Hi mamas. I am a mom of 3 but my youngest son is throwing me for a loop. He is 5 1/2 months and about 18 lbs. My ped. said due to the fact that he is drinking so much (almost 40 oz.) I should try cereal. My first 2 babies had cereal about 4 -5 mos. And loved it! This lil guy hates it. He spits it right out, gags you name it! (rice and oatmeal) I know it takes time but I have tried a little bit each day for 12 days. Still no luck. Friend had said he still has extrusion reflex/tongue. But he is so hungry eating 8 oz every 3 hours and still waking often at night. Btw he has 2 teeth and 2 more coming in. Any ideas???? maybe skip cereal and go to 1st foods???
I'd try Beth and Kate's advice. My first two-great eaters in general- found the cereal bland, bland, bland. Go with veg or fruit and see what happens. Good luck!
He may not be ready to eat, but he may just not like the consistency of cereal. My 2nd never did eat baby cereal. I would try sweet potatoes and other vegies. If he does not go for them, wait a couple of weeks and try again.
For the gagging try making it very soupy at first. Also, with some babies they are so hungry they do not have the patience for solids so they scream threw the entire attempt. What I have done with babies at my childcare center that won't eat for mommy is . I will allow them to have a few ounces of their bottles, to take the hunger edge off and then retry the cereal. Some babies need that instant relief of the bottle and just don't understand that solids is eating too, so they reject it. Try letting him have half his bottle and then retry the cereal. Also, I am sure you could mix a little bit of bananas or applesauce to flavor it. That also works, if the plain cereal doesn't. After a few tries he will realize the difference and should accept it. Good luck!!
If he is gagging... his gag reflex is still there.
And his tongue-thrust, reflex.
Hence, he is pushing out, 'food' that is in his mouth.
Hence, he is not ready for solids.
Or make it runny.
You have tried for 12 days already, with no success.
Just wait.
Are you breastfeeding or giving Formula?
Regardless, my kids as babies, had GINORMOUS appetites. I nursed. On-demand. 24/7, day and night. They grew like weeds and grew well.
I started them on solids when they were ready. It was at about 6 months old.
Your baby, is also hungry because... he is coming up to a growth-spurt. 6 months, 9 months, 12, months is a growth-spurt time in a baby.
Their appetite, increases as well as their feeding, frequency.
Normal.
Just nurse/give bottle on-demand. They are growing. They need it. Intake... has to keep up WITH the baby. Not fed on a schedule.
My kids as babies, nursed every 2 hours, sometimes less, sometimes every 3 hours. This was day and night. 24/7.
I fed/nursed, on demand.
They need to.
And if teething, this will tweak them too.
Do NOT go to 1st foods.
Your baby has not even 'mastered' pureed solids, yet.
OR... simply give him MORE than just 8 ounces. Since he obviously, can take in more.
Quantities... will vary per their hunger and appetites everyday.
Once they start to need more intake, do so.
Go by your baby's, cues.
Or feed/nurse him, more frequently.
When fed by a 'schedule'... a baby does not get.... what they need. Thus you need to feed, on-demand. To keep up with the baby. Per intake.
A baby this age, still wakes at night. Per hunger. Per teething.
So they need to feed.
He is so young.
For the 1st year of life, breastmilk/Formula is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition. Breastmilk/Formula is more nutritionally 'dense', than solids.
"Eating" solids in the 1st year, is an introduction to eating. Not their main... source of intake.
Try peas or sweet potatoes. I went right to first foods with my second son for the same reason :-)
Try spoon feeding him the milk. See if he will take what you know he likes, on a spoon and get him past the gagging and refusing part. It may just be the feel of the spoon he isnt fond of yet and it will take practice. 12 days is a good start but it may be longer if he is young or less mature in the feeding department. I mixed cereal with breast milk and formula so thin you could barely tell it was in there. Once they get past the spoon difference it gets easier. I also put a little cereal in the bottle of formula so they got some without really noticing. He will eventually eat. We all do..(o:
My son did the same thing. I still gave him cereal but I mixed different vegetables in it, and made it a little more thin. He loved it with sweet potatoes. Hope this helps.
You could try the barley cereal. (Pretty sure Gerber makes some.) Also, even though he's spitting most of it out, a small amount is likely making it down. If he hasn't had any reactions, I'd just say start adding something to one of the cereals to give it a little more flavor.
