I have a 2 month old little girl that has a 4oz bottle every 3 hours. She sleeps through the night (mostly). But after she is done with her 4oz bottle she cries like she is still hungry. I have to other kids but don't remember when I started feeding them cereal or baby food. I want to say with my son who is about to be 3 the doctor told us to wait till he was 4 months old. I just don't think my 2 month old can wait till she is 4 months. I don't know if I should give her more formula like a 5 or 6oz bottle. That just seems like a lot for a 2 month old. I was wondering if any one know when you can start the cereal and baby food.
Generally, 4-6 months is the rule. I would increase the formula before I gave her cereal. Check with your ped. first.
I waited until my daughter was 4 months. I wouldn't try anything but breast mild or formula until then. I would however make her a larger bottle. Make her six ounces and see if she doesn't finish it. But you're going to make her sick to her stomach if you start cereal now.
I would definitely wait on the cereal. 2 months is way too young for cereal. Increase her formula intake to 6 oz. and see if that helps. I have a 4 1/2 month old son and my pedi said there was no need to give him cereal yet. I'm going to wait until he's 6 months if I can. That is when I started my daughter on cereal also and it was never an issue. Both are solely breastfed. At the beginning, they get so little of the cereal into their stomachs (they spit most of it out) that it won't make a difference in her hunger factor anyway, so I would just wait. There are many health reasons to do so (immature digestive system and allergic reactions being the 2 biggies).
The swallowing reflex for thicker foods doesn't develop until 4-6 months. Even if you were referring to adding cereal to her bottle, I still don't think her tongue reflexes would be ready for a thicker formula (without gagging/choking). Also, I'm not sure her intestines are developed enough to push through solids at 2 months.
By the way, below is a portion of an article I found by searching "newborn, intestinal development, cereal":
Six months: The perfect age to begin introducing solids
Even though it was previously recommended that the introduction of solids should begin at four months, new opinions as well as recommendations from the World Health Organization specify that the introduction of solids should begin at six months. Breast milk, or the appropriate infant formula (if the child is not breastfed), secures the energy requirements in the first six months as well as the right amount of nutritional values necessary for proper growth and development. At six months, there are significant changes in motor skills and the infant's activities: the infant can now reach for desired objects, take objects given to him, change positions (turning on the hip and stomach), sit with support, and stand on his legs if being held. These activities imply rapid growth of muscle mass which requires more minerals and protein than milk alone can provide. In the early period of the child's development, only liquids can be swallowed; after five or six months, the infant can swallow mashed foods. The teething period can indicate a specific maturity for accepting other foods than milk.
I know how you feel.. but I honestly think she is just going through a growth spurt. 2 mos is a bit early to start solids.
My daughter is 4 months and they even think that may be too early for rice cereal and stuff.
Just stick it out.. I think I remember having the same issue around that time.
Go for it! Give her cereal, when I had my first son he weighed over 10 pounds at birth and was eating what seemed like every minute. I had a family friend who does foster care and has fostered over 100 kids and babies and told me to give him rice cereal in his bottle, just make a whole pitcher and blend it up in a blender. It was the best thing that I did, he was much happier!! He was only 3 weeks old when I started doing that,I had even told my doctor at the time that I was giving him cereal and he said well whatever works for him all babies are different. I hope this helps!!!
I suggest you wait. She is probably not developed enough to handle the cereal. Call your pediatrician for suggestions.
She MIGHT have GERD. At about 2 months was when my girls started acting like that. They were having 'silent' reflux and so nothing was being spit up but their tummies hurt and they thought they were still hungry. Does she pull away from the bottle while eating? Does she arch her back and cry? Look up Gerd and see if she has any of the symptoms of Gerd without the spitting up.
They used to say to put a little cereal in the bottle but they no longer prescribed that for GERD because the earlier you start a baby on cereal the more likely they will develop diabetes as a child. IOW don't give her cereal at 2 months.
