Rice Before 4 Months?

Hello, I started feeding my son rice baby cereal at 3 weeks old because of the same reason and I fed it to him with a baby spoon. I would take a tablespoon of baby cereal (only rice kind) and use his formula and mix with it instead of water because it has all the vitamins that he needs in it. And started feeding it to him only at night as his last feeding and then moved it to night and morning and then to breakfast, lunch, and supper. As long as he is still taking in the amounts of formula that he is suppose to have still along with the cereal. Don't move to larger amounts of cereal until you know he needs it.

I have heard that if you put a little rice cereal in with the baby's formula/breast-milk, that it should help with the constant hunger.

My little girl was very similar. I started her on the rice cereal. I now have a happy, healthy, bright almost 4 year old. The kid is hungry...feed him!

I agree with Lacee N. Go with your gut instinct. I had a baby who was very close to 10# (I have 3 kids all together) She was eating cereal off the spoon at 3-4 weeks in a bottle after the first week. I know I'll be criticized hugely. But she was getting up every 5 min for an 8 oz bottle! Plus who knows your baby better than you the pediatrician/drs don't live with them or spend the amount of time with them that you do.

I agree with Margie and Kimberly I don't see a problem with it put it in his bottle like Margie suggested. Start slow though to make sure he is not allergic to it and use rice (less chance of allergies). My oldest was 3 weeks old when I started giving him cereal. I was breast feeding him every hour he was 8lbs 2 oz at birth and was gaining weight just fine just always hungery. By the time he was 9 months he weighed 30lbs they told me he wouldn't walk well he did two days later :). From 1 to 2 he didn't really gain weight maybe 5 lbs just got taller. He progressed just fine. The only problem his has is he is allergic to choc. which has nothing to do with the food he was feed as a baby he is now almost 17 could be a A student if he wanted and very much a teenager. My youngest is just the oppisite I waited till the doctors said it was OK and he gained weight very slowly and has many allergies. So it is hit and miss trust your instincts that is what they are there for.

I had the same problem with my oldest son...he was 9lb. 3oz. when he was born and was drinking 8 oz. bottles before he was 1 month old. I started him on the rice cereal at around 3 weeks by just mixing a small amount in his bottle of formula before bedtime. They say that giving them the cereal doesn't really make them any more full but I disagree. My hungry boy who was crying every 2 hours on the hour would sleep for an extra hour or two when he got his cereal. I gradually gave more and started adding morning cereal too. I really believe mama knows best and if you think your son is hungry than he probably is. My second was started on rice cereal not quite as early as my first but sooner than they say to start them. I never regretted my decision and it never effected them in any negative way at all. Ultimately you have to do what you feel comfortable with but I would try it and see what happens.

hungry babies, what to do? everyone says not to start on solids until 6 months. well, my son just wouldn't wait that long. i started rice cereal in his bottle by two months and he was starting to eat thicker cereal from a spoon around 2 1/2 months. if you think your baby is hungry, he probably is. every child is different and usually his mommy knows best. trust your instincts. of course it's always smart to listen to doc's advice, but sometimes mother knows whats best for her baby. i mean, you see him and how he is every day (and probably night if he's as hungry as my son was).

I'll probably be tarred and feathered for saying so, but there is WAY to much deliberation on cereal, fruits, veggies, etc. these days. I say use your gut...if your family is prone to allergies, you may want to wait. However I started all 3 of my sons on cereal early by docs recommendations and they are fine. And in all honesty, there are WAY more food allergies now compared to back when cereal was the norm very early on! I just don't buy half the junk that is floating all over the internet. I've NEVER seen a baby spoiled by cereal before 4 months, fruits before veggies, or juice instead of water! Bottom line, God gave you mommy instincts that are taylored to YOUR baby! You know best!
~L.

My daughter cut her first tooth at 3 months old. I also was giving her rice cereal at 3 months old. She was eating french fries at 5 months old. I say, if they are ready and you know it, give it to them.
I fostered almost 100 children and every child is different.
C.

First, babies do go through a growth spurt between 3 and 4 months. In most cases it is wise to wait until they are really 6 months old before starting any solids because their digestive systems are not fully capable of handling solids before that age. That being said, every kid is different.

