Message to toyml99

I saw your posting somewhere about starting the rice cereal.  My DD was born on 9/21 and my ped already gave me the green light to start some.  DD is almost 15 lbs and never seems to be satisified with feedings lately.

Question...about how much do you add to the forumla so that the nipple doesn't get clogged up.  How often do you give it--every feeding or just in the evening.

THanks

[jd1419]

For your little one I would first try to skip the bottle if she has already gotten a good sucking reflex, try putting a teaspoon of rice sereal in a bowl and then mix it with formula or breast milk and make it very watery.  try feeding it to her with a spoon.  If that doesn't work keep to the teaspoon of cereal but just put it in your bottle.  You may just need to go to a larger size nipple like stage 2.

[toyml99]

I DO NOT PUT THE CEREAL IN THE BOTTLE I FEED HER WITH A SPOON.  I MAKE IT RUNNY BUT IT GETS THICKER AND THICKER THE LONGER IT TAKES FOR HER TO EAT IT.  I HAVE HEARD THAT PUTTING THE CEREAL IN THE BOTTLE CAN CAUSE CHOKING BUT MY PED SAID I COULD PUT IT IN THE BOTTLE OR FEED OUT OF A BOWL.  I JUST STARTED HER WITH A SPOON OUT OF A BOWL.  SHE CAN HAVE 2 TBL SPOONS TWICE A DAY BUT SHE CANNOT EAT THAT MUCH USUALLY.  I STARTED HER ON 1 TBL SPOON AT NIGHT AND THEN AFTER A FEW DAYS I WENT TO MORNING FEEDS TOO.  TBL SPOON AND A HALF PER SERVING USUALLY.  SHE DOES GREAT BUT I FEED HER THE CEREAL HER SECOND OR THIRD FEEDING OF THE DAY AND HER SECOND TO LAST FEEDING OF THE NIGHT.  I MAKE A FOUR OZ BOTTLE AND IT TAKES ABOUT 2 OZ TO MIX THE CEREAL THEN AFTER SHE EATS THE CEREAL I GIVE HER THE REST OF HER BOTTLE.  HOPE THIS HELPS.

[JJety]

Yeah, don't put it in the bottle.  Make it very runny and feed with a spoon.  If they reject the spoon, then they're just not ready yet.  Wait 2-3 weeks and try again.

[Me2mommy2b]

Good to know not to put the rice cereal in the bottle...I was told by one of the pediatricians to go ahead and put it in the bottle..go figure...also, sorry decogrl, don't mean to take up your post but since we're on the subject, what does everyone think of other cereals since rice cereal can cause some major constipation?

[MELISSAV2943]

my ped recommended emfamil-AR when my dd wasalmost 3mo old
This is a formula that has rice in it for those babies that seem to stay hungry.

[decogrl]

THanks

DD is taking about 6 oz at night and 4 -5 oz during the day.

I guess I will try 1 tablespoon at night.  My ped also stated to put it in the bottle but I am hesitant about that.

Any particular brand of rice cereal I should use?  Good to know it constipates.  I already give DD a little prune juice once a day because her forumla Enfamil lactofree has been making her BM hard.

[cutiemama]

I think dr.brown's makes a bottle specifically for cereal if that's the route you want to take. I'm not trying to undermine your ped, but why not just increase the amount of formula or try the enfamil a+ with rice cereal already in it? Doesn't it increase the risk of food allergies when starting solids really early? Here in Canada it's recommended that solids be introduced at 6 months as babies derive all their nutrition from breast milk or formula but I have heard of people starting as early as 4 months.

[JJety]

"6 oz at night and 4 -5 oz during the day"

Did I read that correctly?  She's taking a 6 oz bottle at night, and four 5 oz bottles throughout the day, for a total of 26 ounces?  That's not bad at all.  If she were upwards of 40 oz per day then you might think she'd need some more substance.  Stick with what you know - it sounds like you're doing a great job.

[decogrl]

No what I meant is during the day she takes from 4-5 oz but she eats every 2 1/2 - 3 hours--sometimes she will go 4 hours in between if she is particularly sleepy.  She hasn't been sleeping a whole lot lately during the day which is good and bad in that I can't get much done during the day but now at night, she will sleep sometimes as long as 6 hours.

[toyml99]

MINE HAS STOPPED TAKING LONG NAPS THRU THE DAY BUT HAS BEEN SLEEPING THRU THE NIGHT SINCE SHE WAS 2 MONTHS OLD.  JUST RECENTLY SHE GETS UP.  SHE USUALLY IS IN BED BE 1030 OR 11 WITH A FULL BELLY BUT AT 12 OR 1AM SHE WAKES UP TO EAT AGAIN.  STRANGE THEY JUST KEEP CHANGING THEIR CYCLES.