Rice Cereal, Etc.

Hi C.
I am an real older Mom with Grandkids
I started giving them cereal at 2 weeks, I would give it to them first feeding in the morning and before 6 p.m, that way it won't make them gassy, also if the baby don't like it, try adding a little fruit(bananas, peaches) any kind of baby fruit and for the constipation, try giving the baby some baby prune juice, might not like it but if you can get the baby to drink it, it will work, dilute it with water,
hope this helps
C.

FWIW, I believe strongl that unless your child has a special medical problem, solid foods should wait until such a time that the child can naturally get that food into his or her mouth and eat it. They need to be able to sit up themselves, get their hands to their mouths, and they need teeth! Most kids are older than six months for that.

I have to admit that I don't know anything about whether formula is enough for babies after a certain age. I only know about breastfed babies, who often stay fat and happy until eight or nine months before they start to naturally want to try other foods.

Popular first foods are mashed banana and sweet potato. Baby can eat small, soft chunks himself, lick the mash off his fingers, or you can use a spoon.

Dear C.,

Is your son a healthy size and weight? Is he digesting his milk well and does he have regular bowel movements? Most naturopathic doctors advise beginning food introduction at around 6 months of age and it is usually fine and even better to wait. If you're interested in learning more about infant food introduction, we offer a one hour class in April at Life Sculpting, www.lifesculpting.biz.

C.,

I started putting the rice cereal in my sons bottle at 3 months. I started out with 1tbs and increased it from there. He slept through the night almost immediately and is 10 months now and is doing great. Some say not to put it in the bottle, but it helped his develop healthy sleeping habbits that are such a necessity to his development. As he got older and the amount of cereal increased, I cut the nipple a little to allow it to come out easier. I also mixed it with his veggies and fruits throughout the day when he started solids to make sure he got enough iron. He hated the taste if the cereal alone so I had to "sweeten" it up a little!

Hope that helps!

I never put rice celreal in the bottle but I started spoon feeding it at about 4 months. Ask your Dr. what s/he thinks. That is how we knew when to start.

Do not rush to get your son eating baby food to keep up with what our friends are doing. Well-meaning grandmas, moms, and parents, friends etc. just give advice based on what they did (which may not be good for today, or for your baby's specific needs). Adding rice to cereal in bottle is an old wives tail that has no merit. My son was breastfed the first six months with no solid food and he slept great!

If you introduce food too soon it can cause allergies and other digestive issues like constipation. (My nephew had food at 2 months and now he has to take medicine to make him poop (he is now 5). Listen to your doctor!

Other considerations are that babies need to show interest in the food and have lost their gag reflex. Babies have a natural gag reflex that is usually gone by 6 months allowing them to eat solids.

My son was 25+ pounds (a big boy) and he ate like there was no tomorrow and we started solids at 6 monts. My daughter couldn't eat solid foods until about 7 or 8 months because she had a gag reflex that hung on for a while (she could only eat pureed food until age 1). Each child is different so you may need to adjust to meet their needs. This is not a one size fits all answer.

Enjoy breast or bottle feeding...food is messy anyway!

I had 5 boys and a girl. Most of them were content to wait until four months old, but I had one that seemed to be hungry all the time (he was my biggest baby). I started him with the rice cereal at 3 months. If the baby were just sucking to suck and not to eat, then you could wait, but your baby seems to actually be hungry. Feed him - not too much at first, because it doesn't take much cereal to satisfy in the beginning.

i have 4 children. i first started giving them cereal in with their bottles of formula if they seemed to be always hungry. then somewhere around 3-4 mo. or whenever they were able to spoon feed i started them on regular cereal. its kinda just trial and error. only you can know when your son is ready and what he needs.

Hi C.,

I think it is interesting that they recommend starting children on rice cereal later now. My children are 19. 17, 15 and 14. At the time they used to say start them at 2 months! I did and it wasn't a problem at all and they are all very healthy and have no food allergies. Just FYI, it won't hurt them to start them earlier. Take care.

J. in Mesa

My daugther will be five months on March 25th and I started her on rice cereal at 4mos. She's doing great..Her doctor said no earlier than 4mos..but do your research.

God Bless!

Hi C.,

I have two kids. A 5 year old and 3 month old baby. I started mine w/cereal @ 2 months. But I only did this @ night time when it was their last feeding for the night, this way they will stay full longer & sleep longer. The doctors do say 4 months but my mom told me sometimes babies are just too hungry to wait to 4 months. I will put the rice in their bottle w/their milk, this way it is thicker but not to thick where it looks like the cerearl.

At 4 months is when I started feeding by spoon to my 5 year old when he was a baby. I plan to do the same w/my 3 month old daughter. For now she just gets it in her bottle & she stays full longer.

I think you should definitely try cereal in the bottle if your son is eating 6 ounces w/up to 6 bottles a day. My daughter averages about 4 bottles a day. But every baby is different.

I wish you the best & I hope the cereal will help you w/your baby. =)

My daughter was the same way. She was always hungry. I started putting rice cereal like 1/4 teaspoon - 1/2 teaspoon in her bottles at about 3 months. She is 4 now and fine, still very active and still has a hefty appetite.

My children are 36, 30, 28 and 26 with 11 grandchildren. I have heard it all and tried a lot. I have also had a day care and am now working as a nanny. I am also in the health care field as a natural health healer. A baby's digestive system takes awhile to mature. Giving them solids before this time invites allergies and other problems. Waiting until 6 months or beyond is really best for baby. Brown rice cereal is much higher in nutrition than white. Avocado, mashed and thinned with water or milk, is another good first food. Cooked sweet potato, mashed and thinned, also, is another, if baby is about 6 months. Other cereals can be made by grinding the whole grain in a blender for 2 minutes, then added slowly to boiling water, stirring often, cooking for 10 min. Thin with water or milk to feed baby. Millet (a perfect first food), buckwheat, and quinoa are excellent choices, too. Your son has a hearty appetite, but 36 oz a day is not unusual. Starting him on foods his digestive system is not ready for has the potential for other problems later. Size is not a determination for starting a young baby on food. My youngest weighed over 10 lbs at birth and didnt start eating solids until almoet a year old, being fully breastfed. She is my healthiest child, even today. Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food book covers all the info anyone needs about feeding baby, when, what, how. (I very much disagree with her advice to microwave the food to heat it, but otherwise, it is a super book)