Rice Cereal in Formula??

[PineappleHead]

When is it considered too soon to add a teaspoon of rice cereal to the formula? My son is just 2 months (yesterday) and for a few weeks now has been very fussy after eating. He gets 6 oz every 3-4 hours then at night he goes 6-7 hours (after 9 pm)
He just doesn't seem to be getting full but when I tried adding another oz of formula he seemed to get over full and spit up that extra oz.
I've run out of ideas and I hate the hungry scream he does- it's absolutely heartbreaking, makes me feel like I'm starving him
HELP!

Thanks

 

[blahblahblah]

Erm the short answer is never! Rice in bottles isn't a great idea, as it risks choking.

The earliest for introducing rice (spoonfeeding it) would be 17 weeks - but talk to HV about it first, it's better to wait til nearer 6 months really.

Not sure what to suggest really - could you try moving the feeds closer together to get an extra one in?

 

[Pessimistic]

A lot of babies always take more than they should have! They are greedy! Perhaps he is a little windy? I know that is always the obvious answer but it is an answer to a lot of their unsettled behavior after feeds usually!
As for the question about rice cereal, never tried it in a bottle, I know somebody who did but that was because their baby had bad reflux. I offered my lo some on a spoon at about 3 months.

 

[OmarsMum]

He will start to go for longer hrs. Just give it some time. It's not recomended to give any kind of solids before 17 wks. Sleeping through comes gradually & u cant force it by adding solids at a very early stage or forcing him to take more formula. It's also dangerous to add baby rice to his bottle as it increases the risk of choking.

6-7 hrs at 2 mnths is perfect. Some ladies here r struggling to get their 5-6 mnths babies to sleep through for this amount of time.

My LO started to sleep through for 12 hrs when he was 12 wks old, & we didnt need to increase his feeds or add anything to his formula, just give it some time & consider ur self blessed for having a 2mnths old who's already sleeping through for 7 hrs.

 

[PineappleHead]

He's had reflux ever since he was 2 weeks old.
We still struggle with it even though we try to burp him after every ounce that he eats as well as keeping him upright for 30 minutes after he eats.
@ blahblahblah, I've tried moving the feeds closer and that just makes him spit up more.
I dunno what to do. We try burping him even after he's eaten but nothing comes up EVER and he just screams at us.
I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
In the US they say it's okay to introduce cereals and baby foods at 5 months. So I guess I just have to wait 3 more months of this.

 

[OmarsMum]

& 6 oz every 3-4 hrs is the right amount. If he's fuzzy later, then u can offer him more. Some babies get really fuzzy & cry non-stop when they express their hunger.

 

[PineappleHead]

And just to clarify, I'm not trying to get him to sleep longer. I'm thrilled he sleeps 7 hours, I just want him to feel satisfied when he's done eating. He used to until very recently.

 

[OmarsMum]

He's had reflux ever since he was 2 weeks old.
We still struggle with it even though we try to burp him after every ounce that he eats as well as keeping him upright for 30 minutes after he eats.
@ blahblahblah, I've tried moving the feeds closer and that just makes him spit up more.
I dunno what to do. We try burping him even after he's eaten but nothing comes up EVER and he just screams at us.
I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
In the US they say it's okay to introduce cereals and baby foods at 5 months. So I guess I just have to wait 3 more months of this.

Which formula r u giving him? Did u try to give him anti reflux or staydown formula? We started weaning at 4.5 mnths due to reflux. It's not magical, & he still vomits frm time to time.

 

[Vickie]

possibly a growth spurt? I'm also one who wouldn't put rice cereal in a bottle. If his reflux is really bad could his doctor prescribe something for it?

 

[OmarsMum]

& for us giving him the bottle at once without stopping to burp him worked better for his reflux. We only stop if he pushes it out, as it's a sign that he needs to burp. It's trial & error.

