When can I start feeding my baby cereal?

Question

I am ultimately going to get an o.k. by her physician before I dare put the poor thing on cereal. but I was just curious, how young can you start putting a little cereal in their bottles? She is 6 weeks old and all she does is EAT EAT EAT and she is miserable if she doesn't have a full belly. Not to mention that I am trying to supplement formula as I am in short supply lately of my breastmilk due to stress and going back to work. Then, she refuses the bottle too because she just wants the breast. I feel that if she was fuller for longer, this would alleviate her hunger pain. Believe me, I put her to breast whenever I can, but she gets frusterated by that because the volume is low. Then I give her the bottle and she doesn't like that but you know she wants it because she will start sucking, but then pull back once she tastes it. she's a little stinker alright. She's just confused I think. I would be too if someone kept switching my food around. Poor little girl. I can't help it though.

Answer 1

This is a topic that seems to plague many a parents. First I would like to shed a little light on what may be causing your little one's hunger and your breast milk shortage. When babies hit a growth spurt they need more milk. Your body will only supply more milk if the baby is nursing. The worst thing you can do with a baby who is seemingly always hungry is to supplement with formula (unless you no longer want to nurse). Six weeks is a very normal time for you to need to increase your breast milk. My suggestion would be no cereal. First, this will give your daughter the feeling of a full belly with out the nutrients she really needs. It can also cause constipation, gas, and colic like symptoms. Babies actually do not need to have anything but breast milk until six months of age. Offer your breast when she is hungry, but remember not every time she cries is she hungry. A great book is the "Baby Whisperer" to help you determine a good schedule. If you want to increase your milk supply here are a few tips. First, nurse, nurse, nurse, the more she sucks the more milk you produce. If you are pumping, pump after every feeding and in between feedings at night as well as during any missed feeding. Drink lots of fluids! This is important for your health too. Finally if you have a hard time letting down, relax, think about your baby, and if possible stand in a hot shower or place a hot wash cloth on your breast. I don't know why it works but it has worked for me and quite q few of my friends. As for her frustration it could be nipple confusion. Switching back and forth is really not good for her. You are better to do one or the other, but breast is always best. Just relax, people like to make breast feeding a science. It is what people all over the world have done to feed their babies. Don't let people get you worked up. As long as you are consistent with breast feeding you will produce milk (unless there is a medical condition that won't allow you to) and your baby will not starve. Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 2

I think the general rule is to introduce it at 4-6 months. Maybe earlier if the physician gives the green light and then for that specific product. The way you feed your baby cereal in the bottle is to cut a larger slit in the end of the nipple then mix a reasonable amount of formula and the cereal but it will still be more liquid than solid but have some "substance" when you look at it through the side of the bottle. Serve at the same temperatrure but slower that milk. I would give more burpings.

My nephew was a baby like that. He was always voraciously hungry and his mom started him on tablefood at about 2 months and his system could not digest peas and meat so he had a VERY bad vomit reflex (though he loved the food) and people hated to hold him. It was almost to the point where I suggested they take him to the doctor but he is now 8 and I guess he is OK but at the time it worried me.

Answer 3

She is only 6 weeks old, she will want to nurse every 2/3 hours. Relax and let her nurse when possible, How do you know your volume is low? You must eat properly and drink lots of fluids, including milk. That will help your volume. If you are back to work you must express milk during the day also so you keep producing enough milk. Be more patient with the breast and the bottle, give your daughter a chance to nurse from either one at her pace in the manner which she chooses. You are nervous, anxious, etc. she feels it and becomes agitated. As for the cereal, you should never put it in a bottle, speak to your pediatrician as to when you can feed her the cereal, usually at 5 or 6 months old.

