Adding rice cereal to formula.

MandiMal19 · November 2012

My son will be 7 weeks this Friday and I'm wondering if it's too early to add rice cereal to his bottles. He weighs about 13 pounds (he's a whopper!) and has been on formula since birth because my milk never came in. We recently switched him to soy on our pediatrician's recommendation and ever since he seems insatiable. He's also starting spitting up, something we never had a problem with before.

From the research I've done online, it seems a lot of people want to start giving their babies rice cereal so they'll sleep longer at night, but I'm not interested in that since he sleeps about 5 - 6 hrs straight. But he just seems so hungry, it's as if the soy formula isn't satisfying him but I don't want to take him off of it because it's helping with his gas and fussiness.

So would it be okay to introduce some rice cereal to his diet? Thanks in advance.

mcla22011 · November 2012

Have you asked your pediatrician about rice cereal? At our 2 mo appt he suggested told hold until 3-3.5 months. I'd suggest asking for your dr's recommendation before doing anything.

BTW, I also have a big boy who's hungry a lot, at his 2mo he was 14lbs!

MandiMal19 · November 2012

I plan on calling them tomorrow, but unfortunately, they are hard to get a call back from. I'm still going to check with them but I thought I'd do some research of my own and get other opinions.

Thanks for your input!

ASmallWonder · November 2012

If he's truly hungry he'd benefit from more formula, not rice. Rice is nutritionally deficient compared to formula so yes, it may make him feel fuller but it isn't actually meeting any nutritional needs (it's kind of like how dieters eat rice cakes because it helps with the hunger without adding calories)

mben1119 · November 2012

Rice cereal shouldn't be introduced until after 4 months, and never in a bottle, unless directed by a doctor for reflux. It is a choking hazard.

MandiMal19 · November 2012

I don't think more formula is the answer in this case because he's spitting up so much. It seems pointless to keep filling him up when he'll just spit it right back out. I've never heard of rice cereal being a choking hazard when added to a bottle (but I am a first timer and far from an expert) I've read tons of stuff online about people doing it, and I could have sworn when I read the directions on a package it said it could be added to bottles, but I could be mistaken. Thanks anyhow for the input, it's something to think about.

jade7kb · November 2012

I put a little in my daughter's and she is almost 7 weeks. Only at night tho so she doesn't gain a lot of weight since she is good there. I don't put a lot in only about a teaspoon right now to be honest. Never heard of it being a choking hazard. It kinda depends on the baby. I would think it would be fine tho. You should always consult your doctor too.

msualum96 · November 2012

Why does your pedi want him on soy? If he's spitting up MORE on it, I'd think that wasn't a good choice and I'd question the pedi on that before I started adding rice cereal.

ETA: Just re-read your post. There are other formulas for gas & fussiness that you could try, maybe that would help? Or does your pedi think he has a lactose intolerance? I guess I'd just investigate all other options before just adding rice cereal. Good luck!

jennygirlmt · November 2012

This is what I was going to say. I'm stunned at how many people do this despite reading how dangerous it can be choking especially.

There is a reason food isn't introduced until much later I also don't agree with the four month time frame. Baby needs nothing but breast milk / formula, technically for the first year. They aren't even able to properly digest it yet. So no, I wouldn't add rice. DD was that big too and was exclusively nursed for six months and is healthy as can be.

I would speak to your doctor and do a lot more research.

Eta meant to quote mabenner

MandiMal19 · November 2012

I have a call into the pedi, so I'll see what she has to say. Like one of you mentioned, I am thinking of finding a new pediatrician. The problem is, I LOVE the doc herself, but the office is small and stays very busy, so I'm torn. I may not find another pedi I like at an office that's easier to get a hold of.

The soy formula was suggested because when I complained of the gas and fussiness, she asked if either I or my hubbs are lactose intolerant (he is) so she thought the soy would help, and it really has. He is the happiest baby now, as long as he isn't hungry! Whenever he's already had a few bottles but still acting hungry I try other things to make sure that's what it is because I'm honestly astounded at how much he eats. When it comes down to it, if he is truly hungry I don't mind feeding him, but the spitting up has me concerned.

I think it's back to the drawing board because y'all have really given me a lot to think about. I appreciate all the feedback.

NWalker0910 · November 2012

I have a 5 week old and she is on similiac for spit up and it has rice starch added to it because she has reflux.. The doctor gave me the samples and said it was perfectly fine to give her rice cereal in her bottle.

mben1119 · November 2012

NWalker0910:
I have a 5 week old and she is on similiac for spit up and it has rice starch added to it because she has reflux.. The doctor gave me the samples and said it was perfectly fine to give her rice cereal in her bottle.

Yes, because your LO has reflux. The OPs LO does not. Big difference.

IBackBevo · November 2012

My pedi said not to start that until 4 months and everything I have read says no rice cereal until minimum 3 months...that it can even give them allergies or cause permanent damage to their digestive tract.

Could your little one have acid reflux? He will be fussy if he has acid reflux. Also, the spit up makes me think this. A soy formula could make this worse. We had a horrible time with fussiness but since starting our little one on prevacid and alimentum formula we pretty much have a new baby. Also, sometimes if a baby is hurting, they will root or want to suck. It is a comfort mechanism, but does not necessarily mean they are hungry.

Also, could your little one have a little bit of a problem digesting milk proteins? Most babies who have problems with the regular formula also have problems with soy because if they have problems with milk protein they also about 95% of the time have problems with soy protein. Alimentum formula or Nutramigen formula will help with this. You might ask your pedi about this, too.

IBackBevo · November 2012

Another thought - Is the soy formula more watery (i.e. not as thick) as the regular formula he was on? If so, that could be the reason he is spitting it up more. My LO had more problems spitting up breast milk when he was on formula and breast milk because it is more watery and comes up easier. We saw the same thing when we switched from regular and "fussiness and gas" formula to the alimentum. He spit it up more because it was thinner and came back up easier. Also, the reason the doctors recommend adding the rice to the milk for babies with reflux is because it makes it thicker and easier to keep down...but, imo and based on the research I have done and the docs I have talked to, it is better to treat this problem with medication than with rice cereal.

If he is spititng up alot this could be the reason he is hungrier....that and just the fact that he is getting bigger. Regardless, I think feeding him more, talking to your doctor about the problem, and, again, looking into if this could be a reflux issue and treated with medication is something you could do. I certainly would not self-diagnose and start feeding him/treating him with rice cereal, though.

bigbootyjudi · November 2012

I'd ask your pediatrician. We did it at 6 weeks, per his pediatrician, for his reflux and it did nothing but constipate him. It didn't make him any more full, he still wanted to eat every two hours, and didn't make him sleep longer at night. It made him incredibly constipated and he's now 12 weeks old and still isn't back to pooping like he was before the whole cereal debacle.