I would talk to his pediatrician and see what they have to say. But at the end of the day, you are mommy. You are the one with him all the time and frankly, I do believe mommy knows best for our kids.

He can hold his head up on his own, and can sit with support. That is critical. Giving cereal laying down (or any solids) is just asking for trouble. Also, is his tongue thrust reflex gone?? If not, most of the cereal will just end up on the bib. If it IS gone... then he is learning to swallow properly.

If you decide to start something... I would start with a small bit of brown rice cereal. That tends to be pretty gentle on the tummy. Mix it with whatever milk he takes, not water. Then he is getting the benefit of both. Start out with a few teaspoons of cereal (dry before mixed) and then go from there.

Continue with milk being his primary source, but maybe some cereal in the morning and before bed. Again, talk with your pediatrician first. They may have another suggestion.

Feed that boy. I have three boys, the last one needed food earlier. He was a big boy too. I personally don't believe in putting it in the bottle, but if you work it from thin to thicker he will catch on fast. I would not start the veggies and fruits till 5 months, but rice creal is fine.

I would say you should wait until at LEAST 4 months. It sounds to me like he's starting on another growth spurt and just needs food more often. Babies know when they are hungry so don't try to stick him to a strict schedule - just feed him when he's hungry. Do you use pacifiers? It could also be that he wants to continue sucking. Try giving him a pacifier after he's done with his bottle and see how that goes. It could be that he just needs to comfort suck. Some babies need this, others don't. Another reason for this could be teething - he could be starting to feel the teeth moving around in there and the sucking helps massage his gums.

Oh, and don't put the rice in the bottle - that is a choking hazard. If you feel you need to start with food - do it with a spoon in very small amounts mixed very runny until he gets used to swallowing from a spoon. Definitely ask your pediatrician before starting him on foods to be safe.

Good luck momma!

Hi S.! Congratulations on your baby boy! If I can tell you one thing - remember that "they" are just a guideline. Follow your gut! I fed my daughter cereal at 10 weeks and it made a world of difference. She was colicky and couldn't sleep more than 2 hours at a time. So I started out with just a teaspoonful (measure out a teaspoon of cereal and mix with formula to a runnier-than-applesauce consistency) and before long we increased to 1/4 cup every night before bed. She was full, happy, and slept like an angel for 10 hrs straight through the night ever since. Never worry about feeding too much - he'll tell you when he's full. Too little, on the other hand, can make for a very frustrated baby AND Mama! Good luck!

If he needs a little more than a bottle, just put a Tsp or so of rice cereal in his bottle. This is a good start to feeding him cereal, It will give him more of a full feeling in his tummy. Just make sure his stools stay soft by making sure he gets plenty of fluid. Go with your feelings...if you think he needs more and is ready, go for it. He will scarf it down if he's still hungry and turn away if he's not.

babies dont know the difference between hunger and a belly ache. it sounds like you two (the baby and you) have streched out his little stomach. try giving him very weak peppermint tea. it will help to get the air out and to relax the cramping of the digestive tract. if you continue to feed him this way he will be overweight, sounds like he is already on his way. (boy i wish someone told me this before i made the same mistake with my oldest)

good luck

Hello, as a mother of seven kids I too have had this question. My first born at 3mo. was wanting more than just a bottle. I started him on rice cereal then. Start with thin cereal once a day, usually at night. Full bellies let them sleep longer. My first born did not go just for this. One day at just over 3 mo. my mom fed him mashed potatos. He was able to handle it well and from then on he wanted FOOD. He was fed with fruits first with the cereal and also bottles. By 5 months he was also doing veggies. He did eat some fresh fruit like mashed bananas, canned peaches and applesauce. Good luck. I found the child will tell you when they are ready. Remember they are all individuals and do not always stick to the books. By the way my first born was early with about everything. He is now 12 and is a good student and loves his sports.--S.

