Starting Cereal

I started giving my son cereal in a SPOON a little after 4 months..very little though. My baby sitter wanted to start cereal @ about 8 weeks and I adamantly told her "no". She was an older lady that I loved and trust dearly..just had some the older beliefs that are not actually true. The only other thing I disagreed with her on was when she stuck shoes on his feet at 4 months old...why do they need shoes when they can't walk yet?? So she put on his 1st pr of shoes :( (they had belonged to her son) He started sleeping through the night about 13 weeks. Alot of parents say the child is hungry if they are not sleeping thru the night yet.....but I think babies just start doing that in their own time. I did have to switch to soy formula due to him having alot of gas..which was making him VERY fussy. Usually it is always safer to err on the side of caution...especially with babies...no need to rush anything...and some people can be very pushy with their opinions..did their kids turn out "ok"..probably so...but I would listen to my ped.

1 mom found this helpful

You really shouldn't start cereal until your daughter is at least four months old, although many guidelines say six months. The truth is that a baby's digestive system is not prepared for solids at 8 weeks old. There is an increased risk of developing food allergies with early introduction of solids; additionally, your child will not get as many calories or as much nutrition from solids as from formula. My advice is to wait.

She is too young at eight weeks, and is getting all the nutrition she needs from formula. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests starting no earlier than four months of age. Some babies are not ready until they are older.

Before four months of age, babies natural reflex is to push the tongue against whatever is put in her mouth. This is necessary to allow infants to nurse or drink from a bottle.

Do not add cereal to a regular bottle as this could cause your baby to choke. Even if there is little cereal, she will have to suck harder than usual to suck the cereal through the nipple. Some mom's suggest cutting the tip of the nipple, but that causes the nipple to slowly disintegrate. If a baby is ready to eat solid foods, s/he will be able to eat it from a spoon.

SOME Signs your baby is ready for solids:

* She holds her head steady and sits with support.
* She reaches for and shows interest in food.
* She opens her mouth when she sees food.
* She no longer thrusts her tongue out during feeding, so she's able to keep food in her mouth and swallow it.
* She turns her head away when she's full.

Please take a few minutes to check out the sites below as they offer a ton of useful information regarding feeding your baby solids.

American Academy of Pediatrics:
http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Solids.htm

About.com article on solid foods:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/infantparentingtips/a/04_s...

Under my pediatrician's guidance, I was told to start my son on rice cereal at 3 months. This is because he was drinking over 60 ounces of formula a day (and spit NONE up) and was still acting hungry. Once we started the cereal once a day, he did better. However, this was suggested by his pediatrician after I kept a log of how often he ate (every 1.5 - 2 hours) and how much he ate per feeding (usually 6-8 oz, though sometimes he drank as much as 10oz in a single feeding).

If you are concerned that your baby isnt eating enough, keep a log for a week of how many ounces she's eating at each feeding - and make sure to notate if she's spitting up and how much. Then make an appointment with your ped and take her in, along with the log and see if your doctor has any other suggestions.

The latest recommendations suggest between 4 and 6 months leaning closer to 6. We didn't start my DD until 7 months for a variety of reasons.

I wouldn't put it in her bottle because it can cause choking.

That said...in days past people started babies on cereal super early under the impression it would help them sleep better. In my experience they don't necessarily sleep better and often times actually sleep worse. Our daughter slept TERRIBLE after we started solids and I have several friends who have experienced the same thing.

Personally I'd hold off until at least 4 months...what's the rush? She has plenty of time to eat "real food."

yes, you can put it in her Cereal. I started my daughter on cereal in her formula when she was 6 wks old. It was the best thing I ever did. You have to buy a special bottle for the ceral to flow through, but other then that you should be good... I see this is a REAL answer..sorry.

Please talk to your doctor before making any decisions like this. They will give you lots of information and guidelines about feeding, you probably havent gotten them yet because it's too early. A year ago when mine was starting solids, it was 4-6 mos, recommended recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I'm sure there are some cases where you might need to start early, but that should be done under doctor supervision.

