When to start rice cereal?????

Jemma - posted on 02/09/2009

i started my little boy on babyrice and jar foods at 3 1/2 months as he was drinking and getting hungery to quite i wont hurt

Emily - posted on 02/08/2009

i found my baby was wanting hr milk more often at around the same age - so my mum suggested putting a half a teaspoon on the rice cereal in her bottle with the formula to help her feel that bit fuller, which i did and now she is right on schedule - i also started her on pureed fruit that i made myself (apple and banana) to start with b4 the r-cereal as its not as harsh on her tummy - Charlee has been on solids from about the same age as your little man..if they r hungry and wanting more then it doesnt hurt to give them a little bit - all babies are different. as for how mucg to give him - he will let you know when he has had enough, but ionly start small to start with and quite runny so he doesn't get constipated from the change...

Kayleigh - posted on 02/08/2009

i introduced my daughter to rice cereal at 3 months as milk was not sustaining her also i think the longer u leave it to put ur child on solids the fussier they become and harder is is to get them off milk,try him once a day ealry afternoon,u only need a very small amount of the cereal mix with his usual milk and try him,when hes finished what he wants give him the rest of his bottle.it can be hard and ul sometimes think sod it but u do have to be consistant with him..ul get there!

Melissa - posted on 02/07/2009

Also, I use a spoon now but the first week or so I used my finger to help feed her the cereal.

Melissa - posted on 02/07/2009

My daughter will be three months next week and she's already on rice cereal. I was told it's more developmental than age now, my daughter was holding her head up and wasn't full after a full day of eating, trying to grab at our food and such. Also, both our mother's told me they started both of us around this time. I gave her 1 tbsp once a day (about an hour or so before bed) for two weeks and now I give her 2 tbsp mixed with applesauce twice a day, usually around 11 and then again around 6. I just made is super runny at first and increased thickness as she got better at swallowing. She loves it and can't get enough! It won't hurt, try it and see how the baby likes it, but don't worry if he makes funky faces, it's just him getting used to the texture of the food!

Jolene - posted on 02/07/2009

If hes eating that much and that often at 3 months old, it sounds to me like hes a hungry boy! Some people don't like to do this..but adding some rice cereal to his bottle at his bedtime bottle will help fill him up. I don't know why people say this isn't true because obviously it works for a lot of people or else we wouldn't do it! And I would start trying it off a spoon at 4 months. Sometimes babies need to eat foods before 6 months.

Jena - posted on 02/06/2009

I tried putting rice cereal in my daughter's bottle around 4.5 months old. I'm pretty sure on the side of the box it says you can do this. Its like 1 or 2 tbsp. per 5 oz. of formula or breast milk. Anyway, I tried it b/c it seemed the formula alone wasn't filling her up. Well every night I put rice cereal in her bottles, she would cry a lot. So I tried oatmeal cereal. Same thing, crying more than usual. I also tried when she was around 5-6 mo. mixing it with just a little formula and feeding it to her on a spoon, but she still cried. I think she is allergic to something in it. So we skipped the cereals and starting feeding baby fruits and veggies when she was 6 months old. She is now 7 months old and just getting the hang of how to eat the baby food from a spoon. Before she would open her mouth, then spit out the food. Yesterday between lunch and dinner she ate a whole container of green beans!

Brooke - posted on 02/06/2009

You will think Im way out there but I have 4 kids , a 6,4,2 and 1 and they drank so much I had all them on solids at 4-6 weeks a tiny bit of farax mixed with breast milk and that always settled them, now my kids r older there all perfect weights no dramas with there digestive systems from eating too early, a Dr once said to me if they dont want it they will spit it out, I did it once a day, noboby will probably believe I did this, they might think it was to younge, but my mum did it to me as well and I have no problems either, My point is do what ur comforftable with, everyone and baby is so different, follow ur gut feeling, try it if it doesnt feel right stop, you don't have to, but you don't know til you try.

Good luck!

Christina - posted on 02/05/2009

I started feeding my little girl cereal at 4 and 1/2 months. She would sleep through the night from 11pm-7am, from 2 months to 4 months. And then she started waking up at night. So then i started feeding her cereal and now she sleeps from 10pm-7am. So it helped her sleep through the night.

Jessica - posted on 02/05/2009

I started feeding my meatball around 4 months. Don't put it in the bottle like people suggest. Yes you should def water it down but always feed with a spoon and never supplament a bottle with cereal.  It took him a while to catch on.  And don't believe that cereal will make him sleep longer/through the night. There is no truth to that nor is there any evidence. And I can attest to that.  Enjoy your hungry little fella'. It wont be long until he is throwing sweet potatoes in your eyes.

Jodi - posted on 02/05/2009

6 months is the recommened age now adays since early feeding has been linked to diabetes and allergies. Your baby doesn't need anything but milk until then. When you do start him just use about a half ounce of milk (breast or formula) and mix in a little cereal until it is just a little thicker but still pretty runny. Wait three days before introducing anything else. When he is on cereal or other solids consistantly usually just give it to him for breakfast and dinner, bottles or breast for the other feedings.

Nicole - posted on 02/05/2009

Congrats!! I remember being a new mom and feeling completely clueless a lot of times! With my first the doctor originally said wait until 6 months also. But at his 4 month appointment he was a pretty big baby (not fat, but growing at a very healthy rate, lol) the doctor told me that if he seemed up for it, I could start introducing rice cereal when I wanted to. I think I waited until about 4.5 months and then did just a small amount mixed with either breastmilk or formula a couple times per day. I didn't do it to help him sleep...the poster above is right, that doesn't really work. I did because he seemed ready and didn't have any trouble with it. With my second I started him on rice cereal probably between 4 and 5 months as well. Personally, I would say anytime after about 4 months, if he seems ready you can try it.

Melissa - posted on 02/05/2009

Hi Christa...it's SO HARD being a new mom knowing what to do! I feel the same way, how do you know? My twins are now 11 mos and I started them on cereal at 6 months per the doctors. Some people start them earlier thinking it will make them sleep longer but it doesn't, it's simply introducing them to solids. Starting babies too early can lead to later complications. We started with the very basic amount, per the side of the box and gradually increased it...we only gave it to them twice a day and once we introduced veggies only gave it for breakfast and still do! With the schedule since I'm on the other side of the country from my friends and family and my DH is in the Navy I'm on my own most of the time so I have a set schedule...breakfast at 7, lunch 11 supper 3 and bedtime bottle 7. It varies slightly day to day but usually around that. I think whatever works best for you and your baby is best, but try to remain consistent! Hope this helps!