Question:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Becky Ray, > As a mother of 8 children, I have fed many a baby. I nursed all my > babies, but bottle feeding is fine. I do not recommend that you > put the > cereal in the bottle. The baby will learn, as you will, how to eat > by > the spoon. I do suggest waiting til at least 4 or 5 months age. The > earlier you start on solid food the more chance your baby has to > develope a allergic reaction to the food. This is a proven fact. > I probably have some of the healthliest children around. My oldest > just > turned 24yrs. and the youngest is 8yrs. I also have two > grandsons,4 and > 2.If you have any other questions on babies I’m here. Ann > * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion > Network * > The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – > Free!
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
I found through having 4 children that the best time to start cereal is when the child is no longer remaining full on formula alone, when the feedings become increasingly frequent. I also believe that a spoon and some VERY thin cereal work best for the first timer. If your baby is old enough she/he will swallow froma spoon, if not the baby will push the food out of his/her mouth with the tongue. It is a reflex to prevent choking when not old enough to swallow solids. Hope that is of some help. Melissa * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Becky Ray, As a mother of 8 children, I have fed many a baby. I nursed all my babies, but bottle feeding is fine. I do not recommend that you put the cereal in the bottle. The baby will learn, as you will, how to eat by the spoon. I do suggest waiting til at least 4 or 5 months age. The earlier you start on solid food the more chance your baby has to develope a allergic reaction to the food. This is a proven fact. I probably have some of the healthliest children around. My oldest just turned 24yrs. and the youngest is 8yrs. I also have two grandsons,4 and 2.If you have any other questions on babies I’m here. Ann * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
I also have a two month old baby and I feed him single grain rice cereal in a bowl with a coated baby spoon. I asked the doctor about it first. He told me that I have to do what is right for my son. If he weighs close to 12 lbs. and if he doesn’t push the cereal out of his mouth then he is ready. She also said that a baby needs to get used to the feel of a spoon in their mouth because they won’t always eat solids in a bottle, so she didn’t recommend feeding cereal in a bottle. I also found that my son would spit the cereal out the first couple of times because it wasn’t the feeding he was exspecting. If you let your baby drink her milk first, then after her first burb try the cereal. this works better because she is not real hungery but still hungery enough to eat the cereal. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!
Response:
Hi Becky, I leaned heavily on my wonderful pediatrician, a woman. She is one of the tops in her field, president several times of the Pediatricians and on the board of Shands Teaching hospital in Gainesville. This was 30 yrs ago. I was an only child and being around a baby was totally new and exciting, but I called when in doubt about anything. I always say Dr. B raised my kids. Actually it was her nurse & right hand that knew how Dr. B handled everything that gave me the doctor’s advice. If it was a stumper, the doctor herself would call me back. I nursed my first for six months and Dr. said if she was on food, she would put the baby on a diet, hehe. Our daughter was a little butterball. She slept 4, 5 hrs between feedings right from the first. Slept through the night quickly and day feedings soon 6 hrs in-between. I thought this is great. The second daughter I figured would be the same way. Nay, nay, not to be. The little monkey would nurse 1-1/2 minutes then push and pull away turning her head. Her temperament was one that just didn’t want to cuddle & I guess my milk was not satisfying. After a month or two (can’t remember now) I was absolutely exhausted. Doc said continue to nurse and as soon as she pulls away, offer her a little bottle. We did that through 3 months. They were premixed then in the small glass hospital size bottles. Now that she liked. Bingo! After a couple weeks she was getting hungry again after an hour or 2 and the doctor had me take a pointy knife put it inside the nipple and just barely enlarge the tiny ‘x’ cut for the cereal to get thru. Then add one tablespoon of rice cereal. That worked great, then a few wks we increased it to 2 tbl of cereal. Anything added was 4 days in-between carefully watching for a rash or other signs of allergies. After rice, came oat, then barley and wheat (I think we had to wait till 6 months for that one) last. That way you could begin switching back and forth to prevent taste boredom. After 6 months she began fruits one at a time four days apart. I kept a chart on the fridge. Now this same pediatrician is doctoring the grandkids (along with 2 other Ped’s in the office). The first child later developed a multitude of allergies. Go figure! Mostly to the environment and meds. The second can eat anything. This is just an example of our experiences. Hugs, Judy
Response:
Thanks to everyone for the advice. If the reason most people start cereal so early is to get the baby to sleep longer intervals, then I need not worry. Emily has slept 6-8 hrs at night since she was three weeks. I think I will listen to the majority here and just wait! Thanks again!
