Can I add rice cereal to my 3 month old's formula?

Question

My baby is 3 months and one week old. I would feed him formula at 11:30 pm and then he would wake up around 5 am in the morning for his next feeding. In the past few days however, he has started waking up at 2:30-3 am demanding to eat. Can I start adding some rice cereal to his formula at 11:30 at night to help him sleep better through the night, or is he too young for that?

If your answer has to do with your personal opinion regarding my parenting skills due to my choice to formula feed vs. breast feed, please refrain from answering. Thank you

Thank you ladies, I appreciate your help!!!

Answer 1

It's a myth that adding cereal to the formula will help them sleep better. you can look at www.babycenter.com to find information about starting solids.

Answer 2

Your little one is probably going through a growing spurt. My little one will be doing the same soon. He'll be 3 mths next week. Right now he sleeps on average at night time 6 hours. Keep an eye on the amount you feed him, as you will notice he will be eating more at each feeding.

I had to add this. Sorry if sound bad to you, but parents who put cereal into their babies bottles are only doing it for their own convenience not the baby's. Gives them an extra hours or so to sleep, but this is expected when you are a mother and every mother has to deal with it. My son was 10 1/2 lbs at birth and he is drinking 7 to 8 4 oz bottles in 24 hours. Which is in the guide lines. If he wakes up during the night it is for a reason.

Also there are thicker formulas, so you don't have to add anything to them.

Answer 3

Your baby is waking because he is hungry. He's still at that stage where it's all about feeding and sleeping. Contrary to belief, feeding formula does NOT mean that the baby will sleep four or more hours. A hungry FF baby can feed just as frequently as BF babies..it's all about their metabolisms. We fed my daughter a bottle of formula once when she was a newborn in between all of the nursings, thinking she would go longer. She was hungry after 2 hours :)

ONLY give him rice if he is experiencing GERD (reflux). Other than that, he is not ready for true solids and does not need a thicker feed. According to Baby 411, thickening the milk does NOT = sleeping through the night. They sleep through the night when they are developmentally able to do so. Right now he's hungry and needs those calories of the formula, not the empty-calorie rice, so give him what he wants and know that soon things will get better, I know :)

Answer 4

You will get a lot of opinions on this topic. Doctors "now a days" Say that baby's do not need solid food till they are about 6 months. They say it can lead to obesity. I really do not believe that. My son is 4 months and I started rice cereal in his bottle at about 3 months before bed (before bed only) Yes hes formula fed. He's a hungry growing boy. All the "old school" moms tell me I should do it and they did it will all there kids too. He has slept better at night giving me about a 6 hour stretch! I think its the right thing to do. It honestly never hurt no one before. I would go really light with the cereal the first night (make sure hes not allergic) Than I would work your way up, getting heavier and heavier each tI'me. I say use your own discrepancy on this topic. I was really scared at first, but im glad I did it, and I consider myself to be a great mom! Good luck!!!

Answer 5

If you are sure that his night wakings are not due to a short lived growth spurt,then yes do it. just make sure the cereal is well dissolved so he can´t choke on it,and its a good idea to start with just a little at a time, with a really simple sugar free rice cereal, at 3 months their tummies are still sensitive. My mom started us on rice cereal when we were 2 months old, and in the 70s mothers started as early as 6 weeks. Some say it is a myth, that it doesn´t work,is unhealthy,etc., but it does work with some babies. my doctor recommended it when my daugter was around the same age and was waking more often,although i didn´t do it for very long. good luck!

Answer 6

It's a myth that if you feed your baby solids (cereal) that they will sleep better. And that's way too late to feed your baby and way too early to feed him cereal. You should talk to your ped. Your baby could just be going through a growth spurt. My daughter did that too. she was a good sleeper and slept through the night, there were days when she would wake up demanding to eat and I would call the infant line and nurses would advise that she's going through a growth spurt. Go talk to your ped he may give you better advice depending on your baby.

PRINCESS. Are you not afraid that you are going to choke your baby by putting cereal in his bottle and feeding it to him? You should be careful that he may choke. They don't recommend feeding any baby cereal in a bottle. Plese be careful.

Answer 7

No, u should wait till the baby is at least 6months old maybe even older. Rice cereal in babies causes allot of gas, u may cause more harm than good. Try and keep your baby up a little while longer in the evening and bath before bedtime, it relaxes them more and they sleep better and longer.

Answer 8

I had no intention of commenting on the breast vs. bottle issue although those who feel strongly about breastfeeding have scientific data and international health organizations behind them so that gives it far more weight then a personal opinion.

When should I introduce solids?
You can introduce solids any time between 4 and 6 months if your baby is ready (see "How will I know when my baby's ready," below). Until then, breast milk or formula provides all the calories and nourishment your baby needs and can handle. His digestive system simply isn't ready for solids until he nears his half-birthday. Waiting until your baby is ready greatly reduces the risk of an allergic reaction and shortens the transition time between spoon- and self-feeding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for at least six months — though parents will attest that some babies are eager and ready to eat solids earlier.

How will I know when my baby's ready?
Your baby will give you clear signs when he's ready to move beyond liquid-only nourishment. Cues to look for include:

• Head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.

• Losing the "extrusion reflex." To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.

• Sitting well when supported. Even if he's not quite ready for a highchair, your baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.

• Chewing motions. Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. As he learns to swallow efficiently, you may notice less drooling. He may also be teething around the same time.

• Significant weight gain. Most babies are ready to eat solids when they've doubled their birth weight (or weigh about 15 pounds) and are at least 4 months old.

• Growing appetite. He seems hungry — even with eight to ten feedings of breast milk or formula a day.

• Curiosity about what you're eating. Your baby may begin eyeing your bowl of rice or reaching for a forkful of fettuccine as it travels from your plate to your mouth.

Answer 9

no he is still to young and if u put it in his bottle he could get very sick the cereal might get into his lungs! it is way better to feed a baby from a spoon..when they are old enough www.babycenter.com ha salot of information, and cereal doesnt help them sleep better, they did a study nad they found that all infant cereal does is make they baby gain weight.. i would wait... maybe your baby is going through a growth spurt.

Answer 10

Adding cereal to formula is generally unnecessary. It can cause food allergies and lead to over eating later in life. Wait to give baby his cereal until he is old enough to take it by spoon.