putting cereal in 8wk old formula?

Tara - posted on 02/18/2009

In my opinion, it's a very bad idea. My mother's generation swears by early rice cereal, however all the research I've ever read, including the AAP, does not recommend it. Try looking it up on Kelly Mom or even google the topic. Good luck.

Tara - posted on 02/18/2009

In my opinion, it's a very bad idea. My mother's generation swears by early rice cereal, however all the research I've ever read, including the AAP, does not recommend it. Try looking it up on Kelly Mom or even google the topic. Good luck.

Sayla - posted on 02/18/2009

Every baby is different with my first born I started putting actual baby food in her bottle when she was 3 mnths because she was never satisfied. Now with my second child she's barely a month old and is eating 4-6 oz every 2-5 hours. Of course though it is recommended that you don't put anything besides formula into baby's bottle because it can cause gum problems. Talk to your pediatrician though and do what you think is right after all she is your baby.

Jolie - posted on 02/18/2009

Quoting Lacey:

Quoting Michael:

NEVER put cereal in a bottle. One... you should really be breastfeeding anyway...

two.. she is probably eating more because she is thirsty and not neccesarily hungry breastmilk is perfectly engineered to fix this problem...

three.. never disguise cereal in a bottle. Babies will let you know when they are ready to start eating more solid foods. Putting cereal in their bottle deprives them of the chance to only start eating it when they are ready.

who is this micheal guy anyways and what does he know? i put cereal in my daughters bottle and shes just fine. she eats from a spoon. shes never choked on it. and a lot of ppl can't breastfeed. i couldn't.

Laura - posted on 02/18/2009

Babies should not be introduced to any food until 4 months old(that inculdes rice cereal, mixed grain, oatmeal).  Until then all they need is breast milk or formula. 

Let me tell you the risks associated with feeding foods to early.  Allergies is a huge factor.  Babies cannot have any cow's milk until age 1 because their bodies cannot digest it and can cause internal bleeding.  You dont want to risk that. 

Hope this helps!

Alisa - posted on 02/18/2009

My son was the same way when he was a baby.  The only things that typically cause food allergies are strawberries before age 2,  nuts, and honey.  I am sure that is depends on the individual, but my son's doctor told me to actually feed him the cereal at 2 months.  We would feed it to him, just plain with just a little formula in it at bedtime and he started sleeping through the night and was less hungry through the day.  He was a big baby too.  I would just keep doing what works for you son.

Jennifer - posted on 02/18/2009

At my daughter 2 month appt my doctors told me to give my daughter some cereal to help her sleep, so i think its ok.

Anita - posted on 02/18/2009

absolutely!! My baby boy would be hungry right after nursing and i produced a lot of breast milk. I did that and he became content which also led to a longer nights sleep.

Iza - posted on 02/18/2009

You should ask your docter, but i was toled that a mother will know when her baby needs what. I have two kids and my youngest was always crying even after he finished a 8oz bottel so i started adding some ric cereal into the milk when he was 6 weeks.

Susan - posted on 02/18/2009

I would NOT give your baby cereal...Y would you want to feed your baby cereal? I dont mean to be harsh but... Is it so you have more time inbetween feedings, or you think she is still hungry after she has eaten? Do you think she will become a lil chubby? Bottom line is what is your view on this? If it was not mentioned about cereal would you thought of doing it? You are blessed to have a healthy eater and 3-4hrs thats great at such a young age!! My son ate about 1-2oz every 1 1/2hrs and now take that into the night!!! Yup up every 1-2hrs trying to get food into my little ones belly....turned out 10 yrs later I found he has a dairy allergy and it was NOT determined by the pediatrician or an allergist...it is a delayed reaction and a special test was done by a natrapath! Good luck and just be patient.....they grow way to fast and are people sometimes I'm sure you like to eat more than usual and others you dont feel hungry at all....she could just be having that growth spurt where they eat and eat!!!

Aprile - posted on 02/18/2009

Do It! This will help the baby sleep better at night and keep her full for a longer period of time, but I feel like the most important time to do it is at night. I think if your child winds up with food allergies it is not because of rice cereal being her formula! Good luck and I hope it works out for you...

Alice - posted on 02/18/2009

I WAS TAUGHT THAT A SPOON OF RICEPORIDGE(1st porridge for babies) in the afternoon about 4to 6 pm helps settle the stomach lesson the cramps and lesson windiness!! trust me it worked with all 4 my children!

