Formula & Rice Cereal

yes I have heard of this I did it myself, but I did not put it into the bottle I was told to start out by taking 1 table spoon of the rice cereal putting it in a little bowl and add a little of the warm milk from the bottle, make it the thickness of melted ice cream and spoon feed to the baby as the baby gets use to eating from a spoon and use to eatting cereal she will start to need 2 tables spoons of cereal it dose help the baby to sleep longer at night. I feel she is ready for the cereal now not wait until she is drinking 32 oz.

Hi, J. T. I'm 36 and have a 8yr.old daughter. When she was 1mo.,my Mother told me the same thing. She said it's to help them be more fuller at night. And it work on my little girl. She slept through the night. At 1mo. I made it so it looked like a little thicker then whole milk. And each I made a lttle bit thicker. I did this let she was old enought the end sold foods(baby food). Than I made like little bit runninger then oatmeal style. I hope this helps.
Janell S.

I would also recommend NOT to start cereal until she's at least 4 months. Not sleeping through the night and eating often is completely normal at this age. My daughter didn't sleep through the night until about 5 months. Most kids aren't ready to sleep through the night at 2 months. Babies who get cereal from bottles tend to over eat and don't realize they are full. I would wait.

Hello J.,
I am the mother of two ages 6 and 2 and a licensed childcare provider with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood. I just wanted to give you a little about me so you can decide if I am informed on this topic or not. Back when you and I were young the old wives tale for new mothers was to put rice cereal in the bottle to get the infant to sleep through the night. Pediatricians have now found that an infants digestive system is not developed enough to digest any solid foods until about 6 months. Having said this, how many ounces are you feeding her every 3-4 hours? According to the feeding chart that I have to follow for being a regulated provider, it states she should be getting 4-6 ounces at each feeding. You may want to try increasing the number of ounces she gets just at the last feeding before bedtime and see if that helps. When you do decide to give the cereal do not mix it in the bottle....infant nipples are not equipped to dispense solid food so it will just clump in there and your daughter will get frustrated. You could start with a tablespoon of cereal mixed to whatever consistency you feel she can handle with breastmilk/formula. This is just my recommendation and you will probably get many but your best bet is to contact your pediatrician or nurse and follow their advice. Doctors' opinions will vary just as will your suggestions here but if you are doing what your doctor asks then you can follow up with them at each visit and discuss progress and what is working or not. Good luck.
S. - Appleton, WI

I just started my 6mo. old on rice when she was 5mo. old. It's much easier when you can spoon feed it to them, and so much more enjoyable for the both of you (be sure to get out the camera). Once you start cereal you have to stick with it, and so you might want to postpone it as long as you can. My daughter did not start sleeping through the night until she was about 2mo. old. It will happen, and your daughter appears to be eating well. If she's eating every 3-4 hours, that's normal, so is a night-time feeding. Also, we found out that our daughter is allergic to the rice cereal, which is a rarity, but we have to feed her oatmeal instead. You don't want to have to deal with that at such a young age, if she were to be allergic. Just be patient, every child has their own timeline, and will do things when they are ready.

Shauna is right on the mark about the cereal in the bottle. I don't pay attention to ANY advice I get from the older generation (even though, yes WE all turned out just fine, things are so much different now). As for the sleeping, NONE of my kids are/were sleepers. My six month old (who is on cereal and I just started veggies) still is up every couple hours. Granted, I'm nursing so that is a big difference, but some kids are just not sleepers no matter what. My first child didn't start sleeping through the night until he was almost 4.

At any rate, don't be too quick to start cereal.

Hi, The general rule is that you should never mix rice (or any other kind) cereal into the formula. Also, It is healthiest to wait to introduce cereal and baby food until 6 moths of age.babies do not need anything other than formula or breast milk for ther first 6 months or so. You may have an older Pediatrician or something because I don't think people are supposed to be giving babies cereal at such a young age. Good luck!

I would be nervous to give her rice cereal so young. Their tummys can have a hard time digesting it. I guess if the ped told you to & you trust him than you can give it a try. I would start off slow though just in case.