If she doesn't have GERD, then try increasing her bottle to 4 1/2 oz and see how she does. IF that's still not enough, go to 5 oz. I have known very young babies that sucked down 8 oz so she might need a little more.
sarah, mom to five
Stacee-
I agree, you need to wait on the cereal until 4-6 months. (My pedi gave us the go at 4 mo.) My little man was eating 5-6 oz every 3 hours at 2 months old, so go ahead and give her more formula! Some babies just eat a lot more than others! Good Luck!
I would give her more formula and wait until at least 4 months to start the cereal.
Stacee,
I gave all 3 of my kids one (1) babyspoon full of rice cereal in their bottles at 2 months old. They loved it and seemed full.
I would take their babyspoons and put dry cereal on it then mix it with the warm milk. Obviously you have to get the bottles that are specific for food with the holes at the tip of the nipple.
The opinions of the doctors changed throughout the years, but I think us mother's know best what our children need. If your baby seems hungry, then give her more.
Good luck,
Deborah
I would up it to a 6oz bottle, personally. She's way too young for cereal.
I'm wondering the same thing myself. I have a two month old and she is drinking a full 6-7 oz. She's perfectly happy with it. I was told to increase the amount if she was still hungry. I forgot to ask about the cereal.
I had the same thing with my son, so i just upped his formula an ounce. But my doctor told me not to start him on ceral until he was 4 months.
Hi Stacee, My son was a big eater early on too. I just gave him more formula or breastmilk if he was hungry. The earliest you can give a baby cereal is 4 months because their digestive systems aren't ready for it any earlier. The longer you can wait the better. I didn't start my son on cereal until he was 5 1/2 months because I wanted to wait a little longer, 4 mos felt too early with him. I know a lot of people suggest putting cereal in a bottle, but pediatricians do not recommend doing this. Try giving her an extra ounce or 2 & call the pediatrician before you decide to add cereal to her diet.
I would up her formula intake and see if that helps. We did not start our son on cereal till he was five months. He is a super fat baby always in the high 90% of his age. Starting baby food at 6 months. Try one type of food every four days to insure she isnt allergic to anything. If our son sucks his bottle dry then we start upping it if he isnt finishing his bottle then we dont give him as much. Like he has been taking 7 oz for a while now and would leave about 1/4 of an ounce not drinking it. Then he was drinking it completly so we started with 8 oz. Sometimes he finishes most of it some times he leaves the 1 oz in there. But its there if he wants it. If she drinks too much she will spit up and let you know that was too much. Good luck.
I started both of my boys on cereal at 2 months. They are now 5yrs old and 20 months old. I had a reclining high chair & spoon fed both of them. I never put it in their bottles. Also, I mixed the gerber rice cereal with their formula instead of water and it seemed to keep them full longer. I hope this helps.
I have twin boys age 3 and a newborn. The twins were breast fed and given pumped breastmilk bottles when someone else helped. Around that time they started feeding every hour and the dr told me to add a little cereal to the pumped bottles, once or twice a day. Also the rule of thumb for up to 3 months is 1/2 oz formula per pound of body weight, so if your baby is 10+ lbs I would try to increase the formula first. Also another option to try, which is a little more expensive, is switch to a formula like Enfamil AR this formula actually already has a rice cereal in the mix and is thicker and holds them over longer. Hope this helps!
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that solids (with single grain cereal as the 1st solid) shouldn;t be introduced before the age of 4-6 months.
http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Solids.htm
"Most babies are ready to eat solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age. Before this age instead of swallowing the food, they push their tongues against the spoon or the food. This tongue-pushing reflex is necessary when they are breastfeeding or drinking from a bottle. Most babies stop doing this at about 4 months of age. Energy needs of babies begin to increase around this age as well, making this a good time to introduce solids."
This article: http://kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?lic=1&ps=104&article_set=45609
Says that "at 2 months your baby maybe taking in 4-5 ounces every 3-4 hours".
I would delay the ceral supplement untill she is physiologically ready for it, and just increase the amount of formula she is having at her feedings untill she is full, sated, and happy. :)
Good luck momma!