Rice Cereal in Bottle

Wow! You got a lot of responses, so I may be repeating, but I heard, and read that adding cereal does not fill the baby up to make him sleep longer. It has very little calories and fat compared to formula or breastmilk. I have also read that starting "solids" that young is not good for baby's system and may cause problems (gas, allergies...). It won't be too long until baby is old enough to sleep for longer amounts of time, hang in there!!!!

I am a first time mom as well, but, I have 18 neices & nephews I helped a lot with. With my siblings kids we always just waited for them to be 6 weeks. My baby is 4 weeks as well and as soon as he is 6 weeks I will be adding cereal. In the meantime, I find that thickening his bottle at bedtime, and altering his sleep position allows him to sleep longer. At the moment he sleeps from 11pm to 6am with that.

Hi K.

My daughter is 6 months and I put rice in her formula...every night...it just makes the formula a bit thicker is all ...and she loves it...and is happy and sleeps all night long. hope that helps

Have you tried swaddling? I swaddled my daughter from the time she was born until around 3months old and she started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks. It was wonderful! I really believe swaddling helped because she did not startle awake. I would not give your baby cereal until he is 4 months old and a Pediatrician okays it.

I put rice cereal in bottle at 14 weeks and it did help my baby girl sleep through the night more consistently. I had to make nipples slightly bigger so she could get the formula out and then marked the nipples so I knew the difference. Only used them at night time. But be careful - if you make nipple too big they get too much too fast. I did that in the beginning by mistake and she vomited everywhere! I felt awful. Then I had my girlfriend show me how to do it just right. Good luck.

Your son is WAY too young to be putting rice cereal in his bottle. Doctors say to wait until at least 4 months old before adding rice cereal to a baby's diet because their stomachs cannot digest it properly until then. I know you want sleep, but putting rice cereal in his bottle is probably not the safest way to go.

Giving your baby rice cereal at this age really isn't a good idea. His belly isn't ready for it and there is no evidence that it will help him sleep through the night.

I did rice cereal with all 3 of my kids(the first i was told too because he was eating too much formula and gaining weight too fast.)and it did help him sleep better and he wasn't waiting up every 2hours for food(he wouldn't get filled up with being on formula......he was a week old eating almost 6-8ounces of formula at a time.)
I did it with my other 2 and none of them have any stomach problems.
Do what your gut tells you to do.

Dear K.,

I am so sorry about the loss of sleep. Maybe your partner can take every other night feeding so you each can get a good night of sleep every other day.

Unfortunately, my ped told me not to expect either of my babies to sleep through the night until they were past 15 pounds. He said their little tummies could not hold enough food to sustain them until then (and sleeping through the night meant 8 hours). I would be very concerned with adding rice cereal to a 1 month olds bottle, but that is just me. I did start both my children earlier (4 months) than the current recommendation with cereals of 6 months. But I can't imagine any pediatrician recommending cereal to a newborn. Have you asked your pediatrician about adding cereal? What did s/he recommend?

About sleep for you: I understand you have a 2.5 as well. Is she going to bed at an early time that you can lay down for a nap while your partner does baby duty and then you switch? Can you and your partner alternate weekend mornings for a late sleep for each, one on Saturday, one on Sunday? I went back to work with my 1st from 9pm-2am and it was BRUTAL but if you and your partner can manage a system, you can make it through the first few months until sleep becomes more settled. It is so hard but it will pass and improve. Sleep is so important - forego most everything else for it, laundry, chores, tidying; nap when you can in the evening, sleep-in on the weekends.

All my best! You can do it. But I won't lie, I had my fair share of tears from being so exhausted but the saving grace is it does get better and sleep will come back again.

It would be a good idea to ask your pediatrician - just call the office and ask to speak with a nurse. There are alot of studies that have proven that early use of cereal can lead to food allergies - along with other issues which is why they recommend waiting longer....

Your call ... just sharing what i have read and heard.

good luck!!!

We tried this with our 2nd daughter who is now 11 months old and STILL wakes up at night! It didn't / doesn't work for us - sorry - all kids are different so it may work for you! GOOD LUCK!

