Have you ever heard of this?

sherina825 · January 2010

I've always heard that when you nurse, you can expect to feed your newborn about every 2-4 hours. My friend said that her baby's daddy would put a pinch of baby cereal (oatmeal or rice) in her daughter's breastmilk bottle to keep her full longer and to sleep through the night. This little girl is almost three and she is a healthy weight and has never had any issues with vomiting, gas or heartburn. I thought this was weird. Have any of you heard of this before?

prego760 · January 2010

Wow I've never heard of this but if it works. Thats awesome!

auslyn804 · January 2010

I have heard of it. I also just got done reading an article that quoted a study saying it is a proven fact that it doesn't work. I don't know from experience. I didn't feed ds solids until he was 6 months old so I obviously didn't try it.

Viscobaby2 · January 2010

I've heard of it but that isn't always the case. If you introduce cereal too early, it can cause their stomach to get upset or other issues. Sometimes, it does the opposite! I would wait until your doctor suggests you start cereal which is usually around 4mos.

marinewifebarker · January 2010

I've heard of it! My cousin did this with her little girl too and it worked wonders!

CinnamonBun · January 2010

DO NOT do this unless your pedi has told you to.

If a baby needs to feed every 2 hours your feed it, you do not attempt to manipulate it so you can sleep longer. Their stomachs are not able to digest anything other than bm/f.

This is HORRIBLE advice.

JoshsLove · January 2010

I had older women suggest I do this for my son. I decided against it though for my own reasons....and my son ended up setting his own awesome sleep schedule by week 12 so I'm glad I didn't go there.

I think it's something that may have been a popular "trick" back in the day but we've learned more about infants and their digestive systems since then.

sam681 · January 2010

My pedi told me that is only for babies w/reflux. It isn't recommended for healthy babies. But, I have heard that if you feed your LO formula at night it will keep them asleep much longer than BM.

IrishBrideND · January 2010

CinnamonBun:

DO NOT do this unless your pedi has told you to.

If a baby needs to feed every 2 hours your feed it, you do not attempt to manipulate it so you can sleep longer. Their stomachs are not able to digest anything other than bm/f.

This is HORRIBLE advice.

OMG this!

NicoleR524 · January 2010

I worked in a day care for a number of years and seen some parents do it for different reasons.

It can be done to keep them full for longer or to get them more calories/nutrients if they aren't eating enough solids. But IMO shouldn't be done before they start eating solids because they are not developmentally ready to swallow more then milk, they could choke and as another poster said, it could upset their stomach or they could have an allergic reaction. Definitely would consult your baby's doctor first.

CaitlinJ22 · January 2010

its on old school way of thinking. There is no proof it works. I hate when people try and make ways to get newborns to sleep longer, or not feed them as often. NB's eat OFTEN, and should eat on demand in the early weeks at the very least. There were days I was stuck to DS and on the couch all day during growth spurts. THe first 6 weeks a baby is eating at least every 2-3 hrs, and should eat often to grow well. Cereal is not going to help IMO. I think the big issue when it comes to many new parents is that their expectations are not realistic. You need to realize that the baby needs to eat as often as they want in the first few wks, but it wont always be that way.

kirkette · January 2010

sam681:
My pedi told me that is only for babies w/reflux. It isn't recommended for healthy babies. But, I have heard that if you feed your LO formula at night it will keep them asleep much longer than BM.

Yes. I heard about this from my MIL because BIL was so sick with reflux as a baby. It was one of they few things that helped he keep weight on.

CaitlinJ22 · January 2010

sam681:
My pedi told me that is only for babies w/reflux. It isn't recommended for healthy babies. But, I have heard that if you feed your LO formula at night it will keep them asleep much longer than BM.

somewhat true. formula takes longer to digest, so yeah in theory it works, but not all the time.

CinnamonBun · January 2010

sam681:
My pedi told me that is only for babies w/reflux. It isn't recommended for healthy babies. But, I have heard that if you feed your LO formula at night it will keep them asleep much longer than BM.

Again horrible advice and not necessarily true.

Dreamsicle23 · January 2010

I probably wouldn't do it for a brand new baby unless recommended by the doc. It's probably less of a big deal when they get a little older.

RunningMamaH · January 2010

I work with infants and we have a pediatric nurse from the state who comes every year to update us on info.

#1 reason for not doing it:?

They have linked this with ear infections.?

*IF your child has reflux issues they might be on this diet but under care of physician?

Formula does take longer to digest because it is made (usually) with cow milk whose protiens are thicker and harder for a human baby to digest. This can also mean that your child might be up just as long with gas and be no help to the sleep issue.?

I would not do it unless your child has reflux?

ravensekhmet · January 2010

Iv heard alot about it from people but would never do it. My doc has said they may sleep better but because there in a food type coma there body isn't made to eat that type of food yet and it shuts down there body's just to digest.

Shandie_725 · January 2010

My SIL did this with my oldest nephew - altho she didn't BF him. She'd put a bit of rice cereal into his night bottle starting around 6 weeks and he'd sleep through the night.

sherina825 · January 2010

ravensekhmet:
Iv heard alot about it from people but would never do it. My doc has said they may sleep better but because there in a food type coma there body isn't made to eat that type of food yet and it shuts down there body's just to digest.

Just reading this made me want to cry.

juietbride · January 2010

I have heard of it and we were told by DS's pediatrician not to do this before six months. His doctor was especially leery of this because DS had minor gas and heart burn issues. My son was sleeping through the night by 6 weeks at least three nights a week if not more often without putting cereal in his breast milk. HTH

ladyalmalthea · January 2010

What it does is fill up their stomach, so they get less calories. It has nothing to do with heartburn, etc. Mine has no cereal and has none of those things.

Aliliv · January 2010

DO NOT put cereal in baby's bottle. #1. Young baby's digestive systems are not mature enough for cereal. #2. It is a choking hazard!!! Only do this on the advice of a pedi.

Also, all newborns (even formula fed newborns) NEED to eat every 2 - 4 fours (if not more). Prepare yourself for this.

tre777 · January 2010

CinnamonBun:

DO NOT do this unless your pedi has told you to.

If a baby needs to feed every 2 hours your feed it, you do not attempt to manipulate it so you can sleep longer. Their stomachs are not able to digest anything other than bm/f.

This is HORRIBLE advice.

THIS!!!!

nadiarl · January 2010

This is an OWT. It can contribute to constipation

jillijo · January 2010

It is also a bad idea to try and space apart feedings in the early months. You want to establish your milk supply, and most bfing experts agree that the best way to do that is to nurse on demand, even if that demand keeps you up at night.

PMJacobsen · January 2010

it's an OWT. a lot of times, introducing cereal happens around the same time a child would start STTN, so people equate the two. don't start cereal until the ped recs it. and they won't for a newborn unless they have severe reflux. it's ok that BF'd babies need to eat more, and it's ok to feed a baby when they are hungry.

KelleyA · January 2010

Yes, I've heard of it. My parents did it with me and my brothers and we've all struggled with weight problems our entire lives. My brother did it with both of his girls and both are overweight. I am not a fan of this idea. Babies really can't process rice cereal properly until at least 4 months and that's what most pediatricians recommend.

KelleyA · January 2010

Oh...and a bit of positive advice. My DD slept through the night at 7 weeks. Read up on cluster feeding for nursing mothers. I cluster fed my DD and it worked well for us. She slept from 8:30-3:30, nursed for 20 minutes and slept another 5-6 hours.

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