When to Feed My Baby Cereal?

My grandson is now 7 months old and his pdei had us start him on rice cereal when he was 3 weeks due to not being satiafied. He was started on baby food at 3 months and is now eating #2 foods and some #3.

I had the same problem with my baby. The doctor said her body wasn't ready for cereal so I moved her up to 5 then 6 oz. At three and a half months when she started sucking down 6 oz I started giving her a little cereal and she was fine. Now she's 5 months and so far we have not had a problem. Hope this helps.

Both of my children, ages 6 years and 14 months, were breast fed exclusively until 6 months of age. My pediatrician told us to wait until at least 4 months of age, but waiting until 6 months of age would be the best. She said that there is an increased risk of the child developing food allergies if baby food/baby cereal is introduced at such and early age. I suggest increasing the formula intake first.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that solids (with single grain cereal as the 1st solid) shouldn;t be introduced before the age of 4-6 months.
http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Solids.htm
"Most babies are ready to eat solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age. Before this age instead of swallowing the food, they push their tongues against the spoon or the food. This tongue-pushing reflex is necessary when they are breastfeeding or drinking from a bottle. Most babies stop doing this at about 4 months of age. Energy needs of babies begin to increase around this age as well, making this a good time to introduce solids."

This article: http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=1&ps=104&am...
Says that "at 2 months your baby maybe taking in 4-5 ounces every 3-4 hours".

I would delay the ceral supplement untill she is physiologically ready for it, and just increase the amount of formula she is having at her feedings untill she is full, sated, and happy. :)

Good luck momma!

She MIGHT have GERD. At about 2 months was when my girls started acting like that. They were having 'silent' reflux and so nothing was being spit up but their tummies hurt and they thought they were still hungry. Does she pull away from the bottle while eating? Does she arch her back and cry? Look up Gerd and see if she has any of the symptoms of Gerd without the spitting up.

They used to say to put a little cereal in the bottle but they no longer prescribed that for GERD because the earlier you start a baby on cereal the more likely they will develop diabetes as a child. IOW don't give her cereal at 2 months.

If she doesn't have GERD, then try increasing her bottle to 4 1/2 oz and see how she does. IF that's still not enough, go to 5 oz. I have known very young babies that sucked down 8 oz so she might need a little more.

S., mom to five

The swallowing reflex for thicker foods doesn't develop until 4-6 months. Even if you were referring to adding cereal to her bottle, I still don't think her tongue reflexes would be ready for a thicker formula (without gagging/choking). Also, I'm not sure her intestines are developed enough to push through solids at 2 months.

By the way, below is a portion of an article I found by searching "newborn, intestinal development, cereal":

Six months: The perfect age to begin introducing solids

Even though it was previously recommended that the introduction of solids should begin at four months, new opinions as well as recommendations from the World Health Organization specify that the introduction of solids should begin at six months. Breast milk, or the appropriate infant formula (if the child is not breastfed), secures the energy requirements in the first six months as well as the right amount of nutritional values necessary for proper growth and development. At six months, there are significant changes in motor skills and the infant’s activities: the infant can now reach for desired objects, take objects given to him, change positions (turning on the hip and stomach), sit with support, and stand on his legs if being held. These activities imply rapid growth of muscle mass which requires more minerals and protein than milk alone can provide. In the early period of the child's development, only liquids can be swallowed; after five or six months, the infant can swallow mashed foods. The teething period can indicate a specific maturity for accepting other foods than milk.

You may want to look into maybe changing her formula. There are formulas that have thickened rice starch in them already. They are safe to use because the measurement is already there for you. My son is now 7 months old and he use to do the same thing. There is a formula called Enfamil AR w/Lipil you dont have to mess with putting it in yourself. It also helps with spit up by over 40%. You can talk to your dr about it my pedi. recommended it to me.
R. D

I would suggest to try increasing your baby's formula/breast milk intake by an ounce and not starting cereal. There has been research done that shows that starting solid foods like cereal before 4 months (or after 6 months) can lead to diabetes. I would stick with the pediatricians advice about when to start solid foods. Good luck with everything!

