.

Teresa - posted on 11/29/2011

Tamara, I did a lot of things different w/ my girls, but that's exactly what I used it for w/ my son. Of course, his interest in solids was so random that I only ever bought 2 boxes of baby cereal... and the second one I had to buy cuz the first one expired. He didn't use up either of the boxes. ;)

Tamara - posted on 11/29/2011

I never gave mine plain rice I only used it if I accidentally blended it to thin and needed to thicken it a little. because as previously mentioned it has no nutritionally value.

Also babies Do wake in the middle of the night that is part of their job.

Teresa - posted on 11/29/2011

Not a good idea before 4 months... preferrably closer to 6 and even later is still fine. Rice cereal actually isn't needed and other solids (fruits and veggies) can be started in this age range instead.

Sarah - posted on 11/29/2011

It's quite normal for babies to wake sometimes during the night, even after they've been sleeping through, especially if he's having a growth spurt. I agree that when he can support himself is the best time to begin. Also if you leave it later you can pretty much skip the runny stuff and go straight onto proper food, maybe mashed or pureed, but still real food.

Minnie - posted on 11/29/2011

Never?

There really isn't any good it will do for him.

Six months about for solids- and move on to something that actually poses some nutritional value.

Rice cereal is highly processed, will simply succeed in causing blood sugar spikes, can cause constipation and due to the high added iron content can result in bacterial infections and even, surprisingly enough, iron-deficiency anemia.

Just skip it.

Melissa - posted on 11/29/2011

my dr here told me when he can support himself.. so will wait maybe til maybe he is 4 months.. thanks

Tamara - posted on 11/29/2011

I honestly think he is to young for it I think they should be at least 4 months but it is preferred 6 months. With that said its best to talk to his Dr about this not someone who don't know squat about your sons nor your health history.