Response:
>On the other side of the coin, I gave both my kids cereal at 2 weeks, with a >spoon…very diluded. It took the youngest’s feeding time from every half hour >to every four hours and they both slept 6 to 7 hours at night from 2 weeks on. >My siblings and myself (5 of us) were all given cereal between 2 and 6 weeks >and none of us (knock on wood) have allergies, intolerance or intestinal >problems, so go figure.
You do realize, don’t you, that what you’re saying is the rough equivalent of saying "I never put my kids in car seat, and my siblings and I were never put in car seats, and none of us (knock wood) died or were injured in a car crash, so go figure"? Just because a particular action (or inaction) results in an increased *risk* of a negative outcome does not mean that everyone who engages in that particular behavior will actually *experience* that outcome. I have absolutely no idea what the actual statistics are regarding increased risk of allergies, intolerance, or intestinal problems and early introduction of solids. But suppose, just for the sake of understanding statistical analysis of risk, that of every 100 children, 10 develop the problems just listed. Of those 100 children, 40 were fed easly solids and analysis reveals that 7 of the 10 who developed problems were fed solids before reaching 4 months of age. Thus, 17.5% of children who received early solids (7 of 40) developed problems, while only 5% of those not receiving early solids (3 of 60) did. That’s more than a threefold increase in risk, but despite that increase in risk, the majority of the children fed early solids experienced no ill effects at all. Again, I have no idea whether the actual figures are as dramatic as I’ve imagined in this example, but the point is that the fact that any individual child experiences no ill effects is hardly a ringing endorsement for any practice that increases risks, especially in the absence of any evidence of benefit. In the case of early solids, most of the supposed benefits (e.g., sleeping through the night) have been shown to be coincidental. Finally, FWIW, I started my son on rice cereal when he was 14 weeks old. He was a moose, always hungry, and met all the usual readiness signs. As far as I can tell, he hasn’t experienced any negative side effects. (He also didn’t sleep through the night until 18 months of age, so I didn’t even get any apparent benefit!) That said, I feel I made a mistake the first time around and have no intention of giving my daughter solids before 4 months, and probably not until much closer to 6 months. — Be well, Barbara (Julian [7/22/97] and Aurora’s [7/19/99] mom) "The hardest thing about raising children is that they’re not stupid." — Me>
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We didn’t start until 6 months either. I don’t see what the hurry is since all medical and childcare experts now recommend waiting until around then except in special cases like extreme reflux. My daughter never even liked cereal and wouldn’t eat it. We didn’t force her but gave her other things instead. She seems to eat healthily enough now and is none the worse for it. AFAIK there is nothing particularly nutritious in cereal, while milk (both breastmilk and formula) are much better for a baby. –Lisa Bell – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >We didnt start until 6months. Many folks told me not to feed cereal in >the bottle. DS seemed to like it fine. We stopped after about a week >and started with the spoon. We mix the expressed breast milk with rice >cereal until it was a paste (about a tablespoon). I didnt want to cause >alergies so we waited until 6months. He loves the food now after about >a week he started grabbing the spoon and pulling it into his mouth, some >of it even stayed! >Many people said to start earlier but Im glad we waited. Ive heard you >should only introduce one food at a time so you can see what your little >one reacts to. Also try grains other than rice for variety. My wife >and I taste everything he gets and if we wont eat it we dont make him! >Some of the baby foods are nasty! >Good luck and buy a sheet of plastic and a high chair with a nice wide >tray. Let the fun begin. >Art SAHD for Arthur (7.5mo and counting) > I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their > babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or > should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being > a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt > her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! > Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to > using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave > big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to > use if I DO start cereal? > Thanks for your advice!
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their >babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or >should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being >a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt >her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! >Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to >using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave >big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to >use if I DO start cereal? >Thanks for your advice!
