Cereal bottle???? - Putting cereal in a bottle?????

smith316 wrote: Hi, I have a 2 1/2 month old baby and he is eating an 8 ounce bottle of formula every 4 hours and still acts like he is hungry at the end of a feeding, I have heard of putting cereal in bottles and seen cereal nipples but not sure how to mix the cereal to the formula. How do you mix that? How much cereal to how much formula?
Thanks
smith316

BabyOwen427 replied: Don't add any cereal to the bottle. All it causes is indegestion, upset stomach, reflux issues, and can lead to GERD and obesity. There are no benefits from putting cereal in the bottle.

Is he making sucking motions? He may just have a strong desire to suckle. Have you tried giving a pacifier?
If he truly is still hungary you could offer him a couple more ounces of formula. But be careful if you overfill him he could spit it all back up.

Hope this helps.

boyohboyohboy replied: I highly recommend you call your ped. before doing this. I also dont think babies should eat solids before they are 6 months old. There is a lot of research on the web about all the health issues it does cause.
Is it possible your baby is going thru a growth spurt right now and really does need that extra formula?
good luck

sc_mom2five replied: I agree you should ask your ped about this, though I am a total feed a baby cereal in the bottle person. I've done it with all 3 of my kids, my fiance did it with all 3 of his kids and we've never once had a problem with the above suggested afflictions. But every child is different and you must do what is best for yours with the consultation of your doctors. Good luck! ((HUGS))

Crystalina replied: I'm not sure if it's wrong or right. I never looked it up first but I did start adding cereal to all of my kids' bottles right before 3mos. It was never really thick. I would mix up the forumula as it's supposed to be and then add cereal to it but not where it was very thick at all. My kids never had problems with it. My son had colic but that started WAY before I gave him cereal. My other two are healthy and not obese at all. My 4 mos old right now is a huge chunk but she was born like that. Before I gave this last one cereal I introduced her to the binky. That seemed to work for awhile but the cereal helped after the binky stopped working.

To be safe you really should ask your ped. What works for one baby may not work for another and you wouldn't want to make your baby sick or unhealthy. I can only tell you my experience with it and it worked for me. I also monitered every little thing that may have changed while starting out on the cereal. You have to watch the bm's. Your baby could get constipated if she's having too much. I only gave mine her cereal in the morning and at night and not every morning or night. I can tell how hungry she is before I make it for her and go from there.

Be careful.

jacobsmama replied: I started giving my son cereal at 2.5 months. I NEVER put in a bottle however, I fed it to him off a spoon always. He did great with it and I agree you add the milk to it and make it VERY runny for them. I would only recommend a few little spoonfulls of it until the baby gets use to it and does ok with their belly and bowels.

Jacob did great and I plan to do the same with this one.

I agree with call ped if you think something is wrong, but I also think you know your baby and it is your personal preference on what you are comfortable with.

Good luck.

My3LilMonkeys replied: Maybe he needs to eat more often? My kids were usually eating every 2-3 hours during the day at that age.

maestra replied: I have a 2 1/2 month old baby as well. He only eats 4-5 oz every 2-3 hours. To me, it sounds like he may be over eating. Have you discussed how much he gets with your ped? Sometimes when my son overeats, he gets a tummy ache. He also spits up some, which tells me he's over full. Babies don't know the difference between belly ache and hungry tummy, so they will give hungry signals when they really just have a sore belly. It's just a thought. Good luck!

Boo&BugsMom replied: I fed my boys solids at a younger age...we do not have any allergy issues in our family though. I would have been way more strict had we had allergy correlations anywhere. I would also discuss this with your ped first, because he/she knows your baby better than we do. I would not recommend earlier introduction to someone whose baby I was not familiar with.

Being that you are feeding him every 4 hours, I'd start feeding him more often first, like every 3 hours. When the boys were this age I believe they were eating every 2 1/2-3 hours. 8 ounces may seem like a lot, but not when it's only every 4 hours, IMO, so I would try a different feeding schedule before anything else.

Also, does he eat really fast? If he eats too fast he will not feel "full" right away. You have to let his tummy settle a bit first because he realizes he has had enough to eat.

mckayleesmom replied: I just read recently that they reccomend NOT putting it in their bottles anymore. My kids are 5 and 4 and I DID put it in their bottles when they were little. I could never find cereal nipples for their bottles and now I know why...

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I agree I would try feeding more frequently... maybe 4-6 oz every 2-3 hours would be easier on his tummy, and make him feel satisfied without the tummy ache.

DVFlyer replied: We used to add cereal to one of our kids' bottles. Don't remember why exactly, but I think it was to help them have a full tummy to sleep through the night. Don't remember any issues.

Mommy2BAK replied: Adding cereal to child's bottle isn't deadly, . We have to thicken Addi's bottles with cereal due to her swallowing disfunction and reflux. But it would always be a good idea to ask your GCP

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Same here with Aiden for a bit. He was a very pukey baby, and a small amount of cereal helped him to keep it down.

gr33n3y3z replied:
My Dr. was all for it but I would use a spoon or the bottle But I would check with your childs Dr.first.

