Did I Start Feeding My Baby Too Early?

It isn't recommended to put in bottles, and yes, it's a little early. Try waiting a few more months, her little digestive system is still developing and may have a hard time digesting it.

yes, you started to early, and her belly is probaly trying to tell you. wait till 6 months. and NEVER give it in the bottle, that is from like 30-40 years ago, no one does that. if she cant eat from a spoon, she is too young to have it. and what you put in the bottle was way too much. you start out feeding them a little bit but it may only be a teaspoon the first week. by putting it in the bottle, you dont allow her to say "full".

and also, you really shouldnt start solids at night. if there are any problems or reactions either you wont notice or she wont get any sleep.

You have definitely started her too soon and in the absolute wrong way, as well. Really, she can go until six months with no solids...and then, you ought to be serving them off a spoon and not in a bottle. The myth that this cereal in a bottle will help her sleep through the night is unfounded. You can damage underdeveloped intestines by introducing food too early and predispose your child to certain allergies and other conditions.

I don't mean to be harsh (at all! I promise!) but I have made mistakes with both my children when it comes to how to do all this and have learned some valuable lessons.

yes, you started too early and caused inflammation and irritation of her GI tract. Stop the cereal, which should never be in a bottle anyways... and wait until about 6 months when her GI tract is mature enough to handle nutrition other than breastmilk (or formula).

There's no problem in having tried, but I wouldn't give her rice in her bottles again. I would hold off for at least another month and then I would give it to her from a bowl in a spoon. I'm not a fan of putting it into bottles to begin with because it's a choking hazard and makes the milk far too thick. It also keeps the baby from absorbing nutrients that are necessary for growth and development.

Another reason that people don't realize that babies will sleep longer at night if they're given a rice bottle at bed time is because they're not digesting that cereal. Their digestive system is so immature that it's sitting like a lump in their belly making them feel full. When they poop it out, they're pooping out the whole cereal. It hasn't been used by the body. And unfortunately, because the baby felt "full" she misses the feedings that she actually needed during the night because she slept through them.

It sounds to me from her non-stop screaming in pain reaction as if her gut is still far too immature to digest the cereal. Pay attention to that. That's why the AAP recommendation has been to wait until 4-to-6 months with the emphasis on 6 months for breastfed babies.

But now you know. You don't have to continue giving it to her, and you don't have to feel badly. It's not a failure, it's just "let's wait, she has plenty of time, she's ONLY four months and there's no rush." She doesn't need the cereal. She needs the milk.

I was told not to give DD solids til 6 months and not in the bottle. Personally, I wouldn't push it. Breastmilk is primary til 1 yr and even when she does do more solids, she should always nurse or have a bottle of pumped milk FIRST. Get the nutrition in. And have you tasted rice cereal? Ugh. We quickly went to oatmeal after DD got the hang of cereal.

I wouldn't beat yourself up, but I don't think she really needs cereal right now. If she seems hungry, nurse her again. Supply = demand and around 6 mo. expect a growth spurt. It'll work out. I'm sure.

You didn't do anything wrong. It may be too soon for your daughter but lots of other babies are fine starting early. So don't beat yourself up, just back off a little and see if that helps.

Call pedie if she doesn't calm down and let them advise you. Don't be afraid you are disturbing the doc.

Don't beat yourself up, but yes - for your daughter, it's too early. You probably started her thinking that the rice would fill her up and she'd sleep longer at night, right? I hate to say it, but there's no actual evidence that it works. People say that their kids started sleeping longer after they started solids (especially rice cereal) but that's because their kids were at an age where they were going to start sleeping longer at night anyways.

So, like everyone else I'd advise you to stop the rice cereal immediately. Your daughter's GI tract isn't ready and she's either bloating, or getting constipated or having gas. Not fun for a little baby! Try again in two or three months. And there's no need to start with rice cereal, which can be hard to digest. You can start with any food - sweet potatoes, carrots, whatever you want.

Oh my, sorry to hear about your little baby screaming in pain....It's easy to doubt yourself and your every decision over a reaction like this when you 'hear' about other parents starting something as benign as rice cereal early.

I would recommend you stop the cereal - obviously and don't repeat that tonight.

