My daughter is 6 1/2 weeks old and she wakes up at night every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. She was 7 lbs 1 oz when she was born and now she is 12 lbs!!! She is getting so big! I gave up breastfeeding after 2 weeks, so she has been on formula. Online it says that every baby is different, but what are the signs that she needs it?? She has been eating a lot (3-4 onces every 2 1/2 - 3 hrs). Can I give it to her now? I spoke with another mom at the store and she told me that she started her son on it at 3 weeks. Please if anyone has any advice....
2006-12-30 14:40:37 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Try giving her a larger bottle - 6-8 oz first and see if that satisfies her first. If she still wants more than try some rice cereal in her last bottle before bed. If she is putting her fists in her mouth and smacking her lips a lot in between bottles that's a sure sign she's looking for more. My first son was 8 /3 when he was born and he was a big eater. He started on rice cereal at a month.
My twins were just under 8 pounds each when they were born and didn't show any interest in anything more than formula until they were 6 months! Every baby is different even in the same family. Go with your gut - mother's know best! If she spits it up right away or she chokes on it you know it's not time yet.
Trial and error and lots of luck!
2006-12-30 15:26:27 · answer #1 · answered by sweetin30349 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
At 6 1/2 weeks your baby is going through a growth spurt and that is why she wants more to eat. DON'T feed her cereal, her digestive system is not mature enough for that now, wait until the Pediatrician says, usually at the 4 month WBV. Formula is suppose to be your newborns main and only source of food at this time. Up her bottles by 1/2 - 1oz and see how she does.
2006-12-30 15:54:24 · answer #2 · answered by Ericka K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my son was eying my plate one night when he was 2 months old. I gave him a little bit of rice cereal ( mixed with his formula) and he loved it. he was 6lb 3 oz when born and now is about 18 lb. He's a big boy and I really think he needed it. He has been a big eater since his first bottle and now he eats all sorts of baby foods. He is 6 months old , and very happy and healthy. You do what feels right and not what everyone tells you to do.
2006-12-30 16:42:15 · answer #3 · answered by johnsmommy0920 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Babies are *supposed* to wake up every 2-3 hours at that age. Just make sure she takes as much formula as she wants whenever she wants it. Cereal at this age is totally unecessary and can upset her little tummy AND can cause allergies. I have a son and I could NEVER give him cereal at 3 weeks old. *shudder*
For formula fed babies, 4-6 months (ideally, 6 months) is the norm to start solids but you can skip cereal and go right on to veggies and fruits. Cereal has very little nutritional value other than iron and it tastes gross.
For breastfed babies, they don't *NEED* many solids until after well after their first birthday.
Oh, and NO, cereal doesn't make babies sleep better. And NEVER put cereal in her bottle, its a choking hazard.
Hope this helps!
2006-12-30 15:19:38 · answer #4 · answered by Carly 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your baby does not need cereal at this age. The nutrients in cereal are nothing compared to formula. So by giving cereal to your baby, you will be depriving her of nutrients.
Wake and feed her right before you go to bed. Keep her up during the day. If she wakes during the night, keep the lights dim, don't talk above a whisper, and don't engage in play. I would say that your baby might not be tired or probably just needs to suck.
Introducing cereal at too young of an age can cause much greater problems than her not sleeping at night.
2006-12-30 14:49:05 · answer #5 · answered by Cassiopeia 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The doctors say six months now. A few years ago they were saying four months. You can try feeding her a bit and see if she's ready for it. Babies have a reflex that makes them push solids out of their mouths and you can't really get them to take any solids until they lose that reflex. I think you should try increasing her formula, though, and wait a while for the cereal.
Oh, if you do decide to try cereal, you may need to give her a bit of water too, because rice cereal can cause constipation.
2006-12-30 14:56:37 · answer #6 · answered by Judi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The experts say, that you should not give your baby any foods other than milk, before 3-4 months. They should get breastmilk or formula milk. I asked them why ???? Babies cannot digest hard food other than breast milk or formula milk.breast milk's components - lactose, protein (whey and casein), and fat - are easily digested by a newborn's immature system.
Even if you give your baby rice cereals, it won't affect the hunger.
Hope not damage the digestive system...
I had the same problem , my baby always keep on crying night ; and when we start to give him milk, he was ok then. Some of my old colleagues ask me to give my baby cereals, but my doctor says no.
At last soon after the 4rd week, the baby starts to feel the milk taste. Ask the expert .Be patience
2006-12-30 16:03:46 · answer #7 · answered by Pakcik Kantin 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Why Delay Solids?
Reasons for delaying solids
Additional information
References
Health experts and breastfeeding experts agree that it's best to wait until your baby is around six months old before offering solid foods. There has been a large amount of research on this in the recent past, and most health organizations have updated their recommendations to agree with current research. Unfortunately, many health care providers are not up to date in what they're telling parents, and many, many books are not up to date.
The following organizations recommend that all babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or any other foods) for the first 6 months of life (not the first 4-6 months):
World Health Organization
UNICEF
US Department of Health & Human Services
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Dietetic Association
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Health Canada
Most babies will become developmentally and physiologically ready to eat solids by 6-9 months of age. For some babies, delaying solids longer than six months can be a good thing; for example, some doctors may recommend delaying solids for 12 months if there is a family history of allergies.
Delaying solids gives baby's digestive system time to mature.
Delaying solids decreases the risk of food allergies.
Delaying solids helps to protect baby from iron-deficiency anemia.
Delaying solids helps to protect baby from future obesity
Delaying solids makes starting solids easier.
Read the details at:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html
More:
http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/foodnutrition/article.jsp?content=3934&page=1
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/introducing/
http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bnutrition/0,,lz_9dw3,00.html
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/justbm.html
2006-12-30 15:19:43 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
By now, it might suffice her more to give her more than 3 or 4 ounces at a time. For allergy issues it is safer to wait to give her anything other than "solids" unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. It is recommended by many doctors that you should wait until 4 months. I started my daughter at 3 1/2 months. It would probably be okay now, however, she would become more susceptible to an allergy to rice. Which is because of their digestive systems not being mature enough. It also poses a choking hazard to put it in their bottle.
2006-12-30 14:48:41 · answer #9 · answered by lyndsie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It all depends. But I know I started adding a little bit of rice cereal into his bottle and made the nipple hole a bit bigger so that my son drank the cereal instead of eating it from a bowl. But I believe I started doing this after he turned 3 months old. I also did that so that he would be more full and he wouldn't have to wake up during night.
Hope this helps.
2006-12-30 14:47:21 · answer #10 · answered by 888 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