# Rice Cereal 2 months old



## 22carly22

I know that everyone thinks that giving a newborn cereal is a horrible thing to do but after a day of nothing but crying from my LO my mom suggested it. She said all four of us (my bro and sisies) started around 1 month and we all have been perfectly healthy our whole lives. Out of desperation I tried it and not only did he stop crying but he also took to his crib (which he refused to do before) and was giggles and smiles from then on out. I had him checked for reflux and any other reasons for his behavior and the ped (#1 pediatrician in Miami, Fl) said he didn't have any issues. He doesn't cry inconsolably every day but when he picks his days he's pretty relentless. What i'm getting at is that I feel bad for giving it to him so early. BUT the good definitely out ways the bad. And not just for me but more so for him. He is SO MUCH more happier now. So how do I deal with my guilt for giving it to him? Or should I even feel guilty?

Please don't preach to me about how horrible it is to give a newborn cereal, i've done my research.


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## Breezy

I'm glad to hear it works for you guys!!! Maybe it settles los tummy better! :) hope you sleep wonderfully tonight!


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## wish2bmama

I would talk to your LOs pedi doc. Solids before 6 months of age can really mess with the immature gut of a newborn and cause issues later on in life. 

I'm not preaching here, just saying you should ask and see what the doctor thinks. Maybe he/she has an alternitive for you? Perhaps a diff formula?


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## fedupwaiting

My nephew was on hungry baby milk at 8 weeks then some baby rice from 10 weeks. He is now a strapping two year old.

My wee one is going to need the hungry baby milk son I think and I won't hesitate to give some baby rice if or when she needs it.

You know your baby best and it is causing him the opposite of distress. So enjoy the peace and quiet of a contented bubba.

Guilt be gone!!


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## louisiana

had u tried hungry baby formula?


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## ellismum

They have a huge growth spurt at 8 weeks and there are more to ride out over the next few weeks. At 8 weeks there is absolutely no need to introduce solids and deny a tiny baby essential nutrients milk provides by filling them up with "empty calories" whilst some have been OK with early weaning many haven't and the effects don't show until much later in life. science has proven there is a probable danger before 17 weeks, something that has been discovered since your mum weaned with improvements in research, Something maybe you should look at before you continue. 

I'm gonna preach and you really should stop. The fact you say that LO has no medical reason which was confirmed and the GP/Dr you spoke did not recommend such early 
weaning. Try hungry baby milk or maybe even trying the brand you provide.


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## Farie

If your so happy with your decision and you've done research then why do you feel guilty? 

Medical guidelines are there for a (good, fact based) reason, the guilt is knowing you're ignoring them and putting your child at unnecessary risk of possible gastric issues later in life. At least, that's why id be feeling guilty


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## mummy2be...

You know the risks, it's your decision - I should imagine your guilt comes from knowing it's the wrong thing to do- all respect to your mum- things have changed dramatically over the years and advising you to give you LO cereal is very out dated


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## Brieanna

I understand that your baby is crying and you would do anything to stop it. I have been told by more than 15 people that giving cereal early would stop the crying and help LO sleep through the night. I am sure this is probably true, but I would bet that the effects (sleeping) would not last long and is more of a result of your LO's digestive system working so harder to process it than it is actually helping to sleep through the night.or stop crying.

I am not going to preach. I just think that the issue you have will probably not be controlled for long with feeding cereal. I would think it is more of a short term solution for the problem so maybe you will end up with the same problem (crying) but no other solutions. A happy baby and happy mommy is the best result and if your LO is thriving then I am glad you found something that works. However if the problem comes back, then maybe look into other ways of stopping the crying? LO's go through growth spurts and if you breastfeed it can be overwhelming with feeding every 30 minutes (no exaggeration) or finding out the best schedule and formula if you formula feed just to meet their needs! 

BTW I know you are a good mommy because the fact you are posting this shows you care. Don't feel guilty because you are obviously doing what you can to help LO. I don't want to sound bad, but just because "others" did something and their baby ended up being ok, doesn't make it ok. I know from experience that some babies can handle things and some can't. All babies are different. My mom got x-rays when she was pregnant, formula fed me because she "couldn't produce enough milk", used walkers, pizza crusts and whiskey for teething (told to do so by doctor) and even though I ended up fine I would never do some of these things with my child.

like I said, if it works for you, good! Happy babies and mommies are the most important things! :hugs:


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## blinkybaby

Have you considered comfort milk? If it's a case of reflux then comfort milk is thicker and will have a similar effect as a bit of rice cereal.xx


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## special_kala

Babies cry...its kind of what they do. Filling your Lo up with baby rice so young could do seriois damage.