SOrry to disappoint you, but a 4 week old normally does not sleep through the night and no infant should have cereal until at least 4 months. All they need is formula or breast milk.

I, too, was desperate for a full nights sleep when my baby was 4 wks old. Though some have found rice cereal to help fill little tummies, unfortunately it caused more trouble than it was worth for me. My baby had a hard time digesting the cereal and she was up with a stomach ache. She cried and pulled her legs up to her tummy all night. I tried it again when she was a little older and it didn't help then either. This time, it didn't bother her stomach, but it didn't help her sleep longer either... she was still awake and looking for a bottle 3 hours later. I started waking her for a bottle at 11:00 p.m. and giving her as much as she would drink in hopes that she would only awaken once before I had to get up and get ready for work. Success! Initially, she would get hungry around 2:00 a.m., then 3:00 a.m. This morning, I actually had to wake her at 7:30 so daddy could take her to daycare. (Hope I didn't just jinx myself. lol)

I know it's rough, but hang in there. It does get easier!!! Good luck!

Well before posting I read everyone elses opinions. My son was born 8 lbs 3 oz and seemed to be in need of cereal by 2 months. We started by adding a little to his bottle before he went to bed at night. It helped wonders. I think alot of people responding may be newer moms. My mother did this with us at 6 wks and we are still here. I did this with all 3 of my children, not to say that I am right, but if you ask some people in the older generations I am sure that you would get the same answer. All three of my children slept on their tummies too. They seemed to sleep much better and longer. But nowadays it is a big no-no. Good luck.

I know how hard sleep deprivation can be. My son ate every 2 hours for the first 3 months. He was solely breastfed (refused bottles) so I had no one to help me. A baby's belly is only as big as their tiny fist, so they can't consume much food at any given time. And since they are growing so rapidly at this age (they should double their weight by 6 months) they use it up very quickly.
I would be concerned about adding rice at such an early age for 3 reasons: the allergy reason others have mentioned, lack of nutrients (a doctor friend of mine told me rice adds calories, but no nutrients (vitamins or minerals). Formula has those much needed nutrients.), and future obesity (new studies suggest that having cereal in a bottle can cause a baby to over eat w/o it realizing. This can turn off the "full" receptor in their brain and in the future they can struggle with figuring out whether they are full, which leads to more over eating & obesity).
All that said, my boy was big & was easily sitting up in a chair by 3 months. So I started feeding him rice (with a spoon) at 7pm each night at 3 months. At that age it definitely helped him sleep through the night. He got all of his foods "early" b/c of this & he did not develop any allergies & is a great eater.
My advice - you are married...use your husband. Take turns waking up to feed the baby. Or if your husband sleeps like a rock (like mine) have him do the last feeding before bed (and you go to sleep while he is feeding) and have him wake up for the first morning feeding & let you sleep longer.

Always check with your ped, but I would agree with everyone that 4 weeks is MUCH too young to add cereal. It won't help anyway, and you might be setting him up for a lifetime of problems. We started my son on some rice cereal at the pediatrician's request at 3.5 months because he had awful reflux, but I saw no difference in his sleep one way or the other.

BUT-- you do need sleep, so this is what I recommend. After dinner, get everything ready for the next day-- your clothes, dd clothes, breakfast, etc. Make sure you bring a bottle, can of formula, and whatever else you need upstairs with you so you don't have to go down stairs (if you aren't bfing) for the night feeding. Nurse/feed baby at his 9:00 pm feeding (or whenever he eats around then) and then go to bed immediately (preferably in the guest room or a bed in the baby's room). Have your husband feed at midnight (or whenever baby eats) and then put the baby to bed in his crib. DH then goes to bed and sleeps until morning. Baby should be sleeping at least a 4 hour stretch by now, so should sleep until 4-4:30, when you can get up to feed, having had at least 6-6 1/2 hours of sleep. Feed baby and get him back down, and try to crash back out yourself for an hour or so. You and your dh will have had 7-8 hours of sleep, and I think you'll find that in another month or so, baby will be sleeping 6-7 hours at a stretch. (Don't tell your husband this-- keep him doing the midnight feeding for as long as possible, lol).

Good luck-- it WILL get better.

