Too Early for Cereal?

J. - I am a 49 year old mother of 2 and grandmother of 3. I stared both of my girls on cereal long before the dctors said to. As a matter of fact, the oldest one was 6 weeks old when she got her first taste of "real" food. She was like your dauhter, she would sit and watch the "big" people eat and her little mouth would be working as if she could taste it! My Aunt took mashed potatoes and mixed gravy in them to a soupy consistancy. My daughter cried because she couldn't get the food fast enough! I used Gerber baby cereal in the jars. They add bananas and applesauce to the cereal for flavor. I always started them on the rice cereal - it is easier for their little systems to digest. With the youngest - who is now 10 ears old - I added the dry cereal to her bottle bedfore bedtime. She slept like a log!!!! She did not get to try "real" food until she was 6 months old. Then she started eatting babyfood and she has been healthy and happy since. And neither one of them has ever had any food allergies. As a matter of fact, I have never had any problems getting them to eat veggies either. The youngest does not like raw carrots - she prefers carrots cooked. The oldest- that got the potatoes and gravy, to this day, her favorite meal is beef roast with potatoes and carrots.

I understand why doctors are hesitant to start kids on cereal and foods earlier - but I will be 50 in 6 days and my mama started all of her kids on cereal and foods early - and we are all still alive, kicking and healthy! I hope this helps! Try it and go with your daughters reaction. If she doesn't like it, trust me, she will let you know!!!!

1 mom found this helpful

J., well i had 3 kids and each were different as to when they ate cereal, one of my kids wanted it early too, drs can only give standards, not everyone follows standards, some are hungrier than others, its ok to feed your child if they are hungry , your instincts tell you so, usually if you feel you need to do it, then you do, one of my kids definitely ate cereal early, however going it a bit earlier, does make for harder stools, and it is harder for their little bodies to poop out a hard turd, so if youfeel they need the food, give it to them but know their little bodies, andknow how it reacts to things, either way enjoy life, and follow your instincts, D. s

1 mom found this helpful

Go for it. Try the mixed grain or oatmael though. The rice could bind. Keep it soft and liquidy Do what you think your baby can handle. Every baby is different.
S. S

No, it's not. just water it down a lot with her formula until she gets the hang of it. I'd start with rice cereal first.

i would try just a little may be every other night or so then by 4 months start every night

Always listen to the doctor. There are some things that you as a parent know in your heart what is right for your child but in this case, you are talking about the gag reflex. I read in almost every book and according to my doc as well. There are very good reasons why they tell you to do things at certain ages. There gag reflex might not be as strong.

J.,

Many doctors believe that the digestive system is not ready for food until 6 months. I would recommend waiting.

K.

I'd wait and follow the research! 4 months is really pushing it already, so 3 just doesn't seem right. Its more about what their digestive system is ready for and also allergy stuff. Be patient, she'll get there soon! :)

The way it was explained to me when my kids were small, is the digestive track is lined with cilia, tiny hair like appendages that are what actually pull the nutrients out of food. Babies do not develop this until at least 6 months of age, which is why it is best to hold off on solids until then. They just pass through their little systems. As for waiting for teeth to erupt, if i would have waited for that to be an indicator of readiness, my first 3 would not have eaten solids til at least 15 months of age, when they cut their very first teeth lol. They all walked before they cut teeth :)
My advice would be to listen to your doctor, and do as he says.

I think she would be fine. If you feel like your feeding her all the time cereal will fill her up. I am not really sure on how old she should be but I pretty much followed the 4 month rule with my girls.

i would not give her cereal, though many moms have including friends of mine. but i breastfed my babies and didn't intoduce ceral well into their 5th or 6th month, i didn't start jar food untill almost 7 or 8 months and they never starved

there is no reason to give your baby cereal. For the first year all of the nutrition comes from breast milk or formula. They do not need food.

Food in the first year is just practice for eating.

Just because the baby watches you eat it does not mean she needs to eat.

Keep her on breastmilk or formula until she is 5 or 6 month old.

I know you think it will be fun to feed her food - but it is really unnecessary and will fill her up with food that is not as nutritious as breast milk or formula.

No! I've always been told to wait until six months. Babies are physically unable to digest solids properly before then. I guess go with four months if your doctor say it's ok. If you really research everything, then you would know to wait. Why are you in such a hurry? They grow up SO fast! Don't rush it!

Do what feels right for you. "The rules" are based on general knowledge, not specific to any one person or family. Pediatricians are the same way. They have opinions and that's all they are, just opinions. Change pediatricians and you'll get a different opinion. I stuck to all the rules with my kids. Most of my friends did not. Their kids are happy, healthy and well adjusted just like mine. When you feed yor kids cereal will have very little, if any, impact on their lives.

I have never seen a baby 'ruined' by cereal...no matter what time it was given. It's my opinion that other factors contribute to allergies and problems more than cereal. We had to add cereal to formula for our last baby b/c it's the only way he could keep it down. Do what your mommy instincts tell you, God gave them to you for a reason! :) If baby doesn't like it or isn't ready, they'll let you know.