Jody - posted on 02/18/2009

I started feeding both my girls solids when they were 3 weeks old...they have never had any food allergies.. Ididnt feed them a lot to begin with, just a couple teaspoons to start. Once in the morning and then once in the evening before bed. They were eating big people food by the time they were 5-6 months old..(pureed of course).  ps my girls are now 18 and 12 , and I think new moms should try old ways....hope this helps.

Jackie - posted on 02/18/2009

My oldest was born at 9oz 4lb, by the time he left the hospital, he was drinking almost 8 oz. Now this was 17 years ago, but the doctor put him on cereal at about 2 weeks because the formula was not enough. I have a two year old now and the rules change and the doctor suggestions change. It worked for me, he has no allergies to food other than pecans(all other nuts are fine) But I did not put it in the bottle, just spoon feed it. They get used to it sooner. Hope this helps.

Ashley - posted on 02/18/2009

My doctor advised me to not put cereal in the bottle. If you are going to feed cereal at that young of age do 1 tablespoon and feed them with a spoon. IT will get them used to using a spoon and by putting cereal in the bottle you are risking over feeding in which case you will be up longer and it can also increase the risk of choking. I started my son on cereal at 3 mths old

Nicole - posted on 02/18/2009

MY BABY IS 2 MONTHS OLD I ASKED DOCTOR AND THEY ALL SAID NO NOT TILL SHE IS 4 MONTHS OLD. TO HARD ON THERE TUMMY'S!

Melissa - posted on 02/18/2009

This was something that was very popular years ago. That's why our mom's and grandma's tend to suggest this. There are several reasons why this is discouraged now. I am not sure how true the following are but I have heard that this is tied to food allergies, metabolism and the fact that a baby's gag reflex is very sensitive till they are about 4 months.



My daughter is 7 months old and I have never added cereal to her bottle. I chose not to in hopes that I will be able to break her from the bottle as quick as possible. I do feed her more carb type foods in the evening to avoid having her wake up at night.



It is all a personal choice in how you raise your baby but it is highly advised that you chat with your doctor.

Ruth - posted on 02/18/2009

How is 7 ounces every 3-4 hours unbearable for you? That is completely fine. Do not give her cereal, her body is incapable of digesting it, and yes can result in allergies. Mothers used to smoke when they were pregnant in the 60's....would you do that? I don't think so. Just cus it was done 20 years ago does not mean that they have not learned more about the human body to know what is best for them, and I would hope you would want to do what is best, not was is convenient for you.

Shana - posted on 02/18/2009

Hey there,def dont think u should be doin that as babies that young shouldnt hav anythin apart from formular milk until there at least 4 months old.i know years ago they used to do it.think they used to make it with rice.but 8 weeks is def too young.if u look in ur babies red book it tells u in there wot they should and shouldnt be havin and im sure it says in there not to do it.they get everythin they need from the formular milk.hope you find this usefull.x

Jeanette - posted on 02/18/2009

Things were a lot different back when our parents had us, I have fights with my mom all the time because her suggestions are now considered dangerous - She keeps telling me that she did whatever we are arguing about when I was a kid and I turned out fine but when we looked farther into it realized why I have a couple allergies and problems that I do.  Babies digestive tracks aren't fully developed until about 4 - 6 months which is why doctors don't recommend giving them food until then.  Babies are supposed to eat every 3 - 4 hours at this point, my daughter was up to 8 ozs at a month and a half and she's now a healthy 30 lbs 3 year old.  Bottom line is that cereal in the bottle is a bad idea not only does it have no nutritional value yet your baby could choke on it.

Joy - posted on 02/18/2009

Quoting Christine:

I wasn't going to comment and add to the madness, but seriously...look at the way you are speaking to each other.  We are all mothers, and we need to support each other and be compassionate whether we are breastfeeding mama's or formula feeding mama's.  Michael, it is great to be pro-breastfeeding, but do it with more love and care.  Offer advice, not judgement.  No one said these mama's haven't put in effort.  You are not being fair, and unfortunately it is statements like yours that give lactivists a bad name.  Breastfeeding does take effort and is alot of hard work, but just because a mother chose or was forced to choose a different path doesn't mean they are a bad mother and should be talked down too.