Rice in the bottle is not recommened for children that young. Depeneds on how active he is during the day will depened on how well he will sleep threw the night. Along with how much he takes in know with each feeding. My youngest is 1 week old today and just started sleeping more then 1 -2 hr between feedings. Are you the only one getting up with him at night or are you and your husband taking turns? I get up with all the feedings due to nursing and bottle feeding. You don;t want to push the food to early, for the chance that it could cause proublems later.

Hi K.! NO NO NO!! Do not put ceral in to your baby's bottle ever!! It won't make your baby sleep longer, that will come with time. Giving ceral early has been attributed to early allergy development! Tiny tummies are not ready for "food" this early. Wait til your baby is ready to have ceral from a spoon! Your son will start to sleep longer and longer at night as he grows...hang in there sleep depervation is tough, but it will get better soon! Best wishes and Congrats on the new baby.

K.,
I wouldn't do it. He is too young. My mom put rice cereal in MY bottle at a few weeks but it is now thought to be bad to do. Their little tummies are not developed enough to digest food. yet--even rice cereal. Besides, at 4 weeks, your baby would be a RARE thing if your son was sleeping through the night! Consider yourself lucky f he goes down by 10-11 and you're up once at 3 or 4 for a feeding!

Way too young to start with rice cereal. My doctor always would check to make sure we were not putting cereal in the bottle because it can be very dangerous. Your baby's digestive tract needs to develop before receiving anything but milk. It can cause intestinal problems in the future let alone constipation and upset stomach now. You'll know when to start cereal because after becoming a better sleeper, he'll start waking up more frequently to eat again...around 4 or 5 months.

HI K.! I would just caution that it might not make your son sleep any longer. I gave it to my daughters when they were older, right before bed, and they didn't sleep any longer then with out the cereal.

PLEASE check with your pediatrician before giving your baby cereal, especially when he's so little. Mine said (two different ones with my two kids b/c we moved) that cereal wouldn't help them sleep but having it before 6 months would make them much more likely to develop food allergies. I've also heard scary stories about cereal in a bottle being more likely to cause choking. Good luck.

Oh my! 4 weeks? I'm almost positive you're not supposed to do that until around 4 months!!!! You can try thickening the formula by adding more formula to your bottle instead!

I think 4 weeks is way too young for cereal! My doctor said many problems could occur and to wait until at least 4 months. Hopefully others will have advice on this.

Anyway, here is a good sleeping tip, my son has been sleeping like a brick through the night since 3 months. Again, 4 weeks is too young to hope for this, but time will fly, give it a few more weeks. Anyway, the key is feeding him as much as he can eat all day long, not just a thick bottle before bed. Over time, the baby's body understands it is truly full from eating enough ALL DAY every day and he will not wake up at night. I wish I knew that with my daughter who didn't sleep through until one year!!! When my step sister taught me that trick, she started sleeping through after a few days. I had no idea she was hungry-well I knew she needed feeding during the night, but I had no idea she was still hungry in the day because she seemed fine and I fed her on a schedule and gave her thickened cereal bottles at night.
Stuff him full!!! All day!
Hang in there a little longer!

please don't do this, infants really really need to be waking up to eat, I have read that waking up often to eat is nature's way of preventing SIDS SUDDEN INFANT DEATH. Surely there is some way you can cope for a few more months, maybe with dad's help. Good Luck

Dear K.,
I have heard of putting Rice cereal in the bottle, but not until they are 4 or 5 MONTHS old. I think 4 weeks is way too early. Ask would your pediatrician before you try this.

Just my opinion, but to me, 4 weeks is way too young to try this. I tried it with my oldest at 4 months but it didn't help us much. I worked with my first 2 so understand how tired you can be, but I'd be concerned about swallowing and digestion issues with cereal in so young an infant. Best of luck! You will one day sleep again, but they are only this little for a short time!

I only thickened my sons formula at about 4-5 weeks because he had severe refulx and everything that went down came up. So to help we thickened it to help stay down, and it helped a bit. I did not do it to sleep more and did not do it with my second son(no reflux). It did not help him sleep any more and at 4yrs old he still is an early riser. Just his personality. You may want to wait before introducing cereal.