I would up her formula intake and see if that helps. We did not start our son on cereal till he was five months. He is a super fat baby always in the high 90% of his age. Starting baby food at 6 months. Try one type of food every four days to insure she isnt allergic to anything. If our son sucks his bottle dry then we start upping it if he isnt finishing his bottle then we dont give him as much. Like he has been taking 7 oz for a while now and would leave about 1/4 of an ounce not drinking it. Then he was drinking it completly so we started with 8 oz. Sometimes he finishes most of it some times he leaves the 1 oz in there. But its there if he wants it. If she drinks too much she will spit up and let you know that was too much. Good luck.

My daughter is the same way. She was eating every 4 oz every three hours. I just took her to her 2 month check up and because she was eating so much, her MD told me to start adding rice to her some of her bottles. 1/2 teaspoon per ounce. I only add it at her night time bottle to try to get her to sleep through the night more. Sometimes it helps. Hope this helps.

I'm wondering the same thing myself. I have a two month old and she is drinking a full 6-7 oz. She's perfectly happy with it. I was told to increase the amount if she was still hungry. I forgot to ask about the cereal.

I breastfed, so I don't know anything about formula, but I do know that your baby is not ready for cereal or any other food. Her tummy is not mature enough. I don't even think 4 months is good (the AAP recommends at least 6 months old for solid food (incl. cereal), despite what all these pedis say). If she still seems hungry, I'd rather give more formula than cereal. If you think 5 or 6 oz is too much for a 2 month old, why would you consider cereal ok?

I'd also see if she needs something else and not just formula. Would she be happy with some cuddling or a paci? I would give more formula LONG before I would give solids. Breastmilk and formula should be enough for them until at least 4 months (though I stick by 6 months, I know many people will say "my child NEEDED food" and you won't take my advice to wait until 6 months, despite what the AAP says).

Really, it's not a good idea to give cereal this early. There are so many reasons to wait on solids, the maturation of the digestive system and allergies being top on the list. Her tummy is not mature enough for that.

I would up it to a 6oz bottle, personally. She's way too young for cereal.

You should always be an ounce ahead of your child's bottle intake. That means there should be about an ounce left in the bottle when she is full. If she empties the bottle and cries, you need to add another couple of ounces to each bottle so that she can drink her fill w/o emptying the bottle (but no more than 8 oz, her tummy can't hold more than that right now).

The earlier you introduce solids, the more likely your daughter is to develop food allergies. If there is no history of food allergies in your families, then 4 mos might be ok for rice cereal, but really 6 mos is best.

My son was taking 5-6oz every 3 hours at 2 months! Our Pedi suggested giving rice cereal. We tried and it did NOT go over well. His little tummy just couldn't handle it. He would bring his legs up to his chest, squirm and cry in pain. We stopped after two days. I don't think the intestines are developed enough at that age. I would suggest increasing her feedings an ounce or so instead. There are a lot more calories in either forumula or breat milk than a tiny little bit of cereal.

Good luck!

I started both of my boys on cereal at 2 months. They are now 5yrs old and 20 months old. I had a reclining high chair & spoon fed both of them. I never put it in their bottles. Also, I mixed the gerber rice cereal with their formula instead of water and it seemed to keep them full longer. I hope this helps.

I suggest you wait. She is probably not developed enough to handle the cereal. Call your pediatrician for suggestions.

S.-
I agree, you need to wait on the cereal until 4-6 months. (My pedi gave us the go at 4 mo.) My little man was eating 5-6 oz every 3 hours at 2 months old, so go ahead and give her more formula! Some babies just eat a lot more than others! Good Luck!

I would up the formula as high as 8oz at each feeding before starting cereal. My son finally started cereal at 4 mos, and was drinking 8oz of formula every 3 hours and still hungry..but he was a very big boy, and still is. I would try to postpone cereal till at least 4 mos if not longer. Good luck!

Go for it! Give her cereal, when I had my first son he weighed over 10 pounds at birth and was eating what seemed like every minute. I had a family friend who does foster care and has fostered over 100 kids and babies and told me to give him rice cereal in his bottle, just make a whole pitcher and blend it up in a blender. It was the best thing that I did, he was much happier!! He was only 3 weeks old when I started doing that,I had even told my doctor at the time that I was giving him cereal and he said well whatever works for him all babies are different. I hope this helps!!!

Well its okay to start giving her more formula.I believe it is at 4 months when they can start having the cereal. Either way she has to have the milk til she turns 1yr.When my son was 6mths he was drinking 6 ozs of formula. Right now he is 7 1/2 months and I have him on baby food.Just try to give her 6 ozs and see if that fills her up. If not than maybe you need to speak to her doctor about it.Just to be sure.