Thank you Christine!  Breastfeeders have nothing but my utmost respect.  I, for my own personal reasons, couldn't make it past 6 weeks.  If I ever have another one, I'll try the breast again but if I have the same issues, then I thank GOD there is formula available.  It's funny...this is like the third topic this past week that has started out about one thing and come to breast feeding!  I guess some people just get so worked up they don't think before they type lol!

Danielle - posted on 02/18/2009

I put cereal in my daughters formula. Just 1 TB in 8 oz but 7 is okay too. I don't think that it will cause any food allergies, my doctor told me to put cereal in her formula. My daughter is fine now. You are her mother so you need to do what makes you comfortable. It's your choice! 

Joy - posted on 02/18/2009

I had the same dillema when my son was that age.  I tried it a few times thinking it would help him sleep through the night and to help him eat less often.  I stopped doing it for a few reasons.  One, because that's just what babies that age do...eat, sleep, poop and cry.  Part of being a mom is having to feed them that often in the begining.  Two, my pediatrician about had a cow when I told him.  All babies are different and most will not have any bad reactions but, either way it's not good for their digestive systems and it can lead to food allergies later. 

Funny story now (not so much at the time).  When I told my pediatrician about the cereal in the formula, like I said, he had a cow.  He said to me "OK Joy, when you leave here, I want you to go to McDonalds and buy a hamburger, fries and a shake.  Go home, grind up the burger and fries and put them in the shake and drink it through a straw and see how YOU like it."  I left his office crying and feeling like a horrible mother.  Needless to say, that was my last visit with him.  I switched doctors immediately.

Angel - posted on 02/18/2009

Never, never, never put cereal in a bottle. That is very bad fro there digestion and can lead to obesity. I started both of my children, as did my mother of five, on cereal at about 2-3 weeks. You should use the same amount of formula as they would consume. Pour some of it into about a tablespon of cereal in a bowl, making a very soupy consistancy. Then spoon it into there mouth. The baby will begin to slurp it. It is messy at first. But makes for much better habits without causing digestive issues.

It is also training the baby to eat food not drink it.

June - posted on 02/18/2009

I did that with all 3 of my children too but only at nite time and I tell ya that is the best thing I did. My children slept through the whole nite.  All doctors say the same thing but I tried it and all my kids were fine.

Shelly - posted on 02/18/2009

Babies can not digest the cereal @ 8 weeks. You may be thicken the milk but your not giving any nuitrence to her diet. She could also axphicate on the cereal. Babies are suppose to eat every 3-4 hours approx. 6-8 oz. It is a very old fashion thing to put cereal in the bottle. It was routine to do it then; but it was also route to lay babies on their stomach or give them asprin back in the day. We now know that these things kill babies. Cereal is made for bowls and served on a spoon. If she is to young to eat it that way then she is to young for cereal.

Sarah - posted on 02/18/2009

if your baby has reflux insted of putting cereal in thier milk it is best to give them Gaviscon for infants. it is designed to thicken the milk for baies with reflux without any danger or side affects. my health visitor recomended it for my son when he was 4 weeks old and it work great. he now doesnt need it at all.

there is no need to put cereal in a babies bottle. for any reason. its an old fashioned method and should be abolished.

Fiona - posted on 02/18/2009

If you have a very hungry baby sometimes you need to add the cereal,most doctors say to wait until 4-6 months.....if you daughter is going 3-4 hours between feeds that very good for this age!......listen to your doctor,they know best! Fiona.

Andrew - posted on 02/18/2009

Hi Ashley, I would wait until I see her doctor. Alot has changed over the decades. I know that your mother- in- law claims that everything turned out OK but alot of research have been done over several years to claim that doing this is not good.  That's like hearing my grandmother tell me to rub whiskey or some type of alcohol on my child's gums while teething.....just not safe.

hope this helps

Ang

Karrie - posted on 02/18/2009

Quoting Shearae:

It Is fine!!!!!!!!!!!!   I did it with ALL THREE of my kids.  It started because one had reflux and then went into hungry babies.  My peditrician said it is fine.  If they are hungry and formula isn't satisfying them they are hungry!  I would feed one ounce of rice cereal in the morning at at bedtime.  A little hint!  My Peds doctor told me to put a little Karo syrup in either the cereal if you are using an infant feeder or in the bottle if you add it to the bottle.  You may need to poke the nipple with a toothpick if it gets clogged.  The Karo keeps them from getting constipated. you only need like a teaspoon in the bottle that has cereal in it.   Take it from a mom who has three healthy kids!!   It works!  (one of which was a ten pounder)  Some kids are just more hungry than others!

yeah maybe its fine 2 give them a few spoonfuls but not in a bottle as its a choking hazard!! 

my son had reflux and my peditrician said he can have food frm 4 months but spoon fed defenately NOT in a bottle. he was hungry baby 2 an is now a healthy 6 month old baby.

