When Do You Introduce Cereal in Baby's Bottle or Spoon Feed?

There is a link between food allergies and starting kids on solids to early (this includes ceral in bottles). You son should be eating every four hours if he is eating more often its because he is either hungy or wants attention. he should take at least 6 to 8 onces per feeding. If he is hungry sooner give him one once not more and try hold him off to the four hour pont. Get the book "twelve hours sleep by twelve weeks" by Suzy Goirdano. Try to make sure his largest feeding is that last feeding of the night. I breast feed both my boy. Found to book before my second was born and he was sleeping though the night by 8 weeks. I didn't have th book and my first son would not sleep through the night until he was weel into eating solid also he was not on a schedule. I did try the ceral in the bottle with the first and it not only did not work but caused severe gastic distress because he was not able to digest it. The American Academy of Pediatics does not recommend intoducing solid food till six months of age. I did start my second on soldis at five months. Either way if you have doubts contact your peditrician. Hopefull they have a meidcal adive hotline or an ask the nusre hotline.

Solids aren't generally recommended until 6 months, but I think that some babies do need them a little sooner. Formula isn't really good for babies, but if you are not able to breastfeed, then that is your only option. I would check with your pediatrician for the safest solids to start with. It is recommended to do only one new food a week. For some reason people think cereal is the first food to be introduced, but I believe the thinking has changed on that based on more current information. At this age your baby should be fed on demand, and he needs to be able to sit up on his own before eating solids.

Hi A.

If he is that hungry after only two and a half hours you need to increase his formula. If he is eating 6 oz everytime its alright to increase to 8 oz. I also had one of these hungry little guys and we learned to just give him a teaspoon or two of some baby cereal spoon fed using breast milk as the liquid and he soon was sleeping longer and going at least 4 hours in between. This son is now 23 year old fireman/paramedic and skinny like a stick. Some kids just have a higher metabolism. Think of it this way if you were breast feeding you wouldn't know how much formula he was getting you would feed him till he didn't want more right? Don"t worry about the amount so much as does he seem satisfied.
Reading some of the other responses I would have to add this; Breast milk or formula whichever works for you and your baby. I breast fed my first but the next two I used formula. All survived. Don't feel guilty for formula. Someone said something about the enzymes bothering the children, nothing was wrong with my son so he obviously could take it. A wise woman once told me that my children would grow up in spite of me.

First congradulations on your son. Many ped's will try to tell you not to give him cereal yet but all kids are different.

Never! There is no reason to use cereal if you wait until the recommended 6 month mark to start solids. Size and weight have NOTHING to do with readiness for solids, only time makes a baby's "open gut" close and at that point they are ready for solids. Cereal is nothing but stripped down grain with a few nutrients added back in. It's meant to "teach" 4-month old babies how to eat because they aren't ready yet and their natural tongue reflex pushes the food out over and over until they learn how to over come it - or you can just wait until 6 months and the reflex goes away on it's own! Babies need nothing but breastmilk or formula for the first year. Solids are started at 6 months or later only to teach babies about new tastes and textures and ready them for when they get most of their nutrition from solids after a year.
You NEVER NEVER NEVER put cereal in a bottle. It's not good for their digestive systems to get it too early and can lead to stomach problems and allergies for the rest of their lives. My husband is a perfect example of this. His parents were told that because he was a "big baby" he NEEDED cereal at 6 weeks. He still has digestive issues to this day.
Up the amount of formula you feed if you have to, but don't start solids too early, you will be harming your son. Cereal is undigestable and just sits in the stomach taking up space so you are actually STARVING a baby when you start solids early because their body thinks they are full but they aren't getting any real nutrients from food. Some babies can go longer in between meals with solids, but if they are started at the right time, most don't go longer. A good indication that your child isn't ready for solids is if they all of a sudden sleep a long time or don't need to be fed again for quite a while. It means they haven't digested the food you gave them.
Here is what you are waiting for (babies need to attain the first 3, the weight depends on size at birth):
~6 months old
~can sit unassisted in a highchair and eat from a spoon or by hand (reclined in a highchair doesn't count, they must be sitting up)
~shows interest in your food when sitting at the family meal (pretends to chew, plays with a spoon, watches you put food in your mouth etc...)
~doubled birth weight

Good Luck:) You've still got 3 months of big bottles before you should add any solids.

P.S. Another option? Relactate and breastfeed in between bottles so he's not getting so many chemicals and you don't have to spend so much.

A.,
My son was also a chunk when he was little (he was 9lbs 3oz at birth). I had to up his formula to 6 oz by 1 month because he was eating every 3 hrs. I started giving him cereal(off a spoon) at 4 weeks because the formula was not enough. He did excellent but all kids are different. I have heard not to put the cereal in the bottle. Ask your ped and see what they say. My son is almost 8 now and is still a big boy! Good Luck!

Since all of the other moms have already pointed out that it isn't a good idea to put cereal in the bottle, I'll leave that one alone. I wanted to share with you, though, that I have a cousin who was eating 8 oz every 2 hrs at about a month and a half. He is 4 now and still a big eater, maybe your son is, too. I would increase the amount and/or frequency of feeding. Good luck!
~J.

I introduced cereal in my son's bottle around 3 months. I usually gave it to him twice a day, once in the morning and then at night. When I gave it to him in the morning I usually tried to spoon feed it to him. When I have it to him at night, it would be his last bottle for the night. I noticed that it helped him sleep a lot better too because he was hungry within the next 2-3 hours. I don't think it will hurt him. He sounds like a healthy boy and healthy boys have bigger appetites than others. You should do what you think is best for him. Good luck!

To each his own, but most pediatricians do not recommend putting cereal in a bottle unless there are some other medical issues (excessive spitting up/reflux).