Eating every 3-4 hours is pretty spaced out at her age I thought. I thought it was every 2-3 hours. My son (now 6 months) has always eaten a lot. Does she seem hungry even after you feed her?

What made a difference for us was offering him the bottle every 2-3 hours even if he wasn't fussy yet & if he was hungry he would take it, if not, he wouldn't & we didn't push it. He then started eating more regurally & started sleeping through the night. If you get more in their tummys during the day, sometimes they won't need as much at night. Every baby is different though. Might not hurt to try though, just don't push it.

I WOULD NOT give her rice cereal just to get her to sleep through the night. She is sill SO YOUNG & it is every normal for her to wake up hungry at this point. If she was a year or something that would be different. But, it's unfair to try to push her to sleep through the night at this point I think.

Good luck, she just sounds like a normal little girl with a big appetie to me. =)

Hey J. - in response to your rice cereal question - I would not put the cereal in the bottle until she starts eating the cereal. Your pediatrician will probably tell you not to put cereal in her bottle, but I am all for it. I quit breast feeding at 6 mos. and then he was waking in the night again (my son didn't really start sleeping through the night until about 3 mos. - their stomach's just really aren't big enough to hold enough to last all the way through the night). Anyway - I started putting about 1 tablespoon of the cereal in 6oz. of formula. It did the trick. You may want to use the next size up nipple, though as it thickens the bottle and will definiltey take her longer to eat. With feeding cereal, my pediatrician gave me a hand out on how to start feeding. You should be able to get one. It started with 1 tablespoon of cereal and mix in formula or water to get to a consistency that your baby will tolerate. I started really thin and eventually thickened it up. I always feed my son as much solids as he'll eat b/c they really tell you when they are full. And frankly, I started solids at 4 and a half months and he had no interest and didn't really start eating them until abuot 6 months. Anyway, hope it's helpful.

From my personal experience we did rice cereal in a bottle with my now 6 month old when he was 2 1/2- 3 months old for acid reflux and it didn't make any difference in his sleeping at night. 20-30 years ago that was the norm and thats what the peditritions told our parents to do when we were little, but it didn't work for us. We mixed his bottles with 4 oz. breastmilk or formula with 1-2 T of cereal it did help with his reflux. At 4 1/2 months I started him with cereal on a spoon and just mixed 1-2 Tablespoons with formula and made it runnier then applesause and then slowly start making it thinker when he got the hang of it. That first feeding will be very messy. I'd hold of on cereal as long as you can and let her system develop and mature more before introducing cereal. Good luck and I hope this helps.

I too agree about the cereal! She could be going theough a growth spurt and could slow down. As far as sleeping through the night, start following a routine (not ridgid schedule) and she will soon start sleeping. Have you tried letting her figure out how to get back to sleep or are you just immediatley feeding her because she woke up? You might be creating the habit on accident. I know moms/ moms in laws always mean well, and sometimes the advice is wonderful, but doctors and and the such are always learning newer and better ways as far as nutrition and health concerns, so you are probably best to stick with that info.

Don't put Rice Cereal in the bottle! My son was quite the eater too. He was getting the same amount of formula at that age too. He was getting more than 32 ozs. for a month and a half. And then at three and a half months I finally gave in and started giving him some rice cereal but he didn't ever take more than a few bites at first. Because he didn't know what to do so it was more of a learning thing the first couple weeks. So he didn't truly start eating it until he was four months old. Then when he could eat a whole serving of it i cutted out a bottle. So, three bottles and then for the fourth feeding before going down for the night he'd get rice cereal and then his fourth bottle. But until then I would just give her a little extra formula before she goes down for the night.

I was told by my Ped not to introduce cereal until 4-6 months old. Kids that get cereal earlier or later than that have a higher change of dev. diabetes and allergies.
My kids drank 6 oz every 3-4 hours at that age and were just fine. I always let me kids eat until they were full and didn't really limit to a certain amount per day. They were all pretty chubby but are now nice and thin.
I generally don't listen to the Grandparents when it comes to things like food because everything was SO different when they had kids :o)
Good luck,
J.
Mom to 4 and soon one more through another adoption.

