What can I use on my baby's face? Is 3 months too early for cereal?

Question

My daughter is 11 weeks old. She has to wear mittens on her hands when she goes to sleep because she scratches her face when she wakes up. Well, she also rubs her face really hard which has caused her cheeks to turn rough and look like they are burned. I have been using pure shea butter but that doesn't seem to work. Any suggestions on what I can use to keep her skin soft and heel her cheeks? My second question is, can I give her a little bit of cereal in her milk for her night bottle to help her with her sleeping. All of my family members tell me my breast milk is so thin and that is why she doesn't stay sleep at night. They think her hunger wakes her up. I was going to wait until she was 4 months. Is 3 months ok, (She will be 3 months next week). Thanks for any suggestions.

Answer 1

my daughter has the same thing going on with her face and the only thing i used that works is Aveeno Baby soothing relief moisture CREAM.

i would call the doc and ask him about the cereal. thats what you pay him for!

Answer 2

Try Euceren lotion. It's a really good moisturizer and safe to use on babies.

As for the cereal. It really isn't recommended to give any cereal before 4 months. Breastfeeding is sufficient for a 3 month old infant. Remember that breast milk is digested quicker and more completely than formula so breastfed babies have to eat more frequently. There are few 3 month olds that sleep through the night even if they are given cereal in their bottles.

Another thing to consider is that since the baby is not technically old enough to start on rice cereal, it could upset her stomach and make her sleep less than before.

If you think that she's not getting full enough before bed, try nursing her until she empties one breast because the first milk is thin and then the hind milk is the thick, fatty and filling stuff that will keep her full and (hopefully) asleep for longer periods of time.

Answer 3

It is very normal for an 11 week old to wake up for a feeding throughout the night. I would expect that for a few more months yet. It is true that the breastmilk goes through their system quickly, so they wake more often than a formula fed baby would.

It is recommended that you wait until 6 months before introducing solids to your baby.... I wouldn't give her any cereals until after 4 months, and with doctor's OK.

My baby had to wear mittens too... only for a few months. As for her cheeks... maybe the shea butter is too strong for her skin. I would stop putting it on her, and let the air get to the rash. It sounds like there's more going on with her cheeks... I'd have them checked out.

Answer 4

Chapped Cheeks - There are various remedies. Johnson's chapped skin stick (don't know the name) worked ok for our daughters. I used aloe (straight from the plant) when it got really bad.

Cereal? Good question. It is entirely possible that you do not have enough of some essential vitamin in your breast milk. That's not a reason to add cereal to the baby's diet, though. It's a reason to add vitamins and some special K cereal to YOUR diet. If you are getting a good balance of vitamins and minerals then so is your baby. If you feel you need to try something else, I would suggest getting powdered formula, pumping a bottle for nighttime, and adding just a little bit of the powdered formula to your breast milk. That way the baby is still getting breast milk and there's a little "extra" there just in case.

That said...my second child got some cereal in ber bottles from 3.5 months on because she just wasn't getting FULL. She would eat and be hungry 30 minutes later. All babies are different and doctors do not know everything, neither do families. You are Mom, you know your baby best.

Good LUCK!

Answer 5

Breast Milk is best. The idea that solids will help her sleep through the night is an old wives tale (unfortunately!). Cereal should be introduced between 4 and 6 months of age, and other solids should be introduced at 6 months of age.

Answer 6

No breast milk is not thin, thats is not why she stays up at night.

Breast milk is perfectly made for infants stomach, because of this it is easy for them to digest. That is good!! They can absorb more vitamins from it and it doesn't cause as much gas. It is VERY natural for an infant who nurses to wake up every 2 hours to nurse, and its very healthy. Thats part of having a baby and taking care of your baby and dpoing what is best for them. Their stomach is only about the size of their fist, she needs to nurse often.

Cereal at 3 months is still to early. An infants stomach doesn't have the ability to digest it correctly. his system lacks certain digestive enzymes, such as an enzyme called amylase, needed for digesting starches or complex carbohydrates. And even then that can be to early as rice cereals have a lot of iron (which can cause constipation), a lot of preservatives (which infants cannot filter out from their bodies very well because their livers and kidneys do not function well yet.) and because aside from the few fortified vitamins, rice cereal is pretty inadequate nutrition.

Children sleep longer when they eat cereal or formula because its sitting in a lump in their stomach as it tries to digest it. I would stick to nursing as much as possible and give your baby all the wonderful benifits. It can be hard but go with your gut and wait until shes at LEAST 4 months for the cereal.

As for her face I would try Lanolin or Jojoba oil. (pure jojoba oil, its harder to find then the lanolin though) Just a smooth layer but they moisturize and protect a little better then lotions because they are thicker.

Answer 7

I heard of a lotion called aquafor for the chapped cheeks, or there is a johnsons chapped stick product for chapped skin as well (that sounds like what you are describing)

I would not put cereal in her bottle, Talk to your pediatrician for more support, but don't do it. It doesn't help them sleep longer its just a myth. Babys ARE suppose to wake up in the middle of the night to eat, they have small stomachs, which is why they need to eat more often.
my daughter actually only started waking up in the middle of the night to eat AFTER solids were introduced, just stick with your regular feedings, take a nap.. and relax :)

Answer 8

try Nivea cream. My daughter did the same thing and my pediatrician recommended that since it doesnt have the harsh dyes and perfumes it in. its a bit expensive but works well.
the cereal in teh night bottle doesnt help with baby sleeping thats an old wives tale. your baby will sleep longer when her stomach is able to hold more food making her able to sleep longer. Before you start any new food you really need to talk to your pediatrician! good luck!

Answer 9

My baby never really scratched his face badly, so I would recommend checking with a dr. Sometimes they will give you baby-safe creams if necessary.

In regards to cereal, my mom told me the same thing. At one month old she recommended a spoonful of cereal to help him sleep and I refused. At 2 months my doctor recommended it in a bottle to help with his spit up, but I found that it niether helped spitting up nor sleeping. So I'm sure it would be safe to try it if you wanted.

I've read in Parenting magazine (Febraury edition I think) that babies wake up naturally during the night, and the key is to get them to comfort themselves so they go back to sleep. This really seemed to be true in our situation. My child would wake up in the middle of the night, but if rocked or held for a few minutes, he would fall back asleep.

Answer 10

about the cereal, yes you can give it to your baby at 3 months, (not reccomended although i did at 3 months too) but it is better to spoon feed rather than add it in the bottle. however if you do decide to put it in the bottle be advised that it thinkens quickly and you only need a tiny bit. also you may have to make the hole in the nipple bigger, or if you are using tose dr browne bottles they have nipples for this (cereal in bottles)