I don’t think I would start a baby on cereal until she could be fed with a spoon. At this point she is getting all the "food" she needs from breastmilk/formula, and introducing solid food is more introducing a new experience than it is introducing a new source of nutrition. Mine all started at 4-5 months, and it worked well for us, because by that time they could "sit up" in my arm, and be fed with a spoon. Also, you will not hurt her by not giving her cereal at this age, but she may have problems digesting it, and why ask for trouble? YMMV of course Grace
Response:
I also didn’t introduce solids until 4-5 months due to the fact that my DH had some food allergies as a child. I introduced each cereal (rice, oat, and barley in that order) waiting about 1 week in between each. I only used a spoon for it but interesting enough, my son would not take it thinned out…he only would eat it if it was thick! Go figure. Later on (about 7 months or so) I started adding a tablespoon of rice cereal into each bottle at the advice of my pediatrician. You see, my son was so underweight that the doc thought it would put some weight on him. Well that didn’t happen, but he also had no adverse effects from it. My DD on the other hand would not touch the box cereal, no matter how it was prepared. She held out for the jarred kind and loved it from the start (also at about 5 months) . Yes, feeding them from a spoon is definitely a mess but that’s how they learn. And when you first begin…if your child keeps pushing the food out…wait a few days and try again…that tongue thrust is a protective instinct which goes away *interestingly* at about 4-5 months! Marion—-Tampamom to Louis(6) and Erica(2) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi Becky, I leaned heavily on my wonderful pediatrician, a woman. >She is one of the tops in her field, president several times of the >Pediatricians and on the board of Shands Teaching hospital in >Gainesville. This was 30 yrs ago. I was an only child and being >around a baby was totally new and exciting, but I called when in doubt >about anything. I always say Dr. B raised my kids. Actually it was >her nurse & right hand that knew how Dr. B handled everything that >gave me the doctor’s advice. If it was a stumper, the doctor herself >would call me back. I nursed my first for six months and Dr. said if >she was on food, she would put the baby on a diet, hehe. Our daughter >was a little butterball. She slept 4, 5 hrs between feedings right >from the first. Slept through the night quickly and day feedings soon >6 hrs in-between. I thought this is great. The second daughter I >figured would be the same way. Nay, nay, not to be. The little monkey >would nurse 1-1/2 minutes then push and pull away turning her head. >Her temperament was one that just didn’t want to cuddle & I guess my >milk was not satisfying. After a month or two (can’t remember now) I >was absolutely exhausted. Doc said continue to nurse and as soon as >she pulls away, offer her a little bottle. We did that through 3 >months. They were premixed then in the small glass hospital size >bottles. Now that she liked. Bingo! After a couple weeks she was >getting hungry again after an hour or 2 and the doctor had me take a >pointy knife put it inside the nipple and just barely enlarge the tiny >’x’ cut for the cereal to get thru. Then add one tablespoon of rice >cereal. That worked great, then a few wks we increased it to 2 tbl of >cereal. Anything added was 4 days in-between carefully watching for a >rash or other signs of allergies. After rice, came oat, then barley >and wheat (I think we had to wait till 6 months for that one) last. >That way you could begin switching back and forth to prevent taste >boredom. After 6 months she began fruits one at a time four days >apart. I kept a chart on the fridge. Now this same pediatrician is >doctoring the grandkids (along with 2 other Ped’s in the office). >The first child later developed a multitude of allergies. Go figure! >Mostly to the environment and meds. The second can eat anything. >This is just an example of our experiences. >Hugs, Judy
Response:
At only two months old, I would hold off on adding cereal to her diet. Most pediatricians recommend that you start adding cereals when the baby is drinking about 40 ounces of formula a day. If your daughter IS taking in this much formula, then replace one of her feedings with some VERY thinned out cereal, even on a spoon or your finger (I know the finger sounds gross, but most babies that young can’t handle the spoon and a finger is more like a nipple). Playtex does offer a larger sized orthodontic nipple that will allow cereals to pass through, but I personally have never added it to their bottles. You never can really add enough to make a difference to their diet that way and usually end up clogging the nipple and have a very frustrated baby! I started all three of my kids between the ages of 3 and 4 months on thinned out cereal with formula on a spoon — gradually adding more cereal to thicken as they got a little older and more used to it. When it doubt, ask your pediatrician. Good luck! — Jackie M. Proud Mom to Bridget, 8; Catherine, 6 1/2; and our newest lil guy, Conor, 6 Months "True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable."