My son took forever to sleep through the night, the good news is that now he's 18 mo. and sleeps from 6:30pm until 7am. There was A LOT of advice from others to give him rice cereal to help him sleep better those first 4 months... at 4 months when I finally got the okay from the doctor I did add cereal and he was up more than ever. His belly wasn't ready for it. I'm glad I didn't give into the pressure and start him even earlier. I have many friends that have added the cereal to the formula and swear it's worked for them... just know that the cause of the wakefulness may not be due to hunger, especially if she's drinking her formula so well. Chances are the rice cereal is not going to be the anwser. 2 months seems like forever when you're up numerous times every night, but for that little baby things are still very new and she's still trying to figure out this new world. I was pulling my hair out until my son was about 10 mo. wanting him to sleep a 10-12 hour night, gradually they build up to it. Good luck.

First, you shouldn't be giving rice cereal until your baby is 6 months (some old school pedis recommend 4 months, but most that aren't going by old rules now recommend 6 months). Second, just about everything I have read say that adding rice cereal to bottles at night time is a myth. Really I would be SHOCKED if your 2 month old was sleeping through the night, that is very, very rare at that age.

No, a 2mo old should NOT be having rice cereal. ITs binding and it will really upset her tummy, and her body is not meant to digest anything but breastmilk, and since she is on formula her body is working to digest that. She cannot handle 'solids' at this point.

At 2 months old, she needs to eat at night, so just feed her whe nshe is hungry. We never formula fed, only breastfed, but my boys were opposite sleepers, my oldest slept 6hrs at night by 5wks old, my youngest didn't sleep more than 4 hours at night unti lhe was 11 months old! Neither had solids until 6months old when I intro'd homemade baby foods.

At 2 months old, she needs to wake to eat, so please feed her whe nshe wakes, and don't worry about her sleeping through the night, she is 2 months old... thats only 8 weeks! She's brand new!

I have fed all three of my children cereal around the two month mark. I really didn't think it help with the sleeping but they did feel more satisfied. If you have been given the all clear by your doctor. Two of my three kids were on soy.

Dear J.,

This is normal for your 2 month to drink alot, Required amount of milk for an infant is 3-4 8oz a day remember shes ONLY 8 weeks (2 months) and babies are growing at the fastest during these next 10 months. Yes you are right, it is normal for infants that age to NOT sleep through the night and by expereince of rearing children of my own most of my children did not sleep through the night until they were in their 3-5 month age. So hang in there, it will get better I will garantee you that. Giving your baby solids at a early age is not always recommeded by a pediatrician the reason why is that the enzymes in the baby system is not equip to digest semisolid which causes a break down of the lining of the stomach and also lead to possibilities of future food allergies. Solids given to early may lessen a baby's appetit for milk or formula and rob the baby of esstial nutrients that the baby recieves form the milk. Babies who are fed semisolid prior ro four to six months of age are not advanced nutritially and developmently and in fact may be hindered because their reduced intake of milk formula. And under most reseach by doctors and nutitionists feel that food introduced earlier than 6 months may cause food allergeries and allergic reactions in sensitive childen in the future. It may sound like a great idea because most mothers 50-60 years ago did feed their children at 2 months it has come to prove in the present those babies have had increased allergies. So J., It is extremely normal for your baby to get up in the dark of night because she is still young, so buckle down and go with the flow because it will get better. Hang in there alright! Good Luck Km

J.:
I currently have a 3 1/2 month old who has been taking a rice/formula bottle since she was two months. I recommend starting with a teaspoon to see if it will aggrivate her tummy. You will know within a few days. If she doesn't seem to have a problem, try two teaspoons. Do this with any size bottle. I'm sure your little one takes 3-4oz a shot. Make sure you either make the hole in the bottle bigger or buy heavier flow nipples. The cereal will get caught up in the nipple. Also, doctors really look down on this method. (allergy reasons) That is why you start off small. This is my 3rd daughter, & I've done this with all three. I haven't had any problems.