My sister gave my nephew baby rice from 6 weeks and now at 12 he has major weight issues yet his 2 brothers dont. 

What your Lo needs is milk. The bad crying days will pass.

You day you have done your research...actual research or listening to people who day I weaned at 6 weeks and my kids are fine? I'd be interested to see the research that says this is ok as I've never seen any.

my mum probably weaned me at a silly young age as it was the norm but she also put me to sleep on my front and smoked around me doesn't mean its ok to do it now.


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## pinklightbulb

Also going to say it is a really bad idea, please reconsider hun, your baby's little tummy isn't ready for food yet :(


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## Andypanda6570

My kids are big now they are 20,17 and 11 and when I had my 20 year old we did things different than today. At 6 weeks I put cereal maybe half a spoon (Not rice, rice binds them, I put Barley) in the bottle (never into the mouth) with his milk and mixed it (My kids only took a warm bottle never room temp) Made a hole in the nipple and he drank it at night and slept through the night. All my children by 5 weeks slept through the night, I was lucky. When I had my first you were supposed to lay them on their stomach, with my second it was the side, my third on his back :wacko::wacko:that is what i mean by things in the baby world change form year to year, what you were supposed to do last year how dare you do this year, it's exhausting..
Everything is different now. Also when my kids had gas I would boil water with a bay leaf let it cool put the cooled water into a bottle give it to them and they would Crap their brains out :blush: no more gas, but again that was then and this is now. I don't think anything bad will come from feeding a little bit, but I would check with your doctor, by the time I had my third baby I did what i wanted to what I was used to and none of my boys ever had problems or have problems now due to feeding early.. I didn't start feeding my kids till I would say 4 months old and I started with fruit. We were told to give each food for 3 days and not to mix it with anything that way if the baby was allergic we would know what caused it. So I would give applesauce for 3 days then check for anything, then pear and so on. I know now things are different , but I just don't feel anything i did harmed my kids in any way. I would check with the doc first, even docs are different and don't say the same thing so who knows.
Good Luck :hugs:


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## Bambers

I have found that when bubs cries and is virtually inconsolable...what works to settle her one night doesn't work the following night...there is no magic formula...it is a fact babies cry and basically you just have to cuddle it out...it does get better.

I personally wouldn't give my lo solids until she was at least 5 months...I notice she is just learning to digest breast milk (after weeks of painful wind, runny nappies and being sick) so imo she will need that length of time for her digestive system to mature for solids.
When my son was a baby (19 years ago) we were advised to start them on baby rice (no wheat based cereals) at 4 months. It was the easiest cereal to digest and then take to take weaning from there.

Don't feel guilty about giving your lo rice but if I was you I would think twice about using it again...at least for a few weeks. x x x


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## Miss_Bump

Breezy said:


> I'm glad to hear it works for you guys!!! Maybe it settles los tummy better! :) hope you sleep wonderfully tonight!

Posts like this really dont help.

To OP- I really suggest you do more research into very early weaning. Even early weaning for medical reasons holds a huge risk the earlier you start. Maybe start with the WHO :thumbup:


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## aliss

We don't have hungry baby/comfort milk in the US/Canada. There's Enfamil "gentlease" but that's made out of corn syrup solids. Something else most of you UK ladies don't realize is that early rice cereal bottle is the "standard" prescription for reflux that her pediatrician would give her anyways - they are very reluctant to offer meds here!!! I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that's what it is.

I would still get a 2nd pediatrician referral, specifically for silent reflux/regular infant GERD. Even if you think the rice in the bottle will help, it still is something to persist for a diagnosis if you suspect it.


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## Farie

That's very true Aliss (and god I feel so sorry for you guys who aren't allowed Losec etc) but I think I'm correct in saying the OP's baby doesn't have reflux (the rice was more as a 'filler' for sleeping?) - so the argument that a little baby rice to help with true GERD related pain doesn't stand. 
Even in those cases where it is a response to severe GERD it is a judgement between the potential long term risks versus the immediate issues related to reflux
Where those issues dont apply I cannot imagine any paed agreeing that rice at 8 weeks was acceptable

I might be wrong tho?


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## aliss

Farie said:


> That's very true Aliss (and god I feel so sorry for you guys who aren't allowed Losec etc) but I think I'm correct in saying the OP's baby doesn't have reflux (the rice was more as a 'filler' for sleeping?) - so the argument that a little baby rice to help with true GERD related pain doesn't stand.
> Even in those cases where it is a response to severe GERD it is a judgement between the potential long term risks versus the immediate issues related to reflux
> *Where those issues dont apply I cannot imagine any paed agreeing that rice at 8 weeks was acceptable
> *
> I might be wrong tho?

