Wondering When to Start Cereal?

I started my daughter on cereal when she was 3 months. Just putting a little in her bottle at bed time, and she slept the whole night through. She had no problems with that. I used Playtex Ventaire bottles; they have a big enough hole in the nipple that I didn't have to cut them. I did wait till she was 4 months to feed her with the spoon. Good Luck : )

Doctors generally say 4-6 months, and it looks like you could easily start at 4 months. One thing though, do NOT put cereal in the bottle. It is much safer to serve with a spoon and you could also introduce juice at this time as well. While it is messy to start cereal, they will stay fuller longer.

When my kids were small, I'm a Grandma, I started giving cereal when they came home from the hospital. 10 days old or so. I started with Rice cereal mixed with formula. Rice is less likly to cause alleries. I also only used a spoon. I started with the 10pm feeding.
That way they didn't wake up at night because their tummy's were full. I mixed it very thin at first. Gradually thicken it as they got used to it. Then I added the first meal of the morning. My "kids" are now 43 & 37.

My girls slept through the night at 5-7 weeks of age just on breast milk. It just depends on the child and daytime naps. We darkened the window of her room to keep a regular sleep schedule.

Here is what the Children's Physicians documentation says:
Birth to 6 Months
Things to Remember
Breast milk or iron-fortified formula is all your baby
needs for the first few months. Solids are not needed
until your baby is 4 to 6 months old.
• Your baby’s body needs time to prepare for solids.
- Before 4 months, solids are not digested
well.
- Some foods may cause an allergic reaction.
• Spoon feeding is easier after 4 months.
- Lip, jaw and tongue muscles are better
able to handle food.
- Head and back muscles become stronger
and help support the baby as he sits.
• Solids do not help baby sleep through the night.

The website is http://www.chsomaha.org/documents/Childrens%20Physicians-...

Here is more from another document on the Children's Physicians website.
Starting Solid Foods
At about 6 months, your baby needs calories and
nutrients from other foods in addition to breast milk or
formula. Your baby also needs to learn to chew and to
use his hands to feed himself. Large or fast-growing
babies will be ready for solid foods before average or
smaller-sized babies. Even so, solids are not
recommended for any baby younger than 4 months.
When to Start Solid Foods
Watch for physical signs that your baby is ready for
solid foods. This is usually around 4 to 6 months. A
baby may be ready when he:
• Holds his head steady.
• Sits with support.
• Moves solid food to the back of his mouth with his
tongue.
• Is able to turn his head away to show that he is full.
In addition to the outward signs of solid food
readiness, several things are happening inside your
baby that indicate he is ready for solids. Until about 4
months of age, your baby's digestive system is not fully
developed. This is why babies often become allergic to
foods that are introduced too early. At about 4 to 6
months, iron that baby has stored since birth begins to
run low. The iron in infant cereals adds to the iron from
breast milk or iron-fortified formula to keep baby’s iron
level at a healthy state. Below is the web link.
http://www.chsomaha.org/documents/Childrens%20Physicians-...

Hope this helps! My kids had food intolerances as babies so we had to wait even longer.

this may be helpful
http://www.drgreene.com/21_561.html

Hi M.,

Congratulations on the little one! I am a first time mommy with my 5 month old girl and am going through this, too. I was told by my MIL to put cereal in the bottle to help our 2 month old (at the time)sleep through the night. I did my research, asked my pediatrician and was told not to until she was at least 4 months old due to all of the research that suggests it doesn't help with sleeping through the night and it can cause problems now with digestion and problems later with obsesity and allergies. My daughter was getting up every 3 hours or so (breastfed so less hours between feedings than formula fed)and I was exhausted by the time she turned 4 months. I started my daughter on cereal with a spoon and decided I didn't want to waste what she didn't or couldn't eat (very messy, less in the mouth than on the face)so I put it in her last bottle of the night. Guess what, it didn't really help. 2 weeks later, we went to her 4 month checkup. The pediatrician recommended that I STOP the cereal and wait until 6 months. My baby was born a preemie and was at the 4% in weight and was now at the 90% in weight in just 4 months! She is such a chubby baby! The dr. said that she had as many calories that she needed and adding more would only produce more fat cells. She said once you make fat cells you can't get rid of them; they only shrink when you lose weight.