Brandy R.

I have to agree with the other moms, hold off on the rice cereal as long as you can. A 2mo. old isn't supposed to be sleeping through the night -- even if we might want it, lol! They need that extra food during the night. Filling them up with cereal means you're filling them up but not giving them the nutrition they need.
My son slept through for about a month at 3 mos, then stopped again around 4 mos. We started rice cereal at 5+ mos. and it made the sleeping WORSE, lol. So remember that it isn't a cure all for the sleep issue. Lots of babes have digestive problems when they start on the cereal.
Personally, I'd wait as long as you can. Formula/bfeeding really is easier than worring about actual food. Just my experience.
GL and I hope you can get some sleep!

My daughter is nearly 10 months now. 30 ounces a day is normal for your 2-month-old, and in the middle of the night is normal for her age, too. Two-month-old babies just don't have big enough "tanks" to hold enough "fuel" to get them through the whole night, generally.

When my daughter was about 10-12 weeks old, we tried the rice cereal in the bottle thing, and it didn't do much for us. I didn't put in more than a tablespoon of cereal into a four-ounce bottle. Plus, all the reading I did said that it was an old wives' tale, etc. etc. BUT, the thing is, it can't hurt to experiment. You can try augmenting your baby's evening bottle with a little rice cereal and see what happens. It might do a trick for you, or it won't make any noticeable difference like for us.

My daughter wasn't ready for rice cereal until she was almost five months old. She'd try a spoonful or two a couple weeks earlier, but she wasn't ready to chow down. Again, only used 1 tablespoon of rice cereal, and mixed in breast milk (and later formula after I stopped nursing) to it until it got soupy like pancake batter.

Baby rice cereal has instructions on the side of the box about serving size and preparation. Another couple sources I've turned to repeatedly as the months go by are two books: "What to Expect: The First Year," and "Your Baby's First Year." I recommend them both!

I started giving my daughter about a table spoon of rice cereal in her bottle everytime I fed her when she was about 6 weeks old.

Then from there I started to feed her rice cereal by spoon when she was about 2 1/2 months old.

She was hungry every 2 hours. Once I added the rice cereal, she seemed to be better.

I know the pediatritions say to wait every 4 hours, but when you think about it, we eat when we are hungry.

I know how desperately you are are itching to get into a routine (especially one that involves 8+ straight hours of sleep!) But I agree with most of the others--I would not mix the cereal right into the bottle. Starting on any solids too soon (in bottles of spoon-fed) can also increase the chances of developing allergies. My first son was a big eater, too (over 40oz. a day when we started him on rice cereal at 4 mo.) At this point, my understanding is that they should be getting ALL their nutrition from formula or breast milk, and if they are drinking more, then give them more. Either by increasing the amount per bottle, or number of daytime bottles. Good luck...the sleep will come, and solids will, too!

There have already been a lot of responses about the cereal, so I will skip that part and just tell you about my son's eating schedule. He nursed every 90 minutes during the day and every 2 hours at night for his first several months. The doctor said there was nothing unusual about that--he was just hungry, so don't worry about overfeeding at that age. We started him on cereal (from a bowl, not in a bottle) at 4 months, and it didn't help him sleep any longer between feedings. He finally dropped down to once a night feeding at 9 months, then finally started sleeping through the night around 12-13 months. By that time he was eating a LOT of solid foods, so I don't think it really makes a difference whether you add rice cereal to the bottle or not. If they're hungry, they're hungry!
Good luck--I know I was a zombie for my son's first 6 months because of lack of sleep!

Hi J. -

A resource to something credible. In fact, this organization is where peds get their information from...

