Babies: 0 - 3 Months
Breast milk not seeming to be enough.
My little girl just turned 3 months old and is always hungry. When she nurses she eats for up to 40 minutes, then not even an hour later she is hungry and crying again. I have no idea what to do! would it be okay to start trying solid food? She has a little rice cereal every night so she sleeps through the night.
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Re: Breast milk not seeming to be enough.
Definitely this! Babies also regress and stop sleeping through the night, it is normal, not a sign that something is wrong. She could be having a growth spurt too. If you really think it is hunger supplement with formula, not solids. Solids are not good for her right now.
The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.
I would stop the rice cereal now. That may be messing her up even though it helps her sleep because it hurts her tummy.
Sleep regression is normal despite being exhausting. Even DS, who was bottle fed, regressed around 4 mos. It's probably a growth spurt, so I would try not to stress about it. 3 mos is a normal age for a growth spurt. Keep nursing.... it will get better.
This. She's definitely too young for solids (including the diluted rice cereal you're currently giving her). She could be waking at night for a variety of reasons. And I hate to tell you, just because she was sleeping through the night at 5 weeks, doesn't mean she will continue to do so indefinitely. Babies/kids wake at night for a variety of reasons; hunger being only one of them.
I second the PP suggestion of a lactation consultant &/or formula.
Good luck!
I think you should go with what you feel is best for your little one
My little one is 4 months old on Friday and has been on oatmeal cereal since he was 2.5 months old and just started carrots on Monday. He was spitting up all the time and was constantly hungry, no matter how many times I fed him. He was also already holding his head up on his own, sitting pretty well with support and was chewing/biting. (all signs that baby is ready to start solids) I started giving him 1 tbsp of cereal with breast milk once a day and he is now at 4 tbsp of cereal a day, a serving of carrots a day, and nursing/bottles (breast milk only) however many times needed. We have not had any problems with him having gas or constipation. He still pees like a champ and poops at least once (almost all the time more) in a 24-36 hour time period.
Each baby is different and I realize it is not in the norm nor "recommended" to start baby on solids before 6 months, 4 months at the earliest---it just depends on baby and mommy. And for my little one, it works and we have no problems. I believe that you can always try solids and see how your little one responds to them. You will know in a day, maybe two, if baby is able to handle solids or not.
Good luck to you and your little one.
OP, please listen to this!!
Excuse me I never stated that I gave my LO cereal to help her sleep. Secondly our pediatrician is well aware that our LO gets cereal in her bottle a few times during the week at night. And she was ok with it as well as me breastfeeding & formula feeding at the same time. I stated that every child is different. I have 3 kids. Oldest one is 13, and none of my children followed the textbook outline for when to feed babies solids, cereal, etc. And we have had the same pediatrician for 13 yrs. So please BACK the @%#@%#@!$^$&%$^$^&# u r NOT A DOCTOR, either!!! Thanks!!
First off, what you write is your opinion, as what I write is my opinion. And just because what you believe differs from what I believe does not give my "advice" any less merit than yours. And if I recall, this is a forum for moms/parents to receive advice from other moms, no matter what their beliefs, to help them with their choices that they are making regarding their children. It is most definitely a "mommy choice" as to when to start their baby on solid foods and what to start their baby on, because it is; for no better reason, THEIR child. And yes, it is RECOMMENDED to not start solids until 4-6 months of age, with the latter being more favorable (and highly recommended to wait until 6 months if allergies run in the family). Last I checked, a recommendation was not a mandatory statement, it is by definition advice.
Secondly, I have done lots of research and I have consulted with my pediatrician. I agree with you fully that one should seek the advice and counsel of their child's pediatrician and lactation consultant regarding any issues concerning their child. I again though, stress that one's pediatrician (as well as every other person, regardless of their educational background) will offer recommendations or advice or guidelines (they are all the same) on the issues of concern. Just because they are medical professionals, it does not make their statements the end all be all of parenting. It is, at the end of the day, the parents decision to make, based on the infomation they have obtained from whatever various sources. I do my own research, speak openly and honestly with my son's pediatrician, subscribe to parenting newsletters, and develop my own belief system. While it is RECOMMENDED that babies not receive solid foods until the age of 6 months, 4 months at earliest, it is based upon the individual child's development. All children do NOT develop at the same rate.
