Rice cereal in bottle at 8wks??

[Mrs Bee]

Personally I wouldn't...as other ladies have said, it's not recommended. My daughter is 8 months old and still wakes to feed in the night... Sometimes she's hungry, other times its for comfort... Babies just wake in the night...I'd say it would be more common for them to wake than to sleep through.

 

[Brz04]

Thanks so much for all the opinions/suggestions ladies! To answer some of the questions about our situation...our LO only takes one bottle of formula before bed (otherwise EBF) so I wonder if changing formulas would make much of a difference?? He has been taking Gerber good start gentle and it doesn't seem to make things any better or worse. Should I try changing formula anyways?? Also, we have tried raising head of bassinet and holding him upright for 30+ minutes after each feed. He usually wakes every 2-3 hours still at night (he's slept 4 hours straight maybe one or two times). Is this still "average" for his age? I'm definitely not expecting to get a full nights sleep for a long while!! Just stretches a little longer than 2-3 hrs at a time would be great! I'm exhausted and returning to work soon so am a little worried about it!

 

[sequeena]

I think it's ridiculous especially at 8 weeks old.

 

[Bevziibubble]

I wouldn't. Your LO is very young for solids yet. Plus rice cereal should never be given in a bottle; it's a choking hazard.

 

[felix555]

Thanks so much for all the opinions/suggestions ladies! To answer some of the questions about our situation...our LO only takes one bottle of formula before bed (otherwise EBF) so I wonder if changing formulas would make much of a difference?? He has been taking Gerber good start gentle and it doesn't seem to make things any better or worse. Should I try changing formula anyways?? Also, we have tried raising head of bassinet and holding him upright for 30+ minutes after each feed. He usually wakes every 2-3 hours still at night (he's slept 4 hours straight maybe one or two times). Is this still "average" for his age? I'm definitely not expecting to get a full nights sleep for a long while!! Just stretches a little longer than 2-3 hrs at a time would be great! I'm exhausted and returning to work soon so am a little worried about it!

2 - 3 hours at that age is completely normal.

 

[jodiex]

I dont think theres any average amount of time to sleep really, all babies are different. Is there any other reasons why hes waking? ? Maybe too hot or cold etc. X

 

[Hope83]

Thanks so much for all the opinions/suggestions ladies! To answer some of the questions about our situation...our LO only takes one bottle of formula before bed (otherwise EBF) so I wonder if changing formulas would make much of a difference?? He has been taking Gerber good start gentle and it doesn't seem to make things any better or worse. Should I try changing formula anyways?? Also, we have tried raising head of bassinet and holding him upright for 30+ minutes after each feed. He usually wakes every 2-3 hours still at night (he's slept 4 hours straight maybe one or two times). Is this still "average" for his age? I'm definitely not expecting to get a full nights sleep for a long while!! Just stretches a little longer than 2-3 hrs at a time would be great! I'm exhausted and returning to work soon so am a little worried about it!

My lo is the same age as yours and wakes every2-3 hours. I think its completly normal

 

[Mum2BKW]

Scarlett woke every 2 hours day and night until she was 3 months old. Then she started doing a long 4 got stretch followed by every 2 hours. Now she's 5 months she'll do 5 good followed by 3 hours. We EBF. Our sounds like your baby is sleeping fine!

 

[staralfur]

Putting ANYTHING in a bottle other than milk (or water for older babies) is a choking hazard. I'm shocked that people's doctors are still telling them to do this... that is some seriously outdated, and quite frankly, terrible advice.

Unless advised by a medical professional, I also wouldn't touch solids before 6 months. Waking every 2-3 hours at that age is completely normal.

My MIL was constantly telling us to give our LO rice cereal (from 2 weeks old!) to get her to sleep better. It was beyond irritating. But after the 5th or so time of me saying 'no, we're not interested in doing that' (and growing increasingly snarky in tone) she stopped. Just make it clear that you don't want their advice on this particular subject.

 

[Peppermint25]

My LO is 5 months and still wakes every 2-3 hours. I wouldn't dream of putting rice in a bottle, especially at 8 weeks. Your lo's system isn't developed yet needs only milk

 

[felix555]

I don't get how people can say it's not safe unless a dr tells you. surely if a baby can choke on rice cereal it can choke regardless if a dr said it's OK to use?

I always read that on here and wonder?!

 

[Bevziibubble]

I guess people mean only to do rice cereal if a doctor told you too. And never in a bottle. Only ever on a spoon. But still, I wouldn't listen to a doctor who told me to give a baby rice cereal at eight weeks old. Way too young IMO.

 

[staralfur]

I say "unless advised by a medical professional" in reference to solids in general, not solids in a bottle. I wouldn't take that advice regardless who was giving it.

I would also be hesitant to give solids before 6 months for any other reason than severe reflux. I know some doctors say solids from 4+ months are fine for non-reflux babies, but that goes against all guidelines (at least here) which state 6+ months.

 

[ama]

Its normal for baby to wake that often and to be hungry .babies will sleep thru when there ready .in my case all my LO were terrible sleepers but I wouldnt dream of introducing solids early so I could get some sleep. IMO its just too risky and those that say they have done this and all has been ok are just lucky

 

[jd83]

I say "unless advised by a medical professional" in reference to solids in general, not solids in a bottle. I wouldn't take that advice regardless who was giving it.

