Feeding baby rice cereal?

Question

My baby is 14 weeks old. She only eats about 4oz at every feeding - I feed her about every 3 hours. She seems content and sleeps through the night pretty consistently.

I am pondering whether or not I should give her a teeny tiny bit of rice cereal in her bottle. Do you think this will be a good thing for her, or do you think that if she's doing OK without it, we can wait a bit longer? thoughts???

Answer 1

NO....it would not be a good thing to give a 14 week old baby rice cereal.

ALL your child needs until right around 6 mos of age is breastmilk or formula. She doesn't have the enzymes in her belly to properly digest anything else this early on. Starting solids (which includes rice cereal) too early can lead to an increased risk of allergies, diabetes and obesity later in life.

Answer 2

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 3

I think u should wait a bit longer. Pediatricians only suggest feeding rice cereal to a baby under four months if the baby is eating ridiculous amounts of formula in short periods of time bcuz the cereal is heavier on their stomach....so if ur baby is eating normal and sleeping well I wouldnt suggest the cereal.

Answer 4

What would be the benefit of putting cereal in her bottle?

I know the harm it can do... its a choking hazard for one... and it can put your child at higher risk for diabetes and obesity later in life.

I just don't see how risking that would be worth it?

Another thought on rice cereal... think about what rice looks like... good brown rice. Now, look at what comes out of the package of "rice cereal". Can you imagine what kind of processing it took to get from A to B?

Why would you want that to be your childs first experience with solid food?

You say that your baby is content with formula and sleeping well (although, that really has nothing to do with solids). Why rush solids? Wait until she lets you know that she is ready. There will be CLEAR signs. She will start reaching for your food and possibly getting mad that you arent sharing. At that time you can give her all-fresh foods... soft steamed veggies, soft fruits. She may even be able to feed herself!

Answer 5

My pediatrician said no cereal at all in the bottle (they don't learn how to eat properly and can choke). Also, I think the baby has to be taking at least 32ozs a day before you step her up to food. My son is 20 weeks and we just started to introduce rice cereal. He eats approximately 6-8oz of formula every 2-3 hours and always seems hungry. If your baby is content for now, just let her drink formula.

Answer 6

If she is doing ok with her feedings than I wouldn't add the cereal just yet. At that age that is about what she should be eating. If she starts waking during the night alot getting hungry then I would definetly add the cereal. At her 4 month old check up her doctor will probaly recommend you start giving her the cereal.

Answer 7

if she seems satisfied with what she is getting then I would wait a few more weeks. I gave my daughter cereal in her formula very early on because she never seemed to be content with her feeding, it helped, then when she was about 4 months old I started to introduce spoon feedings, she didn't like the texture at first but loved the taste! have fun and take it slow if she doesn't need it.

Answer 8

There's no need to ever add cereal to their bottle. The whole point of giving them cereal is to get them used to using a spoon and having something in their mouth. It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that they not start on any solids, including cereal, until 4 months. Wait til then, and introduce cereal from a spoon-not a bottle. Mix it thin at first.

Answer 9

honestly i don't see the point of putting rice cereal in the bottle if you want to give her cereal feed her from a spoon but make it very watery i'm sure she is getting enough nutrition from her bottle so i wouldn't be necessary the only thing to be careful with is food alergies so only give her one kind of cereal and wait a week and if she's ok with the cereal for that week then you can try another

Answer 10

If she's doing fine without it, then what purpose will it serve. Wait until the doctor tells you to start giving them food. Also, you're not supposed to put cereal in the bottle unless the doctor recommends it. That is the main reason there are so many kids that are overweight and have a mouthful of cavities.