When to Introduce Cereal

With my first 2 I waited till 5 months and my last 4 months. For an 11 week old baby I do not suggest this. GL.

www.gerber.com has a quiz you can take to see if she is "ready" they also have lots of good info!

Just because she is on the bigger side of the spectrum does not mean that her digestive system is ready for cereal. A good way to gage whether she is ready for cereal is to give a little bit on her tongue. If she pushes the cereal out, she is definitely not ready for it. I would not give any cereal to her at 11 weeks. She is way too young for it. I would try it no sooner than 5 months (even though 4 months is the earliest recommended). The 3 hour intervalls at 11 weeks is totally normal. A baby knows when it is hungry and when it is satisfied. To force a baby on a different schedule or giving a baby more to eat to try and keep it satisfied longer will almost always backfire. Here is a good rule of thumb for you: You are her mom and you need to figure out what is right for her and what is not. You will get all kinds of solicited and unsolicited advise for anything and everything your daughter will go through. Go with your gut and with what your pediatrician says and don't let others dictate on what to do or not to do. Listening to advise is always good, but you are not obligated to follow it, even when it comes from a mother of 5 or a mother of 9. Neither woman is the mother of your child.

I have always been told (by the pediatrician) that a baby's digestive system is not equipped to handle any type of solids until at least 4 months of age. Why that is the magic age, I'm not sure. I have had to pretty much argue with my mother, grandmothers and all of my female inlaws on this one. Of course the "old school" thing to do was to put cereal in a bottle to thicken it up with the belief that it will keep them fuller longer. I waited unitl the 4 month mark with all three of mine. I just didn't want to take any chances of screwing up their digestive systems for the rest of thier lives. I think she is spitting up because she just has too much in her belly. Maybe try 5 oz, or even 4 and give her a pacifier if she still wants to suck. Plus, feeding every 3 hours is a good schedule for a (almost) three month old baby.

Does your childcare provider or grandma have medical degrees or are they registered dietitians/nutritionists with specialization in infant nutrition? I'm going to guess not. Listen to your pediatrician.

The American Pediatric Association (a reputable medical community) has two trains of thought on this one: one division believes that infant cereal can be introduced at 4 months while the other division advises waiting until 6 months. Neither recommend cereal before the age of 4 months. Remember, your baby's digestive system is still developing and you don't want to introduce foods too early that may eventually cause illness, food intolerances, or food allergies, and yes potentially/eventually down the line other weight-related health issues.

It is likely that she is spitting up because you're overfeeding her. (I, too, do not have a medical degree either so feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt as well!) Think about it - her little belly is so full and she can't take anymore yet you keep pouring it in. There's nowhere for it to go but up and out! Try to slow down her feedings - give her a few ounces then stop to burp and make absolutely sure that she burps before giving her more. When she's done eating, burp again. Getting all that extra air out of her tummy might help with the spitting up and gassiness.

Congratulations on your new baby girl! I'm with the rest of the gang on this ... 11 weeks is WAY to young to introduce any kind of food. Our pediatrician said any time between 4 and 6 months was a good time to try so we waited until about 6 months with both and have not had any allergy issues or digestive problems with either one.

Babies digestive systems aren't ready to digest food at 11 weeks. Most pediatricians say wait till AT LEAST 4 months, if not 6 months. Since babies can't properly digest the cereal, it gives them a false sense of fullness. She's probably spitting up because she's eating too fast and getting too much air in her belly. Since she's eating more, you'll have to burp her more. That should help with the spitting up. You could also try and do 3 or 4 ozs at a time, but feed her more often. I don't know if that would be possible or not. I know when my dd was that young she wanted to eat RIGHT NOW!!! It is possible that she's eating more right now because she's going through a growth spurt. That said, you will get A LOT if different opinions on here. In the end, you have to do what's best for your little one. Good Luck!

I started my girl on cereal about 3 mo. She was also a big baby, and formula did not satisfy her. The best advice my Dr ever gave me was that I know my baby best. Sometimes "Dr Spock,s book on how to raise children" just doesn't apply to your child. If he is talking about the weight gain issue, my daughter is 7 now, and a beanpole. Why make her remain hungry? If she isn't ready for the cereal, you will know.

hi A. , as a mother of two larger than normal babies. My doctor told me to give them the cereal early. If you start with rice cereal , and read the ingredients on the box, it really isn't much more than what is already in the formula she is getting. When we were growing up , we all got cereal by 2 months and now all of a sudden , they say 4 to 6 months.( I seriously think these people make up stuff (oh you ate cereal at a young age , thats what caused your diabetes,lol)) My doctor told me it is not their digestive system with the cereal , it is that a babies natural reaction at that age is to spit it out, my doctor said if they take it , give it to them. (learning to use their tongue I guess) I would say go with your gut. Hope this helps!

I agree with the other mothers to wait until the baby 6 months old.