Rice in bottle at 4 weeks old?

heddy79 · May 2013

Have you done this yet? I've heard it can help babies to sleep longer. I'm very tempted to try it at night to see if DD will sleep better. The last 4 weeks I've had very little sleep and DD is up every 1-3 hours at night. I've been crying all afternoon due to pure exhaustion. I don't know what to do. BTW, we EFF.

mben1119 · May 2013

It doesn't help them sleep, it is a choking hazard (unless specifically indicated by a pediatrician for reflux-where the benefits outweigh the risks), and it is just plain unnecessary. At 4 weeks old, duh you're not getting any sleep. Comes with the territory. You just need to know it does get better with time.

Ready4theParty · May 2013

mabenner1:
It doesn't help them sleep, it is a choking hazard (unless specifically indicated by a pediatrician for reflux-where the benefits outweigh the risks), and it is just plain unnecessary. At 4 weeks old, duh you're not getting any sleep. Comes with the territory. You just need to know it does get better with time.

This.

Please don't put rice in your baby's bottle unless told to do so by your dr. Since you are EFF is it possible that your SO could pick up a feeding or two at night? It's going to be a while before your LO sleeps longer than 1-3 hrs.

moonflowers2013 · May 2013

Ready4theParty:
mabenner1:
It doesn't help them sleep, it is a choking hazard (unless specifically indicated by a pediatrician for reflux-where the benefits outweigh the risks), and it is just plain unnecessary. At 4 weeks old, duh you're not getting any sleep. Comes with the territory. You just need to know it does get better with time.
This.
Please don't put rice in your baby's bottle unless told to do so by your dr. Since you are EFF is it possible that your SO could pick up a feeding or two at night? It's going to be a while before your LO sleeps longer than 1-3 hrs.

All of this.

This is an article talking about the excess amount of calories etc. https://www.parenting.com/article/mythbuster-infant-cereal-in-babys-bottle

Most moms are sleep deprived. Get over it

mommy0411 · May 2013

Please do not give your 4 week old rice cereal unless directed by a doctor for a really good reason. 4 week olds don't sleep well it is just the nature of the beast. It sucks but you have to get through. Can your husband help?

Gpwmom · May 2013

First of all, I hope you mean rice CEREAL, not just rice. Secondly, do not do this unless specifically instructed by your pediatrician. It is not healthy for baby, and also it doesn't extend your babies sleep time. As PP said, just don't do it. Babies at 4 weeks old can't be expected to sleep much more than 3 hours at a time. Have someone come over during the day to give you a break so you can rest. Or have your SO take over a night feeding so you can sleep longer. Good luck and this will pass.

kleigh926 · May 2013

I agree with all the PP's. No, please don't do it. It won't help your LO sleep. With FF'ing, I would definitely be expecting help from my SO/DH with night feedings. Sleep deprivation sucks, but that's life with a new baby. This too shall pass.

ASmallWonder · May 2013

The others pretty much covered the "don't do it" aspect but here's a little more info. At this age babies need all their calories to count. Rice cereal has, ounce for ounce, the same calories as formula but you've got to stop and think about how much an ounce of cereal is. It's a lot harder to get an ounce of a solid into them than an ounce of a liquid and that means that she may feel fuller for a small window, it's not benefitting her. And it's really true that it doesn't help with sleep. If it did, all kids would be sleeping through the night once they start solids around 6 months and it just doesn't happen across the board. I hope you can get some help and sleep soon

heddy79 · May 2013

Thanks ladies! I will discuss it with the pedi this Wed. when I take DD for her shots. I'm assuming she'll say no as well, but I'd like to hear her take on it. I appreciate all of your advice and knowledge on the matter. BTW, DH helps with feedings on the weekends and actually takes over quite a bit and I try to do the week night feedings since he has to work. I've told him tonight I'm going to sleep by 9pm and he's taking over until midnight.

JSS1002 · May 2013

Heddy, just wanted to say "Hang in there!" Our guy is also only sleeping in 2-3 hour stretches at night and I know it is "normal" but I feel like I keep reading about all these 4-5 week olds sleeping for 5 hours or even through the night and I just think "what!?"

We realized that this week he's been going through a growth spurt, whcih is why he's been cluster feeding and waking up every 2 hours (previously he was every 3 hours), so I'm going with the "this too shall pass" mentality. I am also running on empty with very little sleep for the past 5 weeks and it is hard, but I'm just pushing through it, napping when possible, and going to bed early.

one thing that helped recently is that we started putting him down for the night earlier, and then I just went to bed with him (like, 8:30-9 PM). He still wakes up but at least I've cumulatively gotten a bit more sleep by the time morning arrives.

hang in there.

~J

mben1119 · May 2013

LalaMama81:
Runner1981:
We put a teaspoon in LOs bottle per our pedi instructions to help with excess gas. It's supposed to be thin enough that they can still use a low flow nipple. I can assure you, the safe amount a teaspoon for us does NOT make them sleep longer at night. Believe me, I was hoping for the same result. No dice.
I have never heard of rice cereal helping an newborn w/ gas. That is ridiculous and yes, it is a chocking hazard. Your pedi kind of sucks.  

Yeah, if anything it makes gas worse.

Runaway22 · May 2013

Motherhood = no sleep. Not at normal hours, anyway. I've become a big fan of afternoon naps since LO was born. Don't worry, it won't be like this forever

emriley84 · May 2013

DS#1 had bad reflux, we added cereal to every bottle, never helped him sleep any longer.

vindaloo · May 2013

Um, you all may want to avoid giving your LO's rice cereal altogether for another reason. Consumer Reports recently released a study finding high levels of arsenic in rice, especially rice grown in the USA, including that used in infant cereals and rice milk. Just google Consumer Reports rice arsenic. My dad gave me the article and I was horrified. I'd link to it but I'm on a mobile.

I don't plan to give rice cereal at all, and my IL's a pediatrician and a nurse don't give it to their LO's either.

pgros005 · May 2013

No rice cereal. No. No. No. No.

ETA: Didn't see the EFF! Sorry! Still, NO RICE CEREAL unless recommended by a pedi.

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha · May 2013

elmoali:
And it's really true that it doesn't help with sleep. If it did, all kids would be sleeping through the night once they start solids around 6 months and it just doesn't happen across the board. I hope you can get some help and sleep soon

Truth.

Lex703 · May 2013

heddy79:
Have you done this yet? nbsp;I've heard it can help babies to sleep longer. nbsp;I'm very tempted to try it at night to see if DD will sleep better. nbsp;The last 4 weeks I've had very little sleep and DD is up every 13 hours at night. nbsp;I've been crying all afternoon due to pure exhaustion. nbsp;I don't know what to do. nbsp;BTW, we EFF.

Please don't do this. It's a choking hazard. Do you have any friends or family members close by? I suggest having someone come and keep an eye on the baby for a few hours so you can get some shut eye. Also try to rest when the baby sleeps during the day.

cbelle1231 · May 2013

I will probably be shredded for this as you were, unfortunately. I do give my baby cereal. I do not put it in the bottle I feed him from a spoon. I started because he was so hungry, but was throwing up the extra formula. It give him one baby spoonful of dry oatmeal cereal, rice constipated him, mixed with formula so it is pretty much liquid. I do it around 9 or so before he goes to bed. I don't do it to make him sleep longer, it does not really help with that. We decided to do it because he was so hungry we could hear his stomach growling so loudly and he would throw up bile. As a result he has stopped that. Also an FYI, I worked in a pediatrician's office for ten plus years. Many do frown at this, but we decided on it after much consideration for our son not our sleep.

Rice in bottle at 4 weeks old?

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