Mary - posted on 02/18/2009

Wow, Michael Rice, you are an expert. Your first comment "you should be breastfeeding anyway" is judgemental and not even on topic. Sure, breastmilk is better than formula. However, that is not the issue at hand. The issue is cereal in a bottle. Besides, what does a man honestly know about breastfeeding? Until you grow boobs and milk ducts, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.

Karrie - posted on 02/18/2009

and you should never give feed of any kind in a bottle as it goes straight to the back of the throat an its a choking hazard. always spoon feed them cereals an otha food x

Karrie - posted on 02/18/2009

hi ya my son who is now 6 months suffered wit reflux frm birth so he was never satisfied with how much milk he was havin. but i was told not to give him any cereals or rice till he was 4 months due to the fact that he could cause food allergies. not sure if this will help? hope you find the right thing to do x

Karen - posted on 02/18/2009

Don't worry, I had a hungry baby too. He had cereal from very early on and he is developing just fine, no allergies. Most people's parents did this, the wisdom of the ages.

Maria - posted on 02/18/2009

From what i read ur baby doesnt have Reflux so no need for AR formula. Theres a fomula for hungrier babies which im pretty sure thats what ur GP will tell u to use

Kirsten - posted on 02/18/2009

Quoting Ashley:

putting cereal in 8wk old formula?

My daughter is 8 weeks old & is already up to 7 ounces, eating every 3-4 hours. About 3 weeks ago, my mother-in-law told me to start putting cereal in her baby formula to thicken it. I did that for a week, until a friend told me her doctor said that it can cause food allergies. My mother-in-law has done that for all 3 of her children, with no problems or complications. I plan on talking to my doctor on my next visit but wanted to get advice from other moms until then! Thanks!!!

Unfortunately there's an obsession amongst new mothers regarding getting their babies to sleep through the night.  It's not normal.  The effects of feeding a newborn food before their stomach lining is developed enough to take it is not immediately apparent, but leads to issues later on in your child's development.  3-4 hour feeds is normal.  Talk to your pediatrician.  They do know what they're talking about.  Be wary of advice given in forums! 

Kirsten - posted on 02/18/2009

Quoting Ashley:

putting cereal in 8wk old formula?

My daughter is 8 weeks old & is already up to 7 ounces, eating every 3-4 hours. About 3 weeks ago, my mother-in-law told me to start putting cereal in her baby formula to thicken it. I did that for a week, until a friend told me her doctor said that it can cause food allergies. My mother-in-law has done that for all 3 of her children, with no problems or complications. I plan on talking to my doctor on my next visit but wanted to get advice from other moms until then! Thanks!!!

Unfortunately there's an obsession amongst new mothers regarding getting their babies to sleep through the night.  It's not normal.  The effects of feeding a newborn food before their stomach lining is developed enough to take it is not immediately apparent, but leads to issues later on in your child's development.  3-4 hour feeds is normal.  Talk to your pediatrician.  They do know what they're talking about.  Be wary of advice given in forums! 

Janice - posted on 02/17/2009

i did it with my kids because they spit up so much, i was told to stop by the doctor because it supposidly can cause food allergies, but because i stopped giving her the formula she puked all the time, not to mention my oldest wont eat food anymore, i firmly believe that if i had just kept on doing what i was doing my oldest would be just fine in eating what ever i give her.

Janice - posted on 02/17/2009

i did it with my kids because they spit up so much, i was told to stop by the doctor because it supposidly can cause food allergies, but because i stopped giving her the formula she puked all the time, not to mention my oldest wont eat food anymore, i firmly believe that if i had just kept on doing what i was doing my oldest would be just fine in eating what ever i give her.

SharlaAnn - posted on 02/17/2009

I started all four of my kids on rice cereal very early (2 weeksish) My first one was on the advice of my Grandmother(who had 12 kids) My mother (6kids) and my Dr!!! who doesn't normally recomend it but claims Moms need to sleep too!! and you cannt properly care for a child if you are exhausted!! My Dr. also told me that every generation has been told different things and we are all still here. So as long as you have a happy healthy baby and Mom you must be doing something right!!



