Rice Cereal

Cathyr1003 · May 2012

Just curious - has anyone introduced rice cereal in the bottle yet? My son is 3 1/2 months old & I am thinking about giving him some. I pump so he is exclusively on breastmilk but he is a big boy & just always seems so hungry. He is constantly chewing on his hands. A lot of people lately have been telling me to give him the rice cereal. Was wondering if anyone has any advice one way or the other! Thanks

kristin172429 · May 2012

Don't put it in the bottle! It is a choking hazard and messes with their ability to regulate how much food they need (you are upping the calories on them, but they still drink to volume and can end up overeating). Chewing on hands isn't necessarily a sign of hunger, though you know your baby best. I would check with your pediatrician. And use the brown rice, not white rice, cereal if you do start it. Most babies aren't ready for solids until 4 months. Do some reading on the readiness signs for solids - it's not just hunger.

E.T.A. Oh, and one last thing: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many others recommend that babies who get breast milk have that exclusively until 6 months of age.

livinginashoe · May 2012

kristin172429:

Don't put it in the bottle! It is a choking hazard and messes with their ability to regulate how much food they need (you are upping the calories on them, but they still drink to volume and can end up overeating). Chewing on hands isn't necessarily a sign of hunger, though you know your baby best. I would check with your pediatrician. And use the brown rice, not white rice, cereal if you do start it. Most babies aren't ready for solids until 4 months. Do some reading on the readiness signs for solids - it's not just hunger.

E.T.A. Oh, and one last thing: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many others recommend that babies who get breast milk have that exclusively until 6 months of age.

All of this.

mac&chip · May 2012

My pedi said to start it at 5 1/2 months.

poobear2015 · May 2012

I started to ask the pedi this at the 2 month appt (only because I was curious when it could start) and he interrupted me and said we weren't even going to talk cereal until the 4 month appt ha! So I will know more then - but I also heard not to put it in the bottle. The pedi DID say that rice cereal is basically practice for eating - so my guess would be they want you to use a spoon over a bottle anyway to get the practice in.

Shawnee11507 · May 2012

kristin172429:
Don't put it in the bottle! It is a choking hazard and messes with their ability to regulate how much food they need (you are upping the calories on them, but they still drink to volume and can end up overeating). Chewing on hands isn't necessarily a sign of hunger, though you know your baby best. I would check with your pediatrician. And use the brown rice, not white rice, cereal if you do start it. Most babies aren't ready for solids until 4 months. Do some reading on the readiness signs for solids - it's not just hunger.
E.T.A. Oh, and one last thing: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and many others recommend that babies who get breast milk have that exclusively until 6 months of age.

This. DS has upped the ounces of pumped milk he's been eating the last week, however, I think it is because he started sleeping longer at night- so he is really getting the same amount, just in fewer feedings. I don't plan to introduce any solids until around 6 months.

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