Look under "patient education." They have a response to the question "When can my baby start eating solid foods?" that should be helpful!

http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/nutrition.cfm

I'm not sure how much formula your daughter should be getting, but I think the recommendation is not to start solids (not even rice cereal) till they are more like 5-6 mo. old. Also I've heard that the rice cereal in the bottle is a total myth. When we feed my son had never had an effect on his sleep no matter if what he eats or when. Not sleeping through the night is totally normal right now. My son doesn't sleep through the night and is 16 mo old. He's never been a great sleeper, but it shouldn't be a concern when your daughter is this little.

Your mother and MIL have bad advice that is way out of date. We know now that this can be very dangerous if given before her system is ready...at least 4 months and most times closer to 6. A baby here in my town hocked & died in the past year when his father gave him rice cereal. I believe he was 2 months old. Do some reading and find out basic baby care.

It is perfectly normal for your baby to be waking up in the middle of the night for another feeding. Some babies don't fully sleep through the night up to one year old. Also, it is not recommended to give an infant cereal until she is 4-6 months of age. The formula gives her all the nutrition she needs until then. Typically, your daughter will wake up even more often (more than she is right now) wanting another bottle. That's your signal that she is ready for some cereal. I wouldn't mix the cereal in a bottle (but that's your decision to make) because it has been said to lead to overeating. For your first feeding you should use 1 Tablespoon of cereal with 4-5 Tablespoons of formula (info from the box). You'll want it to be mostly liquid until she gets the hang of eating, that way she'll be less likely to choke on it.

I hope this helps! And again, this is just my opinion and what I have done with my kids.

A.

I agree with others, don't start on solids yet. It is not at all good to mix the cereal in a bottle, there has been a lot of research done on this. It really does not help, and it can be dangerous as well. When I started my son on cereal, i used a spoon to feed him and I mixed 1 tablespoon of cereal with 3 tablespoons of breastmilk. I gradually thickened it week by week. I would do some research before I would give her cereal. good luck and congrats on your baby.

J., I agree with your mom and mother in- law. I did the same with my two kids who by the way are all grown now. Just put about an 8th of a cup of cereal and the rest formula to fill the bottle. Warm it alittle and shake it so it all mixes. After a few days she'll be sleeping alot longer at night. It sounds like she's just not getting enough to keep her full so she can sleep.

I have 5 children & all of them at about your child's age was started on rice cereal in their night time botles. Just put in like a teaspoon at first. Increase it as needed, but it should still be watery, not thick.

GOOD LUCK

HI J.

I know what family members say about mixing cereal into the bottle, but it's really not healthy. It poses a choking hazard, introduces a mixture their little tummies aren't ready for which can cause digestive issues, and can potentially trigger food allergies. And just think of trying to suck all that sludge out of a little hole. Bottle nipples are not meant for anything but liquid. One more point, babies need those calories in the night. The burn through so much, they need replenishment at night, too. I know that a lot of moms swear by mixing a little cereal into the bottle, and I think I'm a pretty liberal mom, but it's just something I wouldn't do. As always check with your doc and get his/her opinion. Good Luck and Congratulations on your new baby!

I have 2 little girls and the second one always seemed hungry; it seemed like some days, all I was doing was feeding her. I asked our doctor about this and she didn't seem concerned and just said that some babies are hungrier than others. For both of my daughters, the doctors said to wait until they were about 5-6 months old before starting cereal because their stomachs really aren't ready to digest it until then. My mom and grandmother said the same thing about adding a little rice cereal to the bottle at night, but I had the same questions as you and that's when I asked the doctor. It's fairly normal for a 2 month old to still be getting up once in the night to eat, I don't think I got a whole nights sleep until they were both around 3 months old. Hang in there, it gets easier!