Now I did not add cereal to a bottle I only fed off a spoon and I startedwith very watery cereal every coulpe days and went from there. A little watered down prune juice works wondwers for constipation( I now i'll hear about this one)



And why not take the advice of the ones before us they got us here did they not. As for all the so called proven studies there is a different one each week that contradicts the one before it!!

Carol - posted on 02/17/2009

i have five children and have done this with all of them!!! a half tea spoon of farax in the night time bottle to start helps to monitor if the childen have an adverse reaction. i have seen a pediatricion who works for the childrens hospital in sydney for the last 30 odd yrs and he said introduce solids at 8wks in this manner and by the time the child is 6mths they should be on red meat 3to 4 times a wk. he told me that milk is over rated for children and that food is the best sorce of vitamins etc that a child needs. as long as u take it slow and monitor your babies reaction then you should be fine. your daughter is obviously hungry and her formulae is not filling her up. your doctor may advise against this but i felt i know my children better than any one else and then the pediatrition confirmed that what i was doin was right and i blessed the nights from 8wks on as they slept through!!!

Dionne - posted on 02/17/2009

Hi!



I gave my daughter cereal in her bottle around the same time and it she was fine! She didn't choke, she didn't have hard time with BM's or develop any weird allergies! Yes i agree if your daughter has food issues, or any type of allergies i would talk to your doctors first. But as for sleeping through the night...the MOMENT i gave her the cereal she slept through the night! She is in the 93 percentile for growth so i never deprived her of anything!



my opinion is that new moms have a hard time dealing with the postpartum and the sleeping, and the recovery and the simple fact that they are new moms....getting a little sleep helps! You are not doing anything wrong, and don't let anyone make you feel that way! just as my mom and your MIL did with her children and they are all fine and alive right?!



good luck with that!

Rebecca - posted on 02/17/2009

From what I have read and seen, you should wait ideally until 6 months to give any solids, including cereal and you should never add the solids to a bottle.

Kealy - posted on 02/17/2009

I started putting cereal in my sons formula when he was pretty young because i had the same issue...he gained weight more but he thinned back out once he started walking...and other than that we had no issues

Crystal - posted on 02/17/2009

I did it with my now 10 month old when she was 2 months old, not too much now mind ya but just enough pablem to thicken, and I only put it in her night time bottle, I found it helped her sleep better through the night.

Jeanelle - posted on 02/17/2009

Quoting Jeanelle:

Quoting Ashley:

putting cereal in 8wk old formula?

My daughter is 8 weeks old & is already up to 7 ounces, eating every 3-4 hours. About 3 weeks ago, my mother-in-law told me to start putting cereal in her baby formula to thicken it. I did that for a week, until a friend told me her doctor said that it can cause food allergies. My mother-in-law has done that for all 3 of her children, with no problems or complications. I plan on talking to my doctor on my next visit but wanted to get advice from other moms until then! Thanks!!!

I agree with your friend but start out with just a little bit  so her system can get use to it.

 

Jeanelle - posted on 02/17/2009

Quoting Ashley:

putting cereal in 8wk old formula?

My daughter is 8 weeks old & is already up to 7 ounces, eating every 3-4 hours. About 3 weeks ago, my mother-in-law told me to start putting cereal in her baby formula to thicken it. I did that for a week, until a friend told me her doctor said that it can cause food allergies. My mother-in-law has done that for all 3 of her children, with no problems or complications. I plan on talking to my doctor on my next visit but wanted to get advice from other moms until then! Thanks!!!

Mindy - posted on 02/17/2009

My oldest son was a very heavy eater and he was three weeks old when I started putting rice cereal in his formula in small amounts. Rice is the grain that children are least likely to develop an allergy too. He never developed any allergies and I got 4-5 hours of sleep at a time versus 2-3. He was more satisfied with his food then. I then followed suit with all the rest of my boys and none of them have ever developed any allergies because of it. Just remember not to introduce any more than one item every week or so as you add foods in case an allergy should develop you will be ale to pinpoint what the allergy is too.

Nadia - posted on 02/17/2009

How many ounces was he drinking??? My son feeds every 2-3 hours, but only has 4.5 oz as he spits up too much if I give him more. He's 8 weeks old.

Theresa - posted on 02/17/2009

Just call your doctors office with a question like this? It usually takes a second and you can feel better. Why wait until your next visit? I wouldn't, personally.