It's quite possible that the cereal is causing bloating, and not digesting well and therefore this intense unhappiness. It's also possible that this reaction could be something more severe.

If your baby does not stop screaming soon, and nothing calms her or soothes her, then I'd recommend you call the doctor tonight still.

Ditto LL - there IS a reason not to start foods too early. Their little tummies, digestive tract, and immune system is too immature for some - not all. So better to be safe, than sorry.

check her head to toe for a hair wrapped around a digit.

also see if slight squeezing causes any change in the screaming

also try putting her in a sitting position on your lap and "burping" her lower back. Babies don't like passing gas and need a little help sometimes

Try swaddling her

then google "5 S's" for more suggestions on how to calm a baby (these work great - use them myself)

My pediatrician said no earlier than 6 months old because baby's tummy isn't able to digest "solids" until that point.

My guess is that the rice constipated her, rub her tummy and hold her legs up to help her pass the stool

Some kids can start eating cereal at 4 months, so don't beat yourself up. She may be constipated from it. I would stop it for a while before starting again. My first 2 kids were started at 4 months with sweet potatos. They both hated the cereal. my 16 week old isn't quite ready yet. she hasn't lost that tongue thrust thing. Stop for a little while and try again in a week or two.

YES! Never start with grains either. Wait till she's about 7-8months and feed her from a spoon.

yes-generally 6 months is the starting point-and with yellow veggies first.

My son started solids at 4 months. I tried it and he is doing great. I didn't start with cereals first. I gave him sweet potatos, carrots, apples, bananas. I waited with my daughter till she was 5 months old. He just had his 4 month check up and the Dr told me to start the cereal. He was having alot of problems with spit up. I mean like really bad. Not your normal spit up. We tried per the dr to put the rice cereal in the formula to try to thicken it up but he just wouldn't take it. I made sure that it went through the nipple also. So after that didn't work I tried the baby food on my own and he is doing alot better. I give him about 1/2 the container, sometimes he eats the whole thing and then give him 4 oz of formula. The baby food is helping him to keep the milk down. Because he is only 4 1/2 months I only give him the baby food twice a day. The DR told me to start 3 times a day when he hits 5 months. The Dr also told me that he has acid reflux. I wanted to try to avoid meds if I could. The baby food is really helping with that.
Every baby is different. Maybe she is not ready for the rice cereal yet and you should wait another couple of weeks and try again. But try giving it to her with a spoon and try some baby food also. Maybe she just doesn't like the rice. My daughter didn't like it either and now my son doesn't like it. So we are giving him oatmeal instead and he seems to like it. I just make it alittle more watery because he is so young and the texture is thicker. Best of luck!

First question- did you make the hole in the nipple bigger? The rice makes it thicker and its hard for the babies to drink it. THey get fustrated and scream.

#2 how much rice did you start with? Just try alitle afirst.

Tip for solids later try after 5 months. They are more willing to sit through it. Sometimes they prefer the real thing smashed up verse the jar. For example real bananas pureed vs. the jar.

She might have terrible gas. Give her some gas drops and see if it helps. Yes it might have been too early for your baby, it really depends. The rice cereal might have made her constipated.

Is there a reason you started her so early? Did she never seem to be full?

I would not do it IN her bottle were I you I would spoon feed it or syringe feed it and only a TINY amt. tI could be too much and it could be gas there is higher chance of air bubbles with rice ceral IN the bottle. Try "wheels on the bus" with her legs and see if you can get her to fart or burp again really well, if that does not work do the warm bath and belly rub - been a while check online if it's clock or counterclockwise!

Every child is different. For one, 4 months may be too early. For another, it isn't.

My son had to start rice cereal at 2 weeks because he was taking 8 oz bottles every 2 hours and was acting like he was starving. I did not put it in his bottle because when I did he wouldn't take it at all. I had to spoon feed a 2 week old (and he liked it thick). Then a few days later I had to cut back some because he was too gassy. I was able to resume shortly after and had no problems. With my daughter, we started around 3 months.

It's not impossible that she could be having some tummy trouble with it but I doubt if 1 tablespoon of cereal in the bottle is causing her problems...unless it is clogging the nipple and she's having problems with that.