In the US and Canada, it is quite common for doctors to recommend this, still! It seems UK or other doctors are a bit more on the ball but here, not so much. I've had several GP's and pediatricians recommend putting rice cereal in my boy's bottle, just because he was a "big baby" (and this was _before_ his GERD diagnosis at 5 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!)

I`m not sure what the OP`s deal is, if it`s reflux or not, but I do wonder this - if it`s NOT acid reflux, how often is she feeding himÉ Is he needing more frequent feedsÉ

Sorry for the É, my computer is stuck on French again


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## Eve

Aliss- close and reopen your browser and it should fix it :) Happens to me all the time!


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## RebeccaG

22carly22 said:


> Please don't preach to me about how horrible it is to give a newborn cereal, i've done my research.

It is horrible when they cry like that - I also have a 2 month old and I know we really don't do everything perfectly but I'm not so sure about baby rice - I would be really interested to read the research that you've found though. Are you breastfeeding or formula? Like others have said it could be a growth spurt - mine has been pretty grumpy the last couple of days.


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## moomoo

Babies cry - they need feeding in the night... That's what they do!!! :shrug: just because you and your siblings are fine now - doesn't mean you won't develop intestinal disorders later in life. Early weaning can cause all sorts of issues like Crohns, IBS, allergies and obesity (of course you know all this as you've done your research!!)

If you are happy with your decision, great! But don't expect everyone to agree with you!!


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## v2007

At 8 weeks there is a huge growth spurt. 

Giving solids at that age is leaving your LO open to a lot of problems. 

You should have just given him more milk.


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## XJessicaX

I don't understand why some of you want your babies to eat less? Adding empty calories to milk such as cereal and giving babies 'hungry baby milk' which sits in their stomach longer may postpone the next feed, but I don't understand why at 8 weeks people are doing this? 8 week old cry, 8 week olds eat frequently and NEED to eat frequently. 

Wont bother lecturing on complications caused by very early weaning as other posters have done a good job of highlighting the facts.


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## sequeena

I can't imagine Thomas eating any sort of food at this age. I've noticed his appetite increase but that's about it.


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## Frooty

I wouldn't give cereal to a 8 week old weaning before 17 weeks is a no no. My MIL put rusk in my lo's bottle when he was 6 weeks sure he was more satisfied but he couldn't digest it n caused it a lot of discomfort the day after. If he wakes in the night for a feed then feed him he needs his milk. I know it means less sleep for u but its part of the deal of being a mother, it will get better :)


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## amygwen

:nope:


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## MizzDeeDee

My MIL gave cereal at two weeks :wacko:


I am early weaning per the Doc (18 weeks, I wouldn't do any earlier) and she still wakes up at least twice a night so I have a hard time as seeing it as a magical cure for sttn.

Everything else aside my concern is the fact that it's empty calories your giving the baby. You're not giving it for nutrition but sedation. I am not going to lecture, but I would ignore your mom and ask your Doctor. If your Doctor thinks it's fine then okay, but moms think because their children were okay that it's still okay and that isn't always true. 

My mother was pushing me the last few weeks to give her "just a spoon or two" of rice even though she knows you're not supposed to do it anymore because she did it with my brother.... and I told her not until my Doc told me to.


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## Reid

i would talk it over with a doctor or HV just incase its something else i think ppl are fast 2 jump 2 the conclusion that if a baby wont stop crying that there hungary. iim not having a go im sayn this because junior was like that when he was first born and every 1 said he was looking for food they started 2 talk me round 2 it but i spoke with my HV and found it was trapped wind some days he was ok other days he would cry and cry i couldnt settle him i switched my bottles to the anti colic 1s and started using infacol and i never had that bother agen untill i tried his normal bottles agen just before he was 3 months
i guess im just trying to say look at every possibility and ask the docs before u start giving food before 17 weeks anyways if all else fails then u just have to do what u feel is right for u and ur baby 
good luck hun i hope u find what works for u soon xx


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## KateyCakes

I was advised to put my LO on solids at 17 weeks due to reflux, but I noticed she was grumpy after baby rice and kept drawing her knees up to her tummy so I stopped it completely. I'd rather suffer a few hours of her crying and spitting up than to damage her delicate body. Babies go through lots of growth spurts in the first few months. Please listen to PP's or speak to a healthcare professional hun!


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## blinkybaby

Not to mention there is a choking hazard if you are adding it to her milk, it's dangerous.xx


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## Poppy7

Sometimes babies cry hun, yes it's not nice to hear them but all you can do is offer cuddles until it passes.

As others have suggested, get him checked for silent reflux.

If you are so sure of your decision surely you shouldn't feel guilty.

Solids at this age is just wrong :nope: I hope you can find a good Paed who can give you some good advice.