Lots of people say its fine to start early, but they also used to say it was fine to put babies to sleep on their bellies. Now we know better. And we know better than to drink and smoke through our pregnancies, and not to give aspirin. It kills me when people (especially older people) say that they did things in their day and their babies turned out fine. Sure, most did, but not all of them.

Mine did not start sleeping any better with solids. He was a terrible sleeper until after he was a year old, food never made any difference. And if you have a "bigger" baby, why would you want to increase the chances of excess weight gain by giving empty calories? Cereal doesn't have much nutritional value, it is to teach their bodies how to digest and get them used to eating instead of drinking. Just talk to your doctor, and based on your baby, he will be able to give you the best advice when to start.

Wait as long as possible to avoid food allergies! My son didn't start solids until 7-8 months and he has NONE! I think starting any younger than 5-6 months is usually unneccessary.

Most pediatricians don't recommend starting them on cereal until they are a little older. They say to feed them by mouth with the cereal instead of in a bottle, but my babies always acted like they were starving, so I did put enough cereal in their milk so it would help them sleep better. I also had one baby that had to have milk do to the fact she vomited a lot and the doctor recommended me to do that. Just don't put to much in the milk it might gag or choke your baby. Cereal also has some iron in it so don't give it to her all the time it can constipate her. It is up to you whether you want to give your baby cereal in her milk, as of myself it didn't hurt my babies. I have 3healthly little girls.

My pediatrician told me to wait to start cereal until the baby was 6 months old. My mother is a dietician and she said that breast milk and formula are all that a baby needs until 6 months. She said that their little digestive system cannot digest cereal until somewhere between 4 and 6 months. My mother said to never add cereal to a bottle. Until a baby can take cereal from a spoon and take it to the back of their mouth to swallow it then developmentally their little body is not ready for cereal.

I would definitely wait! There seems to be a higher chance at food allergies if you start them on cereal or anything too early before their digestive system can handle it. Your digestive system is the first line of defense for your immune system and you can damage that if you start foods to early and not even realize it.
And when you do start cereal, only mix it with the formula and feed with a spoon. Initially, the cereal just helps them learn how to eat from a spoon. They get everything they need from breastmilk or formula. If she is still hungry, maybe she just needs to eat more frequently just as it is recommended for adults to eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones.
And make sure when you do start with cereal, start with rice cereal as that is the least likely to cause food allergies. Don't do any barley or oat or wheat based cereals until you have tried others first. I think we started cereal w/ my son around 5 mos and he's got all sorts of food allegies. I believe he was genetically predisposed for these troubles as my hubby has food sensitivities. My son is actually now on the GFCF diet, having to avoid all wheat, oats, barley, rye and dairy as well as almonds, eggs and several other foods that cause him problems. He also has peanut allergy. So especially if there are any family history of food allergies or sensitivities, please wait! And only introduce new food once a week. Look for any signs of reactions to the new food. It may not show up as the typical trouble breathing, rash, etc sort of reaction that you would expect from peanuts. It could be anything including eczema, irritability, changes in poop, changes in behavior, spitting up more. So look for any change when you give a new food. My son had lots of problems with eczema from day one which only got worse once we introduced dairy at a year old and other foods as he got older. I was nursing until 13 mos so he was even sensitive to the foods I was eating. But we didn't learn about these issues until he was 27 mos old. So he was miserable for all that time and we didn't know. His pediatrician just said that eczema was normal and put this cream on it. That didn't help! There is a reason behind his eczema. Once we figured that out, found out what foods he has problems with, he's not had any eczema flare-ups since! And if we introduce a new food, we have to watch for those reactions and he is now almost 4. All of these food sensitivities, along with other factors, have lead to him having a mild form of autism. Once we figured out the dietary problems and made changes to his diet, he has improved drastically. But we are now still repairing the damage done to his gut with some natural supplements. He also gets a good bit of vitamins and minerals. Now I'm not saying that will happen in your case just if you start foods too early. That is just where we are. I think my son would have still had trouble had we waited to introduce these foods later since my husband has some food issues, too. I think that coupled with the aggressive vaccine schedule was just too much for his body to handle. So if you have any family history of food problems, please wait and you might also consider spacing the vaccines out instead of giving 4 or 5 at a time. Dr. Jim Sears has a great book called 'The Vaccine Book' which he gives an alternate vaccine schedule. There is also a great schedule in a book by Dr. Kenneth Bock called 'Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies.' We are following this schedule for our younger daughter since we had the issues with my son that we had.
Bottom line, don't rush. Sleeping through the night will come. You don't want to start foods too early. She's got plenty of time for that. And you want to make sure she learns to eat food from a spoon and drink her liquids from a bottle/cup as she grows up. And whatever you do, don't cut the nipple on the bottle! They are the sizes they are for a reason. Bottles are not intended to be used that way nor are the nipples meant to be cut. You will go up in nipple size as she gets older and can handle more flow. But she may choke if you add solids to her formula and expect her to drink it before she's ready.
Good luck!

