Should I start feeding rice cereal before 4mths?

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 01/01/2010

The reason doctors will say to wait is because baby's tummy is not ready to digest solids yet.
From: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...
"Delaying solids gives baby's digestive system time to mature.
If solids are started before a baby's system is ready to handle them, they are poorly digested and may cause unpleasant reactions (digestive upset, gas, constipation, etc.). Protein digestion is incomplete in infancy. Gastric acid and pepsin are secreted at birth and increase toward adult values over the following 3 to 4 months. The pancreatic enzyme amylase does not reach adequate levels for digestion of starches until around 6 months, and carbohydrate enzymes such as maltase, isomaltase, and sucrase do not reach adult levels until around 7 months. Young infants also have low levels of lipase and bile salts, so fat digestion does not reach adult levels until 6-9 months."

Sharetha - posted on 01/01/2010

kelsi doctor will tell you that but it fine i gave all my children cereal at 2weeks old an everyone else that i know that have kids also i would do two tsp per every 4oz

Miranda - posted on 01/01/2010

and that is just my opinion u can do what u like but people up here should be helping others out not putting others down for the way they have raised there kids, my children are fine and a little rice in the milk to make the baby fuller wouldnt hurt nothing but everyone has there on opinon and i gave u mine, have a great new years

Miranda - posted on 01/01/2010

Quoting dean:

I thought these post were suppose to be helpful to other parents. parents have their own opinion. we as parents should not be putting other parents down for the way they have raised their children. give your opinion but don't put other parents down either.

thank u for saying that cause i was thinking that for myself, some people just dont know do they?

Miranda - posted on 01/01/2010

Quoting Kelsi:

Should I start feeding rice cereal before 4mths?

I think my baby is ready for rice cereal, but the Dr said to wait until she's 4 months... she's 3mths and a week..

i have had 3 kids and all three started out with cereal in there milk when they were about 3 to 4 weeks old, drs dont know it all, and my granny is the one who helped me out with it all, and old people know what they are talking about, no u dont have to wait, if that milk anit enough just add a spoonful or 2 just enough to get it a little tiny thick and try it out the baby may get constipated at first but a little baby apple juice deluted with water helps that out, u will be fine doing that, if u need any more advice just ask, my name is miranda allen and i will add u on to my list if u would like

Sarah - posted on 01/01/2010

my bub was ready for solids just after 3months but didnt like the cereal. so i tried pureed pumpkin and went from there. he loved it and adjusted really well. I think as the mother you will know when your baby is ready, every child develops at their own rate and comparing isn't the way to go. follow the cues of your little one. there is no harm in trying, if he/she's not ready, they'll tell you. Goodluck =)

Karrie - posted on 01/01/2010

i always used it mixed with formula and baby food. My daugher was a preemie and it helped keep her full when the bottle wasnt enough. She now is 7 and fine!!!

Andrea - posted on 01/01/2010

My sons doctor said it was fine at 4months. My son started at 3 1/2 and he was fine. He also started stage one baby food too. The milk by itself just wasn't filling him up.

Leticia - posted on 01/01/2010

i gave it to my son at 8 wks bc i had to go abck to school he wouldnt take a bottle, i couldnt pump anyways, and there was nothing else i could do. it did nothing to him, and the doc was fine with it.....it is recommended to wait till 4-6 mons. but every case is diff..... talk to your doc and weigh it out. its a suggestion not the end all say all (4-6 mons) when we were babies and before that ppl were giving their babies rice cereal from the get go.

Betty - posted on 01/01/2010

Some moms have said their babies are fine but the other mom's who did it and had problems as a result are too ashamed to share their experiances with you.
Wait as long as you can before giving solids to her. Giving this stuff to her too early could cause health problems down the road. The risk outshines the reward on this one because she will in no way even benefit from eating rice cereal anyway.
All the nutrients she needs are in her milk. As long as she is used to eating and digesting a variety of foods by the time she is weaned from the bottle she will be fine. You have plenty of time to do that so why rush it and risk her health?

Allison - posted on 01/01/2010

Introducing food too early has been shown to increase the incidence of food allergies. Symptoms of food allergies range from gastrointestinal upset to skin irritation like eczema to respiratory distress and asthma.

Waiting until your baby's weight has doubled is ideal. This typically happens between 5-6 months. Of course there will be those outside of this range, but it a good general time frame. Listen to your baby! She will start to show signs when she is ready.

Dean - posted on 01/01/2010

I thought these post were suppose to be helpful to other parents. parents have their own opinion. we as parents should not be putting other parents down for the way they have raised their children. give your opinion but don't put other parents down either.