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## AP

It's solids. I mean what more can we say apart from it's way too freaking early?


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## Ozzieshunni

Echo everyone else. In the past, they did things differently before the research was there! I won't be giving solids until 6 months because my LO doesn't have any issues that warrant weaning early. I know some wean early for reflux, etc. I would say, stop the rice. My parents gave me baby rice in a bottle at 4 months and I've had constant stomach aches and gastric problems.


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## 22carly22

According to the ped LO doesn't have reflux and is gaining weight at a normal rate. When I gave him the cereal it was done in a bottle and it was the tiniest amount and I was rotating one bottle with and one bottle with out. We don't have "hungry baby" formula in the united states. He wakes up the same amount of times at night to feed and me giving him cereal has nothing to do with being lazy or wanting him to sleep through the night. I definitely hold and comfort and snuggle and care for my baby as much if not more than i'm supposed to. I would feed my newborn all day everyday if he showed me that's what he wanted but that's not the case. He takes his formula but when he doesn't want anymore he continues to be fussy, especially when I lay him down, then he gets over tired and gets more fussy, then he won't sleep because he's over tired and the cycle continues. As a new mother I am definitely learning by trial and error. I never said that I found any positive research about introducing cereal early, just that i've done my research. I get that it's not recommended and i'm looking for other options that will keep my baby happy. If any mothers in the U.S. know of any formulas that might possibly help I would sure appreciate a recommendation! I would also like to mention that my baby has not once spit up from over feeding or for any other reasons that babies spit up, and he's a pooping machine. Normal poop, not watery, not hard, not too little and not too much, but just like any other baby out there. To those of you that didn't preach, thank you.


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## wish2bmama

What formula is he on? He might be sensitive to the type you are using. My LO has an intollerance to the protein in dairy AND soy. And it would cause him pain and be fussy like that.


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## wish2bmama

Similac alumentum is great for that. Or there is a very special one by perscription called Elacare.


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## cerrie311

Enfamil AR it is made for spit up (which IDK if you have an issue with) I have never tried it but it has the right rice to formula mixture that is safe to bottle feed. That is the only thickened with rice formula that I know of :flower: I know you are doing the best you can mommyhood is full of ups and downs trial and error trust me I know lol :hugs:
https://freebiesfreesamples.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/enfamil-ar-powder-tub-baby-formula-222-oz-300x300.jpg


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## Breezy

Miss_Bump said:


> Breezy said:
> 
> 
> I'm glad to hear it works for you guys!!! Maybe it settles los tummy better! :) hope you sleep wonderfully tonight!
> 
> Posts like this really dont help.
> 
> To OP- I really suggest you do more research into very early weaning. Even early weaning for medical reasons holds a huge risk the earlier you start. Maybe start with the WHO :thumbup:Click to expand...

Well, seeing as we in the US don't have any hungry baby milk, etc. Occasionally the only thing you can do to settle a stomach/for silent reflux is to give rice. So, knowing that she is in the US and not a lot of other options I am not going to just tell her what she is doing is wrong. :shrug:


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## 22carly22

cerrie311 said:


> Enfamil AR it is made for spit up (which IDK if you have an issue with) I have never tried it but it has the right rice to formula mixture that is safe to bottle feed. That is the only thickened with rice formula that I know of :flower: I know you are doing the best you can mommyhood is full of ups and downs trial and error trust me I know lol :hugs:
> https://freebiesfreesamples.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/enfamil-ar-powder-tub-baby-formula-222-oz-300x300.jpg

Thanks! I am literally adding it to my shopping list right now!


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## cerrie311

Your welcome good luck mama :hugs:


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## 22carly22

wish2bmama said:


> What formula is he on? He might be sensitive to the type you are using. My LO has an intollerance to the protein in dairy AND soy. And it would cause him pain and be fussy like that.

He's on Enfamil Geantlease. He was on Gerber Gentle Good Start but his gas was so stinky that the Ped switched him! It only took one good toot at the docs for his to say "we have to do something about that gas!" and it's helped tremendously!


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## Breezy

If you go to https://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/ConsumerRegisterLoadConsentInfo.do

You can sign up for their family beginnings and get TONS of coupons too!! I get tons in the mail and formula samples every month because I was signed up at a baby fair when I was pregnant.


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## aliss

I found Enfamil gentlease to cause a lot of problems for mine (and if you read it, you'll see the main ingredient is corn syrup solids). I used Similac regular and it was fine (mine has reflux)


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## Breezy

OT but.... Aliss! Is Alexandre Yoda in your avatar??

Woops, just saw that it said so above the picture. Sooooo cute!


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## aliss

Haha thanks!! It's our Halloween costume this year! :) I'm Leia and my OH will be darth vader


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