our ped said to start our son on cereal at 4 months and do that for a couple of weeks, then start baby food. just introduce one new food every week or 2 to be sure there are no allergies. and yes, you do mix with formula, just follow the directions on the box :-)

I would def talk to your ped. 8 weeks is too early for cereal. Her digestive tract is not ready to handle it yet. It can cause constipation (with or without iron), gas, and stomach aches. Don't believe other moms when they said it helped their babies sleep better. There are too many variables involved. Starting solids never helped my two children sleep through the night (their ages now are 2 1/2 and 18 months).

Your doctor is going to probably ask you why you want to start cereal. Be honest with him/her and yourself. If your little girl is getting formula then she is getting enough nutrition. If she still seems hungry then give her more oz at each feeding or decrease the time between feedings. My first born ate every 3 to 3 1/2 hours while my second born ate every two hours. I wonder what baby number 3 is going to be like. Now if you are trying to get her to sleep through the night just be patient. She is 8 weeks old. Again, my first did not sleep through the night until 6 months and my second 9 months. Each child is different. It is part of parenting...it isn't always easy to run on lack of sleep, but you do get through it and she will sleep through the night. Look at her sleeping conditions too. Where does she sleep...you get the idea. I'm sorry I wrote so much. Hope some of it helps.

I have heard 4-6 months with both of my kids (5 months and 3 years old). My 5 month old has been eating cereaal for a month now and is up to two veggies. I have always heard that if they are not old enough to take a spoon then they are not old enough to have solids since they should be put into a bottle with formula. I would discuss with a doctor.

Thats way too early! I started both of mine on cereal around 5 months. If you do it too early you could upset her little belly or possibly make her sick! Good luck!

Hi B.,

Nowadays most peds recommend starting solids (including cereal) at 6 months. Studies have shown that starting solids earlier than 6 months (the former recommendation was 4 months) can cause health problems in some children. The APA website has info about this. Also, look for signs that your baby is ready for solids: interest in your own meals, trying to take food off your plate, an improved pincer grasp, etc.

When she is ready, you might be able to put it in her bottle, just ask your baby's doc.

Also, I find the parenting website kellymom.com very helpful for questions like this!

Hope this is helpful!

All the pediatricians typically say to wait until 4 months. We started my little girl around 3 1/2 months. I used breastmilk to mix it the very first time and she didn't care for it to much. I started to use water and she likes that much better. In the beginning of feeding her cereal, make sure its not too thick, the consistency should be pretty runny until she gets used to eating it. Good luck!

you should wait until she is 6 months old before starting solids. Talk to your pediatrician about this at your next visit for his or her input. I would not recommend adding it to her formula, but, again, talk to your ped at your next visit. Congratulations and good luck!

Regardless of what our parents did.... The recommended age to start cereal is no earlier than 4 months old. Food, no matter what anyone tells you, will not help them sleep through the night. Their digestive systems are so small right now and should be given the opportunity to develop more before adding solids of any kind. It will happen soon enough for her that she will need more to eat, but enjoy this stage as it will never come again! Good luck.

Hey darling, cereals shouldn't be started before 5-6 months, and as for cereals in bottles, it's a no no, your baby has to make the difference between drinking and eating. I guess you are not breastfeeding right.