Its is not advised to feed a child any food not approved by your ped. It is also not a good idea to add cereal to your child bottle to thicken it. TBPH, it is really unrealistic to expect a 1 month old to SSTN. He is to young to be waking for any other reasons then hunger, wettness, hot/cold or pain. A baby this age is unable to be spoiled or to manipulate you to try to be held. If you feel that he is waking excessivly at night I would contact your Ped. It could be a sign of reflux. BUT at 4 weeks old he can be waking as often as 1-3 hours to eat. Talk to your Ped!

Cereal shouldn't go in a bottle and your baby is way to young to be able to digest it. He doesn't have the gag reflex yet at his age to take anything else but breastmilk/formula. He deosn't know how to swallow anything but that yet. It will give him major tummy troubles. Being only 4 weeks old, technically he should still be waking up to eat in the middle of the night. Maybe even twice a night. There's lots of other mommies in your situation...unfortunately it comes with the territory! You'll be tired for a couple months but it'll get better!

every one will tell you to do different things what they think is right or wrong. I gave my son rice cereal in his bottle and he pretty much slept for about five to six hours at a time when he was four weeks old and it got better from there. only put about a teaspoon of it in the bottle. i would also give the baby a bath before bed and rub him down with lotion then get him in his pyjamas. this will also help him relax and to to sleep. you have to make the hole bigger in the top of the bottle. i heated a safety pin and made the hole bigger in the top. i know with the advent bottle they have different size holes in the top of the nipples. i just had two for when i gave him the rice cereal and formula. just make sure he does not get gas or have any bad reactions since they digestive tract is still developing.
good luck.

I would not do it personally. He is pretty young for rice cereal at 4wks, it may cause you more aggravation than rest if his belly hurts or he is really gassy! At this point, he will be waking probably every 3 or 4 hours to eat. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about that! I would try and hold off on the rice cereal at least until 12 weeks, and then try it on a spoon. Maybe then at night before his last bottle you can give it to him and he will sleep longer with a fuller belly! :) Good luck!

You've got a lot of opinions here. Ask your pediatrician. I am NOT a new mom and expecting my third baby, I had weight gain issues like some mentioned, but switched formula and fed more and more often not added cereal. Also, check the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations - lots of people have opinions on what they've heard - find out what's true. I believe that a baby's digestive tract is not mature enough to handle the cereal before 4 months, many pediatricians now recommend waiting until 6 months. True, many people do it with no trouble for their babies, but I would bet the opposite is true, too. Good luck.

Hi,

My doc suggested that I put cereal in my sons bottle when he was about the same age because he was underweight and not puttin any on. The cereal seemed to make the bottle a bit thicker so I just had to poke a bit of a larger hole in the nipple. Just make sure it isnt too large otherwise too much will come out and its will be too big of a mouthful for the lil one. Also, make sure its not too small either otherwise they will be sucking away and not getting much. Other than that nothing changed, except for his weight and his sleeping through the night!!! Yippie!!! Some people will tell you its too early but my ped said it was perfectly fine and I have a wonderful healthy happy 6.5 yr old son now. Good luck!

Ask your pediatrician. I have always read not to add cereal to the bottle and that it does not help them sleep longer. I think it is unrealistic to think a 4 week old will sleep through the night. Also, if you give them cereal too soon they will have a greater chance of being a diabetic as an adult.

Don't do it... older people (Grandmas & etc.) will tell you that it will help, but all Dr.s now will tell you the same thing. Babies at that age cannot digest the cereal properly. It can casue digestive problems with babies that are young. Unfortunately, a 4 week old doesn't have much of a schedule yet, and they are not capable of having one. You're only going to casue yourself frustration if you try to get your baby to do things that they are not capable of doing in hopes of making your life easier - like sleeping through the night before they are ready! You just have to do the best you can with the understanding that they can only do so much! Good luck!

