Rice Cereal in Bottle

[Anonymous]

Don't use the bottle. If he's ready to move onto food, it's time to teach him to eat, not just get more calories out of a bottle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not to get off-topic (NP here) but I have a question. I understand the reasoning that BM or formula has more calories than rice cereal - but I think rice cereal can be more filling. A cup of milk and a medium sized baked sweet potato have about the same calories, but the baked sweet potato is definitely more filling. There is more volume. So, I truly don't understand why I hear so often that BM will fill a baby more than the cereal. Can you explain?

To the OP - it sounds like your ped is ok with you giving some cereal to your DC. If so, I would try that. I agree with other PPs and wouldn't do it with the bottle. It might take a few days for DC to learn how to swallow the cereal - that's ok - it's a different skill than just swallowing milk.

FWIW - my mom tells the story of how when I was a baby I would just scream not that long after being fed (I was fed formula). My grandma told my mom I was hungry. She gave me some cereal and I stopped screaming.

Every child is different and it could be your child is ready for cereal. It might also be your child is not. You've talked with your ped, I would do what you think is best for your child.

It's not about volume. It's about how long it takes for your body to digest what you ate. Protein and fibers take longer to digest than simple carbs, so they stay in your stomach longer, so you're not hungry right after you eat.

Now that makes sense. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Babies that young need more breastmilk or formula if they are hungry, not empty filler calories from rice cereal.

This.

And when the time comes to try cereal, don't put it in a bottle.

Agree with both of these. I'm pretty sure my generation was the last to get cereal in a bottle.

[Anonymous]

In the Olden Days (my son is turning 40) kids were fed solids beginning w/cereal at 1 mo. I think that's a bad idea. But the practice was widespread - the norm, really - and everyone grew up and nobody died.

Who knows what the norm will be in 40 more years? But even in "my day," feeding babies solids mixed in with formula was seen as kind of gross and the sort of thing done by mothers too lazy to spoon feed their children.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the consensus of no cereal in a bottle--just a bad idea for all the reasons mentioned. At 4.5 months, my first line of advice is to give him more milk--BM or supplement with formula. Personally I think it's too early for solids and the thing about rice cereal is that it's disgusting tasting, really. Kind of an awful first solid to give someone. And I gave plenty to my babies once they were on solids because of the iron, mixing with the fruits and veggies and such that they had already adjusted to. They simply didn't enjoy baby cereal with milk, it's gross.

[Anonymous]

Chocking hazard - bad idea. Give with a spoon. We started our son at 4 months with a spoon. He did fine.

[Anonymous]

OP here. After speaking with the pediatrician yesterday, we've decided to wait until 6 months. She recommended supplementing with formula if necessary, rather than starting him on rice cereal, unless he's absolutely miserable, which he isn't. Thanks for all the advice!

[Anonymous]

We started our DS on rice cereal at 3.5 months. He ate a VERY small amount with a spoon. We were using the Gerber brand. He loved it and actually danced in his chair when he saw the bowl and spoon coming. He was hungry even after supplementing with formula, so that's why we did the cereal thing. Hope all works out for you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We started our DS on rice cereal at 3.5 months. He ate a VERY small amount with a spoon. We were using the Gerber brand. He loved it and actually danced in his chair when he saw the bowl and spoon coming. He was hungry even after supplementing with formula, so that's why we did the cereal thing. Hope all works out for you, OP.

Yikes! Talk to your doctor.