You can start giving cereals when your baby can hold her head AND has lost the reflex of spitting out solid food.

Take your time, formulas are made to be sufficient for babies

I don't think you're supposed to start it before 6 months. ask your ped.

This is best a question for your pediatrician. However, most docs recommend waiting to start cereal until a baby is four months old, except for special circumstances. Most babies need those four months for their digestive system to mature for cereal. When she is ready you can mix rice cereal with her formula and give it to her with a spoon, not in her bottle.

Why would you start so early? My pediatrician was adament that we not start solids until 6 months old. Cereal does not increase her sleep at night and is not necessary at this age. She receives all her nutrients and vitamins from her formula.

You need to refer to your pediatrician and parenting books for guidance on feeding.

My 'kids' are ages 21-32, and we were taught to start juices and cereals at 6 WEEKS. Now it's recommended not to give ANYTHING but formula or breast milk for 6 MONTHS. It's really up to you, but I would recommend something that I wish I'd known (as one of our kids had some kind of allergy that was probably food-induced), and that is:
Only offer one new food per week. Start with rice or barley cereal mixed with breast milk or formula and don't introduce anything new or different for AT LEAST a week (to allow time for any allergy to be recognized).

I also added cereal to our babies' milk, but that's frowned upon now. Think of all the pioneers and those currently in primitive countries who don't have doctors on every corner telling them every parenting move to make, and make your own decisions! I learned from experience (with the child who had the 'rash' as a baby) that even doctors have totally different opinions about the same issues.

With all the allergies in the world now, though (probably caused by all the pesticides, herbicides and hormones added to our foods), it's better to 'be safe than sorry' (or as another mom said, 'err on the side of caution).

Don't rush it as long as your child is happy & playful and is sleeping, eating, peeing and pooping well!

I remember someone telling me that I shouldn't give my daughter cereal until she was at least 4 months old (I am not sure if they can digest it before then). At four months old, when I did start her on the cereal, I added it to her bottle right before bedtime (you will have to cut a cross shaped slit in the nipple so that it will flow out easily). Adding it to the bottle before bedtime kept her full throughout the night and she began sleeping through the night.

Unless your doctor has instructed you to do it, it's best to wait until your child is between 4 and 6 months before starting any solids. Until that point, their digestive tract just isn't as developed as it could be, so yes, while they "could" eat cereal, it's better to wait.

There are certain circumstances that your doctor might recommend starting cereal early. (I had it happen with all four of my kids.) However, it's best to make certain your pediatrician knows before you begin solids.

That seems way too early. It's been a long time since I've had one that young, but 8 weeks seems way too young. Ask your pediatrician.

Start it! Especially if she is a pretty good size for her age, those babies need a little extra. I started early with all 5 of mine. And no none of them are at all over weight now (one side effect many say will happen). Just start with like a tablespoon to a bottle. If you use Advent bottles they have a wonderful gradual nipple that works great for cereal. It's a 3 stage nipple, will flow at 3 different rates.

Yikes! You should have a good pediatrician on the line for those questions. Your doctor will tell you a resounding NO. The earliest they will say to use cereal is 4 months but I started my kids at almost 6 months.

Cereal is empty calories. It has no real nutrition beyond the vitamins they put in them (which are less than in the formula). You baby needs fat and calories that you will only find in milk.

If your baby is fussy and having trouble sleeping at night this is normal for an 8 week old. Baby's don't typically sleep well until 6 months old. Hang in there. Fussyness is commonly caused by reflux and is easily treated by your doctor.

Also, check out the "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD. I've found it on you tube and other sites but you can get it from the library too. That will teach you how to get your baby to stop crying and sleep well.

Hi B.,

I was always told by the pediatrician and started my children at 4 months. I believe 8 weeks may be too soon. And I suggest mixing the formula into the cereal and feed her that way rather than adding it to the formula. She will need to get used to eating so start with very thin cereal, about the consistency of formula and then every week or so make it a little thicker. But personally, I would wait until she is about 4 months old.

Best wishes!
T.