why do doctors say always wait until your baby is three months to start feeding them baby cereal.?

Question

Sometimes just formula its self will not satisfy a babies need for hungar. they need something that is going to stick to thier bones while they sleep and they won't wake so much.

Answer 1

Because doctors don't always keep up with research the way they should. A baby should *never* have anything but human milk (or formula) until they are 6 months old, not 3 months old. It can cause serious harm. (Yes, it's unlikely, but if it happens to *your* baby, it's 100%!)

Answer 2

Actually, it is four months now before they even consider letting a baby have cereal. They give several reasons:
1. All research shows that food does not make a baby sleep longer-it is developmental.
2. Babies fed food too early have a greater tendency to be obese or develop Type 2 diabetes.
3. Babies may fill up on cereal and not take all the formula that they need in the first several months for rapid brain development.

Now, off the record, if your child is truly so hungry that they are not satisfied with formula and you are giving enough formula, talk to the doctor. Most of them will recommend a bit of cereal.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Some doctors actually say to wait 6 months for a couple of reasons, one is that at that age they don't turn their head away to let you know that they're full, they just keep eating which can lead to overeating and a bad tummy ache which can lead to a cranky mama:). Another reason is that some babies will still have the tongue reflex that they're all born with in which they will push any foreign object out of their mouth and end up making a mess and still being hungry, not a good thing either. What I did with my daughter is I waited until she would watch me eat and show interest in the food and until she quit pushing everything out of her mouth, which came at right around 3 months or so. She's 5 months now and eats almost anything I give her, I already have her on level one baby food which isn't doctor recommended because they say it'll upset their tummies but my daughter loves it and sometimes as a mother, just go with what you think because nobody knows your child better than you. Also, some babies just don't sleep through the night, if your baby is still not sleeping well, around 5:00 at night, start offering your baby it's baba every hour or so and then right before bed time, give your baby an extra 2 oz of formula, rice and cereal aren't really a good idea before bed time because they're kind of heavy in babies tummy.

Answer 4

A baby under 6 months hasn't developed the stomach capacity for solids. If formula isn't satisfactory then he/she is not getting enough. I just learned the weeny little things' stomachs are smaller than a marble. They need to eat at least every 2 hours. Esp. if you breastfeed. If you introduce solids before the infant is ready this will put them in line for some serious disorders later in life, namely food allergies. Remember, a fetus spends all that time developing in amniotic fluid and towards the last several months actually begins to take little swallows of it to prepare the digestive tract for the milk when It's born. My twins were preemies but my daughter was a big healthy 4lbs and came home with me. My son only stayed a week. The nurses said he was such a good eater they felt no reason to keep him any longer. They were lusty eaters. I breastfed for 9 months and I believe this contributed to the wonderfully healthy and intellegent teens I have today. There were very few childhood illnesses in our home. In fact my daughters' idea of getting sick was: Mommy, I don't feel well. My stomach hurts. I'd check her temp and she had a slight fever. I'd give her lots of water and if she wanted it soup. 20 min or so later she'd go throw up and come running into my bedroom. Mommy I feel better can I go outside now. Sure enough the fever would be gone. But of course she had to stay and rest and continue the fluid intake.
When at 6 months I introduced solids, I'd add breast milk to the cereal otherwise they wouldn't eat it. It's just mush with water...lol

Answer 5

Babies wake up... lots. Feeding your infant foods that their body cannot process will not help your infant sleep longer. Doctors recommend that you wait until your baby is 4-6 months old before feeding them rice cereal because the infant needs that time to be able to process the food. Babies who are breastfed need to eat every 2-3 hours, while infants who are formula fed usually eat every 3-4 hours. This will gradually stretch out as time goes by, but don't rush your infant. In the meantime, try to take naps when the baby does so that waking in the night won't disturb you so much.

Answer 6

For several decades parents were told to introduce solid foods early. In some cases babies were started on cereals as early as three weeks after birth. The current recommendation is to wait until the baby is 4 to 6 months old. Here are some reasons why waiting is advised:


Until the age of three months, babies have a natural reflex to push outward with the tongue. This is useful in sucking but prevents a baby from moving solid foods from the front of the mouth backward for swallowing. Around age 4 to 6 months, babies gain control of the head and can sit upright more easily. Both of these developmental milestones show that a
baby is ready to eat from a spoon.

A baby does not need the nutrients in solid foods before age 4 to 6 months. By this time the baby will have doubled its birth weight and will be becoming hungrier. The baby will need more food.

Some pediatricians and nutritionists believe that early introduction of solid foods teaches a baby to overeat. It is easy for parents to urge babies to eat more than they really want; most babies do not know how to resist.
Well-intentioned grandparents may be placing pressure on you to introduce solid foods early. It can help them to know the reasons for waiting and that pediatricians and nutritionists agree.

Answer 7

Dr.'s say to wait until 4-6 months. The chances of developing allergies is much more likely if you start too young. Also their digestive systems are just not ready. Some babies just don't sleep well through the night and some do. Obviously the decision is your but I would try to wait a little longer.

Answer 8

The thinking is that you want to give the baby's digestive system a chance to develop a little more so that it can process the cereal (and other baby foods) better. Also, if you want until they are 4 months old (what my pediatrician advised), they've got good head control and can sit up in a high chair to be fed, reducing the risk of choking.

Answer 9

If you feed a baby sold foods any earlier, the digestive tract is not fully developed and you can cause life-long digestive problems, including food allergies. It is best to wait until six months, or until the child knows he wants solid food.

Breast milk DOES "stick to the ribs"; formula will as well, but if it is soy based, you are running the same risks as with sold food, with the additional problem of causing many nutrients to not be absorbed, and inhibiting the neural development of the child.

Answer 10

Because a baby's tummy can not digest cereal before they are 3 months. Don't be so lazy, get your butt up and make the baby another bottle when he/she wakes hungry, you had a baby not a toy you can put up on a shelf to play with when you WANT to..