She needs more formula. I only bottle-fed my oldest (she couldn't breastfeed), but at 2 months she could easily consume 6-8 oz. every 4 hours. I breastfed my 2 younger children, but at 2 months if I missed a feeding I could pump 6-8 oz in 10-15 minutes, which told me that was how much they were consuming at that age. Burp her after 4 oz. and if she still fusses, give her 2-4 oz. more. You may find that increasing her formula also gives you an extra hour between feedings. She should be relaxed and sleepy after a feeding if she has had enough. I believe her digestive system is still too immature for cereal. Wait at least another month for the solids, preferably two. Hope this helps!

S.,

I gave all 3 of my kids one (1) babyspoon full of rice cereal in their bottles at 2 months old. They loved it and seemed full.
I would take their babyspoons and put dry cereal on it then mix it with the warm milk. Obviously you have to get the bottles that are specific for food with the holes at the tip of the nipple.
The opinions of the doctors changed throughout the years, but I think us mother's know best what our children need. If your baby seems hungry, then give her more.
Good luck,
Deborah

I agree with what most of the mommies are saying. 2 mo is too early for cereal. Wait until 4-6 mos and discuss with your pedi first. Try giving her another 1-2 oz of formula to see if that satisfies her.

My daughter (who is 3 1/2 months old) is the same way, although she was eating every 2 hours for a while. I am strictly pumping breast milk, so this was really starting to put a strain on me! My pediatrician said that it was OK to give her cereal in her bottle (1 teaspoon per 4 oz.), although the downside is that in some cases children who are given cereal before 4 months are more susceptable to developing food allergies later on in life. She said cereal could be given at 4 months and then baby food at 5 or 6 months. So we would only put cereal in her last bottle of the day, and continued to give her the 5 oz. that she was taking. For the cereal bottle we had to open the holes just a little so that the cereal would flow through. She was going through a big growth spurt at that time, but has since slacked off somewhat. Hope this helps!

WIC suggests 6 months old. It gives their immune system time to combat things such as wheat. You don't want a child with food allergies. AT 2 months you should not be counting but feeding her her milk and concider she is a little older and just might need more attention. She is a girl, she could be bored. Snuggle and read a book. If she is really over weight then you might as the doctor to check her Thyroid. My son was hungry all the time and feed him all he could eat and he ended up having trouble with weight and has hypotyroidism. Most of all don't worry all in all it could be a growth spirt which are at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12weeks.

Generally, 4-6 months is the rule. I would increase the formula before I gave her cereal. Check with your ped. first.

I waited until my daughter was 4 months. I wouldn't try anything but breast mild or formula until then. I would however make her a larger bottle. Make her six ounces and see if she doesn't finish it. But you're going to make her sick to her stomach if you start cereal now.

I had the same thing with my son, so i just upped his formula an ounce. But my doctor told me not to start him on ceral until he was 4 months.

Your baby doesn't need anything but milk for the first year. Starting them on cerals and fruits (ONE at a time for at least a week) at six months ins't too accelerated, but the earlier you give hem solid foods, the more likely they are to develop allergies to the early foods. Their little digestive systems really can't digest the food. Try giving her more to drink. If she is on formula, she needs water too. 2 months seems AWFULLY early. Be careful. If I were you, I would start going to La Leche League meetings.

Everything I've read suggest that we should wait to feed cereal and baby food until our babies can sit up on their own. That means that they can digest their food better. 6 months is usually when they can sit up. Digestion is so important. Hope this helps.

A little about me: 44 years young married to a really great provider and lover. three beautiful step-daughters and our son about to turn 1!

I have twin boys age 3 and a newborn. The twins were breast fed and given pumped breastmilk bottles when someone else helped. Around that time they started feeding every hour and the dr told me to add a little cereal to the pumped bottles, once or twice a day. Also the rule of thumb for up to 3 months is 1/2 oz formula per pound of body weight, so if your baby is 10+ lbs I would try to increase the formula first. Also another option to try, which is a little more expensive, is switch to a formula like Enfamil AR this formula actually already has a rice cereal in the mix and is thicker and holds them over longer. Hope this helps!

She is not ready for food. Maybe this is a growth spurt for her. Consider giving her more formula.

