Does feeding a baby rice cereal really get them to sleep longer?

Question

I have a two month old baby who only sleeps about 2 or 3 hours at a time at night. The doctor said I could give her cereal, but that it won't make her sleep longer. Has it worked for anybody else?

Answer 1

NO, no, no. I can't believe your doc recommended it. You baby's stomach is so new and sensitive still at 2 months and the cereal will just make it upset. And you are already giving up at 2 months..........I had twin boys and it took them 1 1/2 years to sleep for more than 3 hours at a time...........don't rush her, she may be having legit problems sleeping and by filling her up on cereal isn't going to help her any.
Usually around 3 1/2 months you can add a tiny bit of cereal to the milk but please don't use this as a sleeping aid......the cereal is merely to give more nutrients.
Don't rush her, she will sleep longer when she is ready..........

Answer 2

No, no, no and a thousand times NO. I am surprised that a doctor would tell you to give a two month old baby cereal. Is this person a pediatrician or a regular family doctor? Babies are not ready for cereal until 6 months or in some cases a bit before that. Breast milk gives a baby all the nutrition it could possibly need.
A baby that is only two months old really NEEDS those night time feedings. You do not want to deprive her of them. If she did not need them she would not be waking up for them.
Two months is too young to expect her to sleep all night. As she gets older she will sleep longer for one stretch at night. Usually about 5 hours, then gradually 6 then up to 8. Give her time, she is still an infant. Think of how tiny her little tummy is. You cannot expect her to go so long without eating. Besides that, she needs that contact with you, to be held and loved. If you are nursing her just tuck her in bed with you and the two of you can sleep all night. Just remember to change sides now and then. I did this for 4 of my children and we both slept all night from the beginning!
BTW, even if you are giving her formula she still does not need cereal that young. When a baby is old enough for solid food she is old enough to sit up, if not by herself with some help, and old enough to eat small bites of food off the tip of a spoon.
Having said all that, as the doctor said, it will not make her sleep any longer and you will have introduced a food that she does not need yet. IF she is breastfed you are replacing a superior food with an inferior one. Not a great idea.
One of my babies had colic and it seemed that he never slept. I learned how to walk and sleep at the same time. Boy, can I ever identify with you. It is hard when you are tired but it will not last forever. Hang in there.
Good luck and Blessings you to you and your baby.
Lady T~

Answer 3

Most pediatricians would advise against rice cereal at that age. If she seems content and sleeps well, I don't see why she needs the extra calories. I read that babies started on rice cereal too early have a higher chance for obesity later in life. My son had to get rice cereal while he was still in NICU because he had some other problems, such as his heart stopping while he was eating. He is fine now but he is a VERY big boy! I wonder how much the early introduction of rice cereal played a role.

Answer 4

I don't think your meant to give babies younger than 4/5 months anything other than milk and I would really question any Doctor who said you could...your babies body can't cope with anything other than milk.

If your baby is waking every 2/3 hours for a feed then why not increase the amount slightly which should help them to sleep for longer but honestly, newborns wake up in the night for feeds. That's what they do. Giving them cereal at this age would either choke them or make them real sick.....talk to your Health Visitor.

Answer 5

People believe that it makes the baby more full so they can sleep longer. In reality, a baby's body will digest milk and rice cereal at the same pace. The child's stomach is empty again in 2-3 hours. It just depends on if the child is unfomfortable enough to wake up because of this.

Answer 6

I'm surprised a doctor would tell you to start cereal this early. I would continue with the breastmilk or formula (whichever you're doing) and introduce cereal in a couple more months when it's appropriate. Babies aren't really supposed to sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time - sorry to tell you. You'll just have to adjust.

Answer 7

There is no clinical or scientific proof that eating a rice cereal will make the baby sleep longer. Although I know from my own experience that I gave both my boys pablum when they were about 5 wks old because they were both drinking too many 8oz bottles, so I would give them a teaspoon of pablum mixed with fomula so it's really runny before their bottle in the morning and before their bottle at bedtime. When they woke up they weren't as hungry didn't need as many oz's, so weren't up as long and didn't get as awake so were easier to put back down. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Formula is thicker than breastmilk, so if your nursing try the formula. This worked for me, but it truely only added an hour. The cereal doesn't work, I can't believe the doctor suggested it. It will cause more stomach upset, gas, and this alone will keep her up. Maybe too... see if she has refulx, we had to give my second baby drops before i feed him and this helped him sleep longer because the liquid wouldn't come back up and cause him to cough himself awake.

Answer 9

If you feed you baby rice cereal before bed it does in deed help then sleep longer because they are more full. Your baby may only sleep for an hour or two longer or only five minutes longer. It all depends on how full he/she is.

Answer 10

That's too young for cereal. Most babies that age wake several times to eat. As she gets a little older, adding solids will make her fuller so she wont wake as hungry.