My advice: Ask your pediatrician, she/he knows your child's health the best. And, if she can't take it with a spoon (tongue reflex) then she isn't ready, anyway.

Although every child is different, it sounds like your daughter is right on with the amount she is eating and sleeping. Good luck and if you don't want anyone feeding your daughter anything you don't want her to have, you need to put your foot down.

My pediatrician also told me that cereal in a bottle did not make a baby sleep better. Recently studies have been published that link diabetes and obesity to the fact that mom's are starting their babies on solids too soon. Their recommendation is to start at 6 months. Our daughter was a bad sleeper. We started her on solids at 6 months, and it made no difference to her sleep habits. She had a very healthy appetite and ate everything we gave her. But she only started sleeping through the night at two and a half! I would hold off on the solids for a little while.

I've been told never to put cereal in a bottle because it can be a choking hazard. I also have heard that if solids are introduced too soon it can contribute to diabetes and obesity. I've read in more than one place that solids before 4-5 months can cause stomach distress for babies too. Our pediatrician recommended not starting solids until our daughter could 1)control her neck, 2)sit up with support, 3) had doubled her birth weight, 4) would show when she was full by turning her head or refusing to open her mouth, 5) showed an interest in food we were eating, 6)mimiced us when we were eating, 7)indicated wants by reaching or leaning towards something, and 8)seems hungry for more food. Until baby can control her head and neck muscles and move her tongue back and forth solid foods can be a choking hazard. We didn't start solids until our daughter was 5 months and then we started pretty slow because she was sick. Every baby is different so it is always best to ask your pediatrician.

I don't think I started adding cereal until my son got closer to a year old. Maybe 8-9 months? But if it's not too thick for her, and she sleeps through the night, I'd say go for it! Maybe you should ask the doctor though.

She would be fine to start cereal now. I know they don't want you to, but all three of my kids used a feeder bottle at first because they all started between 2 and 3 1/2 months. When they hit four months, I started feeding them with a spoon and they did fine. You are the mother, you do what you fill confortable with. The FIL should have talked to you first!!! The doctors will tell you to wait until the child is 4 months, but like I said, you are the mother, if you think your child is ready to eat cereal, then start her on it. The doctors are just for advise. You know your child better then anyone.

I started both my children on cereal w/ a spoon by that age. By four months they were both eating baby food. I don't know if it was coincidence or not, but they also started sleeping through the night around the same time I started feeding them cereal. Neither of my children had/have any food alergies, and they were both considered in the lower percentile for weight for their age. I know every child is different, and if you talk to two different pediatricians, you will get two different answers as to when to start. I don't think there is really a "time" to start, it's just whenever you feel they are ready. It does take a few days for them to get used to eating from the spoon, and it is messy the first few times, but they pick it up pretty quick. Hang in there and do what you feel is right for your child. After all, you know your child best!!

I started my son on cereal at about 3 1/2 months. He got spoon fed at that time and he took to it very well. I have read not to give cereal to baby in a bottle because it can lead to over-feeding. I've heard that it's only okay to feed through a bottle with the doctor's advice. Your baby is still pretty young and I've heard of many people still getting up to feed in the middle of the night at that age. You may want try to let her cry it out for about 10 min or so before you get up to feed her, just to make sure she is really hungry and not just re-adjusting in the middle of the night. My son gets 1 bottle usually between 7-9oz, before bed time still (almost 10 months old) and sleeps through the night with no problem. Hope that helps.