 

[PineappleHead]

He's had reflux ever since he was 2 weeks old.
We still struggle with it even though we try to burp him after every ounce that he eats as well as keeping him upright for 30 minutes after he eats.
@ blahblahblah, I've tried moving the feeds closer and that just makes him spit up more.
I dunno what to do. We try burping him even after he's eaten but nothing comes up EVER and he just screams at us.
I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
In the US they say it's okay to introduce cereals and baby foods at 5 months. So I guess I just have to wait 3 more months of this.

Which formula r u giving him? Did u try to give him anti reflux or staydown formula? We started weaning at 4.5 mnths due to reflux. It's not magical, & he still vomits frm time to time.

Similac Sensitive R.S.
It's supposed to help reduce spit up. It's made with rice starch instead of milk based. We give him Mylicon to help with his gas with every feed but we still get a good amount of spit up.

 

[OmarsMum]

Just give it some time hun. I knw how frustrated u r. We went though this. Did u try Dr. Brown's bottles? Tummy massage & foot reflex also helps. Tilting his cot also helps. My LO is on Aptamil AR & it has natural soluable thickener (sth like fibers), that does not cause constipation. I didnt want to get him a formula with rice or potato startch as it might cause constipation.

 

[PineappleHead]

I haven't had any problems with constipation, amazingly! Of course, he's never had any trouble pooping. He pooped before he peed in his first few days!
I'll have to try tilting the crib and the massage.
I haven't tried Dr Brown's bottles. We use playtext advanced ventaire with wide nipples (he was going between breast and bottle for awhile and the wide nipple helped with nipple confusion)

 

[suzib76]

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[sophster]

Hi

I had the same problem with my youngest; have you tried NUK bottles or even just the teats/nipples? For some reason they are not as popular but I have known a number of people whose babies had reflux or gas problems and the NUK bottles/teats were the solution (the narrow necked ones too; but the wider neck ones are easier to fill), it worked for my son as well, he was like a different baby. Also sometimes a different brand of specialist formula may be better; persevere with this one a little bit longer but a different brand may be of an almost identical formulation but for some reason just works better for a particular individual baby....

Sophie

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

I wouldn't put rice in a bottle hun. Maybe just give him little top ups of formula when he asks. And if your are concerned hun speak to your HV
xx

 

[sophster]

Hi

the OP is in the USA so they don't have health visitors there; over there putting rice cereal in a bottle used to be recommended by a lot of paediatricians; however these days its unnecessary as there are formulas made specifically for the same purpose.

Sophie

 

[Mandy_2009]

He's had reflux ever since he was 2 weeks old.
We still struggle with it even though we try to burp him after every ounce that he eats as well as keeping him upright for 30 minutes after he eats.
@ blahblahblah, I've tried moving the feeds closer and that just makes him spit up more.
I dunno what to do. We try burping him even after he's eaten but nothing comes up EVER and he just screams at us.
I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
In the US they say it's okay to introduce cereals and baby foods at 5 months. So I guess I just have to wait 3 more months of this.

I know how u feel my LO was like this from birth and I was sooooo upset - have you tried the Dr Browns Bottles they helped for my LO's wind and colic and she's now a different baby and burps after every two ounces! As for the baby rice thing - you know your baby best - all this about not weaning til 6 months sometimes frustrates me as in the old days they gave food alot younger than this - my mum weaned me and my sister at 3 - 4 months and we were fine. You know your baby best! I started giving my LO baby rice after taking my mum and nans advice about a week ago and she only has a few mouthfuls every day and is doing just fine!
xx

 

[xxxjacxxx]

Ahhh hun, I can completely relate to you.
My Lo was a nightmare from day 1, I tried everything...then I switched him to a specialist reflux formula that reduced his spit up and really was a magical solution for us.
We weaned at 3 months, and although it was not a miracle cure it helped slowly......not that I recommend weaning early.
Its an awful thing to watch your baby go through and it reduced me to tears on lots of occasions.

Good luck sweetie

 

[Rhiannon]

i give LO rice in his formula for reflux. the HV is seriously against me doing this but LOs doctor has told me its fine. however, this applies to my LO and may not apply to yours. unless advised i would not add it.

maybe hungry baby milk, or as someone else suggested try and feed him an extra time in the day.

x