Why can't I serve cereal with formula in a bottle?

Question

People have told me to hand-feed it to my baby, but wouldn't it just be harder and messier?

Answer 1

I, too, fed my son cereal with the formula in his bottle. I didnt start doing this 'til he was 5mos old though because the gag-reflex needs time to develop & solids shouldnt be introduced to baby before 4mos of age. Do not alter the nipple in any way, there's no need to. If you use the Avent brand bottles, they have a WIDE variety of nipples to choose from (including a nipple specially designed for use for formula that you've added cereal to)....My pediatrician recommended this to me for his bedtime feedings. Everyday, at least once a day, I tried feeding a small bowl of rice cereal to my son (with a spoon of course) so that he'd start learning to eat in that manner as well.... My son is now 21mos old. He is not, by any means, overweight. In fact, he's in the bottom 25%. He needs to gain weight. He was not a preemie & he has no allergies at all.... You will get all kinds of advice. Some good, some bad. You decide which is which. Use your common sense & go with your gut instinct. The fact that you're here asking questions shows you care about the welfare of your child. Dont let anyone bully you. Just do the best that you can, love your child with all your heart.... Who cares what anyone else thinks!......

Answer 2

If she's hungry feed her a bottle more often, she could be having a growth spurt. Giving the baby cereal in the bottle (unless your pediatrician advises it due to reflux) is not going to do her any good. It will not provide her with any nutrition and will possibly constipate her. Babies go through periods of time when they are frequently hungry because they're growing. You have to give them more nutrition so they can grow and develop. Rice cereal won't provide that, just feed her more frequently if that's what she wants. I have a baby the same age as yours and she usually eats every 4 hours or so, but once in a while she wants to eat again after two hours. A loose schedule is good, but you should really pay attention to the baby's cues. They know when they're hungry and when they need to eat.

Answer 3

It depends how old he is. I always say not to with a young baby because they don't have a strong gag reflex and can aspirate the cereal into the lungs. It is nice for baby to eat it off a spoon, its all part of the weaning stage and learning to eat this way instead of drinking everything. It is messier but this is pleasurable for baby all the same. Different textures and flavours in the mouth and learning to swallow them. Its up to you but i would cherish this stage when he can start being spoon fed. I might be wrong but its not something we really do in England, not that i know of anyway. I am sure the doctors and people in your country have different opinions on the subject. At the end of the day its your baby so you do what you think is best x

Answer 4

I too fed my daughter cereal in her bottle. I was hestitant to do so because of all the negative things I was told just like have been posted here but her pediatrician recommended it because I had a premature baby who had weight issues and colic/ reflux. This helped sooth her and she was able to actually keep it down. I was instructed to get a few extra bottles and start by making the hole in the nipple a little larger until she was able to get out the cereal without choking Also My daughter learned how to hold a spoon and feed herself at approx 8 mo old so I dont think feeding them cereal from a bottle always means it will hinder or scar them for life

Answer 5

Because the longer the cereal sits there, the thicker it will get. It makes it not only fun when you feed him with a spoon but it teaches him how to do it himself. Mess is all part of being a baby.

Answer 6

Putting cereal in a bottle is the lazy way of doing it and is harder for your baby to digest. Do you like to drink your food? Feed your baby the rice cereal in a spoon, like normal. Yes, it might be harder and messier but healthier for your baby. Welcome to motherhood!

Answer 7

Because feeding your baby cereal with a spoon will help him learn how to eat, because you can't put everything in a bottle.

Answer 8

I got this from a website, http://www.drgreene.com/21_561.html.


"It is interesting to note that children who begin solid foods with rice cereal in their bottles don't learn the instinct of stopping when they are full. This is because deceptively large amounts of calories come in without much increase in volume. As a result, kids that are fed rice cereal in a bottle tend to have excessive weight gain, both as infants and later in life."

"Children between four and six months of age should be fed solid foods once or twice a day. The ideal timing for one of the feedings is thirty to sixty minutes before bedtime. This will produce the maximum drowsiness for an excellent nights sleep. Starting rice cereal before three months of age has never been shown, in any carefully designed study, to reduce crying or to lengthen sleeping. Starting solids before three months of age can also result in problems with food allergies."

Answer 9

i started from a "cereal feeder" it was bottle shaped and had larger holes (so cereal didnt get stuck). had a nipple on it that you could clean/change. my daughter had acid reflux and would get some cereal on/off to try and help keep the milk down. i think you can still get them at the store. my pediatrician never said i couldnt . you need to keep a closer eye on them though, it can sometimes cause a baby to choke/gag as they get too much in their mouths

Answer 10

I feed my baby cereal in a bottle it helps them sleep better!! And you can get sleep too. I wouldn't worry with people saying don't you want them to learn from a spoon. When they get older they start using spoons!! It never hurt mine and he wasn't hungry all the time.