8 week old- too early for rice cereal? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

Rachel ann · 12-13-2006, 01:14 PM

Is it too early to feed my ds rice cereal? He gets 5-6 oz. of formula usually every 2-3 hours. He was born 8 lbs. 7.2 oz. and seems to have be ravenous more often than not. Has anyone else done this? Does it help the baby to sleep for longer periods of time?

Rachel

weepyone · 12-13-2006, 03:48 PM

when my ds was eating like yours i switched from first stage formula to the hungry baby variety you could try this. here in the uk we are advised to give baby rice as a first food prefereably from 6 months although some babys as they are all different may be fine to have it from 4 months. as in my ds case he is fine we have no history of allergies or any other problems either. ask your own health professional, we have health visitors here who take over babys care from midwives when babys are about 6 weeks old i am not sur eif you all have the same over there.

Josh Mann · 12-13-2006, 05:12 PM

We were advised not to give rice cereal or anything like it till DD was 6 month or about. We tried giving a little more in each bottle or another bottle if that's how much they wanted.

A baby will throw up if they have had to much and then you know that they have had thier fill. (Of course you don't want your baby spewing all the time)

DS could be just going through a growth spurt and want the extra milk for a week or two then they tend to slow down a bit till the next growth spurt.

Good luck

Josh

Rachel ann · 12-13-2006, 05:54 PM

Thanks everyone for your replies....I ended up giving ds 1 Tablespoon of low grain rice cereal in his 8 oz. bottle (gave him 6 oz). I put a call in to the pediatrician (he had mentioned 4 months), and crazy me, gave him some. I know what you are thinking....I hear him crying right now, so you are right, it doesn't make him sleep longer. I'm just going to give him more formula as He is probably going through a growth spurt.

Rachel

andilyn · 12-13-2006, 07:51 PM

I personally have done it with both of my kids, and they were, and still are, fine. Yes drs prefer you to wait, but I did confess to my dr that I did this, and she said absolutely no harm done. It's just a guideline they give out. No it doesn't make them sleep longer, but it does help them with hunger. I gave like a teaspoon, if that even. It worked out fine. You'll find that there are so many "rules" out there, and in the end, you gotta decide for yourself what you want to do or not do, just my opinion!