Hi S.,
My son was 8lbs 13 oz. at birth he grew fast and he appetite did too. I started rice cereal in his bottles at 5 weeks. By the time he was 2 1/2 months I was spoon feeding him cereal and fruit two times a day. He had a high metabolism and used his calorie intake quickly. He is now 18 yrs. and 6'4". He is fine.
Drs. today tell us that their digestive system isn't developed before six months but I don't believe that. It just isn't used to solid food so you start slow. If he is taking formula good and is still hungry "bring on the rice mom". He should only need a Tbsp or two in a 7 oz bottle morning and dinnertime. If he is still starving all day add a little more or put it in a lunchtime bottle. You will know when he is satisfied.
Good luck...E.

at that age he is probably going through a big growth spurt, that is why he wants to eat so much.

I am a mother of two boys and both my children started rice cereal before 4 months and they were satisfied. I say "bring on the rice" they are guidelines not steadfast rules. Good Luck

I too had 9lbs 2oz and 9lbs 10oz babies, although that was 21 and 18 years ago. Back then, the Doctors were adamit about formula only for 1 year. Well, I don't think I would have survived as a new mom with that method. I was giving both my babies by "2 weeks old" full 8oz bottles and very runny rice cereal mixed with their formula from a bottle and then by 6 weeks old was feeding them runny rice cereal with fruit by a spoon. I usually gave them the cereal and fruit feedings just before bed time, they slept all night long. I just told my Dr. back then, until you are here raising my baby, feeding every 2 hours, I will do what works and satisfies my baby. As my kids are now 21 and 18, they were very healthy kids, neither ever had a weight problem or any other development problems. I hope my response is of help to you. Big babies need to eat to continue growing. S.

S.

I am struggling with a similar issue for my daughter who is 3 months and 10 days today. For the most part, she has been a great sleeper since birth...only getting up once a night between 4-6am, and then again around 8:30am. I give her 4.5 oz. at each feeding throughout the day, and 5.5-6 oz. at 10pm. She has only ever drank 3 oz. at that middle-of-night feeding, and I'm sure she wouldn't even need it if I gave her some cereal. My husband heas been frustrated with me that I won't give her any yet, but I hesitate only due to the risk of allergies.

I started my older two when they were just shy of three months, and we have no food allergies luckily. But now, with the internet, etc., I have learned more about why it is suggested to wait (the internet can be a blessing and a curse!). It is between 4-7 months that a babies intestines begin to produce IgA, a protein immunoglobulin that coats the intestines and prevents allergens from passing into the bloodstream. If the allergen does pass through (because the intestines are not mature enough), the immune system "MAY" produce antibodies to the food and therefore causing allergies.

In my opinion, that is really the only reason I would hesitate giving a baby that can sit up/support head cereal. That being said, because we are not a family with food allergies...I will probably start her on cereal within the next couple weeks. I just didn't want to push my luck being allergy-free with my kids thus far.

If you have any food allergies in the family, I would definitely wait if possible. But it sounds like your little guy is already drinking so much. So if there are no food allergies in your family, I would absolutely give him the cereal. And as far as other solids go...wait as long as possible since there is a much higher possibility of allergies to all the veggies, fruits, and proteins compared to rice cereal (hold off on other grains too unless constipation is a big problem).

And my last bit of advice/experience is to absolutely start all veggies first and then move to fruits. Once those little ones try that sweet fruit, they may want nothing to do with the veggies. Try each food for three days before introducing another. That way if there is a reaction, you will know which food it is. Good luck with everything and enjoy enjoy enjoy your little guy---he will be a big guy before you can blink!

I would definitely talk to your pediatrician first, since they will be caring for your child if anything happens. It also seems that most doctors have differing opinions on this matter. Since I am not a doctor I will just share with you what my doctor told me. I also had 8 1/2 and 9 lb babies so I know how that goes, but I waited until 6 months for both my girls for cereal.
My doctor told me to wait until 6 months for cereal because the body will not absorb any nutrients from the cereal until then due to the continuing development of the digestive tract. He did tell me that it wouldn't hurt them to have it before 6 months but that he would rather I feed them more formula since that would benefit them more. He said when you give them cereal before 6 months it is just used as filler so the parents don't have to feed them as often. I opted to wait until 6 months and my girls seemed fine with larger bottles, going up to 8 oz in a bottle will be fine for your growing boy, who sounds like he is going through a growth spurt. Which in that case I would definitely stick with the formula since that will benefit him the most. Not just adding filler to passify him.
Good luck and I am sure he will be fine no matter what you choose. Enjoy your growing boy.