As a Holisitic Nutritionist and Doula,
I would highly recommend switching to an organic goat milk or even cow milk formula -- check your local healthfood store -- or you can make you own Forumula. (email me for recipes)
If you make your own: make sure to add nutritional yeast and coconut milk.
Your daughter probably is not satisfied with the current formula and wanting more -- also her desire for more soy could be a little soy allergy. Rice is a hard grain to digest at 2 months -- definately an ol' tale to put rice cereal in the bottle --
Also if you are not nursing your baby is not getting a very important enzyme -- amalayse -- so digesting the rice cereal might cause a bit of an issue
If you have a allergy to Soy it can keep you awake and restless -- my son whom was a mellow baby was extremely hyper after eating soy protein isolate...
A litte bach flower resuce remedy or lavender essential oil before bed -- and calming bath helps
She also knows you are at home at night and wants extra mama time -- which is hard when you want to sleep to function at work!!
Blessings to you and your family
J.

My oldest was a big eater too at that age and giving her a teaspoon of rice ceral was a big help at giving her a fuller tummy and making her comfortable to sleep thru the night. It didnt always work as some nights she just wanted to be held, which by me is no big deal just more time for me to cuddle her close while shes still tiny. Now shes going on 6 yrs old and almost 4.5 ft tall, wheres my baby..lol Anyway start with a half teaspoon and go from there slowly. But to besafe its ok to give since shes on rice milk double check with your peds. They might have a totaly different suggestion then us moms have. Good luck and Best wishes

Follow the advice of your pediatrician. Babies' digestive systems aren't ready for solid food at 2 months. I always went with my gut on the solid food issue (I have three children). When a child starts showing interest in what I'M eating, it's time to introduce solids. My girls didn't go with solid food until four or five months. My son with the hollow leg started rice cereal around 3 1/2 months. Trust your doctor and your instincts! Nobody knows your baby like you do.

Anything I have ever read does not advise putting rice cereal in a bottle - unless your pediatrician advises it. Also before 4-6 months of age, their stomachs are not ready to digest the rice cereal. Your two month old sounds very normal - there are many other two month olds who drink that much and more. It is also still very normal for a two month old to get up in the middle of the night to eat. I've also read that if your baby is ready to eat solids they should take the solids from a spoon - they should not be put in a bottle. Sorry - maybe not what you were hoping to hear, but that is what the information that I've been given says.

Do you know that she is allergic to milk formula thus the soy? I know that it is fairly common advice to add a bit of cereal to a baby's diet when not sleeping through the night and otherwise unsatisfied, but I hesitate to recommend it to such a young one. The earlier you introduce solids the higher likelihood of developing an allergy to the substance. Babies immune systems and digestive tracts are still developing. Really consider all your options before adding solids prior to 4-5 months. (even though I know you are tired!)

Hi J.,
I raised four babies myself. I didn't use much formula as I nursed them. It's impossible to measure how much they are actually getting when nursing of course, so the whole 32 ounce thing didn't work for me. But they were all pretty chubby babies, so I'm sure they were fine. Granted my youngest is now 14, so things may have changed sine then, but we were always told to wait until the baby was at least 4 and even as late as 6 months of age to start solids. I opted to wait until 6 months, and my babies always grew normally. They didn't sleep through the night, no. But I also did daycare, and seldom did any of the 8 week even 6 month old babies sleep through the night. And many of them were on solid foods way too early. Quite often this can cause stomach aches, as they have difficult time digesting cereal at this young of an age, and I've heard it can also cause food allergies. Me kids do not have any food allergies at all. I had one DC baby whose mother insisted that we add rice cereal to her baby's bottle. This baby was very over weight as a result. Sure she slept through the night, most of the day as well, but at 8 weeks old she weighed about 30 pounds. I think being over weight is very unhealthy, and wouldn't want to cause this problem just so she'll sleep. Unfortunetly, being a new mom also means very little sleep. I'm sure you were aware of this problem before you had her. Maybe the grandmothers could just give you a break once in a while, rather than unhealthy advice?? Just a thought. My son, who is now 23 didn't sleep through the night until he was 9 months old. Till I finally learned to just let him cry for 3 nights. (You're never supposed to do this on a child under 6 months of age.) My oldest daughter, now 26 didn't sleep through the night till she was almost a year. I was a 17 year old high school student at the time too. So sleep was very needed, but she came first, even at the age of 17. My husband and I lived alone with her, with NO support or help from our parents at all. You really can survive this stage. :-)

Talk to your doctor! Rice cereal at 2 months is early. They will have all the info on how much to give when she is ready. A lot of research is done on what is best for babies. Things have changed since your mom had you as a baby.