Amy - posted on 01/01/2010

I did when mine was about 3 months old, but just about a tablespoon so it could still get through the nipple, and he was fine - it was heavy enough to get him full and help him sleep through the night (this was in a 4 ounce bottle). Hope this helps :)

Dean - posted on 01/01/2010

my kids are 19 and 13 I started cereal at 6 weeks and they slept thru the night

Rodeline - posted on 01/01/2010

Cereal are not recommended until 4-6 months of age. there is no way to really say they are ready or not. at 4-6 months of age the baby's neck muscles are stronger and decrease the risk of choking. you should wait when she is 4 or when the pediatrician says she is ready.

Monica - posted on 01/01/2010

my pediatrician wanted me to start putting rice cereal in my daughter's bottle... that was at her 2 month appointment... that seemed waaay to soon to me. I haven't tried it yet, I don't know why I'm "scared" to do it. He suggested to just put a little in the bottle before bed. However, after reading things online, it seems like it's just too early. And your Dr. said wait until she's 4 months? That seems more logical that 2 months. Let me know what you did with the rice cereal and how your little one responded... maybe then I won't be so "scared" to do it (I'm still going to wait until 3 months at least though).

Alexandra - posted on 01/01/2010

there are a lot of people that i have talked to including my pediatrician that have told me that 4 months is even too early and to wait until 6 months no matter what. Babies under 6 months dont have a way for their bodies to know when they are done eating solid foods so they will just keep eating. It is said to be linked to childhood obesity because they dont learn the sensation of being full and being able to stop eating. also, babies generally start sleeping better through the night at around 4 months anyways so the link about sleeping better is that as well. just wait it out.... i am happy i did

Callinda - posted on 01/01/2010

Quoting Gretchen:

and for the moms who do put rice cereal in their bottles to make them sleep more, or start them on foods so they will sleep more: they are babies, thats what babies do, they cry, poop everywhere, sleep very little and eat a ton (especially if you breastfeed) but if you want to sleep more, DON'T HAVE A BABY THEN!!. . . gosh I HATE that. ."I need sleep, I'm so tired" "blah blah blah" if you breast feed and and cosleep you will get enough sleep, if not oh well!!, don't stuff your baby just for him to sleep longer because your tired!!

Thank you Gretchen, soooo what I was thinking!!

Mel - posted on 01/01/2010

Kelsi , its totally up to you what you feed your baby . On the packets its says 'recommended' for 4-6 months old , not nessacerily that the baby HAS to be between 4-6 months ! Each baby is tottally different and unique to the next , my daughter is almost 9 weeks and I have decided that it is time to try her on LITTLE bits at a time mixed in with her bottle . She `s not happy with just formula anymore and wants more . I have only started her on it tonight and she seems to be fine and happy with it for the time being . Although I` m only giving it to her once a day . But it` s totally your decision what you do . . . Don`t let anyone make you feel bad for wanting to try your baby on it !

Emma Jane - posted on 01/01/2010

i started my son on cereal at 3 months becoz he was very fussy with his milk, i only gave him 3 teaspoonfulls, there is now harm in giving your child solids b4 6 months has long has it's cereals or baby rice, is the best to start off with.

Kirsty - posted on 01/01/2010

i started my baby boy on rice cereal at 2 months old but only fed him what he wanted to eat which was not much and he turned out fine he hasn't had any problems

C. - posted on 01/01/2010

Wait!!!! Even 4 months is a bit young since babies digestive systems are not fully ready for solid foods of any kind until 6 months.



And Tiffany, did your doctor ever try to find something wrong with your baby?? If you were using formula, it could have been that your baby was allergic to the type you were using, and if that was the case all you had to do was switch the formula (and if the doctors knows you want to try to switch and see if that helps, they usually give you tons of samples of the ones you want to try.. They gave me 2 sample-size cans and a box of ready-to-feed 8 oz bottles). Or if it wasn't an allergic reaction and was Acid Reflux or even GERDs, switching to a sensitive formula, like Similac Sensitive, helps with that.



Usually the only time a DOCTOR suggests starting earlier than 4 months is if the baby has a medical condition and is not gaining weight and that is a LAST RESORT after trying other, more gentler, formulas.

Tiffany - posted on 12/31/2009

I had to around the second month in the bottle because of spitting up... That was the only time before 4 months it was recommended by the pediatrician.

