Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

Ok, so we started Cereal last night (oatmeal) and DS loved it. We fed him with a spoon. It was still watery because I used the directions for "first feeding". I think tonight I'll start the regular mixture and see how it goes. Either way, DS slept all night!!

Questions: (DS is 11 weeks but is a very big eater)
-is there a difference between the oatmeal and rice?
-I'm starting out with 1 feeding of it per day. When did you do two a day?
-Do you give a bottle afterwards or is the cereal replacing 1 bottle feeding?

Message edited 4/8/2009 9:23:59 AM.

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

-is there a difference between the oatmeal and rice? oatmeal is less binding. rice gives DS serious constipation. i would stick with oatmeal until they are used to digesting it.
-I'm starting out with 1 feeding of it per day. When did you do two a day? I never upped to 2 a day. I did cereal at night until we started veggies. Then I moved cereal to the morning and veggie at night
-Do you give a bottle afterwards or is the cereal replacing 1 bottle feeding? cereal is just for practice. should never replace a feeding (regardless if you are FF or BFing). I always nursed DS before cereal. but i suppose you could do either.

HTH

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

bumping for more people's advice.

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

I started my boys at 4.5 months. I have played around with the timing. One of my boys was refusing bottles when I fed them in the afternoon so I started doing it before bed-about an hour before. You should always do the bottle first since that is much more important. Cereal is basically empty calories.

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

Ok, how is cereal empty calories if its being mixed with formula????

I need my big eater mommies to help me out (you know who you are).

We're doing this to A.-make DS sleep through the night and B.-to lessen the amount of formula (DS has about 42-49oz a day).

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

There is some interesting info here:
http://www.cafemom.com/answers/121787/Cereal_just_empty_calories

DD started on cereal at 4 months... now she gets it twice a day- she gets oatmeal every morning, then i alternate between rice and barley in the PM... when we started with the cereal, we started with 1 TB, and slowly upped it to 4 TB as she would eat more- I would mix it with her formula and give it to her first, then after she was done with the cereal, i would follow it with the rest of her bottle...

her "meals" didnt replace the bottle until she started eating veggies and fruit along with it...

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

i went to my ped appt monday and they told me not to start yet my dd is 13 1/2 weeks old, and i was wondering if this would help her sleep through the nite as well, but they told me it wouldnt and babies this young werent really ready to digest it yet...he especially told me to wait till about 4 1/2 months-6 months since im predominantly nursing (only one formula bottle a day)
can you let us know how youre doing?? im curious to see the benefits youre experiencing starting this early..
thanks!! good luck!!

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

My Ped told me that feeding them to help them sleep through the night is an old wives tale and is not necessarily true.

We started DS late, but we give him 1 TBSP of oatmeal in the AM with 1/2 of a Stage 1 fruit

At dinner, he gets @ 1 TBSP of rice with 1/2 a veg and 1/2 a fruit of Stage 1

DS is not a fan of eating, but he does better when we give him fruit

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

ok to answer some of your questions

-I'm not breast feeding, only FF and DS before yesterday was having 49 ounces (yes, 7 7oz bottles a day).
-I didn't check with my Ped (don't flame me please, to each's own). Honestly I gave it a shot myself and it worked. We'll see if it still works. I have an apt next week. Since he was eating soo much and still waking up for another bottle I dont' see much of a problem.
-I gave DS the 1 tablespoon of cereal with the 4 tablespoons of FF. He then had a 6oz bottle. He was smiling, swallowing and moving his mouth for more. I only gave him half the bowl to see if his stomach could handle it. So far, so good

By no means is my son missing nutrients being yesterday with the cereal he still had over 42z, just not 49oz.

It worked and if it continues working I'll keep it up.

Thanks for all the advice though.

Re: Early Cereal Feeders, got a couple of questions

Emerson started cereal at exactly 4 months 1 week old. We did not eliminate any bottles however, she did drop from 8oz. a feeding to 7oz which to be honest, is what she should have been eating anyway. We only went to 8 oz. because she seemed so hungry all the time but it was too much liquid for her.

Anyway, right from the start she got 2 tsp. of either rice or oatmeal cereal thinned with formula in the morning and afternoon. I always gave her the cereal AFTER her bottle because the bottle is more important for her to finish and I didn't want her getting full on cereal and then not finish her bottle.

After about 2 weeks on just cereal I started adding a fruit or veggie every 3-4 days until she went through all the Stage 1 foods. Now at 6 1/2 months she still has four 7 oz. bottles which is what she was eating at 4 months in addition to her breakfast, lunch, and dinner solid meals. Right now she is up to 2 tbs. cereal of cereal 2X/day along with fruits, veggies, and yogurt at certain meals.