When can you give breastfed babies cereal?

Question

I have a 3 week old and just wondering when is a good time to start adding cereal? How much and what kind? Any pros and cons are helpful as well.

Answer 1

Breastfed babies should not get any solid foods until they are six months old (NOT 4-6 months). The reason to wait for six months is because babies have what is called an "open gut" and molecules can pass directly into the bloodstream. Once the gut closes, around 6 months, then foods can be introduced, one at a time. La Leche League recommends introducing banana, avacado, or sweet potatoes as a first food rather than the traditional rice cereal.

Early food introduction can lead to food allergies. It can also lead to problems later on in life such as GI tract problems and diabetes, among other things. These are debilitating diseases so do what you can to prevent them. My husband has GI tract problems that are very severe and the cause could be because he was fed rice cereal at 2 months old. I've read that with a history of GI problems, it may be best to wait until 7 or 8 months to introduce solid foods.

Answer 2

All babies (breastfed or formula) really do not need any solid foods like cereal until at least 4 months old. I don't think you could even get a breastfed baby to take cereal with a spoon at 3 weeks., and you really wouldn't want to anyway. They get all the fat and calories from the breastmilk. If you have people (like mother-in-laws) who never breastfed who are telling you that your baby would sleep better with some cereal in them, it just isn't true. I'm sorry, but you are going to be sleep deprived a little bit longer. :-)

When you do start, start with rice cereal. Starting foods to early may bring on food allergies too. Congrats on the baby and good luck.

Answer 3

I think that most doctors will tell you to try and wait until your baby is at least 5 months old before giving them any soild foods..like rice cereal. I personally don't like or think its a good idea to put cereal in your babys bottle but some people do it. My daughter has been breastfed since birth and started on rice cereal when she was about 4 and a half months old...she loved it!
Now she is almost 8 months old and she eats alot of different foods..I make her homemade baby food from foods that we eat ..she loves it. It will tell you on the box of rice cereal how much to feed your baby the first time for give them cereal.
I would also ask your doctor what he/she thinks because every baby is different.
Good Luck

Answer 4

The pediatricians are now telling us to wait until the baby is 6 months old before introducing cereal. This is supposed to help cut down on the number of food allergies that seem to be becoming a big problem these days. IF your baby is starting to want to eat more often right now relax. This is normal. Your milk production will increase to satisfy the demand fairly quickly. It can get stressfull but be patient.

Answer 5

I have a 7 month old daughter, who has been exclusively breastfed until she was 6 months old. At her 6 month old appt, her doctor instructed us to start with the cereal because at this age, their iron stores have been depleted.
Your breastmilk is the best all-inclusive food for babies up until this age. If your baby suffers from reflux, your doctor may instruct you to add some cereal to a bottle of breastmilk. Otherwise, don't do it.

Answer 6

It is recommended to wait until 4 months (at the earliest) to introduce Rice Cereal to a baby, unless you are dealing with a reflux baby. Please know that adding cereal will not help a baby sleep through the night.

Answer 7

It's way too early to start your lil bit on cereal. I introduced Rice cereal to my son when he was about 6 months, and even then I mixed the cereal with my breast milk. He loved it. But you have a ways to go!

Answer 8

Way too early!!! Take it from a nurse... or try this link. http://www.netwellness.org/question.cfm/36049.htm
Consult your babies doctor but 3 weeks IS WAY TOO EARLY. Take your time because your baby is still in the development stage and his/ her internal parts are just getting use to things other than breast milk. There are loads of information on the net about this. Just use baby care and breast feeding info on the search engines. But the general rule is slow introduction at 6 months. Too much too fast isn't good for them. Nutrition wise and well being. Good luck.

Answer 9

what do you mean "adding cereal"...to a bottle of breastmilk, or to his diet?!
The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that you breastfeed a baby *exclusively* (i.e. nothing but breastmilk!) for the first 6 months of life. At 6 months you can introduce rice cereal, with some breastmilk in it, or some formula if you choose. Kids vary in when they seem to show interest in solids, but rice cereal isn't as nutritious as breastmilk, really. You have all that your baby needs for the first 6 months at the very least.
Enjoy your little one!

Answer 10

Six to eight months. This website tells you the benefits of waiting, and the signs to look for when they're ready. My daughter is 7 1/2 months, and still isn't ready for solid food. I've tried a few times, but she in very uninterested. Remember that babies are meant to have milk, otherwise they would have been born with a full set of teeth, and mothers wouldn't produce milk...lol. Breastmilk or formula is all they need for the first 6 months, and should be the main food source for the first year.

http://www.2coolbaby.com/Documents/brstsolid.htm