We add oatmeal to our 6 month bottle every feeding. Is that OK?

Question

We started giving our 6 month old baby oatmeal in his bottle ever since 5 months, and when we dont add the oatmeal to his formula he cries for more formula and he could drink up to 10oz no prob with out oatmeal,, the funny thing also is that he dosnt seem to be gaining alot of weight from it. ( i heard that babies gain alot more weight if you add oatmeal to there feedings) Is it normal to feed a baby oatmeal in his bottle every feeding? ( I know that its not recommed by pedi's to add anything to the formula because of the risk of choking.) but He also seems more happier and full when we add oatmeal.


So do you think its ok to add oatmeal to his formula every feeding?

Why isnt he gaining alot more weight? ( bearly a pound a week)

Please respond Thanks!!

The reason why we started adding it to his bottle was because he has mild acid refulx and the oatmeal is helping keep down the milk,

Answer 1

Of course its OK. If he's tolerating it just fine, then every thing is OK. Instead of adding it to his formula bottle, simply mix some up in a bowl and feed it to him that way. Just make sure its not too thick that it chokes and/or gags him. There are baby oatmeals and rice cereals. Use those.

He doesn't need to gain a whole pound a week! Don't worry about that part of it. Is his doctor worried about his weight? If the doctor isn't, then you don't need to be either.

Answer 2

He's gaining a lot actually, a pound a week, that's 4 pounds a month, do you want him to gain more weight than that?? Don't worry about that matter, he doesn't need to gain more weight (keep in mind the older the baby, the slower the weight gain).

Now, it would be better if you could spoon feed him, you actually know it's not recommended to add anything to his bottle (by the way, if he pushes the spoon with his mouth, he's not ready for solids).

The cereal choice is one of the best, although it would be better regular oatmeal, not the baby kind.

You should talk to the pediatrician about all this.

Answer 3

I have read in a lot of different articles from doctors that you should never put cereal in a bottle. Mostly because it can lead to choking or gagging, and it can also cause them issues with their calorie intake and not knowing when to stop. I'll be honest though, at 2 months I tried my daughter on a cereal that had rice starch in it for thickening. She broke out in hives. But four months later we tried rice cereal and she was fine. Babies bellies and intestines are not yet fully developed and strong enough to handle thicker things like cereal. Honestly, if his weight gain is good, he should really remain on just formula until it's time to start solids (usually between 4-6 months) and only by spoon feeding. This is what I have been told by our pediatrician as well as tons of articles. Do some research online before you make that decision.

Answer 4

You're right, it isn't recommended to feed children cereal in their bottles of formula.

But at 6 months you can be fixing servings of oatmeal and rice cereal to be spoon fed to your child. And if they are tolerating that you can start adding fruits, vegetables and some meats as well. Add one at a time, and wait a few days between each new food to check for reactions that could indicate allergies.

I'd check with your doctor regarding the appropriate amount of weight gain you should be looking for - a pound a week would be an awful lot if maintained through the first year. They should be able to give you growth charts that you can use to see if your baby is on track for his height and weight. Just remember, it isn't a competition, and being in the 90th or 95th percentile isn't necessarily the goal.

Answer 5

I personally would not reccomend this...I am STARS certified as well as work in a early childhood program which is NAYEC accredited. By putting oatmeal in your childs bottle you would be teaching you child to overeat. As a parent you would want to make sure they finish the WHOLE bottle ..but with the oatmeal they are eating actually more than they would if just having formula or just eating the food out of a bowl. It would be a good idea to mix this in a small bowl, place your child in a high chair or a boppy seat and fed him/her that way. NAYEC tells us to discourage parents from such pratices. Hope this helps!

Answer 6

he should not be having food in his bottle. He should have it first then give him his bottle afterwards. He has slowed down his weight gain because he is 6 months old. babies generally double their birthweight at 6 months and are triple their birth weight at a year. You need some guidance in feeding your baby. rice is a better food to start with, and if he has been eating oatmeal for a month,you could be adding a vege like squash to his diet as well.

Answer 7

we did the same thing with all four of our kids. I nursed, but it just wasn't keeping them full, so i just added the baby cereal to the milk in a bottle. I only did that twice a day and at bedtime, only cause I still wanted to nurse and not strictly pump for bottle feeding. You don't have to do it EVERY feeding, but then if he is happier and full, then that's all good. He can so eat solid food though, baby food and even table foods. That would fill him up even more. Just stay away from honey, they can't have honey until after a year. You can also add the oatmeal to the baby food and feed him that way, we did that as well and it fills them up faster. Good luck and God Bless.

Answer 8

At 6 mos, you should be able to be feeding oatmeal with a spoon instead of adding it to the bottle.

By 6 mos, mine were eating cereal & fruit in addition to formula or breastmilk.

If he isn't gaining weight, that's almost a whole other issue and you should talk to your pediatrician. If you don't get a satisfactory answer, change doctors.

Good luck!

Answer 9

I am the mother of 2 very healthy children who of course were very different eaters as infants. My son (my oldest) was 10 lbs 4 1/2 oz 23" long at birth and just never seemed to be satisfied when eating. I at birth I attempted to breast feed and he acted like he was starving and out of desperation I went to the bottle (and relief!)
And probably by 5 months old I started adding different types of baby cereal to his bottle (I either used the cross hatch nipple or cut the hole a little larger) and only fed this to him if he was sitting up or being held. He was always busy and active and a big boy (not pudgy big just big). As soon as it was appropriate we started on soft foods. Cereal off a spoon, stage 1 baby foods (generally just means only one product ie banana, pea's to test for food allergies). When my son was a baby most doctors said milk after 12 months we held off as long as possible but I don't think we made it to 1.
He's now almost 15 almost 6ft tall and wears a mans 13 shoe and he still about eats me out of house and home. :D
My daughter was a fussy baby. Her birth was planned due to her being breach and since her brother was so large they scheduled her birth at 36 weeks 6 days and she already weighed 7 lbs 13oz 19 1/2" long (she seemed so tiny compared to her brother and yet she was a total "average" weight and length) she had colic and jaundice just after she got home from the hospital ended up on special formula's and was slower to end up on any solid foods. She's almost 9 now and seems to have outgrown all of that and no allergies food or other wise.
It's all you can do is trust your instincts, realize all babies are different eaters just like adults. And all doctors share different opinions too.

Answer 10

I added rice cereal and oatmeal to my daughters bottles through the night so she wasn't as hungry. It is fine to add it.It fills their little bellies and he is gaining weight. As long as it is a steady and consecutive increase in weight vice loosing weigh you have no reason to worry. Also their metabolism is increasing and if you have been adding to his bottle and then subtract - he gets used to the thickness and will be hungry for more if it is thinner. or he could be about to hit a growth spurt! watch out then...he will be eating you out of house and home! but it is all normal! hope that helps!