I would give the cereal in the bottle before bed. My son had the same problem except i was breast feeding instead of the formula. I would make the nipple in the bottle a little bigger and give him a formula and cereal mix. He slept through the entire night after that! PS my son is a healthy weight this did not lead to overeating in the future it just stopped his bad cry fits before bed.(he was just hungry)

Check with your pedicatrician, first. When my 10 year old was a baby, they recommending waiting until the baby was 5 months old. Three years later, with my second child, they were saying 6 months old.

I think there is a real risk of starting too early, because the baby's digestive system isn't ready yet, and it could trigger allergies, as well.

Please tell your FIL to stop!

Since it was recommended to wait longer, not before 4-6 months, I started all 3 of my kids on cereal, spoon fed, at 5 months. I didn't use formula and I don't remember when, if at all, they started sleeping through the night.

I would suggest increasing her last bottle to 8 ox before using cereal. Maybe that will help, maybe not. Worth a try though.

Most doctors don't recommend beginning cereal until 6 mos. 5 mo at the earliest, just because their little systems aren't ready to digest anything more than milk. Definitely don't put cereal in the bottle! It would be better to spoon feed to avoid a choking hazard. She's still too young to sleep completely thru the night without anything to eat, and kids will let you know when they are humgry. I'd offer her another 2 oz. or so just before bed to fill up her tummy and make sure she's falling asleep on her own, not with the bottle. Usually at 3 mos. babies will sleep 4-6 hrs at a stretch. Hope this helps you.

I think a little bit of cereal at her last feeding before bed time is okay. I'm just not quite sure if she's too young still. I did this with my first but then he had some digestive problems for a while. ????

Having the extra fiber in her diet to keep her full throughout the night is probably why she did begin sleeping through the night, especially if you noticed her not doing so after taking her off the cereal/bottle. I can't think that the cereal, when taken in such a manner, would hurt her... as long as she's still getting enough liquid to keep her from becoming constipated.

My name is N.. I am a first time mom of a twelve month old little girl. When my daughter was 3 months old, I think she ate about every 2 hours, and she ate about 6 oz of milk at a time. I didn't start the cereal until 4 months old. I mixed it a little thicker than the recommended suggestion on the box because it was easier for her to get off of the spoon. I never put the cereal in her bottle because of the choking hazard I've heard from so many other mom's. I didn't want to start her too early for fear of rejecting the bottle. She did really well, and is growing fast! I hope this advice helps you. :)

my ped. says to start cereal at 4 months.
my son was a drinker. he had actually worked himself up to 12 oz of formula before bed and would still wake up at least once for another 8 oz bottle.
as for cereal in bottles, i had tried this with my son and it seemed to work reverse for me....he seemed more hungry in the night. I also have heard that they dont recommend feeding cereal through bottles anymore...it promotes obesity!
I would wait til 4 months before cereal and maybe at four months you could fade off night time feedings...which they don't recommend until at least 4 months anyway. My daughter is 8 months and is just starting the grasp the idea of sleeping through the night again. She started around 4.5 and then had a growth spurt at 5 months and we are slowing down.

good luck

Depending on your children's individual health and where they are on the growth chart also makes a difference when it is best to introduce solids. I would check with you family doctor or pediatrician just in case, since new studies have more up to date informations. I started with solid foods at 6 months for my daughter but at 4 months for my son because his appetite was so voracious. It is an individual issue as well, depending on the eating habits of the child. If you can wait, it is supposed to be better to wait until 6 months, but sometimes the doctors look at the case and will give you their blessing earlier like they did for feeding my son. He is now 16 and five foot 11 and the appropriate weight and healthy. My duahgter is now 14 and is also the appropriate height and weight and is healthy though they started on solids at different times.
Hope this helps! GOOD LUCK!
C. Louise H. - disabled mom and Part-time Latasia Jewelry Designer

I hate to debunk the professionals but cereal in the bottle is not an old wives tale-- unless Im an old wife.