And, although many moms will SWEAR that adding more food helps the baby sleep better at night there really is no link between food and sleep. Sleeping longer stretches during the night is a developmental issue not a hunger issue.

The best thing to do would be to discuss your concerns with your pediatrician who knows your baby's health history and can make recommendations regarding his nutrition. Your baby might be ready for cereal at 4 months, but in most cases introducing cereal too early can lead to digestive problems and potential food allergies.

When my oldest son was about 6wks old my friend noticed that I was nursing very couple of hours. She said that I should give him some cereal....The doctor said not to at that early of an age. After a couple more weeks of no sleep... I gave the cereal a go... Boy, did it make a big difference in our sleep. I gave him cereal at night. By about 6 months old he was eatting off my plate at dinner. If your gut tells you to give the cereal a try... go for it. You can try spoon feeding him... if he doesn't do well with that...mix a little in his bottle... you will need to use a cross-cut nipple. The smaller the cut the slower the cereal will come out... so you may have to play around with it to make sure your son doesn't choke 'cause the cereal comes out too fast. Good luck and congratulations on your "big" boy

Hi A.,

I know the temptation to give them cereal early to sustain them longer. but I have learned, from a nurse, that they do not have the enzymes necessary to digest the cereal until they are at least 4 months old. Babies go thru growth spurts and their sleeping patterns always change. I know you would love to have FULL nights sleep. but enjoy every moment, which it seems you are. Maybe just increase the amount of formula he is getting or maybe change his formula. I wonder if that would help.

Continue to enjoy your little one! THey really do grow so very quickly.

A little about me....I am a SAHM of 4. Oldest is 18 1/2 years and youngest is 2 1/2 years old.

Honestly, I've heard it both ways. We were told by our ped not to give our dd cereal until she was 4 months old. She wasn't really interested until 5 mos. I've heard that giving cereal too early can cause all kinds of problems with tummy and digestion. I have a very good friend that was in the exact same predicament as you. Her son was a big boy and he LOVED to eat (still does and he's 1 1/2). He would chug a full bottle and still want more. She started putting cereal in his bottle (against doctor's advice) and he was much more satisfied. BUT...he had some real problems with digestion. He was a puker until he was one and he was always constipated. I don't know if the puking had anything to do with the cereal, I just know it didn't make it any better! He's still a big boy, in the 100th percentile for weight, and still eats a ton. My question for you is why does he have to wait exactly 3 hours to eat? If he's hungry at 2 1/2, why not feed him? Every kid is different, and they get hungry at different times. If he's hungry, then feed him! Don't worry so much about the clock!

Although you might think he needs cereal right now I would not introduce it until he is almost 6 months. The longer you wait for the introduction on cereal the better off he will be.
He might be ready for an 8 ounce bottle but check with your dr. I think you need to talk to your dr or nurse to see what to do.
Now each child is different. I have three and the first two were not intrested in cereal but the third one we intrested way earlier than we wanted to give it to him but we held off and it seems to have helped a lot.
The other thing to look at to see if cereal is the okay to give to him is if he is showing an interest in what you are eating and if he is sitting up on his own. Those are some things your dr might tell you as signs to look for to know he is ready for cereal. But call your dr.

Hi A.. At 3 months, your son is probably going through a growth spurt, which is why he's wanting to eat more often. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests starting infants on cereal at 6 months. Cereal is a way for your baby to get used to the textures of solid food, so it's unnecessary to put it in a bottle. In fact, I always heard that you shouldn't put cereal in a bottle. Water, juice, and other foods(cereal) are usually unnecessary during a baby's first 6 months. Breast milk or formula provides everything babies need nutritionally until they start eating solid foods. Good luck.

A.,
My daughter was 2 months when I introduced cereal, and she was spoon fed. The doctor suggested this because she wanted to nurse every 1-2 hours! I couldn't do it anymore and I needed to sleep! However she only weighed about 11 lbs at the time. The cereal did fill her up and I didn't have to nurse as much. But some doctors are different. Another doc in the same practice did not agree, but I went with my gut and followed the first doc's advice.
I have a 6 week old right now who is a chunk himself but with the same eating pattern. I am going to talk to the doc at his 2 month visit because I am concerned about his weight, but am considering cereal again, since it worked for my daughter. I would call your doc, explain the sitation, and see what he suggests.
I also want to say that I have some friends who had a very large baby. They kept upping the formula instead of giving him something to eat. He weighs about 35 pounds, more than my 3 year old at the age of 1 1/2. I don't do formula but I have been told, by my mom, it can really put on the weight. I'd ask your doc about that too. Formula is needed but if he is still hungry, he needs something else. Good luck to you!

Your child should not have solids of any kind until at least 6 months. Young infants still have what is called an open gut. Their little bodies are not yet ready for solid foods. If your child seems to be eating more often right now, it is likely that he is going through a growth spurt. I know it can see frustrating right now, but he will even out his eating. If it becomes a serious concern with his eating, or if he seems to be gaining too much weight, see his doctor. They may have you change his formula.

His little tummy is not mature enough to handle cereal yet. While it may seem to satisfy him a little more, in the long run it could do more damage than good. I started all 3 of mine on cereal at 5 months (with advice from the pediatrician) and I never put it into a bottle. The purpose of infant cereal is to help babies learn to move solid food around and through their mouths. If you give it in the bottle, he won't get that opportunity.

If your baby is hungry, feed him more formula. Soon he will be drinking 8oz and it will keeo going up. Don't worry about it unless your doctor says there is cause for concern. But, if the baby was 10 pounds when he was born, he should be 20 at six months. So, it sounds reasonable to me that he is as hungry as he is.