I have the same problem, my son is 2 1/2 months and weighed 9 pounds at birth. He is at 15 pounds now and is slowly starting to eat cereal. Just start him off with an amount the size of a quarter and gradually move him up. He probably won't no how to eat it at first but he will get the hang of it soon. Also, try giving him some baby juice(1/2 water and 1/2 juice). He'll like it alot.Keep in mind it might make him alittle constipated at first though. Theres nothing wrong with giving him cereal and rice right now. The only thing that can happen is he won't like it. No big deal.

He is only 2 weeks from being 4 months old - I would say you are fine! The best person to seek advice from however is your pediatrician. Call them - you should not need an appointment in order to ask a simple question like this.

I had big babies too, and with my last one we did the same thing - we did not quite make it to 4 months before I did cereal.

Good Luck - you should see a difference in his sleeping patterns too with a tummy full of cereal.

L.

I have a 6 month old daughter, and our pediatrician encouraged starting rice cereal at about 3 months. I had also heard that we should wait until about 4 months, so I delayed trying it a couple of weeks. You may want to start now, because it does take a while for them to figure out how to eat the cereal (at least it did for my daughter). So, any benefit the rice cereal would provide will take a some time while he is learning how to eat solids. Nevertheless, I'm sure your baby is getting the nutrients he needs, since he is such a big, strong boy! Good luck and Congratulations!

My son was almost 10 pounds when he was born and I had the same problem. I nursed him and had to give him a bottle too. Finally I just added some rice cereal to his bottles and that did it. A couple of tablespoons made him a happy little man. He went longer between feedings and slept better at night too. Good luck!

Hello, my son was 10lbs 3oz 24in so i completely understand what you are going through. I put him on cereal at 2months in bottle. At 3 months he was spoon fed with cereal and fruits and veggies. He is now 4yrs old and is very healthy and never choked or anything. My daughter is 4months and i started her on cereal and jar food at 3months and now for her crazy teething i am giving her biter bisquits of course me being right there but she loves them and it helps her teething. Good luck!

Hi,
I have had a few children who were the same size as your little one who also seemed to want more and eat more often the others. Personally I have given them so rice earlier than the advised 6 months. You can really tell when they are more hungry and not just being fussy. I have also bought one of those little bottles you can put their baby food in and it made it easier for them to eat it with less mess and they managed to get more in than out. I also say Mom knows best and follow your own instincts. There is not perfect mom and more than there is a perfect child. So go with your gut and with the messages your little one is giving you. If he does not want the cereal he won't eat it. You may have to give him more formula.
Good luck

I agree with hte pp's go with your gut. My daughter had rice cereal add'd to her bottles at 8 wks on her peds rec for her reflux. She also started eating it from the spoon a few weeks later. Just start out with it pretty watery and work your way to thicker as he gets the hang of it. my daughter was on veggies and fruits a little after 4 months.

When starting rice cereal, I personally don't think they should put a age but rather the weight. My pediatrician told me to go ahead as soon as she was 12 pounds. Even the nurse said so. So go ahead and he will be one happy boy!!!!!

All you can do is try it. I've always started with a teaspoon of the cereal and mixed it with water or breastmilk til it's about the thickness of a cake mix, and neither of my girls had problems with it. With my oldest I started cereal with at 12 weeks and the youngest at 4 months since she didn't want it earlier. Both girls were born 7lbs and average size otherwise. Gradually increase his amounts after a couple of days and see how it goes. I was told to start with Rice cereal, and I'm sure your doc would suggest the same. Good Luck.

Doctors say no but, I had the same situation my son was also big at birth. I started him on rice cereal early because he was so ungry all the time. I put about a tablespoon in his bottle and it seemed to ease his unger. Let me know if it works for you.

linda M

My baby is 4 and 1/2 months and I started giving her cereal at 3 months 2weeks also. I spoon fed her, because she was capable of eating from the spoon. My baby wanted to eat all night long and stopped when I started giving her cereal My doctor suggested waiting until 4 months of course when I asked, but I thought 2 weeks would not make a huge difference. It didn't. Back in the day they used to put cereal in our bottles at night and we all turned out fine.