My first child slept through the night at 4 weeks. I breast fed all day but the 2am feeding was formula. I always wanted my kids to be use to formula in case I needed to leave them for awhile and didnt have milk stored.

At 3 months he decided to stop taking the bottle. He started waking up at night. When it became a twice a night thing I started putting cereal in bottle with breast milk and guess what----yep he started sleeping through the night again.

He even took the formula back, which was good because of health issues I had to stop breastfeeding soon after.

My second son slept through the night at 5 weeks. I dont recall when I started him on cereal but I do remember never going through the regression of him waking at night again.

--fyi- when I say sleeping through the night, their last bottle would be between 10-11pm so it wasnt like I was putting them down at 8 and them sleeping til 8. It was more 10-6 or 11-7. Still very good for 4 and 5 weeks!

I didnt start either child on other solids til 6 months.

My oldest son is a healthy 20 yr old who is in prime athletic shape. My second son is a very healthy tall slender 18 yr old.

I was never one for pushing a certain eating style on them. I never made them clean their plate or eat stuff they didnt like. The only rule we had was that you had to at least try it. They never minded trying new things because they knew they would not have to eat it if they didnt like it.

I found later that this made them great dinner guests at their friends homes because they were open to trying whatever was put in front of them and as I discovered when I would make something new they had already tried it and liked it.

I seriously let my kids eat chicken nuggets, fish sticks, pbj, til I thought they would turn into them. Maybe not the best example but it worked for us.

Good Luck!

My son is 4 1/2 months and we have been putting rice in the breast milk since he was 3 weeks because he was having trouble with acid reflex. The amount of rice we put in is a lot, but the liquid is still able to come out. We started him about three weeks ago on solids. Thicker rice like oatmeal consistancy. Try that! My little guy still does not sleep. He is up every three hours. I would try it.

I never did cereal in bottles, however I did start two of my kids on cereal before three months. It was a challange to not spill it trying to get it to their mouths (I made it like soup so they wouldn't choke). My doctor gave me the go ahead cause my kids were drinking alot of bottles and just never seemed satisfied.

Hi M.,
My pediatrician told me that he recommend that she was 6 months old before she had cereal in her bottle or otherwise. He said that her digestive system was not ready for cereal until that age. She was 9.1 lbs at birth but still he still did not want her to have cereal until 6 months. She was about 15 lbs at four months but he wouldn't budge. Hope this helps.

I started my kids on cereal between 4- 6 months, except my oldest. My oldest son was around 3 months, and my peadtrician said that he was drinking too much formula, so I should give him a little cereal in his bottle. It really seemed to help him. If your daughter is constantly hungry and screaming, cereal might help her feel full longer. If she is pretty happy, then you should let her wait a month or so and give her cereal from a spoon.

Things change all the time as far as when to start feeding babies cereal. I have a 18 year old and when she was little everyone started at 3 months. When my 15 year old was a baby they told me that once she could drink 32 oz in 1 day it was time for cereal. Now I do home daycare and the Drs are telling the parents to wait until about 5 or 6 months. It really depends on your Dr. I really like the idea of when they drink 32 oz a day. Everybody is different and I think some NEED food earlier then others.

It is not recommended to put cereal in a bottle. It is better to feed from a spoon. They are usually ready sometime between 4 and 6 months-depending on the child. As far as sleeping through the night goes I had one that didn't until she was about a year and two that were about 2 or 3 months. I'd say feed her a bottle when she is hungry. 6- oz every few hours isn't uncommon.

you do not need to start cereal with any baby until between 4 and 6 months. they arent even ready for it before that, and it can cause allergies, stomach and intestinal disruptions, gas, fussiness, etc.... it does more harm than good. it usually has no relation to sleeping longer or better, as one does not sleep as well when you are digesting food anyway. i didnt start my son on solids until after 5 months when he was literally going to grab our spoons out of our hands! they have to be interested in food, watching you eat, and when you put food in their mouths, they should NOT be spitting any out, or very little. please do NOT feel the need to follow the 'old school' rules of putting cereal in the baby bottle... they do NOT recommend this anymore. wait until your baby is ready. they eat you out of house and home soon enough, why rush the process?? the longer you can keep them on just formula or breastmilk, the better, as then they are more developmentally ready for the solids. they have to be able to move the food to the back of their mouths in order to be ready.

if they are not displaying all of the readiness cues, do not force it on them, just take a step back and wait. theres nothing wrong with waiting... it is best for your baby.

