Rice cereal in bottle at 8wks??

[katsbump]

Unless your dr tells you to, please don't. As a previous poster noted the recommendations are made for a reason.

 

[Noodlebear]

I think even if you wanted to turn to solids to help, putting cereal in bottles is a bad idea even if a doctor recommends it. Not taking all the weaning guidelines into account the main reason is that it's a choking hazard. Babies that young can't sit up properly - would you allow an older child to eat lying down? I know I wouldn't.

 

[GracieGoo]

Personally I wouldn't bother, you will hear a million stories were people said it helped for them, and you never hear the stories were it didn't help.

Here in the uk, rice in bottles is stated a choking hazard, weaning is advised to begin at 6 months (pr the very minimum 4 months). Personally I would go to your doctor and seek advice. There is absolutely no need for food in such a young babies system at that age imo. My baby girl (aka velcro baby), was sick after a couple of feeds per day, had a crappy weight gain in the first 4 months, slept horrifically and it was hard going (we do bottle feed), it was tough.... but... she is fine, the sick was mainly due to her being bad with her wind, so she would burp and bring everything back up (complete projectile vomiting), is it after every feed or just the formula bottle? I don't know much about breastfeeding, but if it is every feed could it be something your eating possibly that is making him sick? Dairy intolenrences as such?! Is baby gaining weight as expected?

And sleep..... meh welcome to parenthood!!! DD still wakes once a night.. and is up for the day at 5am.... I think I will forever be tired

 

[Noo]

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!

Completely normal. We are at 3 months and waking 2-3 hourly to feed. Babies should be expected to feed through the night as this is when your body is most efficient with milk production.

I wouldn't be introducing rice cereal without instruction from a doctor. 8 weeks isn't even 2 months. Far too early unless absolutely clinically indicated and frequent night feeds is not a clinical indication. Reflux is only a clinical indication if baby is losing weight/not gaining well.

 

[_Lexi_]

I've got a 6 month old that still wakes up between 3-10 times every night. Not all babies sttn. I wouldn't give anything other than milk at that age, and I wouldn't put food in a bottle.

 

[angel2010]

Putting rice in bottles is still very widely advised by drs in the U.S. Emma has silent relfux and is very fussy, wakes 2-4 times between 9pm and 7am. We won't likely be trying rice. We give her zantac. My son woke at night until he was 13 months. Usually only once for a short bottle, but I expected him to still be waking because he was a baby and that is what they usually do.

 

[overcomer79]

1) My babies woke every 2-3 hours until they were about four months old

2) Weaning DS DID NOT help his reflux...that is a huge misconception.

3) nothing (I don't care if dr recommends) should be put in a bottle other than milk...if dr recommends it then it is time for a new dr.

 

[Noo]

Weaning didn't help my firstborn's reflux. It actually made it 10 x worse and the sick was even more vile to deal with.

 

[w8ing4bean]

I would never give food in a bottle because of the choking risk x

 

[Eleanor ace]

I wouldn't even consider it unless it was for medical reasons. You may well get a lot of stories from people online and in real life who gave rice cereal/other food super early and their LO had no ill effect from it. But you won't hear as much from the people who did it who's LO's have been left with problems because its not something most people would want to admit to.
If your doctor feels that your LO needs something other than milk to help his reflux he will probably have other things you can try first. Anti reflux formula, different medication if what he's on isn't helping. When DD was diagnosed with reflux the first thing the paediatrician told me was NOT to put anything other than her medicine in her syringe/bottle. However if the doctor does feel that for whatever reason it is advisable for you to give LO rice cereal they will be able to advise you on the amount and frequency far better than someone who's experience totals one/two/three babies of their own, perhaps several years ago.

DD (8 months) wakes hourly. Weaning didn't change that, giving her a bottle of formula didn't change that.

 

[MrsBandEgglet]

I can only echo what others have said but no I would never do this. My mother gave me solids at 6 weeks and I have terrible IBS sometimes Not recommended. Personally I wouldn't expect LO to be sleeping all that well still at 8 weeks. I do hope it gets better but this is not a solution.

 

[sue_88]

1) My babies woke every 2-3 hours until they were about four months old

2) Weaning DS DID NOT help his reflux...that is a huge misconception.

3) nothing (I don't care if dr recommends) should be put in a bottle other than milk...if dr recommends it then it is time for a new dr.

100% agree!
Especially #3, any doctor recommending something so dangerous as adding solids to a bottle of milk isn't worth their weight as a good health professional and wouldn't be seeing me/my family again.

Terrible advice.

OP your baby sleep is totally normal, babies sleep longer when they're ready & just because society ( ) thinks a baby not STTN is the spawn of the devil, it's normal & absolutely no need for solids until 6mo. If the reflux is truly bad then request medication.

 

[Amsan]

Have you tried other things, like getting a set routine in for baby at night? I haven't read through all of the responses specifically, but if you're mainly looking for the baby to sleep longer, it's obviously not a scientific fact, but since getting a routine in for Luke, he's slept longer. Last night, I gave him 4 oz (we FF) at 6:30 pm. At 7:30 I gave him a bath. At 8, I gave him another bottle, which he only ended up eating 2 oz. He fell asleep about 8:15ish and did not wake up again, for any reason, until 2:45 this morning. It could be coincidence, but it's worth a shot. He's also two months old. (Keep in mind he also woke up again at 6:00am to eat)

 

[Equreuil]

8 weeks is way too young for rice cereal. It's usually 4 months at the youngest, more commonly 6 months, and then when you do introduce it, you use a baby spoon. Bottles are not designed to be used with cereal, even in tiny amounts.

If you really want to try and do something to make him stay full longer, try formula with rice starch in it. Enfamil offers one that's meant to help with spit up. It mixes up a little thicker, but not like the cereal, so I would say try doing half and half with whatever formula you're currently giving.

While it may be frustrating that your Lo isn't STTN yet, it's pretty normal. Develop a bed time routine, even if he'll be up again in a few hours. It'll come in handy once he is going all night.

 

[x__amour]

Nothing should ever go into bottles except for milk. Anything else presents a choking hazard.

 

[eew1471]

We started him on a lil rice at 4 weeks when he couldn't keep just plain milk down. Now he eats it in almost every bottle and doesn't reflux or hiccup anymore. My lil one is almost 3 months. My Dr didn't suggest it but my family And nanny all did this for their babies and they got by without any digestive problems. I would weigh the pros and cons. Oh and yes I believe it helps mine sttn better only because he not waking to throw it up anymore. I have heard of it causing really bad problems for other children though and it may be the reason I as an adult have digestive problems but idk. You should always ask your Dr when in doubt. I started mine out on very little and wasn't very often for over a month to make sure he could tolerate it and wasn't making him worse. His bowel movements didn't change much just produced more. However my nanny started giving h other real food and I stopped that soon as I found out! I believe he tolerated the baby rice cereal but I don't want to push my luck on the other. I am waiting til he is 4 months with Dr approval.