Jessica - posted on 12/31/2009

i started my son at 3 months and 2 weeks, i made it very runny and only a teaspoon. of rice cereal and he was fine, he's 5 months now and on 2 courses for brekki, lunch and dinner, He loves it!! all homemade too =))



Just start when your ready, they do say to wait till 6 months, but aslong is milk is still her main source of food and she has her milk first before food you should be fine, also make sure you try her ont he cereal at lunch time so you are both awake for any reactions.



good luck =))

Samantha - posted on 12/30/2009

my daughter is 41/2 months old and she has been on baby cereal for a month and a half and on baby food for a month now and the doctor says keep it up she is doing great. if you think you babys ready then its your call

Diana - posted on 12/30/2009

If your doc said wait, then wait. It's only a few more weeks.

Carly - posted on 12/30/2009

If it's avalible to you in your local supermarket look for a baby rice that you combine with your babies milk. You can make it up thick or really watery and it tastes like your babies usual milk so they take to it pretty quick. I know it's hard with a baby that eats and eats and eats and doesnt seem to get full so I would definetly reccomend this to you. All babies are different weights, height and some need more, some need less! I had to start my son off at 4+ months with all my drs & health visitors support as my son was a much bigger baby and needed alot more. I didn't put it in the bottle though, I fed him one tiny spoonful a day! :)

Gretchen - posted on 12/30/2009

and for the moms who do put rice cereal in their bottles to make them sleep more, or start them on foods so they will sleep more: they are babies, thats what babies do, they cry, poop everywhere, sleep very little and eat a ton (especially if you breastfeed) but if you want to sleep more, DON'T HAVE A BABY THEN!!. . . gosh I HATE that. ."I need sleep, I'm so tired" "blah blah blah" if you breast feed and and cosleep you will get enough sleep, if not oh well!!, don't stuff your baby just for him to sleep longer because your tired!!

Gretchen - posted on 12/30/2009

NEVER NEVER put rice cereal in the bottles!! that is really bad for them!! rice cereal has no nutritional value what so ever, it is a waste of money and time.. . keep feeding her breast milk (or formula) until she is about 6 months and then try foods. . .I wouldn't even try the cereals, i did do the oatmeal one though when my son was ready for foods, that has some nutritional value and it was like me eating oatmeal for breakfast, and when he was doing good with that I added some banana to it, real fresh bananas, none of that jar crap, and he loved it and did very well with it. . . and you don't want to start with foods to early because it can cause them allergic reactions. . .and make your own baby food. .like with the banana, just mash it up, and with veggies: cook them like you would for you, except no butter or seasoning, and throw it in a blender. .here try this web site if you haven't already. .
www.wholesomebabyfood.com


here is a great article to read about rice cereal in bottles;
http://www.drgreene.com/21_861.html

here is a few quotes from the article:
Your pediatrician says this is not wise (except as a treatment for reflux). Dietitians and nutritionists concur. Introducing solids before 4 months might cause food allergies. Your well-wishers discount these recommendations because cereal in the bottle worked wonders for their children!

Most children seemed to thrive. A small number of children, though, did not tolerate the addition, because their sucking and swallowing actions were not yet fully coordinated. They inhaled small amounts of the rice cereal into their lungs, which led to pulmonary problems

I’m much more concerned about a subtler issue. Babies are born with a wonderful mechanism for knowing how much food they need. During the early months, they take their cues from the volume of what they drink. Adding cereal derails this mechanism. It forces them to take in deceptively large amounts of calories. It teaches them to overeat.

A major study looking for the causes of obesity found that short-circuiting young children’s self-regulation of how much they eat is a major cause of later obesity.1 Cereal in the bottle does just that.

Nikki - posted on 12/30/2009

oh man, reading everyones replys y'all are gonna want to boot me off this group! lol. i started both of my babies on cereal at 2 weeks. Not a whole lot and they still had their formula. I had one specific bottle when they started out that the hole in the nipple was just a tad bigger than the rest. i fixed the bottle as i would a normal bottle and added just enough cereal to thickin' it up but at the same time still runny. i would give them 1 bottle starting out right before bed. instead of them sleeping 2-3 hours before waking up to eat again they would sleep for more about 4 hours then wake up. i just fed them one bottle of cereal before bed for about a week. they never seemed to have any problems so i upped it to 2 cereal bottles. my first son started sleeping all night by 2 months and my second son started sleeping all night at around 3 months. it never hurt my children and when they went to the doctor visits there was never any complaints about their health, but i also didn't tell the doctor i was already giving them cereal.

