cereal

when did you start giving your baby rice cereal. I know most docs say six months but my grand mothers and great grandmothers and some other mothers tell me that I ought to start giving my one month old a little bit of cereal in her bottle bc she is so big and eats so much milk now....(she weighs about 10lbs now) she eats so often like the milk isnt keeping her full....Do you think one month is too soon to start cereal in her bottle? And if I do start cereal how much do I put in?

Quoting TracyDee:“ when did you start giving your baby rice cereal. I know most docs say six months but my grand mothers ... [snip!] ... her full....Do you think one month is too soon to start cereal in her bottle? And if I do start cereal how much do I put in?”

3 months just acouple spoon fulls a day to get your baby used to different textures

Quoting TracyDee:“ when did you start giving your baby rice cereal. I know most docs say six months but my grand mothers ... [snip!] ... her full....Do you think one month is too soon to start cereal in her bottle? And if I do start cereal how much do I put in?”

Unless you're told specifically by a doctor to use cereal in a bottle to control reflux, it's never a good idea.

And it's largely been disproven that the cereal will keep them fuller and enable them to sleep through the night.

I'd honestly suggest waiting until the recommended 4-6 month mark, and ensure that you use a spoon when you start, not a bottle.

C.

Quoting TracyDee:“ when did you start giving your baby rice cereal. I know most docs say six months but my grand mothers ... [snip!] ... her full....Do you think one month is too soon to start cereal in her bottle? And if I do start cereal how much do I put in?”

It's absolutely too young to give cereal.. you gotta remember Grandmas and such have medieval methods.. Baby research has come a long way since their time.. Best listen to what's current

*edited to say.. Babies eat very often - tis the nature of the beast.. They'll eat often from now until about 20 years.. More so if you happen to have a son.. But seriously, babies that young normally eat every 2-3 hours.. it's avg

I always heard 4 months and that is what I'm waiting for....with a spoon.

Quoting God:“ Unless you're told specifically by a doctor to use cereal in a bottle to control reflux, it's never ... [snip!] ... suggest waiting until the recommended 4-6 month mark, and ensure that you use a spoon when you start, not a bottle. C.”

...what she said. LOL

I don't think cereal in a bottle is a good idea and one month is a little young to me.  I started when my son was a week shy of 4 months.  I give it to him once a day, at night really, and it doesn't really help him sleep that much longer.  

Quoting *Arrogant Erica O'Hara*:“ I always heard 4 months and that is what I'm waiting for....with a spoon.”

Same!

Quoting *Arrogant Erica O'Hara*:“ I always heard 4 months and that is what I'm waiting for....with a spoon.”

Same except shes already 4 months.

Kendall was 10 lbs when she was 2 weeks old...so unless your baby has doubled its birth wieght, it really doen't mean a lot -sorry
as your baby goes through growth spurt they are going to be eating more, its normal..... unless instructed by your pedi, then 4 months is the earliest it is suggested to start.....

My husband's grandmother kept telling me that I need to be giving Kendall cereal from the time she was 5 weeks on, its just part of their mindset.... she also was surprised to hear that we don't give babies bottles with just water anymore....

6 months. With a spoon.

This is some of the stuff that went through my head when making a decision...

Everything that babies do, like the milestones, is in a range. Dont quote me on the numbers, but, smiling 1-2 months, sitting up 4-6 months, etc. Starting solids is no different. The range is 4-6 months because its within that time that the vast majority of babies will be developed enough internally to properly digest cereal/solids. If the vast majority were ready at 4 months then there wouldnt be a range involved, so rather than push her I waited till the end of the range so that there would be no question that she was ready. There are all kinds of external cues that your baby may be ready (doubling birth weight, interest in what you are eating, etc.) but there is no way for you to actually get up in their digestive systems to see if they are ready. Its trial and error. If you start too early you are running risks with your childs health, if you wait the risks decrease dramatically. Like C. mentioned; all those myths aboutkeeping them more full and getting them to sleep through the night, they simply arent true. And, there is NO nutritional benefit to cereal/solids before a baby hits 6 months. The AAP and LLI among other organizations recommend that breastmilk/formula be the single source of food for the first 6 months of life. Since there is no benefit to starting solids prior to 6 months, I see no reason to do so.

And I would never put cereal in a bottle. Bottles are made for breastilk/formula. Period. If you have a medical reason to do so (reflux) thats another story... but when the intention is to fill up a babies belly so they take less milk or sleep through the night its not necessary. It poses a choking risk. Even if there is the tiniest bit of cereal in there - a baby can still choke on it.

Like someone else said - our parents and grandparents raised their kids just fine, but our generation has more knowledge than theirs did. A lot of doctors will okay cereal at 4 months still- but those same doctors will also support a decision to wait. Its not always about doing what the doctor says when they say so - its about doing research and making decisions and then telling the doctor your plans and getting their opinion. When I told my doctor our plans at the 4 month appointment, it got us into a great conversation about this topic because he admited that they waited with his daughter (who is about 3 months older than mine).

Now she is nearing 8 months and eating solids and formula like a champ.

(I dont know why I wrote a novel, guess I couldnt find anything else exciting on the boards! lol)

Quoting TracyDee:“ when did you start giving your baby rice cereal. I know most docs say six months but my grand mothers ... [snip!] ... her full....Do you think one month is too soon to start cereal in her bottle? And if I do start cereal how much do I put in?”

NO.

listen to the doctors.

seriously.

I started with ONE teaspoon at 3.5 months once a day (by her Ped's reccomendation) and then 4 months on I followed the guide the pedi gave me.

just wait for your baby's pedi to tell you ;0)

I started when Miranda was 3 1/2 months old. Just last week. I give her one Tablespoon @ dinner time. She loves it and smiles through the whole thing. Doesn't make her sleep longer.

Quoting TracyDee:“ when did you start giving your baby rice cereal. I know most docs say six months but my grand mothers ... [snip!] ... her full....Do you think one month is too soon to start cereal in her bottle? And if I do start cereal how much do I put in?”

grandmas all say that cuz they did it but its not necessary- let her eat milk and only milk right now- its better for her. tell her that today more research has been done and its best not to start cereal til 4 months old.

my hubbys grandma (who babysits often) was telling me the same thing ..or at least suggesting cereal early on..but i was firm with her..and she's afraid that if she does the wrong thing or does what i dont want her to do, i wont let her keep the baby...when i found out she even had a box of rice cereal at her house i called her and told her not to give him anything other than BM.. its all he needs right now..
i started rice cereal at 3 1/2 months old..i would have waited longer because i reallly wanted him having just BM for a longer time..but he was sooo curious about what we were eating and was really interested in having some for himself, so i gave in and now he's all about eating solids ;) lol