I had good experience with rice cereal-just start gradually. You may have to make the nipple hole a touch larger but I started with just a teaspoon and worked up to a tablespoon, etc. My son is 2 now and has always been a good sleeper but I think it helped. Guess you'll just have to give it a try because they're all different! I started around 4 weeks as well-good luck! PS-I recommend following Baby Wise and the Baby Whisperer for guidelines on the eat/sleep cycles. Some people will disagree but I tried to follow it (not exactly every time) and my son was sleeping from about 11pm to 5 or 6am at 6 weeks. I also used a pacifier at night when trying to get him to go longer. BTW-it may be different if you're still breast feeding.
PSS-A child who is 4 months or 5 should be eating cereal from a spoon!

I really struggled with this too (my mom fed rice cereal to me at six weeks and I did get allergies and GI problems). My baby is sixteen weeks now and I make sure to make the formula exactly like the directions say (with a FULL scoop not just a filled scoop) at night but then come the first bottle at around 4-5am I make sure to add only one extra HALF ounce of water so that her bowels wake up gently and so she is not constipated. She still wakes up a few times during the night but I'm not going to rush her system before she's ready. One thing I'm definitely noticing more is her tongue-thrust reflex - when she is gassy she can't eat as much until that bubble goes up for a burp or down for a toot. They say until that tongue-thrust reflex goes away that she's not ready for anything but formula/breast milk. I didn't notice the tongue-thrust reflex when she was younger - I am SO glad I waited. They also say that when they are able to sit up (at least propped up) by themselves is another sign that they are almost ready - they need these internal muscles to help with swallowing and digesting. They also say that the baby will begin to watch you eat and try to mimic you as you are eating - she is starting to watch me but she hasn't begun to mimic me or try to get my food yet - by this, she'll let me know when she's ready. She eats anywhere from 32-40 ounces per day. By the way, I know how desperate one can get for a little more sleep, but when I wait longer than three hours to feed her it seems she is a little bit more thirsty which makes her a little more constipated and more frustrated and gassy. When I feed her according to her schedule she's much happier. Also remember that when it's cold outside the heat is on inside which makes it drier and babies are more thirsty (just like us) so if you wait too long it'll only make things worse. We have a humidifier in her room on a SLOW mist and it helps us both to sleep better (hubby sleeps on a different floor so he can sleep cuz I'm a stay at home mom). She also uses a pacifier which helps to soothe her and helps cuz she has already started the teething process. Just an FYI - babies go through mini growth spurts (3 and 6 weeks and again at 3 and 6 months) which throws off the schedule once again - so try and go with the flow - each baby is different - AND it seems to last forever but it really is such a short amount of time :) Just think of it as a gift to the baby - the more you help them now with the "little" things (inconvenient sometimes to you) the happier a baby you will have :)

After 48 responses, I don't know how mine will help, but when I read your question and only a few of the responses, I'm not sure what you are asking. Is it how to do the rice cereal and bottle thing? That's how I understood it. If that was indeed what you were asking my son's pediatrition was the one who suggested it to me and told me how to do it. She told me how much to put in each bottle and to cross-cut the bottle nipples (carefully) so that the formula with the mixed in rice could come out.

It did fill him up a bit more for longer, but not that much longer. I got more sleep, but maybe it will depend on your baby's appetite. You may even have to put more rice in, but just ask your baby's doctor how much.

There are a ton of articles stating that adding cereal to a night-time feeding does not promote a good night's sleep. My son has had cereal in his formula (when he gets in instead of breastmilk) since 6-8wks old and it never helped him sleep - in fact, it was harder on his belly, we had to play around with the right ratio, and he's 8mos and has yet to sleep thru the night.

I hope you're able to find other solutions. Good luck!

You baby doesn't have the proper enzymes in his stomach and GI tract to digest anything other than milk at this point. He will not be able to digest simple foods such as rice cereal until he is around 4 months old. At this point most babies are still getting up 1-2 times a night to feed. They are growing rapidly and need the small feedings because their stomachs are not very big yet.