Please refer to Dr. Sear's Facts on starting solid foods https://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-infants-toddlers/starting-solids/faqs-about-solid-foods/faqs-starting-solid
I do believe is a widely known pediatrician. Also please refer to What To Expect advice on starting solid foods https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-16/solid-foods.aspx?xid=nl_YourDailyNewsletterfromWhattoExpect_20120613
If you would like to point me to other well known sources, I would gladly like to read more on this topic.
Now to address your comments regarding my "advice" and parenting. #1. I am not a child and don't appreciate being spoken to as if I am one. I have every right to give my advice on this post as you do, as it is an open, public forum; and the mom posting was asking for other mom's input to help her with deciding whether or not giving her daughter solid food was the right choice (and by right choice, I fully mean it as the right choice for her and her child). #2. I believe I touched on this, but it really is "just a mommy choice." You can not tell us that you do 100% of what your child's pediatrician recommends to you and I don't believe that everyone should. That being said, they are a great resource for all of us as parents to gather as much information as we can to make informed decisions regarding the care of our children. #3 You keep responding to posts with "for many reasons" and yet you do not state the "reasons", again, I ask you to point me to a reference that tells me anything different than what I have stated. And just in case, you missed it in my previous statement, I clearly stated that feeding your child solids is not in the norm and is not "recommended" before 4 months of age. (I am an informed individual). Which brings me to #4, you do not know me or my child. You do not know his development and therefore, it is not for you to say that I am creating problems for him in the long run, just becase I am not having problems with him right now. And because I didn't make it clear in my first post, I have been working with my pediatrician and keeping track of my sons digestion by watching for reactions and keeping an eye on his output and comfort levels. That is the only way we can know how our child is handling food as we can not look into our child's digestive system without being invasive and/or running tests. There are many children who have developed GI tracts well before 4-6months and there are many children who have undeveloped GI tracts and they are well past the age of 4-6 months. Every child is different and develops at different rates. Everything we read are GUIDELINES not set standards, because there are always exceptions to the rule! #5 It is a medical recommendation (there is that word again---it means advice, to make something favorable). It is not a law that would be violated.
#6 In regards to your comment "The indicators you say mean a baby is ready for solids are incorrect. They need to be sitting unassisted. past 4 months, preferably 6 months. Head holding isn't an issue b/c that is something mastered before solids age. They also need to have lost their tongue thrust reflex." I refer you to the above links regarding starting solids. I would suggest you do some more research before you, so pleasantly, advise other mom's what not to do with their children.
4-6 months is a recommended age, as Dr. Sear's states "As with all aspects of parenting, watch your child and not the calendar." In just about every article I have read concerning starting solids, it is stated "Able to sit with support, reaches and grabs, and mouths hands and toys" or "While your baby doesn't need to be able to sit independently in order to expand her culinary repertoire, she does need to be able to hold her head up well on her own, and sit ? supported ? without slumping over." And yes, the tongue thrust reflex should be gone is an indicator for a child to begin solids. [I would like to point out that each child develops at different rates, and my son has not had this reflex since he was 2.5 months old when we started him on cereal (and in the interest of full disclosure, my pediatrician did recommend we give some cereal to him for his spitting issue & because he was always hungry).]
I appreciate that you are passionate about your beliefs, however; there are many, many different views on every topic and one way is not always better than another. I am not saying that starting a child on solids at 3 months is always the right thing to do, but sometimes, it is ok and sometimes the baby is ready early. And providing alternative information allows one to see all sides of an issue. I would suggest you take a moment before berating other mothers who do not follow your view point, as I can only assume you would not appreciate others telling you how to raise your children!! You can give me your opinion and your viewpoint, but it is disrespectful to push your point of veiw on others and make claims that their opinions are not true. This is again an open (public) forum and we are all here to get help and advice on raising our beautiful children. Not to be told we are horrible parents. (And I do not believe that feeding your child solid foods before 4 months of age, makes one a horrible parent, if their child is ready----and we can agree to disagree!)