HELP! giving 15 week old cereal...

DS is 15 wks today and he is about 17 lbs.
He is eating 6 oz every 3 hrs, even at night!!! I am so sleep deprived...I cannot handle it anymore. The longest he has ever gone w/o waking is 4 hrs!!!
I spoke to his pediatrician on wed and they suggested i start him on oatmeal cereal 2x/day. i was reluctant about starting him on cereal so soon, but honestly, he is a big boy and he needs to eat (and i need to start sleeping)!!

i was surprised they suggested oatmeal rather than rice to start, but i tried it anyway. the first feeding he ate no problem, but since then i cannot get him to eat it...he makes funny faces and starts crying!! he hates it!

any suggestions on what i should do? do you think i should try rice cereal and see how he likes that instead??? how did you get your DC to eat cereal?

also - do u think im making a mistake by feeding him cereal so soon???

Message edited 11/23/2007 8:04:33 PM.

Re: HELP! giving 15 week old cereal...

I think giving him cereal is a great idea especially if he's not sleeping much. I would certainly try the rice or (the other cereal, WHY can't I remember the name of it!?! )

I can only hope this will help him sleep more!

Re: HELP! giving 15 week old cereal...

Maybe he's just not ready for it. DD always ate 6 ounces every 3 hours and still does. Albeit she sleeps through the night and has done so since she was almost 3 months, but there really isn't any concrete proof that links cereal with sleeping through the night.

Re: HELP! giving 15 week old cereal...

Re: HELP! giving 15 week old cereal...

Jack always ate 6ounces every three hours also. He basically still does - and I give him cereal (plus fruit now) three times a day.

He liked oatmeal right away (I started spoonfeeding him at 3 months) It took him 6 times to actually figure out how to eat.

Oatmeal tastes better then rice I believe -- so if he's not liking the oatmeal I doubt he'll like rice. Just keep at it - and he'll get used to it sooner or later!