I took this from the nestle website:

How Much Formula Does Your Baby Need?
Spending time feeding your baby is one of the most pleasurable and important things you can do. And while you’re at it, you want to make sure your baby is getting all of the nutrition she needs. Here are a few guidelines that can help you tell if baby is getting enough to eat.

Vital signs

Is your baby gaining weight? If the answer is yes, then that’s a pretty good sign baby is getting enough formula. If the answer is no, you should talk to your baby’s doctor and discuss what steps you need to take.
A good time to introduce baby to drinking from a cup is when baby starts eating solid foods between 4 to 6 months of age.
Check out baby’s diapers. If baby is getting enough formula, she should be wetting a diaper almost hourly until she’s 3 months of age. And she should be having at least three bowel movements each day by the time she’s 2 weeks old. The number of bowel movements will gradually taper off as baby grows older and starts on solid foods.
Keep track of baby’s formula. The quantity of formula a baby needs depends on the child’s weight, growth rate, and metabolism, but most newborns will drink two to three fluid ounces per day for every pound of body weight. For example a 10-pound baby, will drink between 20 and 30 ounces of formula each day.
Is baby ready for solid foods?
If baby always seems hungry, you may be thinking about introducing solid foods, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends baby be 4 to 6 months old before solid foods are introduced. Remember not all babies are ready to eat solid foods at the same time. Rely on your baby, not a calendar, to let you know if she’s ready at this age. If you introduce solid foods too early, your baby is more likely to have allergic reactions. Babies can’t properly chew and swallow solid foods much before 4 to 6 months of age. And your baby’s digestive system must mature somewhat before it can handle these new foods.

Hope this helps!

I am a 26 year old mom with a 21 month old boy. My son never slept through the night...he woke up every three hours on the nose to eat. WHen he was 11 weeks old, his doctor told me I could start him on rice cereal. I started with about 2 or 2.5 TBSP of cereal mixed in with 6 or 7 ounces of formula. (I had to use cross cut nipples on his bedtime bottle) And you wouldn't believe it...the first night he slept all night, and he slept through the night almost every night after that. I hope you have the same results. Good Luck!
L. Smith

I gave all my babies rice in their bottles from early on, so they would sleep better. One to two tablespoons per 4 oz formula was sufficient. We did this with our youngest through 1 yr old, since he had sleep difficulties. You need a crosscut nipple for this - slowest flow for small ones, faster flow for older babies. As they aged I used other cereals, too. It worked great!

SAHM of seven

Someone else just asked about this recently... I was told by our pediatrician not to put cereal in the bottle, so we waited until our son was 4 months old to do that. I think there is a concern about allergies... Our son was only taking about 20-25 ounces at that point, though, so your situation may be different. when we did start cereal, we substituted the cereal for one feeding and gradually worked up to all the feedings except the night feeding.

I have not formula fed my kids...but I will tell you that you are not suppose to start cereal until 4-6 months. Starting too young increases your baby's risk of diabetes later on. Also, two months is pretty young...Some kids don't start sleeping through the night until later...and sometimes it depends on their weight. she may still need that bottle in the middle of the night for a while. My kids were all different. 9mon. 6 mon and my last one did start sleeping through at 2 months. just be patient...she'll get there.

Hi J.-
I'm new to momsource. I'm a medical professional and wellness coach.
I know in the older times they gave cereal much earlier to infants- but you predispose them to food allergies and they don't and shouldn't need the extra.
Do you provide vitamins- most of our food sources don't have enough nutrition and infant vitamins help. So does getting the right amounts of good proteins- you should be doing that with soy based products.
Check out our vitamins - doctor recommended and safe.
I wish I had known about them when my twins were infants but they've used the kid chewables since they were 2 and all our other great kids products too.

Kindermins
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