At 3 months a baby's digestive system is not ready to handle cereal or other solid foods. Wait until at least 6 months old & she will be better able to digest cereal. Getting up twice a night to eat at 3 months is perfectly normal.

My pediatricians always told me that cereal in the bottle is an old wives tail

Actually, at 3 months, to only be waking up twice a night your daughter is doing good.

We started my daughter a week after she turned 5 months. She didn't like the Rice cereal, so I gave up on that and just stayed with the Bananas. I than decided to try carrots and she has been on them 2 weeks and I just today gave her Oatmeal cereal and she liked that much better.

My daughter hasn't slept any different after starting cereal/solid foods.

They say you can wait until your baby is 6 months old. It is all up to you. I have never added cereal to a bottle with any of my kids. I waited until they were able to eat from a spoon.

I started my son on cereal at 6 weeks he was eating 6oz every two hours. He was sleeping the night at 5 weeks though when I started cereal he would eat a 6 oz bottle with cereal every 4 hours instead I started him on solids at 4 months.

Hi M.,
Feed her now. When my kids were that age they were eating all the strained foods. I fed my babies cereal at night when they were 1 week old. I know people cut the nipples but I never did. There are baby spoons small enough for their little mouths and you make it not so thick but more on the runny side. My kids fed their babies right away ,too and I know a lot of people have. Cereal at night keeps baby satisfied longer thru the night so they sleep longer.We have never had a weight problem because of that and they slept a good 6 hours a night. I would do the cereal around 9 or 10 at night and gradually worked into the other foods.
Nan

We had our three boys on cereal at 2 weeks old. We also used whole milk and put their vitamins in the milk and added karo syrup so they would not get constipated. Let's just say that was 27 (youngest) plus years ago. I know now they want babies on just formula ( which has the vitamins in it) for at least a year, but there are times that you have to use your instinct on if baby is getting enough nutrition.

Old school mother,
KimE

I have 5 children, and I never put cereal in their bottles. But I did start feeding them at around 3 months old. cereal, mixed with breast milk or formula and slowly trying different kinds of cereal then by the time they are about 5-6 months old adding pureed meats and vegetables. Feeding them "solids" will help them sleep better.

I can only tell you that it is recommended at 3 months, but I know alot of people who start them earlier so they would sleep at night and all of them told me it did go well. I have a 6 week old at home and he is eating every 2 hours and I am thinking of trying a very little. But not sure I think I should wait as well. Have you considered keeping her up so she would sleep longer at night. And what age do you start doing that.

I hope that helps
Good luck
S.

My first three babies were all 9+ lbs and started on cereal in their formula (use a crosscut nipple) at three months. Our next three were older adoptions, then the seventh child who came at four months went on cereal almost immediately too, in his bottle. Use only rice until your pediatrician suggests others.

SAHM of seven

We started with our oldest at around 4 months and our next two closer to 6 months--could you get her to take 8 oz and stretch the time between feedings? We always started by trying to get tem to take 8 before bed...

I started around the the time my older son was 3 months (my youngest was breastfed for a year). I did the same thing your FIL did and it worked great.

WIth my son I started around 3 months old. Just a little bit at a time. Both with mixing itin other baby food and just plain. I definitely would not put it in the bottle, You have no control as to how much your child can take in at a time if it is in the bottle. By spoon feeding you have a little more control on how well baby is swallowing. Just my opinion. It definitely helped with feedings and night time sleeping.