Response:
On the other side of the coin, I gave both my kids cereal at 2 weeks, with a spoon…very diluded. It took the youngest’s feeding time from every half hour to every four hours and they both slept 6 to 7 hours at night from 2 weeks on. My siblings and myself (5 of us) were all given cereal between 2 and 6 weeks and none of us (knock on wood) have allergies, intolerance or intestinal problems, so go figure. Cathy Mom to Taylor 6, & Tiffany 4. "To handle yourself, use your head…To handle others, use your heart!" http://hometown.aol.com/cathlynnnn/myhomepage/index.html
Response:
Hi! I agree with the majority. No cereal till about 4-6 months and NOT in a bottle. The point of cereal is for practice using a spoon. So using a bottle defeats the purpose. And babies don’t sleep through the night because they have a full stomach anyway. They sleep through the night when their brains are mature enough to go through all the sleep cycles. So filling them up on cereal does no good. Out of everything to do with parenting the hardest thing to me has been feeding. Everyone’s experience is so different. And if you have a picky eater (like I do) it’s about impossible. Good luck, Sophie mom to Charlotte (16 months) and Patrick (1 week today)
Response:
I am a mom and a web site publisher. I publish only information that stems from my experience and that of my family and friends. Check out these pages for starting solid foods. Is my child ready? http://www.robynsnest.com/ready.htm What foods, when? http://www.robynsnest.com/whatfood.htm – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their >babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or >should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being >a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt >her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! >Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to >using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave >big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to >use if I DO start cereal? >Thanks for your advice!
Response:
I started my first two on rice cereal at 4 month and I wanted a little longer with my third (51/2m). Here are a few things to look for in your baby to tell if she is ready for solids: baby can hold her head up well, if the food comes right back out after a few tries tongue thrust is still present and the baby is not ready, baby reachs and shows interest in food, ability to make a back and forthe movements with the tongue and baby is able to draw the lower lip in which allows food to be taken from a spoon. Also, you need to consider if there are histories of food allergies in either your family or her father’s family before starting solids at 2 months. As for feeder bottles don’t waste your money. Babies should be feed from a spoon when ready. A great resource for me when I had my first child was the book What To Expct The First Year. I am not sure who wrote it. Hope I was of some help. Vonna mom of Jacob 5, ABi 3 and Sam 15 months – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their > babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or > should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being > a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt > her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! > Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to > using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave > big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to > use if I DO start cereal? > Thanks for your advice!
Response:
Becky, I read somewhere that starting cereal before six months puts undue strain on a baby’s digestive system. In somecases, it can cause very mild internal bleeding. This is not something that any parent would be aware of because it is such a small amount of bleeding. But if this happens, it can cause anemia in your baby. Maybe this is what happened to those who have irritable bowels???? I don’t remember the source on this, I think it was in What to Expect the First Year, but can’t say for certain. Anyway, I still started both of mine before they were six months. The first wasn’t drinking hardly any formula at that time and the other was drinking too much. So, I started the with rice cereal on both at 4 1/2 months. The first did great with the rice cereal. The second got constipated from the rice and the formula, so switched to oatmeal. Most people are so tired by the time the baby is 2 months old they are ready to try just about anything to get the baby to sleep through the night. At the same time the ‘average’ baby starts sleeping through the night somewhere between 2-3 months. So, when you here someone say. I gave my baby cereal to sleep through the night. Ask them when they started and if it really worked. Also, ask them (if the baby was younger), did the baby sleep through the whole night or just an hour or two longer. I can almost bet they will say one of two things. One, I started the cereal in bottle at 2 months and it worked great. Or I started in the first week or two (when a baby normally develops a some sort of sleeping pattern) and he slept with much longer intervals. In both of these situations the baby would have done that with out the cereal. I don’t know if all that was the information you requested, but maybe it will help someone else. Lots of luck, Heidi — Would you like a home-based business? Ask me what is working for me and my family.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their > babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or > should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being > a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt > her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! > Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to > using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave > big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to > use if I DO start cereal? > Thanks for your advice!