I would also be hesitant to give solids before 6 months for any other reason than severe reflux. I know some doctors say solids from 4+ months are fine for non-reflux babies, but that goes against all guidelines (at least here) which state 6+ months.

This was what I meant as well. Only solids if recommended by a physician, with sound reasoning for needing it. Not in a bottle. In fact, the bottles they used to use for giving rice in with the formula were recalled years back anyways. So people giving rice in bottles now are either using too fast a teat to get the thickened milk through, or are cutting holes into the teats to get it through. Neither of which are good ideas for a young baby IMO. A milk thickener that's meant for bottle formula is a much better option for young babies with reflux that have been advised to have thickened milk.

 

[Mummy Bean]

Have to say im a tad confused if she has reflux and is sick after every feed how will adding rice cereal in the one bottle going to help? What about all the other feeds? Surley you should seek medical advice and look into the numerous medicines available to deal with the situation as a whole.

If it the case she only sick at night could it not be the fact that your giving her formula in the first place when she used to breast milk. Remember drinking from a bottle is much easier then the boob so maybe she taking too much and thus throwing it back up?

I also assumed it was almost ness for a BF baby to wake every 2/3 hrs as there still so little and need to feed often.

 

[Scout]

I know this might be a controversial subject and I don't want any judgement or argument please but our LO is almost 8wks and I have had several friends/family members ask about how long he is sleeping for at night and about his reflux issues and have suggested putting a very small amount of rice cereal in his last bottle before bed to help him feel more full/sleep a little longer at night and to help keep food down from reflux (we EBF but do one bottle of formula before bed). I am SO hesitant to do this as I know that solids are not recommended until 6 months of age due to possibility of baby developing food allergies but my grandmother keeps asking me if I've tried it and says that she started doing it at 3wks with all 6 of her children and none of them developed any food allergies or had any problems with it and it helped them sleep better?? Any experiences or opinions on this?

My baby had severe reflux. We changed formulas several times and tried medication too, but it didn't help so her pediatrician advised me to add rice cereal to her bottles. It helped her reflux tremendously. It does not, in my experience, help at all with helping them sleep longer. She still got up for her night feeds as usual, which I expected bc in all the discussions about this with her pediatrician, he never once said she would sleep better. I was just happy that she was no longer spewing her formula across the room after every feed, and it helped the acid reflux as well.

I trust my pediatrician, and with things like this I always get his advice/opinion. Good luck.

Oh, and we didn't start as early as 8 weeks bc, like i said, we tried other things first. I think it was around 4 months.

 

[LockandKey]

honestly, if I was going to give rice cereal early, I wouldn't put it in a bottle. I feel solids should be eaten by spoon or fork, and I would only do so if recommended by the ped for a medical reason like other ladies had mentioned.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

i have never heard of a doctor advising people to give babies rice cereal in a bottle. I mean spoon feeding yes but not in a bottle. And also never heard it for a baby as young as yours.

Still, if the doctor advised it (not in a bottle) I would do it but not because your grandma says so and not to improve your baby's sleep. Her sleep pattern seems normal to me.

 

[laila 44]

I know this might be a controversial subject and I don't want any judgement or argument please but our LO is almost 8wks and I have had several friends/family members ask about how long he is sleeping for at night and about his reflux issues and have suggested putting a very small amount of rice cereal in his last bottle before bed to help him feel more full/sleep a little longer at night and to help keep food down from reflux (we EBF but do one bottle of formula before bed). I am SO hesitant to do this as I know that solids are not recommended until 6 months of age due to possibility of baby developing food allergies but my grandmother keeps asking me if I've tried it and says that she started doing it at 3wks with all 6 of her children and none of them developed any food allergies or had any problems with it and it helped them sleep better?? Any experiences or opinions on this?

My baby had severe reflux. We changed formulas several times and tried medication too, but it didn't help so her pediatrician advised me to add rice cereal to her bottles. It helped her reflux tremendously. It does not, in my experience, help at all with helping them sleep longer. She still got up for her night feeds as usual, which I expected bc in all the discussions about this with her pediatrician, he never once said she would sleep better. I was just happy that she was no longer spewing her formula across the room after every feed, and it helped the acid reflux as well.

I trust my pediatrician, and with things like this I always get his advice/opinion. Good luck.

Oh, and we didn't start as early as 8 weeks bc, like i said, we tried other things first. I think it was around 4 months.

Exactly this. My dd used to vomit alot and despite having tried AR formula and giving zantac (which we still do) her feeds needed to be thickened in order to stay down and not fly back out constantly. My pediatrician is also the director of the children's hospital NICU and he assured me that if done properly putting cereal in a bottle is not a chocking hazard as that's what they do with babies that have severe reflux and failure to thrive in hospital. I wouldn't do it unless under medical advice and or supervision. I also trust my dr and it helped my dd very much! In fact she's happy and thriving and never choked on her bottle. I only put a pinch in each bottle and I also have special nipples not ones that I cut myself at all. However, putting cereal in the bottle does not help baby to sleep longer. My dd sttn but she always did, nothing to do with cereal. But I don't think it's right to say that it's outdated and dangerous when some of us have been medically advised to do so by qualified physicians because of a medical reason and not just to make baby sleep longer. So, op I'd speak with your dr if you are concerned about reflux xx