Hi K.
My name is H. and I've got 3 kids, 9, 2.5 and 8 months. I totally hear you on the sleep issue - my kids are so-so sleepers also.
That said putting rice cereal in a bottle isn't recommended anymore. A few reasons.
1. The baby can aspirate the microscopic cereal
2. A 4 week old is developmentally not ready to digest anything but milk. (any baby under 4 months) By adding cereal (even rice) you're setting yourself up for food allergies, constipation, digestive pain
3. Personally I gave my 8 month old large bowls of cereal after he was old enough to eat - it didn't work. Although some moms say it does. So just to say, it is a myth.
4. The reason that some babies DO stay asleep is not because they are full - it is because their stomachs are completely overwhelmed by the work of digesting their food. The food takes so long for them to work through.
5. Calories: An 4 week old is eating let's say every 3-4 hours. At each feeding receiving between 4 and 8 ounces. They are receiving let's say 200 calories per feeding. So in 9 hours they have received 600 calories. Which they need.
By giving them cereal they receive 200 calories at bedtime (8pm?) and another bottle at 6am? So they have gone 10 hours on 400 calories. Giving cereal too soon undernurishes an infant. They need the calories for a million reasons but they do need to eat often. Their stomachs are too small to handle 16 ounces at one time so they can't compensate.

I hope this info helps. The dilemma of having to work while also having to nurish a NB is difficult for sure! The U.S. has a poor maternity leave system in place that forces us to compromise our children. In many other countries maternity leave is a minimum of 3,6, even 12 months! Because they understand that an infant requires so much around the clock care.

I wish you the best as you figure this out.
-H.
And if it is any comfort - the baby will eventually sleep :o)

I used to put cereal in the bottle, but NOT this early. He is too young. Please do not expect him to sleep longer yet, he is still tiny.

I do NOT believe that it is harmful to put a little in the bottle about 3 months old. It did not harm any of my four children. Maybe peds think it has to do with the obese children generation? Sometimes what our parents did when we were little was smart.

Hi, sweetie! I feel for you, but I'm afraid that I have bad news. Rice cereal has NEVER been proven to help with anything. Especially at this young of an age.

Some things that the early introduction of cereal & other solids IS, however, very much associated with is a HUGE risk for Type 1 (insulin-dependant) Diabetes, obesity, allergies, gastrointestinal upset, etc....

Sorry to bum you out, but there are just SO many myths out there about rice cereal.

I wish you the best of luck with going back to work. Hang in there!

swaddling worked for both of my boys. the thermal type blankets work great and they are not as expensive as the swaddle devices out there. although, the halo sleeper that comes with a swaddle wrap is wonderful!!!

Hi my name is J.. I have a 2 month old daughter and was thinking about the rice in the bottle also not so she would sleep so she would have a full belly whaich i guess ewould make her sleep...duh.Anyways my doctor told me that she is too young and that she rapidly gain weught to a point that it might be unhealthy but it was my decision so i decided to wait. She eats 4-5 oz every feeding which is every 2-3 hrs and at night sleepd 6-7 hrs so i must be doing something right i guess. She weighs 10lbs 13 oz! Just wanted to share hope to hear from you!

Your son is too young for rice cereal however when he is older there are some typed of formula that contain cereal.
My husband thought he would be slick and give our son rice cereal in his bottles at four weeks. It resulted in a gassy and unhappy baby. At ten weeks our son started sleeping 11 hours with only one feeding....without rice cereal! Until then, flip flop night shift with your husband so at least you each get a full nights sleep every other night. Try to sleep in a spare room. Good luck.

never add anything to a bottle.

4 weeks old? omg part of having a baby and you'll lose sleep even when they 17 how late they are.

By all means..add the rice cereal! For some reason moms are afraid to do this, however when my son was just 3 months old-I added a teaspoon to his last bottle for the night and he slept 2-3 more hours a night..sometimes straight through until 6 or 7am. It won't hurt the baby at all. The pediatricians have us afraid that it may lead to food allergies if introduced too soon, but I don't personally belive that. Good luck!

Hi! I'm a mom of 2 and a pediatric nurse and I can tell you that unfortunately, he's not ready. His little belly and digestive system are not mature enough to handle the rice cereal. You could end up making him sick in the long run...early introduction of cereal can cause a variety of health problems. I understand the lack of sleep and working (I work full time-12 hour shifts-sometimes days, sometimes nights) and returned to work 8-10 weeks after each of my kids. It's hard but it's part of parenting! Please don't jeopardize your little guys health for a little more sleep!

NO.

Your baby is only 4 weeks old. He will be making you tired for many months to come. Just get through it. It is part of the journey.