rice cereal?

Question

my little one is eating a lot lately and seems to not be able to get full off of my breasts (i breast feed) everyone keeps telling me when i express my milk to put it in a bottle for him with a tablespoon of rice cereal. the thing is hes only 3 weeks (25 days) old and im worried its to early.
please no lectures im only asking b/c i dont know

Answer 1

You should NEVER put anything other than milk in a baby's bottle. It is a choking hazard. Back in the day, women did this a lot, but now it is generally frowned upon by healthcare providers. Perhaps he is going through a growth spurt and IS having trouble getting full because he is using all of the calories to get bigger, but keep at it. The more he eats, the more milk you will produce.

Answer 2

NO! Definitely no rice cereal at this age. He cannot digest it!
Keep nursing, your breastmilk is just enough really good food for him. He doesn't need formula, rice cereal or anything other than your breasts.

I just wanted to add that your breasts were designed to make enough food for a baby for the first year. You can add cereal at about 4-6 months depending on the child and the pediatrician, but it's intended to be the sole nutrition for 1 full year. That means he is getting plenty. If he is looking to nurse for longer periods of time, or more frequently, then he is in fact just trying to increase his supply. Let him. I used to let the baby latch on and sleep at the breast. It works great for increasing your milk supply because the baby is the stimulant to the production of milk. Also, warm showers with a downward breast massage, only nursing on one side for multiple feedings and pumping on the other side (because you trick your body into thinking it needs to double the supply to both breasts!).
Good luck, you are doing a fantastic job!

Answer 3

Please don't!!! You're right that he is way too young for rice cereal. Current recommendations are to wait until at least 4 months old, and preferably 6 months old before giving any solids. And even when you do decide to start your baby on rice cereal, please give it to them in a spoon. Putting it in a bottle can choke them and only teaches them to overeat later in life. You are giving your baby the best food possible right now - your milk! Babies go through growth spurts and/or cluster feedings and want to nurse all the time. This is perfectly normal and will help let your body know it needs to produce more milk. Hang with it, mama!!

Answer 4

I wouldn't give a three week old cereal at all. 4 MONTHS, yes. And they have said time and time again not to give it in bottles. My husband and mother in law fed my daughter cereal in a bottle, and I was irritated. Ask your pediatrican & see what they say.

Breast milk runs through their little systems very fast compared to formula...so imagine what a solid like cereal (even diluted in breast milk) is going to to do. I would imagine it would be a shock and might cause some constipation. Also, if you aren't using bottles, you don't want to start nipple confussion.

If you do decide to try cereal, you can always put it on a spoon and try it that way....just a thought.

Answer 5

Do not listen to anyone telling you to give a 3 week old baby any type of cereal. His little belly just started to process proteins & carbs. I would wait at least 8 weeks and then, as long as the pediatrician states that it is okay, I would slowly add one teaspoon at a time.

Always check with your pediatrician before changing the baby's diet. Especially the switch to solids. Changing to early can cause the baby to ezxperience severe discomfort and gas.

Answer 6

Yep, he's too young. Babies tummies are too immature at 3 weeks to handle cereal. My pediatrician said not to start my baby on cereal until she was 3 1/2-4 mos. If you start cereals and foods too early they can develop food allergies. If you are concerned w/ how much you baby is eating, contact his doctor, maybe they can give you some tips or advice :) Good luck!

Answer 7

NO No NO...

He's probably going through one of the regular first 6 week growth spurts!!!

Breastfeeding is enough... when he nurses more he's trying to increase your supply... LET HIM!!

here's a bunch of info to show those giving you this outdated, breastfeeding incorrect information, I only quoted the highlight, please follow the links - there is so much more!

***Babies are born with a wonderful mechanism for knowing how much food they need. During the early months, they take their cues from the volume of what they drink. Adding cereal derails this mechanism. It forces them to take in deceptively large amounts of calories. It teaches them to overeat.
By starting with a spoon, resting between bites, and stopping when your child lets you know he’s full, you will be laying an excellent foundation for good eating habits throughout his life.
A major study looking for the causes of obesity found that short-circuiting young children’s self-regulation of how much they eat is a major cause of later obesity.1 Cereal in the bottle does just that.
Babies that are fed this way may appear to be unaffected – but those few weeks of added convenience may result in a lifetime of struggles with weight. This common practice may have contributed to our being the most obese generation in history.*** http://www.drgreene.com/21_861.html

***Health experts and breastfeeding experts agree that it's best to wait until your baby is around six months old before offering solid foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many other health organizations recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed (no cereal, juice or other foods) for the first 6 months of life. Some doctors may recommend delaying solids for the first year if there is a family history of allergies.*** http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html

weight gain chart *** http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enough-milk.html

***Frequent nursing in the early weeks is important for establishing a good milk supply. Most newborns need to nurse 8 - 12+ times per day (24 hours). You CAN'T nurse too often—you CAN nurse too little.*** http://www.kellymom.com/bf/normal/newborn-nursing.html#afterweek1

***In general, frequent breastfeeding times that last several days are to be expected when your baby is about 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months old. The LLLI book, THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING, calls these "frequency days". It is not known exactly why breastfeeding babies follow this pattern. Research has established though, that the best way to maintain your milk supply is to breastfeed following the cues your baby gives you. Allowing your baby to breastfeed more frequently on the days your baby indicates the need, will increase the satisfaction both of you derive from breastfeeding. You will be more likely to have a full supply and your baby will be more likely to grow well!*** http://lalecheleague.org/FAQ/spurt.html

Answer 8

It is too early for cereal so you are right! Take baby in to the pedatrition and explain your concerns. They will come up with a plan to help you and baby meet both your needs. Although breastfeeding is the best way to go sometimes mommies need to change their diets for baby to get the most out of the milk.

With my first I found she wouldn't eat much if I eat too much red meat and did great when I stuck to fish and chicken. My middle child need lots of red meat and carbs. Where my youngest well he has Cystic Fibrosis and needed lots of calories.

So each situation is different and your ped. will be the best one to help you out with that. Good luck and God bless hun.

Answer 9

i think it is too early to be feeding rice cereal to a 3 week old baby, his tummy is not ready to digest it and it is advisable to exclusively breastfeed ur baby for atleast 4-6months
i guess ur baby is just going thru a growth spurt... it happened every 2 weeks with my son for the first 3 months.....
just let ur baby nurse as frequently as he wants, his tummy has become big... he is suckling to increase the milksupply.. ur milksupply will increase naturally in 24-36 hrs
if he is still not satisfied in a day or 2... consult ur pediatrician

Answer 10

I wouldnt suggest it. Although I knwo where your coming from i went through that with my daughter she was 6 weeks though. I tried the rice cereal in her bottle and then talked to the doc about it. he wasnt thrilled about it. Alot of people say that its ok, and alot dont. I just dont think that a lil babies belly is ready to digest rice cereal at such a young age.,