It is fine to start feeding him Rice cereal. Start with about 1 ounce of cereal in his bottle. My grandsons were eating cereal in their bottle by 2 months and they are all fine. You may also be able to introduce Stage 1 fruits at this point.

C.

S.,

By all means start him on cereal. This should help with his weight as well. My daughter started cereal at 3 months. Then a month later baby food. Each doctor will give you different directions on when to start baby food. All of my family and friends have started at 3 months some even sooner for little ones that were drinking to much milk. You will find that his milk intake should lessen once he is on cereal. I would suggest morning and night and see if that helps.

Best of luck,
P.

Dear S. N.,

Our granddaughters lived with us for 10 1/2 years and we went through this with the younger one. We put a very small amount of dry rice ceral into the last bottle of the night (I would try 1/2 teaspoon and if that does not give him a horrible belly ache and he still gets hungry really fast, the next night give him 1 teaspoon in the formula. Make sure to mix it really well, but you may have to make the hole in the nipple a little bigger so that it does not clog. This is a difficult process because if you make it too big he will choke himself sucking it down too fast, and if you make the nipple hole too small it will clog up with the cereal). Every baby is different and you have to do what works best with your own baby. He was a huge boy to begin with and perhaps he is beginning a growth spurt. Most babies will only eat until they are comfortably satisfied.
I had to start all over again because my youngest daughter was nearly nearly 17 years old when we got guardianship of our two granddaughters. My mom was the one who suggested putting a little cereal in the bottle at night. You basically have to experiment and find what works best with your son. We all have basic similarities but we also all have differences so one thing that works will with one child may not work well with your child. Trial and error is how to get the right thing. As long as you are not endangering him (like, NEVER give him raw honey before he is one year old), a little expermenting won't hurt anything. Read lots of books about child development or get on the internet and do research to find out about what to expect at certain ages. This is your first baby so you are learning everything from scratch. Inform yourself and that will help you quite a lot, but just don't obsess if your son does not do something at exactly the same age as what you read in a book or over the internet.

L. C.

I would ask your pediatrician before starting rice. Weight really has little to do with being ready. It sounds like your son is strong enough to start...but that doesn't mean his little tummy is developed enough to digest the cereal. Whatever you do, don't put rice in the bottle.

There are directions on the rice cereal boxes --- as you continue feeds you can make it thicker.

I am now a grandma of 2 and mom of four. all my kids were over 9 lbs. I am from the old school which says common sense prevails. I started rice cereal at 1 month at nite. They slept through the nite. I still breast fed but they were not getting enough. I could not breast feed every hour so I added some formula and rice cereal. I did not do any other food until I knew that they could tollerate the cereal with no problem. I think you should always consult your doctor but use common sense also. If your baby spits up a lot start slow but he is probably hungry.

I had big alert babies that were hungry early too. I wanted to only nurse untill six months, but they were HUNGRY and mamma instincts know. I think it's fine to feed him a little more often for a couple of weeks untill he's close to that 4 month mark. I started my kids around then on a little bit of cereal with breast milk (or if you use formula)It only takes a tiny bit at first. I think it's a good idea to start at night and with rice cereal. RICE is esier to digest and will not agrivate any potential allergies. At five or six months I started with the first baby foods Someone had told me it's a good idea to start with all of the veggies (orange ones first - like sweet potatoes) before fruit and then my kids would always like vegtables, and boy do they! The nurses at your doctors office are usually great to call too and ask to make sure. They will have good information too. Trust your instincts. Good luck with that and just treasure each day with that precious baby.

Well first of all Im not a Dr, but 7oz seems like alot for only being 3 months. I would check with your Dr to make sure he is taking the correct amounts,or maybe smaller oz's every 2 hours. I know every child is different so maybe my daugter just doesnt have that big of an appetite, when my daughter was 3 months she was eating 4 oz every 3 hours or so. Good luck,with a hungry tummy like that make sure you sign up on the web for formula coupons,every little but helps :-)
Best of luck

I gave my son rice at 3 months in his bottle at night to sleep better and it worked. (for a 6 oz bottle, I would put 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed in with his formula or breatmilk) Also he was wanting more to eat during the day so I put it in his bottle once a day. The only thing that I found is that he was getting constipated, so I called the doctor and she said to use Oatmeal. It was easier on there stomach. So that's what I did. Hope this helps.