My doctor told me at four months. that way you can make sure they dont have any allergies. I know we want them to eat more but you might just need more milk.

I have a 2.5 month old son. Before he turned 2 months old, we were already feeding him 5 oz., sometimes 6. It varies from 3-5 mostly though. Just add more formula. She will let you know when she's full. Hope this helps.

i would give her more formula and wait on the cereal until at least four months. her digestive system is not mature enough to handle anything but formula or breast milk until then - despite what our parents thought when we were babies. every baby is different and you still need to pay attention to her cues but i don't think giving her more formula is unrealistic. what does your pedi say?

Increase the amounts or feed her more often. Do not give a 2 month old cereal or babyfood. Her digestive system is not mature enough yet to handle it and it can lead to food allergies (or so I've read, but you may want to do some research online or ask your baby's pediatrician).

Hi S., My son was a big eater early on too. I just gave him more formula or breastmilk if he was hungry. The earliest you can give a baby cereal is 4 months because their digestive systems aren't ready for it any earlier. The longer you can wait the better. I didn't start my son on cereal until he was 5 1/2 months because I wanted to wait a little longer, 4 mos felt too early with him. I know a lot of people suggest putting cereal in a bottle, but pediatricians do not recommend doing this. Try giving her an extra ounce or 2 & call the pediatrician before you decide to add cereal to her diet.

I would give her more formula and wait until at least 4 months to start the cereal.

All I can do S. is tell you what I did. When I first had my son I tried to do all of the things that the doctors and nurses told me but that didn't work for him. I finally sought advice from experienced moms and my aunt (who was an RN) and put my son on cereal when he was around 2 months old. I did not give him very much at first because their systems have to get used to it. I just gave him a small amount mixed with formula ( I was given a special bottle for that reason) before bedtime. He LOVED it and started sleeping through the night almost immediately. I slowly increased the amount until I was sure his system was handling it properly. I did the same thing when I had my daughter 4 years later. Both of my children (16 & 20) are happy and very healthy. The bottom line is that you know your child better than anyone so you do what's best for YOUR baby. They are unique and special! Children are a gift from God, they are a reward from Him! (Psalm 127:3) God bless!

I would definitely wait on the cereal. 2 months is way too young for cereal. Increase her formula intake to 6 oz. and see if that helps. I have a 4 1/2 month old son and my pedi said there was no need to give him cereal yet. I'm going to wait until he's 6 months if I can. That is when I started my daughter on cereal also and it was never an issue. Both are solely breastfed. At the beginning, they get so little of the cereal into their stomachs (they spit most of it out) that it won't make a difference in her hunger factor anyway, so I would just wait. There are many health reasons to do so (immature digestive system and allergic reactions being the 2 biggies).

I know how you feel.. but I honestly think she is just going through a growth spurt. 2 mos is a bit early to start solids.

My daughter is 4 months and they even think that may be too early for rice cereal and stuff.

Just stick it out.. I think I remember having the same issue around that time.

My experience with this is..if your baby is getting 4oz at 2 months that she's getting enough. My daughter was also a large eater and my pediatrician kinda scolded me at her 6m appointment because I told him I had been putting cereal in her bottle. He said it can cause early diabetis (spelling?) I started feedin her cereal in her bottles at 3 months and at her 4 m check up she was in the 95 percentile for weight (which is almost overweight).

And what my doc told me is if they say they're hungry, they're lying. lol.

Keep doing 4oz and try to stay away from the cereal (until 4 months). My daughter hasn't developed diabetis ... yet. I don't know what I'll do if she does later. *sigh* Good luck Dear.

My son at two months was taking about 6 to 8 oz. at every feeding. I started adding just a tab bit of rice ceral in his bottles at about three months. He took it just fine and it also helped him sleep through the night. If you are looking to feed your daughter with a spoon I didn't start that with my son until he was around five months. When I had tried around four he wouldn't take it and just cry.

I have a 7 month old - when he was younger he did the same thing. I got a lot of advice to go ahead with the cereal, but his doctor told me to wait until he was at least 5 months old before doing that. I just increased the amount of formula in his bottles. At 3 months he was doing about 5 oz if I remember right, every 3 hours. Your little girl might be going thru a growth spurt and need to eat more or more often for a couple days, then it might settle down. Go ahead and increase the formula and see how that goes. As long as she isn't spitting it up right after, it should be okay. Good luck!