~L.

My son is a big boy, so I thought he'd be interested in food much sooner than my daughter (she was never interested in baby food, and never got any cereal-- bananas were her first food). Wrong. I tried rice cereal at 4.5 months and he just wasn't interested and it was only making me frustrated. I kept trying food, but he really only just became interested in the last month (he's 8 months old now).
Our pediatrician gave us some food-readiness signs to look for:
Waking more often at night to eat (not to be confused with a growth spurt, which happens around 3 months) and going shorter times between feedings during the day because breastmilk or formula isn't satisfying, more interest in what YOU are eating, such as following the fork with her eyes, etc.
Our pediatrician wasn't opposed to feeding solids (yes, cereal IS a solid, and doesn't have to be the first food) before 6 months, but told us to just keep an eye out for food readiness.
Neither of my kids were ready for food (cereal, fruits, veggies, whatever) until AFTER 6 months, and I was just making myself upset and frustrated by trying to feed them before they were ready. (Trust me, this readiness thing is something you'll encounter again around age 2, when YOU think your child should be potty training, but she could care less...)
Good luck! You know your child best.
P.S. About the food allergies thing: my oldest nephew was allergic to dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy as an infant. His younger brother got cereal from 2-3 months due to severe reflux and didn't develop ANY allergies.

I agree with many of the others. Wait until 6 mos and give her tiny body time to grow and mature to be ready for things besides breastmilk or formula. On my daughters 6 mo birthday we started out with homemade baby food. From what I've read babies don't really absorb much from the cereals anyway. They're only little for such a small amount of time.

I'm not exactly sure why it's a 4 month rule. Our youngest got cereal from the time she was 2 weeks old to help with the reflux. I'm pretty sure we gave our oldest cereal before 4 months as well. They are both healthy, well adjusted and don't have any allergies (and they are 3 & 5). If you do start on the cereal start with Rice for a while and then move to another single grain cereal. I would say that it is probably okay to start in small amounts.

Way too early!!!!!!!! Wait until 6 months.....
I know its exciting to have them eat 'real' food but they dont need it, can't digest it and will give them tummy ache. I waited til 6 months for my three and they were so ready by then and made for a very happy and fulfilling experience.
Good Luck

Why rush it? My son was a big eater, but I stil waited. I didn't want to run the higher risk of allergies, etc. I know that many people don't wait, but I did.

Personally, my doc advised us about the 4 and 6 mos rules (4 mos for cereal and 6 mos for baby food). She recommended these primarily because of the reason that apparently the earlier you start foods, the more common food allergies will be later in life. However, I started my son on 1/2 tablespoon cereal once a day when he was about 3 1/2 mos old. He's almost 5 mos old now, and up to 2 tablespoons in the morning and 1 tablespoon at night.
I would go with your gut. Any questioning about it...you should wait another couple of weeks...and what's 2 or 3 more weeks anyway right?!

J.,

Congratulations on becoming a mom for the first time! How exciting this time is for you and your family. As a mother of two, let me tell you that neither of my kids took that long to get on cereal so you're doing great! I suggest you make your own decision, and just know that you made the best decision for you and the baby. Just don't give too much cereal if you decide to do so. Too much can cause constipation. My son was on cereal right before he was 2 months, because at 9.1lbs he was eating 6 ounces in a month at the latest. My daughter was probably on cereal a few weeks after before 3 months.

Have you considered giving her more formula? Is she eating too often to make you think she needs cereal now? Or is she not sleeping through the night? Try asking yourself these things if you haven't already before making your decision. If she's sleeping well through the night, doesn't vomit alot, eats every 3-4 hours and not every 2 hours then I wouldn't put her on cereal just yet.

Congratulations again and the best of luck to you!

Take care,

A.

Our pediatrician recommended waiting until 4 months and that's what we did. HOWEVER, if we have another child, I would just add it to the bottle at about 3 months. If your child is always eating and seems hungry, I don't think 1 scoop is going to hurt things.

I broke the 4 month rule with my son... He didn't suckle well <he has special needs>. He didn't digest the cereal well as itself <where you mix in some formula or B.M.> so I mixed bits of cereal into his bottle, so what he was getting filled him up a bit more. That was easier on his system and he did seem more satisfied...
You'd be better off chatting with your little ones pediatrician to make sure. Cause you'll get so many different opinions here.

J.,
The only reason that I would give your daughter cereal is if she is having troulbe sleeping throught the night. This will give her more to go on and will help her to sleep through the night without getting hungary. From what you are telling us she is doing well and developing well. Her watching you is good giving her good exercise with her eyes but it doesn't mean that she wants to eat what your eating. I had 4 children of my own and they are all grown now and doing good. Don't need to rush her eating not unless she is having trouble sleeping and not satisfied with her milk. Hope this helps you. Pam

The best rule of thumb when it comes to giving children any solid food is whether or not they have any teeth. The teeth begin to erupt when a childs digestive system has had proper time to develped and has all the necessary chemicals to digest the food. Babies are not born with fully functioning digestive systems adn need time to finish developing. If she doesn't have teeth, I would wait until she does.

