I've heard 3 months but I know lots of parents start sooner to help to get their babies to sleep through the night better. The last thing I want to do is hurt my son, so I was wondering what some other parents have done.
2006-08-15 06:24:42 · 25 answers · asked by ♥♫♥ Crystal ♥♫♥ 4 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
I started feeding my baby at 2 1/2 months. Just add a pinch the first time to the milk and if the baby reacts ok than you can add a bit more it does help with their sleep. Usually I give my baby a warm bath and some milk with cereal and she will sleep a good 4 hours. good luck!
2006-08-15 06:57:11 · answer #1 · answered by kitttykat6579 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally between 4 and 6 months. Never by bottle, always by spoon. Mix it with a little formula or breast milk - whichever they get. Start with a tablespoon once a day - morning or night, whichever works better for both of you. You can increase it to twice a day and the amount as you see fit.
Pick one cereal to start with - any of them are fine, but make sure it's the ONLY new thing in the baby's environment for a week. (No new soap, laundry detergent, other foods) This way, if there's an allergic reaction, you'll know what it's from. Feel free to try the other cereals once baby gets used to each one.
2006-08-15 13:41:08 · answer #2 · answered by zippythejessi 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Three months is a little early to give your baby infant cereal just for the reason of sleeping through the night (IMHO). I know those nights are difficult but, in no time it will get better. I would wait until four months to start the cereal. And, when you do start with the rice, it's a single grain and easier to digest. Don't just mix it in a bottle and give it to your baby either. Your baby needs to learn how to eat with an ingant spoon to know this is how he/she gets food. Be patient when your baby is learning to eat...it takes a little while for them to get the hang of it, it'll probably be messy. Have Fun!!!!
2006-08-15 13:35:18 · answer #3 · answered by Miel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not start feeding him cereal before 3 mos because of new studies. New studies that have been done prove that children who were feed infant cereal before 3 mos were more likely to develop some kind of food allergy later in life. Now I know everyone is different, but I would definitely wait, and when you do give the baby cereal start with rice first because it is the least likely to cause allergic reactions!
2006-08-15 13:31:53 · answer #4 · answered by littleshorty9 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pediatricians usually recommend waiting until months unless there is a good reason to start earlier. Starting cereal too early can cause allergic reactions, fussiness, constipation, gas, and colic symptoms. Cereal will not help your son sleep through the night better. In fact, it is just the opposite. Formula and breastmilk breakdown more slowly than cereal, so they stay in his stomach longer. It's an urban legend that cereal will help them sleep.
2006-08-15 13:47:37 · answer #5 · answered by dixiechic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everything I read said the best time to start is after 4 months. That's when they lose the reflex that makes them stick their tongue out at the spoon. We started and spoon fed our little girl cereal at 4 months and then from there you can start adding in a little bit of fruit, etc. (I think that really helped her learn that a bottle was to drink from and a spoon was to eat from also. ) My doctor also didn't recommend it until 4-6 months, but I know others say you can put it in a bottle right away basically, but there is a definite risk of choking and you have to be careful of that. Call and ask the nurse at your child's doctor's office just for their opinion and then go with your gut. Good luck!
2006-08-15 13:32:30 · answer #6 · answered by missionhtg 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cereal on a spoon should be started at 4 months or so. If you need to thicken a bottle with rice cereal you can do that before 4 months, just ask your Dr. first.
2006-08-15 15:24:45 · answer #7 · answered by Jacob's Mommy (Plus One) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was putting cereal in my daughters milk a 1 month. But every mother is not the same. If your baby is having trouble sleeping at night then i would put a small about in the milk. About 1teaspoon or so. Do not make it to thick or it will make the baby up set.
2006-08-15 13:32:36 · answer #8 · answered by Hannah W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well of course the first thing that you should do is consult your childs doctor. each doctor has their own guidlines on that. i know my childs dr said that according to the pediatric society it should be about 6months of age, but he agreed that i could start at 4 months. so that is what i did with all 3 of my children, and they are all fine. the one thing that i would not recommend to making the hole in the nipple of the bottle bigger, and putting cereal into the bottle. when you make the nipple bigger you don't know how fast the milk is going to come out, and that increases the risk for your baby choking. so altough in the beginning feeding them is a very tedious process, it will be worth it in the end, and you will enjoy spending that time with them.
2006-08-15 14:14:41 · answer #9 · answered by rabika97 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was told that I could start feeding my baby cereal when the milk wasn't holding her through the night anymore. That, of course, happened to be when she was three months old.
I think that it's a matter of what your child needs. If they're really not sleeping through the night, it really couldn't hurt to try -- and if you're really worried, you could ask your doctor.
2006-08-15 13:30:27 · answer #10 · answered by Kristain 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