I JUST STARTED GIVING MY 3 MONTH OLD INFANT CEREAL (RICE) I WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS TOO EARLY & SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL HIS OLDER? BEFORE I STARTED HIM ON THE CEREAL HE USED TO DRINK 4 OUNCES OF FORMULA EVERY 2 HOURS. NOW, SINCE I HAVE STARTED HIM ON THE CEREAL HE ONLY DRINKS ABOUT 4 OUNCES (W/ RICE) EVERY 4 OR 5 HOURS. NOW HE'S EATING A TOTAL OF 4 0R 5 BOTTLES EVERYDAY INSTEAD OF 7 OR 8. IS THAT A GOOD IDEA? I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS, GOOD & BAD ABOUT STARTING HIM ON CEREAL THIS YOUNG. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE COULD BE ANY LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS LIKE CHILDHOOD OBESITY? ALSO IS A TOTAL OF 20 -24 OUNCES OF FORMULA ENOUGH PER DAY FOR A 3 MONTH OLD?
2007-02-15 03:01:28 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Its pretty funny to see all these mothers on here saying that "doctors" recommend not starting solids til 6 months. I just took my daughter to her 4 month well check and her doctor said she could have cereal, fruits and veggies. Whatever she wanted. Also if all this crap about starting earlier can cause all sorts of problems, how did we ever survive? Our mothers were feeding us cereal when we were 2 weeks old. Go with what you feel your baby needs and wants. My daughter is not satisfied with formula alone. She needed something more. I was not going to starve her and only give her formula because of something I have "heard". Didn't they also say awhile ago that red M&Ms cause cancer. Now that study has been totally shot down as wrong. Give me a break. Anyway, don't worry too much about the amounts of formula your baby is taking now that you started cereal. The cereal is going to keep her statisfied longer. Your baby knows when shes hungry and whens shes not, just go off that and you'll be good. Congrats on the little one and good luck.
2007-02-15 03:56:29 · answer #1 · answered by ktbblb 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
By the sounds f it your son is not ready. He is supposed to get all his nutrients from his milk and at 3 month should be drinking 7 ounces every 4 hours and sleeping through the night so that makes about 28 - 35 ounces a day. You should take him off it. Childhood obesity only comes into it when the children get fed all the wrong types of foods. But your son will not be getting the right nutrients if he is drinking so little.
2007-02-15 03:54:03 · answer #2 · answered by Angels are everywhere! 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
These people who are saying NO for a baby to have cereal at 3 months don't know what they are talking about.
My son just turned 4 months old. He was born at 9lbs 6oz and 22inches long. He is now 16lbs and 26inches. He's a big boy!!
Anyways I started him on cereal at 3 months old with my pedictricians recommendation because he was eating 11-12 ounces a feeding.
Your baby doesn't seem to be eating excessively so if I were you I would wait until his 4 month appt to ask his Pedi. Also it's not good to be putting cereal IN their bottle. If your going to feed him cereal you need to put it in a bowl and add formula or breastmilk until it is really thin and feed it to him with a spoon.
Good luck and seriously call your pedi first to see what they say.
2007-02-18 07:32:58 · answer #3 · answered by lilmamma873 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You aren't supposed to start cereal before 4-6 months. The latest recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics is not to give any solids until at least 6 months and even then only with a spoon because when you put it in a bottle it can cause childhood obesity and other problems. As for gas and reflux my son used to have reflux as a newborn and I put him to sleep on his stomach once he was able to hold his head up and that helped with the gas and reflux. He outgrew it at around 5 months.
2007-02-15 03:16:09 · answer #4 · answered by Miriam Z 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As a pediatric nurse and mother of 2, I have my own opinions on infant cereal. In regards to the healthcare recommendations, infants should start on cereal at no earlier than 4 months of age. As a mom of 2 girls with reflux, I hate to say that my mother-in-law talked me into starting both of them on cereal at 2 wks old. Not only did it help with their reflux issues, it helped them to sleep better at night and were more content during the day for nursing. My oldest daughter is 4 now and we do not have an issue with obesity. She was eating cereal twice a day by the time she was 2 months old but was still drinking 24-32 oz of breastmilk every day. As long as they are getting enough liquids during the day, they will be fine. You can monitor this by wet/dirty diapers. My baby is 3 wks old and is doing very well on cereal at night before bed. So, from a mom standpoint, cereal is fine at this age, but from the "healthcare guidelines, no cereal until 4 months old." Hope this helps out as every child is different....Only you know your child best. Good luck.
2007-02-15 03:13:05 · answer #5 · answered by dcjernigan 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Every doctor has a different opinion on this but my son's pediatrician recommends starting baby on cereal at 5-6 months. I have read that starting a baby too early on solids can cause him/her to have allergies in the future. Not sure how true this is but I followed the advice of my dr. and waited until my son was 5-6 months. Also you know your child is interested in food when he looks at your food while you are eating and tries to grab it off your plate. good luck!
2007-02-15 05:22:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Way to early, most recent studies say 6 months now because of the increase in flood allergies and obesity in children... however, I don't know if the States practices this since i read so much about women giving 5 month olds solid vegitables and fruit! Ack. I think before the study was released they say 4months for cereal so even if you're not going by recent studies you're still too early. It's only because their digestive systems aren't mature enough to handle it, it can cause colic, gas, reflux, infection, constipation and a slow down in their metobolic rates. You should check with your doctor.
2007-02-15 03:13:20 · answer #7 · answered by Gig 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋
most docs will suggest 4 mos old but if your baby is exceptionally hungry then a little cereal is fine. just about a tablespoon very thin though. i'm not a fan of rice cereal. my kids tended to get constipated. i used barley but any single grain cereal will be okay.make sure he's getting enough liquids. your doc can tell you the appropriate amount per day. don't worry about obesity. this has nothing to do with that. he's only 3 mos. old so get that out of your mind.best of luck
2007-02-15 03:14:11 · answer #8 · answered by racer 51 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Well in my breastfeeding class they said it's best to breastfeed for a whole 6 months and nothing else. But, I disagree with doctors and professionals a LOT I just don't know from experience weather to disagree or not so I'll probably stick to breastfeeding for 6 months once I have my baby. Good luck with your baby. I'm due in 4 days, I can't wait.
2007-02-15 03:41:58 · answer #9 · answered by Kueryn 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Yes! Too Early. Babies ONLY need breastmilk or formula for the first 6mo. You are risking allergies, and you don't want to fill his belly with cereal when it should be filled with formula. It is also false that it helps them sleep better. It used to be the rule to start babies on cereal between 4-6 mo, now they are saying that it's best to wait to start solids at 6mo.
When in doubt check with your doctor!!!! It can never hurt to ask him/her.
2007-02-15 07:00:00 · answer #10 · answered by Lil'Mama 2 · 2⤊ 3⤋