S.,

My boys were both 20 lbs at their 4 month check-up- with nothing but breast milk until they after they turned 4 months old. Physically, babies don't require any additional nutrition, aside from breast milk or formula until they are a year old. You won't cause any harm by NOT giving him solid food until he's 4 months old, but you increase the chances of food allergies and other digestive problems by starting him too early. It sounds like he's on formula in a bottle. It's easy to become obsessed with how many ounces babies are eating when it's all measured out. If he's hungry, give him more- he needs the nutrients in the formula more than he needs to be filled up with rice cereal. Hope this helps.

T.

Please talk to your pediatrician but also use your heart. My 10 pounder (welcome to the club) started eating rice cereal at 3 month. He could hold his head up and I held him and used a spoon. He is now 10 has no food allergies and is skinny as a rail. Each kid is diffrent.

I started my son on rice at 2.5 months old. He had reflux really bad and it helped with that. He also was hungry mainly cause of pukin every thing up besides the more solid rice. I also started him off a spoon. Good luck
T.

S.,
Have you talked to your pediatrician yet? I'm sure he/she would be a better source information than a bunch of Moms. Best wishes to you and your sweet little baby.
S.

Hi S.,

I gave my kids a little cereal in their bottles at 3 weeks old. They are living and are very healthy kids. At 3 months you should be able to give him some cereal by spoon and he will love you for it... when he's drinking that many ounces in a bottle he's obviously hungry. I know the pediatricians will say you should wait, but I also have a pediatrician in the family and she has 2 little girls and started both of them on cereal at 2 1/2 months, because they weren't getting satisfied off of just the bottle.

Wishing you all the luck...

Hello, my oldest daughter was almost 10 lbs when she was born and my youngest daughter's baby boy was almost 11 lbs neither one would sleep for more than two hours. My mother was the first one to suggest rice cereal in the milk with a nipple cut in a X to let the very liquid cereal through-more like milk itself, but a touch thicker. You can add a little more cereal as he gets use to the consistency.

My daughter just went to his 4 month checkup and the doctor was praising her for her care of him. She went to one doctor that was angry at her for doing it, but this one said larger babies need more.

My oldest is 30 and doesn't have any problems because of it. She was an A student all through school with no digestive problems. You should know doctors won't suggest it, but she and I gave the cereal to our children from the time they were 1 month old. And they would sleep through the night or sleep for 4-5 hours at a time.
Think about it and decide for yourself or try a little of it and see how he responds to it.

Have you talked to your pediatrician? That's the place to start....my daughter started rice cereal at 3 months...but with the approval of her doctor.

Well, he's a growing boy for heaven's sake! LOL. My best advice to you is to check with your pediatrician before you do anything, just to be safe. However, my son was always hungry too at that age. He was a strong, solid baby, like your son, so I figured he could handle a little rice cereal in his bottle. Just mix in a little baby teaspoon at first to see how he does then increase as needed. Your son is at an age where he is rapidly growing, so he needs the extra nutrients.

Hope this helps,

MC

Hello!!!!!!! I have 3 healthy children with no food allergies. I started ALL three of them on cereal at 3 1/2 months. They did very well and are very healthy eaters even now. Trust yourself... you know when your baby needs more!!!!!!

Honestly I wouldn't worry too much about it, in my family we all are HUGE babies, ie: I was eating at 3 months...cherrios in formula, but everyone in our family lost all that weight as soon as they started walking, each child is different and not all kids a "by the book" the funny thing is everyone in our family has a very healthy metabolism, and remains thin throughout life....a heavy baby could just mean he's growing fast! Talk with your doctor, but also talk to family, it may be genetic to be this large as a baby, and nothing to worry about.

Hold off as long as you can. I gave up at 5.5 mos and ended up putting 1 (formula) scoop of rice in the bottle. It dramatically cut down on the amount that my babies required before they were sated. Also make sure that you stay with the slowest possible nipple. It should take the baby 10-15 minutes to eat. If the nipple is too fast, baby takes in more than necessary before the feeling of fullness sets in. I do agree with the stretched out stomach theory to a point. Keep the quantities and empty calories down.