Yours in health and wellness
B. G, DC(doctor of chiropractic)

Way too early! You say she won't even be 3 months until tomorrow? Why are you in such a hurry? Your doctor already told you to wait until 4 months, so why are you trying to find someone else to tell you it's okay to do something else?

Hi J.,

Don't be in such a rush. For the first year of life, baby should be getting the MAJORITY of calories and nutrients from either breastmilk or formula. Many sources of information, including sites like askdrsears.com recommend waiting until 6 months to start any solid food. There is research to indicate that their tiny tummies can not handle anything other than milk before 6 months and starting it too early can lead to problems when they are older; irritable bowel syndrom, digestive issues, etc...

There is really no need to start solids any earlier. I'm still amazed that there are pediatricians out there that are recommending starting solids earlier then 6 months. Even the World Health Organization promotes exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months.

Don't rush it. Baby will be eating solids in no time. Yes, she may be watching you...but she is at the age where her world is opening up. She can see further then 12 inches in front of her face and she is noticing more and more around her. It doesn't necessarily mean she wants your food...she's just observing.

Give her digestive system a real chance at developing and being able to handle something other than milk... you will thank yourself later.

I'd say give it a try. It sounds like she's totally interested in trying new foods and learning new skills. If she not interested, she'll let you know.

You might want to start out giving her some of the sweeter veggies too...(pureed of course). My little guy loved the cereal a lot more when there were carrot, squash or sweet potatoes mixed in.

I would say wait. She will show an interest in what you do but it doesn't mean she's ready to do it yet. When my oldest was a baby the rule was 4 months but by the time my second came along it had changed to 6 months. I would say at least wait until 4 months, her little stomach cannot digest it yet, she's too young.

You know, every doctor has their own rule when it comes to solid food and babies. I started both my kids on rice cereal at three months. Not only were they ready for it, they both loved it! Not to mention it kept them full longer. Which is a big blessing at night! I suppose it depends on the baby, but I say give it a try! The rice cereal is so mild. And when you mix it, it does thin and get soupy as it sits. Just fyi.
Good luck!

Babies really don't need anything other than breastmilk/formula for the first year. The sooner you introduce other foods, the bigger chance baby has for developing allergies. Some allergies don't show themselves until adulthood. 2 of my 3 had no food until a year, only breastmilk. None of them have allergies
(they are 30, 27 and 25 now) and I can count on one hand how many times they have had antibiotics, even as adults. There are many views on this, but what's the rush? Babyhood is so short, savor it! Congrats and good luck!

I didn't feed cereal to either of my kids until they were 6 months. I was told that it is just a filler until that age so it is a little deceiving. They don't absorb any of the nutrients from the cereal until 6 months because their digestive system is not mature enough. The formula or breastmilk is much better for them to be full of, rather than cereal in my opinion.
I guess it is whatever you feel comfortable doing. Good luck with your baby girl. They grow up too fast so enjoy these days with her as much as you can.

yes, 3 mos is too early. babies digestive system is not ready for it. Breastfeeding is enought. A great book is The Baby Book by Dr. William Sears, it has a great schedule of when to feed (I waited to after 9 mos) and also what foods are good. Also a reason to wait, increase in foods allergies if food is introduced too soon.

Good Luck
J.

I can TOTALLY understand wanting to feed your baby cereal! I was the same way. He really watched us eating and I started to feel bad!

BUT, it's hardly worth it. They are really hard to feed at that age...such a mess!...and if you make it a habit, it becomes harder than dealing with a bottle.
If you really want to try it, do it once but I wouldn't make a habit of it. I wish I had held off a little longer and not pushed it. They aren't ready for it and don't really need it...I think it's our own anxiousness to make a "big step" that pushes us to it.

Hope you figure it all out!

I'd say it's too early and there's no point to it. When my kids were little, this was recommended but now the thinking is different, and I postponed solids with my last one till the 2nd half of her first year and it went very well. That's my experience.

If you think she's ready, try it. My kids did fine with it. Good luck! :)

Hi there! Hold off, J.. It's about her digestive system being ready - which it's not. They'll be lots of time for cereal - just wait til you get the a ok from your pediatrician.

Congrats on the baby - how fun! I bet she's just a doll and such a joy for you both!

You should be able to start her on a little bit of cereal.

according to all the research I've done it really is best to wait until they are 6 months to start cereal. that beng said, my grandma insists that by 3 months babies should have cereal so they sleep through the night... despite what grandma says I fed my daughter breastmilk until 6 months, she is pretty much the healthiest eater now, so I know I did something right. I am due next month with #2 and plan to exclusivly breastfeed her for the first 6 months too.
It is fun to feed them, but why rush it? My favorite part of babys is holding their bottles and gazeing into their little eyes.