Answer 4

I hate to recommend ending breastfeeding as it means so much. But the confusion may be too much for your baby. Or just pump your milk and only offer that. It is not nessecary to give her cereal until 4-6 months old although the new recommendation since I had my daughter 2 years ago is 6m. At ages 2,4,and 6 weeks (about) babys go through their first growth spurts. So she will be hungry reguardless of your efforts. I would at 6 weeks offer a 4 oz bottle every 3-4 hours. In the mean time between also offer stimulation and other stuff to hold her out while she gets used to this. She is also at an age where she is going to start becomming more alert and not know what to do with her self. She may also want more holding.
Good luck

Answer 5

Your baby is probably growing through a growth spurt. And your own breastmilk supply may be going down if you are supplementing with formula and not pumping at work. Try to feed more if you can and pump if you can, as it will help you to produce more milk. I would strongly advise against the cereal at this very early stage in baby's digestive development and your pediatrician would most likely agree unless your case has specific indicators for it (and I can't think what those would be). Also, while I agree that you can consider calling La Leche for help, beware. Some of them make you feel guilty for even considering formula. I had problems breastfeeding my daughter for the first month or so - my breasts were sore and bleeding in my daughter's mouth, which horrified me and made me feel bad for HER, and I would start to cry whenever I heard her start crying for food because it hurt so badly. Yet when I called La Leche for help there was NO sympathy or emotional support: they made me feel bad for even considering stopping or trying to give my breasts a rest every now and then with a formula feeding. There was ZERO consideration for me as a new mother, I felt like it was a cult of breastfeeding lunatics who didn't care about the mother at all. Mind you, I strongly advocate breastfeeding and when the pain magically stopped one day I was able to continue until my daughter was 2 1/2, much longer than even some of those kooks probably go. But I did not appreciate feeling like I had to martyr myself and being made to feel like giving my baby formula was like sticking a cigarette in her mouth. I cannot think that if I had continued to be in extreme pain, crying all the while feeding her, that THAT could have been good for me OR the baby. At the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you and your baby and your particular situation. If that means formula, so be it. You can still bond with the baby while feeding and be a great mom.

Answer 6

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends STRONGLY that babies not start solids until 6 months and up until that point they should be breastfed exclusively.

The reason you are in short supply is that you are supplmenting with formula and your breasts feel that the demand is going down so they are producing less milk. The more you supplement, the less milk you will get.

You MUST call you local La Leche League for help. They will help you for free In no way whatsoever should you be giving a 6 week old baby cereal. Absolutely not.

I'm really serious about this -- get help now before your milk dries up. Go to www.kellymom.com for online breastfeeding help.

Answer 7

I started solids at 5 1/2 months. Current advice IS to wait until 6 months unless baby is clearly ready a bit sooner. (Remember, just because they say you 'can' start solids at 4 months doesnt' mean that you have to, or that it will benefit him in any way.) When you start, whether at 4 months or 6 months, there's no rule that you have to give cereal first. A baby who's ready for solids can eat fruits or veggies just as well. (The only advantage to cereal is that it's cheap and easy to mix up in small amounts, so there's less waste for a baby who's only taking a teaspoon at a meal.)

Answer 8

My kids had acid reflux so i started putting cereal into their bottles around 4-5 weeks old with the doctor's recommendation. They suggested it with my youngest son because he was always hungry and crying all the time and eating all the time. But if you want to feed your baby cereal separate from the bottle, I'd suggest in about 2 weeks. Right now would be OK but doctors would probably try to talk you out of it due to fears of your child becoming overweight. Do what you feel is right and don't always rely on a doctor who doesn't have a personal relationship with your child.

Answer 9

I started with a little cereal in the bottle at about 3 months (the doc said its ok for grain cereals like rice) or so.... and then on veggies at six months....do not start with fruit...you will have a hard time getting her to eat anything else if you start with fruit....and being hungry all the time is normal...for the first couple of months thats what it will be "eat, sleep, poop" and thats about it for a while....it will get easier though....

Answer 10

6 weeks is too early for cereal because the digestive tract isn't fully developed yet. You need to talk to your doctor. You'll get a lot of advice and opinions here,but its unlikely to solve you problem.
Tell the doctor evrything you can about the baby's eating habits.