My 4 month old is starting out on baby rice cereal...?

Question

and she seems to love the whole idea of it. I went strait for using the spoon and there doesn't seem to be any problems so far besides her tongue reflexes, but that's normal. My question is when should I begin to replace more than one bottle feedings and when should I get rid of the formula feedings all together? This is my first child so I'm new at this. Please give me as much advice as possible concerning this subject.

Answer 1

Breast milk or formula, is all a baby needs for their first year of life, so don't go jumping the gun and replacing formula feedings just yet.

My son let me know when it was time, because he would want more and more of the cereals and table foods, and he would want to nurse less and less. By one year old he didn't even try to nurse anymore. He never liked baby foods.

Answer 2

I'm a first time mom as well and my son is now 8 months old. I started cereal at 5 1/2 months and continued with bottle feedings (8oz each) 4 times a day (0700-1100-1500-1900). At about 7 months old I took away the 1500 bottle feed and just replaced it with solids at that time. He had been on a lot of different types of solids so I felt comfortable doing that because he takes in 24oz of formula a day and his weight is quite above norm. (He weighs 25lbs 5oz at 81/2 months). He's happy and healthy and is getting the appropriate nutrition necessary for brain development and growth. He tells me when he's done with the solids, but I offer solids to him at least 2-3 times a day.

I think as long as your baby seems satied and maintaining growth, she'll be fine with taking away a bottle feeding. Make sure she gets at least 24oz of bottle feedings a day for at least a year. You can replace a bottle feeding with solids, just make sure she's getting enough formula in a day. Good Luck and you're doing a great job!

Answer 3

My daughter is also 4 months old. We started her on cereal a couple days before her check up. The pediatrician said to make sure she eats her normal amount of formula. She usually eats about 36 ounces. We were told if she starts drinking less formula to cut back on cereal, or stop for a while.

My daughter loves it too! She gobbled it down on the first try! Good luck!

Answer 4

I have given away all my books since having my 2 kids, but from what I remember I did this;
Plain rice cereal one meal a day (in addition to milk) for one week.
2nd week, make the mix half vegetable mush and half rice cereal (or fruit).
3rd week do the half half mix for two meals a day in addition to their milk feed.
4th week you do straight fruit or vegies for 3 meals a day in addition to their milk feed.
Since you are starting at the earlier end of the age recommendation, I would still give the milk feed first and just use the solids as a top up. It is more experimentation at this stage than actually nutritionally essential. When the baby is about six months old I would start offering the solids before the milk, but they still need regular milk feeds until they are atleast 12 months old anyway, I think around 3 by that age but check your formula tin and it should say.
Hope that helps!

Answer 5

Baby needs milk until they are at least a year old. They really don't even need the other stuff. Its personal preference and I know a lot of people will thumbs down for this but its recommended to wait until your baby is 6 months before introducing any solids and really they don't need it. Continue to give your baby her formula until she's a year old before you cut it out altogether.

Answer 6

If your baby is still showing signs of the tongue reflex, she is not ready for spoon feeding. Simply make a thinner version of the cereal and mix it with formula in a bottle. You will need a separate bottle for this because you will need to make the hole in the nipple bigger. You don't want to get this nipple mixed up because your baby can choke on her formula if you use the nipple with the bigger whole.

Also, baby will need formula for at least one year. The cereal does not replace bottle feedings, it just supplements. She still needs a bottle after you feed her cereal. (when she is ready to eat straight cereal)

Answer 7

Hey! I am the proud mommy of a three year old and a one year old, both girls. With both of them I used the same method, which was recommended by their doctor. I gradually added rice cereal to their bottles of milk with each feeding, until it got kind of thick. A couple of weeks later, I began to spoon feed, once they got used to the heaviness of the solid food in their tummy's. I think if you jump from bottles to solids too quickly if could be too much for the baby and it might upset her little tummy.
Now my youngest turned one in November and she still loves her bottles. sometimes I add rice or oatmeal cereal to the bottle so shell sleep better at night, and other times I just give her the milk for satisfaction. I'm trying to ween her off of them though, as her teeth are coming in and I don't want it to become any more of a habit.
Let me know how it goes!

Answer 8

she will still need formula for awhile, at least a year or so, then she can switch to cows milk. you dont really replace a formula feeding, you just suupliment it. most babies, even those on solids, need 24-32 oz of formula a day.

Answer 9

Don't take the formula until after the baby is 12 months old and giving cereal spoon fed is great as long as the baby can handle it. I always put a little of cereal in the bottle at nights so my babies could sleep and won't feel so hungry. It want hurt.

Answer 10

keep the milk until 1 year old or so