At what age do you introduce breastfeed babies rice cereal?

Question

My daughter was formula fed and her pediatrician told me to start rice cereal at 3 1/2 months with her. My son is breastfed and is 3 months old and acts as though he is starving most of the time and always wants to nurse. Is it different with breastfed babies and cereal or can i start cereal in 2 wks?

Answer 1

Your son is at a prime age for a growth spurt, so the constant nursing could be him trying to increase your milk supply.  Substituting other food instead of more nursing could interfere with that.

Go by your child, not by what a doctor says.  You know your baby better than they do.  And really, there is no reason why they have to have rice cereal at all, it has very little nutrition in it.  My son has never had it.  If you do try giving it to him, follow his cues - if he doesn't seem interested or has trouble keeping it in his mouth or swallowing, he's not ready.  Personally, I wouldn't start solids that early, no matter what my doctor said.  The AAP warns against it too.  It's recommended that they be 6 months old, be able to sit unassisted, have no tongue thrust reflex and have good head control before starting solids.

Answer 2

Your doctor's advice with your older child is NOT what is recommended by the AAP or any other professional/medical organization.

Solids are normally started at around 6 months, with 4 months the absolute earliest, if baby is clearly ready and clearly needs something more than milk. (The AAP says this very clearly and specifically. Nothing but breastmilk for 6 months, unless baby has 'unique needs' that make it necessary to start at 4-5 months.)

Rice cereal is basically nutritionally empty.  If he's hungry, he needs breastmilk. If you feel your supply is insufficient, I'd talk to a lactation consultant.  If you have plenty of milk, you need to give him nothing else for another 3 months or more.  If your supply is low, and you can't increase it, supplementing with formula would make more nutritional sense than giving him emtpy starch.  

When you do start solids, you can start with cereal if you want, or with jarred foods or home made food or table foods. There is no reason any baby HAS to have rice cereal.

Answer 3

6 months.

at 3 months they go through a growth spurt...... just go with it, he is more hungry, because he's growing and needs to increase your supply to meet his growing needs... it'll happen again at 6 months, but until then their gut is not developed enough to handle any solids.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

AND... first food does not HAVE to be rice cereal.  Banana and avocado are great first foods too.... http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

Answer 4

There is no need to start him on cereal yet. His body isn't ready for it. If you really want to even offer rice cereal wait closer to 5-6 months. And well rice cereal is just an empty filler that babies do NOT need. It doesn't help them sleep(proven to be a myth) and doesn't really keep them full for longer. What it may cause is allergies in the future..

My advice is wait closer to between 5 and 6 months and then look into Baby-Led Weaning!! Much healthier and so much more fun to watch!

http://babyledweaning.blogware.com/

Answer 5

Ask your pediatrician...but my baby was breastfeed & she had her first bowl of cereal at 3 1/2 months but wasn't that interested in it until about 4 - 4 1/2 months.  My pediatrician told me to let her eat whenever she was ready.  I guess it just depends on your baby & any circumstances she might have.  

Answer 6

you can do whatever your heart desires, doctors are starting to say to wait until 6 months, but its all in the way your baby is developing, if the baby is intrested in the foods you are eating, has lost its tounge reflex and can sit up and hold their head properly without being propped up, then they are ready. Use your judgement, in my books though rice ceral is garbage try ground up oatmeal instead.

Answer 7

It is recommended that babies start solids (and yes, rice cereal is a solid) at 6 months.  I would not start cereal w/ a 3 month old.  Just keep nursing him.

Answer 8

Go with what your doctor says. If they don't take to it then you know they don't want it yet. Just try every week or so until they want it.  

Answer 9

I just started my breastfed son and he is 5 months old. His pediatrician said he was "developementally" ready for it at his four month check up, but he got a cold and then I went back to work and I didn't want to throw too many new things at him at once so I just waited til things got better which turned out to be around his fifth month birthday. They say your child should be able to sit assisted, hold their head upright on their own, and when pulled from laying down to a sitting position their shoulders should kind of scruch up to support the head. It's different with every baby though, so you should really ask your son's pediatrician what you should do. I know my mom started me and my brothers on cereal when we were two months, but that was 26 years ago. You could always try (make sure it's super thin) and if he doesn't seem to be ready, try again in a month or so. But I would ask the doc!

Answer 10

yes in fact it's changes all together- they dont reccomend solids for breastfed babies utnil 6 months and cereal isn't even necessary. 3 1/2 months is too much to young. at that point they still have a toung thrust refelx( when they push food out of their mouth) which means they are not ready