Crystalina replied:
I actually lied to my ped. He would ask me what I was feeding and I would say formula and/or breastfeeding but only because I knew he would frown it. We've always had babies in the family (thanks to my sisters fertile self ) so I knew what to do when I had my first.

momofone replied: How early did everyone start with cereal? I would have loved to to get more sleep at night but didn't know it was safe earlier than 4 months . So when did everyone start????

Boo&BugsMom replied:
@ 3 1/2 months if my memory serves me correctly, with both boys...just a small amount though.

I'm not sure if I actually believe that it helps them sleep "more" or for longer periods, but Aiden and Tanner were both big eaters which is why I started at that time. It helped Aiden's fussy issues with his acid reflux we think he had, but it didn't make him sleep more/longer.

momofone replied:
Thanks i remember mine was starving always hungry wish i knew then that it is ok to give cereal.

maestra replied:
A friend of mine's dd has gerd, and her ped actually recommended some cereal in the bottle for that.

My 2 1/2 month old eats every 2-3 hours, so maybe try that first like the pps said. Good luck!

A&A'smommy replied: You should never put cereal in their bottles or feed them solids before 4months ask you ped why!!! Seriously it may not cause any problems NOW there is enough stuff out there that can cause obesity why not start teaching them healthy eating habbit now. And beside that would you put green beans or chicken in their bottles? why would you put cereal in their bottles its food not really meant to be a drink.

Boo&BugsMom replied: I don't understand the correlation between obesity and putting cereal in a baby bottle. That makes no sense. Both my boys are skinny as rails and have learned very good eating habits.

I also had the green light from our ped for the cereal at that age because of Aiden's acid reflux.

Crystalina replied:
Gabriella's already on Stage 1 carrots and green beans. <---In her bottle. She not great at eating from a spoon since she still wants to suck.

It's very watery stuff. If it has vitamins in it and she's not lacking in formula then I also don't understand how it can be bad for them. She doesn't get it with every bottle. Usually one at about 4pmish.

coasterqueen replied: It is true that some docs in regards to GERD, acid reflux, etc will tell you to put cereal in a bottle, but they never told me that. We saw a pedi gastro doc and a "feeding team" for Megan's acid reflux and for her swallowing/forward tongue thrust movement issues and they told me to never do that. Maybe it was because I was nursing.??? So just because one, two, three, four docs tell people to do that there are just as many who will tell you NOT to do it.

If a child never seems like they get enough to eat does not justify putting cereal in a bottle. If the child is hungry, feed them. ALL children under the age of 1 year of age just need formula or breastmilk which is the ONLY nutrition they need for optimal brain growth development. I just can't understand the "well they never seemed like they were getting enough so I gave them cereal" - give them more formula or breastmilk then.

I say to each their own, but I would NEVER NEVER just give a baby cereal in a bottle because someone else's doctor told them to do it. Go see your doctor and if you trust them enough, listen to what they say and go with it.

Babies tummies aren't the size of ours. They aren't meant to sleep all night long and not feel hungry. I remember all the sleep exhaustion. My DD nursed 45 minutes at a time ever 2 hours, so I NEVER got sleep, I worked full time, and I survived. It's just part of accepting the responsibility of having children. It will pass, just like every other thing we have to deal with as parents.

My2Beauties replied: I tried this with my first and it was horrible on her stomach, made her very gassy and constipated. she didn't take good to any cereal at all to be honest, she hated it and went straight to jarred baby foods at around 4 -5 months of age. My youngest was on the tinier side she didn't eat as much and I didn't do the cereal in the bottle thing because she didn't seem like she was hungry all the time and because of my past experience. They say not to do it but you should ask your ped what is best for your baby. As far as sleeping is concerned, I don't think cereal in their bottle helps them sleep at night

DVFlyer replied: I don't remember it helping (whichever one we did it with) sleep any better either.

I'm assuming everyone is talking about the same stuff here: That powdery rice etc "cereal" that is like little flakes?

Calimama replied: My ped said that any time before 4 months is too early. So we started when she was 4 months and a week. IMO they don't need cereal at 2 months old. If she's hungry than feed her more often. ETA: Isn't a chocking hazard to put anything other than formula in the bottle??

Boo&BugsMom replied: I think everyone is in agreement...ask your doctor!

Every doctor is different, and if you trust them, then follow their advice...whatever they say.

Plain and simple.

Everyone has their own opinion on this, and every medical professional does as well. So...do what you feel is best for your child given the info you have! What I do for my children is not necessarily what others would do for theirs, and visa versa. What we did worked for us, and what others did worked for them.

I do have to reiterate though what I have already said...and DVFlyer as well...it really did not help them sleep better AT ALL. I think it's a myth to be honest, IMO. All it did was help Aiden's acid reflux a bit and kept him from puking more frequently due to the reflux. Tanner we never did the cereal in the bottle, but when Aiden started it for the reflux I didn't notice one bit of difference as far as sleep. The small amount that you can get away with in the bottle digests just as fast as the formula, IMO.

moped replied: I will also say that it will not help them sleep better or longer............ask your doctor first!

austins mom replied: I started it with mine when he was a little over 2mths old. He is 10 years old now and there has not been any complications from it. He is a healthy happy kid. He is starting to get a little chunky now but thats because he hasnt been able to play outside much over the last 4-5 months. By the time I get home from work its dark or it has been to cold. But thanks to the time change he gets day light when I get home and its warmer now so he is outside every afternoon.