Hungry Baby - Hamlin,WV

There is no "time for his next feeding" for a 1 month old. You feed them when they are hungry. the every 3-4 hours is an estimated guideline to give you an idea when to feed. If he is hungry at 2.5 hours after then feed him. He is most likely going through, has been through or will be going through a growth spurt at this age. He shouldn't need cereal unless he has reflux.

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I would not add rice cereal. My kids ate every 2 to 3 hours at 1 month old, more often when they were going through a growth spurt. I know some people recommend a schedule so the baby doesn't "get spoiled". I say feed them when they are hungry. It's bad enough when you're an adult who can reason out that you have to wait for lunch time. Imagine being a newborn who has no experience with the "future" and doesn't even know what the problem in the stomach is. The baby won't learn that "food will be there soon", the baby will learn "why cry, it doesn't change my situation". Just feed him when he's hungry, don't force him to finish his bottle if he's not interested. You eat when you want to and don't when you don't. Why force a baby to do something that is not natural to him/her?

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Just feed him everytime he is hungry no matter what time it is. He's too young for a schedule. Feed on demand and develop a schedule over the coming months based on when he wants to eat.

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A baby CANNOT be fed on a 'schedule.'
You need to feed on-demand.... anytime a baby is hungry, 24/7, day and night. If you do not do that, your baby will be starving and not getting enough intake nor nutrition for proper development.

DO NOT ADD CEREAL to his bottle.
He is too young.
A newborn's digestive system is not even fully developed yet. And it can create more problems if you add cereal to his bottle.

You really need to consult your Pediatrician.

For the 1st year of life, breastmilk or Formula is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition.. NOT other solids or liquids.

A baby will also "cluster feed" which means they get hungry even every single hour or less. AND you have to feed the baby then. Not wait. This is a reflection of their growing and increased intake needs.

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You're supposed to feed your baby on demand at this age- which means if he's sucking on his lip or finger or crying, then you're supposed to feed him! :)
At one month old he's going through growth spurts and his brain is growing/changing... you really don't want to keep food from him.
He's not developed enough for rice cereal- his stomach doesn't have the digestive acids for it.
Hang in there.... One month olds take a lot of work, but no one said it would be easy. He'll grow up soon enough. Good luck!

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I have 5 children ages 12-25 and with 3 of them I bottle fed and added rice cereal to their bottles at 6 weeks old, it's just what we did. And they are alive, healthy, happy, not overweight, not allergic to anything, and well adjusted. The only reason the other 2 I didn't was because I nursed them successfully. I tried feeding on a schedule & while I agreed to it, the baby often didn't. So I just fed on demand, even when I nursed. There are supporters on both sides of the debate on schedule vs on demand and each one has to do what's best for them & their family. I can't stand it when we Mom's fight one another over what WE feel is RIGHT and don't support one another when obviously someone needs help. We need to stick together.

I do want to add that Enfamil has a RestFull formula that my daughter gives her 3 month old that digests slower & helps him sleep better at night. In it is rice protein, so it's similar to rice cereal and he has done well on it.

I'm a 51yo Mom and new Grandma and I've added cereal to their formula, used my own spit to clean their pacifiers, laid them on their tummies to sleep, and let them sleep in a dresser drawer and I'm happy to say they are all alive and happy.

Congrats on the new blessing.

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Contrary to S.H.'s response, babies can and were for many, many years be fed on a schedule. I know that even when I had my oldest girls (now 21 and 20), it was still recommended that I feed my kids on a schedule and my own peditrician told me to start my 6 week old on cereal bottles so she would sleep through the night. My kids didn't starve and neither did anyone else. However, over the years, things have changed.

I do believe that now the current trend is to feed on demand. If your baby is hungry, you can feed him or her more often. Maybe a bit of a growth spurt is coming into play? As far as cereal in a bottle, I would say that is completely up to you and your pediatrician. My goodness, I don't know how we ALL survived with cereal in our bottles, OJ before we were a year old and, MY GOODNESS, cow's milk before we were a year old!

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1 month is too young to eat solid food. Most likely it is something else that is making him fussy. Babies at this age often cry for no reason so I would not automatically assume that it is hunger. Giving him rice cereal at this age is not good for him and might also lead to obesity later in life. His stomach might be upset by the formula or he could have mild colic. Wait to start solids until at least 4 months and preferably 6 months of age.

I breastfeed mine and sometimes he's hungry sooner. I just feed him sooner. I noticed that if he nurses every couple of hours during the day, then he'll sleep through the night. I pretty much feed on demand but I don't go longer than 3 hours. If you can do that with bottle fed babies, then I'd try that first. With my first, 16 years ago, they told me to start feeding him cereal at 3 weeks (with a spoon, not bottle) but since then, they tell me not to start it until 6 months. I just had my 5th baby.

No cereal in his bottle. He is probably going through a growth spurt so just feed him more. And putting a baby on a feeding schedule is silly. Feed on demand and you'll both be happier. When he gets older (3/4 months old) he'll be on more of a schedule but not a 1 month old.

S.

I added rice cereal to my son's bottle when he was 1 month old to settle a spit-uppy and acid reflux tummy per our pediatrician's suggestion. You will need to adjust to the next flow nipple though to avoid clogs and this will take them a little getting used to. We put rice cereal (1 tsp in a 4 oz bottle) until he was 5 months old (he is now 6 months) and now we put it in his baby food.

No. His delicate tummy is not ready for it. It can cause internal irritation and bleeding. Doctor's recommend waiting until 6 months now (formula/breast milk shoudl be the MAIN FOOD until a year old).

Sounds like a growth spirt. Feed him more frequenty.

Good luck!!

how much are you feeding him and how often. before adding cereal try upping his bottle by one ounce

No. Feed him more often or more during his feedings. He is too young for rice cereal and starting it too young can lead to allergies. Also, the latest research says not to put rice cereal in a bottle because it can lead to obesity.

No..the best thing to do is feed your baby more frequently. Complications that researchers have connected to feeding babies food (even rice cereal) before they are ready include allergies, increased risk of developing diabetes, poor digestive functioning...your baby's body hasn't developed the enzymes necessary to digest "food" yet and probably won't until they 4-6 months old. I'm in the healthcare field (nurse) and we hear this question all the time....babies just eat a lot and often... Hope this helps!