when can i feed my baby "baby food"?

Question

My son is 2 months and he never seems satisfied when he feeds. Can i try feeding him some other cereal or something?

Answer 1

Not until you get the ok from his doctor. If you are breastfeeding and you are not producing enough milk you need to suppliment with formula. You cannot let a baby starve just because of a lack of milk supply. A 2 month-old's system is not ready for solids quite yet.

Answer 2

i have a 3 month old daughter and she has been on cereal for a little over a month and has had no problems!!! We bought the cereal bottles and fix it to where is it a little bit thicker than milk with a scoop of formula (or if you breast feed mix it with breast milk) and give it to her one bottle sometime during the day and before bed and she sleeps great! She was never satisfied before and now is ok and she also loves juice, 2 oz of juice with 4 oz of water (and yes the doctor gave me the ok due to hot weather)... so your son will be fine but his diapers may be a little thicker than they are at the moment. Good luck with everything and trust your gut....

Answer 3

Whenever you think he's ready. My three girls all started rice cereal at 3 months. Mix a tiny bit in with the bottle (in the mid morning) to see if his tummy can handle it. You can make the hole in the nipple slightly larger by sticking one prong of a fork through it. Move up from there.

To mix : prepare formula as normal. add up to one tsp of rice cereal (make SURE there are no clumps). Shake vigorously for 3-5 minutes until everything is well mixed. Clumps will block the nipple, he won't get fed, will get frustrated, and there will be nasty, fussy feeding habits for the rest of the day.

When he can hold his head up on his own and sit propped up you can start spoon feeding him. I would not suggest anything but rice cereal until 6-8 months of age, due to allergens.

** Added after reading a few other comments **

It is VERY important to NOT give any kind of fruit, vegetable or gluten (wheat) to a child this young. They all contain various types of allergens that can cause a variety of symptoms, from fussiness to gas to diarrhea and vomitting.

Answer 4

our pediatrician had me adding a SMALL amount of cereal to my son's bottles at that age... he's just a big baby and needed more. One teaspoon per ounce was what I was told to add to it. At four months (his current age) the doctor said it would be fine to give him stage 1 baby food... he was crying and fussing when we were eatting, he ACTED like he wanted our food literally! He's very content to be given jar food in the afternoon and he still wants a little of his bottle (formula & cereal mix) and we do the same at night for him. He's eatting 2 jars of food per day and drinking about 20 ounces of formula with cereal mixed in. some people will tell you not to add cereal to the bottle... or not feed your son ANYTHING other than formula until he's 6 months (allergies, blah, blah...) BUT, my son has a pediatrician that has specifically instructed us to do this for our son. My boy weighs EXACTLY 18# and is 27" long: he just turned 4 months old.

If you get a lot of mixed comments, PLEASE feel free to call the doctor... or your local health department: both of these sources will tell you without hesitation!

Answer 5

i had the same problem so i went to my doctor..he said to wait until he is 6 months old. some of my hispanic friends feed their baby at 4 months of age.creal and smashed foods..so u may try that. right now my baby brother is 5 months of age and we feed him cereal and 1st food:)

Answer 6

I would hesitate. Are you breast or bottle feeding? There tummies are not able to digest anything but milk for a few months. Doctor's prefer if they are breast/bottle fed only for about 6 months-the child being 4 months before starting other foods at least. Work with his pediatrician on this if possible. However their are some other ways of knowing if your little one is ready:

The Nemours Foundation offers this checklist:

* Has she lost her tongue-thrusting reflex? This reflex -- which prevents her from choking on formula -- could cause her to push solid food from her mouth with her tongue.
* Can your baby hold her head up on her own? Before eating solid food, she needs to be able to support her own head and neck.
* Is she interested in food other than a bottle? If she is watching and reaching for your food, she's probably ready to try a few bites of her own.

Answer 7

you shouldn't feed baby food or cereal before 4 month of age. Your babies digestive system is not ready for solids yet and he might get sick. Talk to your pediatrician maybe you need to feed more frequently or more during one feeding. I had the same problem with my son and it turned out that he wanted to suck more than he was hungry. A pacifier did the trick for me.

Answer 8

I started my daughter on rice at 4 months or at least when she was drinking over 32oz a day...so 6-7 oz at each feeding. I would wait until at least months, but EVERY child is different. Go with your gut.

Answer 9

You can start on rice cereal around 4 months, but not sooner. They recommend nothing but breast milk til around 6 months, really.

Maybe he's irritable after a feeding because he needs to be burped?

Answer 10

To be sure, get him weighed. If he is gaining weight and is healthy, water after the "milk" will be enough. If he is not gaining the weight he should, your doctor will make reccomendations to you. You can also read up about baby food and times to introduce new foods. You need to get professional advice and use your mother's instinct.