Response:
I have three kids and I did not start cereal with any of them until four months, their little tiny stomachs are not made for solids yet, it gives them gas and it is actually harder for them to digest until their stomachs mature. DO NOT put cereal in a bottle. Teach them the right way right off the bat, then you won’t have problems later. It gets a little messy while first using a spoon, but the little baby spoons they make are better for this. Start one at a time. Rice cereal upset all of my children’s stomachs so I started with oatmeal first, that is what my pediatrician said to start with fist anyway. Good luck. Email me if you would like more mommy advice or someone to vent with. Sue B.
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The "medical advice" stands firm (at least for now 
: No solids til 4 months at least — and preferably 6 months. No solids via a bottle. I also wanna second the response you got from someone with irritable bowel syndrome — I was on cereal at 4 weeks and am allergic to a bunch of basic grains. is it directly related? I dunno — but no-one else in my family got cereal so young and no-one else has this problem. Will it kill me? No. But it has sure ruined the memory of many a great meal that was followed by a night of agony because I inadvertently ate something with cornmeal. Unless your pediatrician can come up with a convincing reason for ignoring the current recommendations, then for your baby’s sake — just wait. –Janet Elliot, Hanna, Connor (10/21/96)
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their > babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or > should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being > a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt > her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! > Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to > using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave > big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to > use if I DO start cereal? > Thanks for your advice!
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their > babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or > should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being > a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt > her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! > Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to > using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave > big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to > use if I DO start cereal? > Thanks for your advice!
My mother told me that I was on cereal from the time I was brought home from the hospital. I also suffer from irritable bowel syndrom and allot of gas. Is it related? I don’t know. But it is something to consider. I also put my boys on cereal at about 2 months (at my mothers insistence). They also get pretty gassy. I did not however put my youngest on until about 6 months. I got to thinking about my own health situation and decided that it wasn’t worth the risk. Haven’t had any problems yet with him. Doctors may not know everything but they do know more about health than the average person and maybe there is actually something to what they say. Your baby will not suffer from not giving her cereal at this time. From what people like my mother have said they did it so that they wouldn’t have to feed the baby as often but I found that I was still feeding just as often and it didn’t help any with getting them to sleep throughout the night without waking for food. Just have to weigh the risk with the advantages. As far as recommendations: use rice cereal, it is suppose to be easiest on the stomach from what I’ve heard. I use to mix it with the formula and add baby fruit for flavor. Just don’t get it too thick. And add your changes one at a time. Start out with just the cereal and after a few weeks or so of that then add the fruit. After some time of the rice cereal move to the mixed.
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We didnt start until 6months. Many folks told me not to feed cereal in the bottle. DS seemed to like it fine. We stopped after about a week and started with the spoon. We mix the expressed breast milk with rice cereal until it was a paste (about a tablespoon). I didnt want to cause alergies so we waited until 6months. He loves the food now after about a week he started grabbing the spoon and pulling it into his mouth, some of it even stayed! Many people said to start earlier but Im glad we waited. Ive heard you should only introduce one food at a time so you can see what your little one reacts to. Also try grains other than rice for variety. My wife and I taste everything he gets and if we wont eat it we dont make him! Some of the baby foods are nasty! Good luck and buy a sheet of plastic and a high chair with a nice wide tray. Let the fun begin. Art SAHD for Arthur (7.5mo and counting) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their > babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or > should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being > a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt > her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! > Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to > using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave > big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to > use if I DO start cereal? > Thanks for your advice!
Response:
I have a two month old daughter. Many people have told me they started their babies on cereal (mixed with formula) about now. Is it safe to try it or should I wait until 6 months like some of the web sites I see recommend? Being a first time mom, I am a little nervous to try new things, but if it won’t hurt her, maybe it is time. I don’t know! Also, should I use those feeder bottles that you use to transition the baby to using a spoon? I don’t think the Playtex orthodontic nipples that we use whave big enough holes for cereal to pass through. Any recommendations on what to use if I DO start cereal? Thanks for your advice!
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