The taboo cereal question.....?

Question

I am scared to ask this after seeing others get yelled at but....

my daughter is 3 months old. she is on nutramigen (unable to breast feed and had severe colic in her early weeks) and here for the past week has been eating every 2 hours (instead of every 3-4) 5-6oz nutramigen. I gave her 2 teaspoons rice cereal mixed w/ 4 oz formula saturday night, she drank it and slept for 7 hours... Last night (sunday) she had a bottle @ 6 pm (5 1/2 oz) and was screaming a little before 8. I gave her the same amount of cereal as the night before and she fell asleep as soon as the bottle was done. I really think this is making her feel full and content. I called the Dr. today to ask but I really think that she is just hungry! She is 16lbs and already sitting w/ no head support, little body support....I am NOT doing this for my own convienience of having her sleep...it literally has made her seem like she is not starving and she is happy...

I never really asked my question...
for those who DID do cereal before the correct time...how much did you feed...how often...and any bad effects??

Answer 1

This grandmother can tell you that my children suffered no ill-effects from eating cereal before it was recommended.
Nor did my 38 nieces and nephews!
We all did as you did. When an 8-oz. bottle was no longer sufficient to satisfy their hunger....we would add a little bit of rice cereal (easily digestible) to their 10:00 P.M. bottle. Just enough to thicken it slightly.
They would sleep contently through the night. And they would do better with their bottles during the day.
When they would fuss more during the day again....we would add a little more.
When this no longer worked....we would start giving them a slightly thicker mixture of rice and formula in a bowl in the morning. And start introducing them to a little bit of fruit at suppertime. Generally 4-6 months, depending on the child.
It wasn't recommended back then either.....but no one was yelled at by the pediatricians, when they were informed about it, at the child's visits to the doctor.
It's hard to argue a point, when faced with healthy, happy babies. Common sense should tell you how to proceed with feeding your child. The baby will clearly let you know when something isn't agreeable.
I've been on this planet long enough to see all the warnings about everything... come and go.
When the younger people out there want to chastise you for what you're doing .....you ( and they ) would do well to remember that, in all likelihood, you ( and they ) were probably fed the same way by your mothers.
And ( GASP ) you're all still alive! And reasonably healthy, I'm sure.

Answer 2

Yes. My first child was also on Nutramigen, the most expensive and hard to find formula in the world! The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the baby's digestive system is not able to break down the grains of the cereals yet, so she is going to have some painful times because of your decision. Has her stool changed consistency yet? It will, and she may need a few additional formula only feedings to help rid her body of the cereal. That is going to cost you a lot of money! I wish you the best of luck, and your baby girl much happiness. Take care.

Answer 3

Okay -- but why rice cereal, and why in a bottle? If you're going to offer solids at three months, might as well use a spoon, and offer something nutritious.

"There is nothing magic or necessary about infant cereal...
What if I am starting solids at three months?
At this age, it may be prudent to go a little more slowly. Start with infant cereal or easily mashed foods such as banana. Sometimes a baby will eat better from your finger than off a spoon. Go a little more slowly with quantities as well. But as the baby tolerates solids, both quantity and variety of foods can be increased, as the baby desires..."

http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=88

"Experts seek to debunk baby food myths
Little evidence supports ‘any particular way of doing things’"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449

"Have you checked out the taste and texture of commercial baby cereal? Pour some commercial rice cereal in a bowl. It has no smell. The taste is the very definition of bland. The cereal is made from refined rice that has been processed and precooked. Refined grains have nothing to offer but carbohydrates. Whole grains, on the other hand, contain not only carbohydrates but also protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, essential minerals, and life. The germ is still intact. If you put a whole grain in water, it sprouts. If you put commercial baby cereal in water, it makes paste. Why train your baby to want this? By pre-toasting organic whole grains, grinding them in a small electric grinder, and cooking the grains with water, you can create a fresh, delicious, nutrient-dense cereal with taste, texture, and aroma."

http://www.mothering.com/articles/growing_child/food/kitchen_baby.html

Answer 4

MY son was sleeping through the night at 2-1/2 weeks ols...my Dr told me that when he started waking up to give him a tablespoon of rice cereal before bed. This started happening at 3-1/2 months. I started giving him the cereal, and he went right back to sleep at night.

Answer 5

there is not really a correct time to start giving solids to a child, they advise 4-6 months but that is just advice, as a midwife/health visitor i can honestly tell you that the best time to start your baby on solids preferably baby rice or something similar is when the child is ready, if your baby is hungry enough for a little cereal before bed and it helps her settle then give it too her, as long as you don't give her too much and it doesn't make her sick it will be fine.
i would usually advise mothers to try giving a thicker formula (since you are bottle feeding) or larger bottles first just to see if this makes any difference before starting the weening process.

Answer 6

At three months she may be having a growth spurt. I would give it a few days or another week and see if she doesn;t slack back off. I DID feed my first born solids well before the 4-6 month mark, but I don;t recommend it. I regretted it! If you are going to, at first it doesn;t need to be anymore than a spoonful or two at a time once a day. Gradually add a second feed, but still no more than a spoonful or two-infant spoons at that.

Answer 7

My doctor told me to give my oldest cereal when she was 3 mths because she kept waking up all night. He told me to give it to her with a spoon and not in her formula. I started with like a teaspoon full and then gave more as she got older. Just make it watery. Good Luck

Answer 8

I did the same as you and my son is now 12 and healthy.

Each child is different. There is no cut and paste way to raise a child. No one knows your baby better then you. If she is doing well with the cereal, continue.

Answer 9

Stop it, your baby is hungry feed her....baby's know best and a good mother will pick up on that. Not some book, not some doctor. If your child seems ready then she is ready. I started cereal @ 3.5 months when my all night sleeper started waking up hungry. And started spoon feeding her within a week or two of that. If your baby is happy and content, then you are doing ok.

Answer 10

I started giving cereal at 5 weeks, a tiny amount in nightime bottle. I started feeding baby food at 3 months. My son was big and hungry and I fed him. I never worried about what anyone thought and you shouldn't either.