With your newborn baby when do you start to give them cereal and when can they drink water?

Answer 1

Ok, so my doctor said to put a teaspoon of baby rice cereal in his bottle before bed. This will help your child sleep. There will be lost of post telling you it is harmful and you shouldn't do it, but I did and my son is perfectly fine. As for the water, whoever said you can't is full of crap! How do you get rid of milk so they won't have thrush? Your baby can have water! I would give it right after a bottle and this will help clear the left over milk and your child will not have thrush. Good luck!

Answer 2

Deciding to start you baby on solids is confusing from my own point of view! If you start earlier than 6 months, people criticize you and tell you he's too young. If you haven't started at 4-5 months, other people ask you what you are waiting for! For my first son, I caved in a 4 months, and tried cereal. My son was a big eater (he drank 45 oz of formula a day by the time he turned 2 months). I of course waited for the right signs (He could hold his head straight, he was interested in food). He LOVED it! However, his tummy wasn't ready for it. He would cry and cry every night from tummy pain. I stopped, and re-started again at 6 months, he was fine then. Right now, I have a 6 1/2 month old son. I started him on baby food at 5 1/2 months. He did much better than my first (he didn't have tummy issues), and I introduced it very slowly. But he's not as interested in food as much as my eldest. I know every baby is different, but I think that you shouldn't start babies on solids too early. A lot of people give the baby cereal at 1-2 months because they have reflux. I would rather give my son medicine which has been tested on the long term effects for his own well being instead. I don't want to cause them unnecessary arm. By the way, this subject can get really heated... It's almost as controversial as breastfeeding vs bottle feeding! :P

Answer 3

Cereal usually around 4-6 months although it's not necessary. Babies can go 12 months on breastmilk or formula exclusively. If you do delay the solids though, just make sure your baby has an iron test to make sure he/she is getting enough iron.

Babies don't usually need water unless your doctor recommends it for whatever reason. However, I've heard of older infants being given a small bottle of water at bedtime if they are dependent on a night feeding.

Formula or breastmilk shouldn't be given at bedtime because it can rot the teeth. I think that's why a few parents give water instead...which is what doctors and dentists recommend for a baby dependent on a non-nutritive night bottle.

Answer 4

They can drink sterilized (they sell special water for babies) water from day 1(you mix powdered formula with water). Just sips(not a whole bottle full!) and make sure that the baby is drinking the formula he or she needs before offering water. They generally don't really need water until about 6 months.
As far as cereal the "rule" is about 4 months but all 4 of my children started between 3 & 6 weeks..depending on how much formula they were drinking.

Answer 5

You can give them cereal around 6 months according to the American Pediatric Association (see www.verybestbaby.com) Just be sure the first feeding is very thin and is mixed with formula or breastmilk. Babies don't normally need water until they are almost a year old. However, you can offer them sips around six months as well to let them get used to it. Basically, until they are almost a year old, formula/breastmilk is their main diet. That website also has a little quiz you can take to see if your baby is ready for solid foods. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Every rule is different. We started putting cereal in my daughter's bedtime bottle when she was 8 weeks old. At that age she was already sleeping through the night on her own, and I felt that was too long for her little belly to go empty. My Doc said it was not a problem, but said only to use rice becuase of the low incidence of an allergic reaction from it. As for water, my daughter has been on Prevacid Solutabs since she was 5 weeks and we have to give them with water. she is now a happy healthy 9 month old and LOVES water. She drinks it with her meals sometimes instead of diluted milk or juice. I still give her juice diluted with equal amounts of water.
Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Nothing but breastmilk or formula until 6 mos of age. Then you can start solid foods and offer sips of water.

Giving solids too soon can contribute to allergies, diabetes and obesity.

Giving too much water to a baby can be dangerous and cause a condition called "water intoxication." It can also cause them to take in less breastmilk or formula and cause problems with weight gain and mom's milk supply.

Answer 8

they can drink cooled boiled water from day 1 but can only have tap water once they are 1 years old. cereal they can have when they are weened (or put onto solids) which is normally 3months or when parent decides but not before.

Answer 9

water at any time, my son was 2 and a half months old and i tried a teaspoon of cereal... he loved it... just a little bit, everyday.... very loose... and water is good a little at a time... in a bottle... now he is a year and will drink water....

Answer 10

Not till app. 4 months old and they really shouldn't be drinking water till closer to 6 months. Even then it should be in lil sips.