Katie - posted on 12/30/2009

Putting cereal in a baby's bottle is not advisable. Here's another link you might want to have a look at...

http://www.babycenter.ca/baby/formula/ad...

Also, some parents use rice cereal to fill their baby up and help them sleep longer but I wouldn't recommend this either. They need to be having breast milk or formula for nutrition. If they're filling up on cereal and not wanting to have breast milk or formula as often as before, then they're not getting the nutrients that they require at that age. There really isn't much in rice cereal. Iron is the only real benefit and a 3 or 4 month old doesn't need extra iron. In fact, too much iron can cause constipation.

Shauna - posted on 12/30/2009

In reply to some of the women. I mixed soy formula with the rice cereal so they were getting the grains and nutrition the cereal DOES contain(even though it is very little) instead of just water. But I always use the multi-grain because it is more nutrition of course or the Oatmeal single grain. But you should not give a baby under 6 months old wheat so do start with the original cereal if you choose to use it. I used it more for a filler with the formula because it makes them fuller and fuller longer.

Shauna - posted on 12/30/2009

Most docs say not before 6 months but I do know a lot of people who start by putting a very small amount in their babies bottles at night time around 3 or 4 months. My daughter didn't start until about 5 1/2 months because she has always had a picky belly so I didn't want to make it worse. They say starting too soon can cause gastrointestinal problems. Use your gut to guide you!

Mandi - posted on 12/30/2009

I guess I am the outcast, but I started cereal when my daughter was 3 months old. I tried the cereal in the bottle for about two days and it made her constipated so I immediatley quite that and went to jar cereal. Just a 1/4 to 1/2 a jar...off the spoon...and she did wonderfully. She is 4 months now and has had all vegetables and starting on fruit now too. Her dr. appointments have all been A-okay...no problems, she is developing perfectly and doing just fine. So I would say to you...take everyones advice, but in the end - you know your baby, so what you decide will be the right choice.

Katie - posted on 12/30/2009

a friend of mine had to start her son on cereal at 2 months bc he couldn't get enought to eat! she was constantly feeding him and finally the doctor said it was time fo cereal. i thinks it's up to each baby what their ready for and when. i was told that my son wouldnt cut teeth untill 6 months but he was fussy and sleeping terribly when previously he was the happiest baby and slept thru the night. i asked the doc at 4 months if she thought he was teething and she told me absolutely not. not till at least 6 months will teeth pop thru.... a week later he had both bottom teeth. so i dont think a baby spoonful would hurt her (i'm not a doctor!!) as long as it's done early in the day, not around nap time so you can watch how she reacts to it. i made the mistake of switching formulas before bedtime once and my son didnt take well to it and threw up in his sleep. scary scary moment...

Lydia - posted on 12/30/2009

everyone is right, hun. my mother is very old school and since i was 23 when i gave birth, she decidedto make almost all the decisions for my son...she started putting cereal in my sons formula at 3 weeks cuz he couldnt sleep much at nights and then he got gassy and miserable until i stopped it. that upset me cuz i knew she was wrong, but she always said that if she listened to the doctor, her kids wouldnt be alive...another thing i can say is, listen to your instincts, cuz u know ure child and ure always right...

Nicole - posted on 12/30/2009

rice cereal is a waste. no nutritional value whatsoever. some companies play the DHA card with it but they get it from unsafe fungal sources so it is best to bypass the shite all together.

Carman - posted on 12/30/2009

All a baby needs is formula or even better breastmilk until they are 6 months old. All the nutrients that they need are in the milk. So really the rice cereal at that point is kind of a waste.

Katie - posted on 12/30/2009

I fully agree with, and second everything Ashley said!

Ashley - posted on 12/30/2009

What makes you think she is ready for cereal? Is she breastfed or formula?

At about 3 months babies will go through a growth spurt, they will eat more and sleep less. This is a very normal pattern and you have to allow these patterns to take place. Most doctors will tell you not even cereal until 6 months. Nutritionally there is really no need. For the first 6 months and even longer babies get everything that they need from either formula or breastmilk.

I would just stick it out. Don't be in such a hurry to introduce foods into your babies diet. She is just a baby. You should enjoy her being small and needing all of her needs met by you. She will grow up soon enough, don't rush things.

Katie - posted on 12/30/2009

I would wait it out. I waited till 6 months. Are you BFing? Here's a link you should check out...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

Katie - posted on 12/30/2009

I would wait it out. I waited till 6 months. Are you BFing? Here's a link you should check out...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

Tabatha - posted on 12/30/2009

its recommended that u wait till 4 to 6 months!!