Why Is It So Bad To Put Rice Cereal In A Babies Bottle?
This is a question I really need the answer too. Plus I also want to know if I spoon feed my 4 month old son and he eats a couple of spoonfulls, do I then give him a bottle also? Or how long after the cereal should I wait to give him the bottle? And should he only eat the cereal once a day?
They say it can cause a choking hazard. I put it in both my kids’ bottles. I made it really runny though. They both did jdut fine. I also started them at 2 1/2-3 months old on cereal, but ONLY cereal. I didn’t start feeding them other solids until about 5 months. I know I will probably get a lot of thumbs down, but I don’t care. It worked for us. It may not for everyone. They did in fact sleep much better, and got much fuller. Before cereal, they ate liquid all the time, and then their stomachs would get so full that they would throw it all up. They just weren’t satisfied until cereal. You should give him a bottle after he’s done eating. Start small, so you will know how much he’ll need after a feeding. He can eat the cereal 2-3 times a day if you want him too. He will probably stay full longer. I gave it at breakfast, lunch and dinner when they were eating from a spoon. They still got the recommended amount of formula too though.
Hello.
Until your baby is 1 year old, the main source of his nutrition should be his formula/breast milk. Therefore, you should think of solid food as a suplement, not “food for nuturition” so to speak.
At 4 months, because of his natural development (swallowing reflex, muscular control over his tongue, etc); it is completely normal for him to only seem to play with the food. Over time, he will be better able to control his mouth and tongue to keep the food in better and you’ll find he’s eating more at each feeding.
He should be taking approximately 30 oz of formula (since he’s bottle fed) per day; so make sure that feedings don’t mean that he’s drinking less of that!
To give you an indication, one of the ways that we can tell our babies are ready to start solid foods is that they are still hungry after having their bottle, they show interest in food when they see others eating, their reflex to spit things out is fading, etc.
As for your question about adding rice cereal to the bottle: I have 4 children, ages 18 through 5 months and with our eldest, it was still common practice. I no longer do it though. The reason is that adding cereal doesn’t help them sleep better through the night (old wives tale). It also reduces the amount of formula they consume because you are adding volume (with the cereal) which makes it thicker and more filling… the problem is that the cereal isn’t adding the kind of nutrition to their diet that having the plain formula would.
So, in the beginning, give him just what he’ll take (even if its only 2 spoonfulls) of cereal in the morning with his first bottle. I give mine a little of her bottle (since she’s SO hungry from sleeping all night), then give her a little cereal after.
Over time, he’ll eat more and more of the cereal (about 1-2 teaspoons of cereal mixed with his formula). Then you can add a little cereal at night before bedtime if you wish.
Remember: relax! Until a year, he should be getting what he needs from his bottle… the rest is just extra and an opportunity to discover all that neat stuff the big people eat
My son turns 4 months next week and I feed him rice cereal once a day because he is hungry and breastmilk just doesn’t do it for him at night. You are not supposed to put it in a bottle because babies need to learn to eat from a spoon, not everything from a bottle. Once a day or twice depending on his needs. I usually feed him cereal at night then give him the breast until he turns away.
Never put cereal in a bottle unless you have been advised to do so by your pediatrician, which is common for baby’s with reflux. It is not good for baby to get solids in a bottle. You want to give them them by spoon.
It is perfectly okay for you to be introducing solids to your four month old (granted that they are healthy and the dr gave you the go-ahead). You don’t want to put solids in the baby bottle- not just because it’s a choking hazzard- but because if he is DRINKING the solids, then he’s not learning to CHEW or SWALLOW like they are supposed to be learning at this age. Just remember, that you only want to introduce one new food a week, and only about once a day. That way if he developes any allergies, you’ll know which food it is. Good luck.
Although it was common practice in the past to put cereal in an infant’s bottle, it is no longer recommended. There are many possible problems associated with this practice. The most obvious one is the choking hazard. It also may encourage your baby to overeat. It can cause a delay in learning feeding skills. There is also some evidence that feeding cereal too early can cause diabetes and allergies in the future. If your child is old enough to start cereal, it is best to feed him with a spoon. And you should always check with your pediatrician before introducing any solids to your infant.
At this young age, solids are still not your child’s primary source of nutrition. It’s basically to get them used to eating with a spoon so yes, you should still give your child a bottle after feeding him cereal though perhaps not as much as you normally would. With my daughter from 4 to 5 months we only fed her cereal once a day (with her doc’s okay). Good luck to you.
at 4 months he should not be eating cereal yet anyway.
and putting cereal in the bottle is a choking hazzard.
i have to say, i have never fed my kids solids until they hit 12 months because of family history of allergies and they have all slept through the night at 2 weeks old and they grow just fine.
There’s nothing wrong with putting cereal into a baby bottle so long as you are not ‘propping’ the bottle. This was a stupid and dangerous practice years ago that moms would lay baby down and prop a bottle with a pillow. I hope nobody is still doing that. THAT is where the choking hazard came from.
You could probably do it a couple of ways. You could put 1 couple of teaspoons into every bottle, you could feed with spoon once a day. Whatever works for you.
aap recommends no foods to age 6 months is bull if your son wants more you can give him cereal at this age or even try 1st foods know to. i did with my son and he is 7 months old now and he is healthy and at his 50% for his age and height and weight.
also my son has had cereal in his bottles since 8 weeks because of gerd
also i spoon fed my son cereal and 1st foods at 4 months and at 5 months he started to take the spoon out of my hand. I’m not sure if it was just to play with but at times he will get the spoon to his mouth and put it in there.
well they tell you not to put cereal in the bottles because they can choke or it can cause allergies, but i put cereal in my babys bottle. she sleeps so much better through the night.
bottles are for milk. Putting cereal in his bottles shows him an easier way of consuming his food.. not only a chocking hazzard, but obesity watch-out-for..
As for the bottle during spoon feeding, its really up to you and your baby.. either offer the bottle right away, 2 hrs later or before spoon feeding. Since he’s only experimenting with solids they’re not a full meal to him and he still may be hungry.
Cereal in a bottle is perfectly fine AFTER your child is old enough to be introduced to solids, usually around 4 months. Before that, their little digestive systems aren’t developed enough to handle the cereal. Putting cereal in a bottle before a baby is developed enough to sleep through the night won’t make any difference.
You do want to still give liquids when you feed your son cereal. He won’t gorge himself on the formula. You don’t want him getting dehydrated. At four months old, the cereal is just for practice anyways. He should still get the majority of his nutrition from formula.
It’s not necessary to give a baby that young cereal in the bottle unless the baby isn’t gaining enough weight.
http://www.parenting.com/parenting/baby/…
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends that no solid food be given until the age of 6 months.