We've been giving our baby rice cereal (now 6 wks old). After reading some answers here, I'm a little worried

Question

Our son is now 6 weeks old. We started breast feeding and supplementing with formula and he was eating every 4 hours. A few weeks ago, he started eating (formula - my milk supply decreased) 4 ounces and wanting to eat again 2-3 hours later. So, we got some rice cereal and started adding a tsp to his bottles.

Now, I'm a little worried because I didn't realize that we apparently started this way too early. I am going to put a stop to this ASAP, but am worried that we may have done something to harm him by starting so soon. Are food allergies the only concern I should be worried about?

I wasn't aware that every 2-3 hours (for formula since that's been most of his diet) was normal. I thought it was 4 hours.

The last thing I want to do is make a decision to hurt him and the decision to add the cereal wasn't to get him to sleep through the night. That was never an issue. It was just wanting to make sure he had enough to eat at each feeding.

Answer 1

I'm concerned that you think there is something wrong with a baby wanting to eat ever 2-3 hours.

Breastmilk digests in 1.5 to 2 hours, formula milk may take longer, but still every 2-3 hours is considered normal.

You may wish to have your baby checked for anemia, the synthetic iron in rice cereal can actually cause anemia.

Other than that and allergies you are most likely ok, if you stop now, and begin to feed on demand. Babies will not over-eat, nor will the under eat if provided the opportunity to eat. Just feed baby when baby is hungry and ignore any rules.

Answer 2

the rice cereal is really easy for babies to tollerate but now it is recommended to start babies on solids at 6 months. The reason for this is that there digestive system is not working well enough to digest anything other that breast and formula milk. At 6 weeks you baby is getting very hungery coz he's going through a growth spurt. this can last for a week or two or even longer. He'll go through many in his first year. Up until he's 6 months just increase his milk supply to when ever he wants it, Give him lots more during the day so he'll sleep longer at night. Formula is also more filling to a baby then breast milk. But to answer your question you would have done no harm to your baby. If he had an allergic reaction to the rice cereal within 3 days he would have gotten sick and developed some sort of rash, usually on the face.
I hope this helps

Answer 3

6 Weeks is to young to start cereal. Cereal should be given at 4 months starting once a day. And from what I have heard and read it is a big no no these days to add cereal to a babies bottle. It can cause choking. And the baby can't tell you when he has had enough. It also can cause obesity in children. It is very normal for a baby to eat every 2-3 hours. If he seems hungrier maybe try upping the ounces of formula per feeding. He could be going through a growth spurt. He seems to be doing exactly what he should be doing.

Answer 4

No, there won't be anything to worry about besides allergies or maybe some gas.

Introducing baby food too early can cause gas and indigestion because the immature tummy can't handle it, but a lot of people still do it in hopes of getting their babies to sleep better early on. I did for a while and stopped, like you. Later on, when I re-introduced it, rice seemed to give my son gas so I stopped again. But often there may be no ill effects at all.

It's just easier on the tummy to do it later, and they'll get more benefit out of it.

What people don't seem to realize is that at 7 weeks, the brain matures enough to start sleeping longer and the baby will sleep longer and longer over the next few weeks - both of mine slept through the night at 10 weeks. He will still want a bottle every 3 hours or so in the daytime.

If you're really worried, call his pediatrician, but from everything I've read and studied and experienced, everything will be just fine.

Answer 5

Don't stress yourself out. You realized that your decision to introduce rice cereal wasn't the best, and stopped. You probably didn't give him cereal long enough to cause any harm. It is normal for formula fed babies to want to eat that often, both my formula fed babies ate that often. It'll be okay, just make sure your pedi knows you started and stopped cereal in case anything comes up. You might notice your baby will now have more frequent or looser stools-- rice cereal is a constipator, so he may have had firmer, less frequent stools, and now that you've stopped the cereal, he may revert to more normal stools.
And from what I have read and researched, *true* sleep maturity is not reached until 3-4 YEARS of age.

Answer 6

It's really great that you've stopped adding rice cereal as soon as you realised that it could cause problems.

Any doctors telling people that this is okay, are ignoring the advice of medical associations around the world, and subscribing to a very old-fashioned school of thought.

When your milk supply "decreased", your son was likely going through a growth spurt and eating more.

Because rice cereal is one of the least likely baby foods to trigger an allergic reaction, and you didn't do it for that long, hopefully it didn't do any damage. Talk to your doctor about it (only if they are up to date with current research).

Answer 7

I agree with most of the other answers! Don't worry.... My son (now almost 3) ate literally 4 to 6 oz every hour during his first 4 weeks. By week two I was so exhausted from feeding him all night.. my ped. told me to start him on cereal then! He has no allergies or anything else wrong with him. Rice cereal is one of the most safest firsts to feed an infant... that is why they say to do it before solid food! some 90 percent of infants have no reaction with it at all! I wouldn't worry, and keep that little booger happy! Best of luck to you!

Answer 8

You poor dear! Calm down, you have not DAMAGED your son! It is natural for a babies appetite to increase quickly. First of all, you should discuss this with your child's pediatrician. Some doctors are for it and some are against it. Most importantly, do what YOU feel is right for YOUR child.

Yes there are studies that show that a child can develop food allergies if introduced to solids (and rice cereal is concidered a solid) too early. However; I can hear my mother screaming now (lol), that she didn't kill any of her kids from giving it to us at 6 wks old!

Most importantly, whatever you decide, whether your child's physician agrees with your choice or not, do not lie to him/her about giving your child cereal. IF by chance your child does become sick, they need to know what he is being fed, as it could possibly be them problem. I will tell you from experience, that all 4 of my babies became "gassy" once I started them on cereal and brace yourself for some MOST UNPLEASANT diaper changes! Good luck & best wishes.

Answer 9

I say go for it if it helps firll up your son and if he is still gaining appropriate weight, We started our son on rice cereal early becuase at 3 months he was eating 6oz every hour and a half. The formula was not satisfiying the hunger, and the doctor said that there was nothing medically wrong that would cuase him to want to eat that much

Answer 10

I believe that food allergies are 1 of the things that are to worry about but my daughter is 2 months and 2 weeks old and i've been giving her rice cereal in her bottles also since she was about a month and 3 weeks old, but she hasn't had any problems that i can see. although i didnt tell her dr i was using cereal because she feels i should wait until 4 months to introduce cereal. but i think you're okay just hold off of the ceareal and see what his dr says. Good luck & congrats!!!