Question about cereals

[AmyK]

Hi everyone! We just got home from my sons 2 mo check-up and I was wondering when (age) and what (cereal) you all use? My PED said we could start bottle feeding cereal, but it's not recomended until he is 4-6 months old. I honestly don't think my son is satisfied with "just" formula. We're currently on Alimentum and he eats 4 oz every 2 hours unless he's asleep and doesn't know he is hungry until he wakes up LOL. We're slowly going to take him back to Isomil here too next month so I don't want to do to much at once. I'm concerned about his gas pain coming back with cereal. We solved that problem by putting him on Alimentum (Milk intolerance). Which cereal is less likely to give him gas? I thought about rice. How much do you all add to the bottle? If I heard the Dr right he said a tablespoon to the 4 oz!! That sounds like A LOT!! Especially, for a little one who has been on a hypoallergenic formula. Thanks!

Amy:puh

[gmansour]

Hi there!

I usually add 1 teaspoon per ounce of liquid. When my older dd was 10 weeks old we started cereal...and it REALLY helped. If I were you I would start off small....maybe give him 2 teaspoons in 2 ounces and see how he does.

It will totally constipate your baby which will make him fussier. Talk to your dr ~ mine had me give my dd dark Karo syrup with water to loosen her stools. (2 teaspoons of Karo syrup in 2 ounces of sterile water).

After we got everything situated...I found that I was giving her the cereal every night, and the Karo syrup every other day.

Hope that helps!

[gmansour]

I forgot to add.....

I would add a *single grain* rice cereal WITHOUT IRON! I used an organic one, I think it was called Happy Times or something.

I have read on other boards that other babies didn't tolerate the rice cereal, and I have heard of other moms using oatmeal cereal or barley cereal.

Make sure that the cereal is single grain. I think Gerber cereals have iron in them and are multi grain.

One other thing....I agree with you that you shouldn't do the formula switch and the cereal at the same time. Do one thing first, let the baby get used to it....and then do the other.

Oh one other thing.....there is ENFAMIL AR formula that already has the rice starch mixed in the formula. So that may be another option for you to try. It is easier to give in the bottle because it is thinner that cereal mixed with formula.

BTW, you may need to use a different bottle, or put another hole in the nipple when you feed the cereal. We used Avent bottles with a variable flow nipple.

Wow this turned into a novel! Sorry! :-)

Hope that helps!

[AmyK]

Thank~you for your help. My PED gave me a paper on cereals and it mentions Rice is the best one to start off with because it's the least allergenic cereal on the market for babies. Why should I get one with no iron? Isn't iron good? For example, you want formula's with iron if your baby can tolerate them! So, why not cereal?

Did your daughter start sleeping longer when you gave her formula? I'm just worried about starting to soon. You read a lot about allergies now a days if/when you start to soon. He's definatly getting plenty of nutrition because he gained 3 lbs in 1 month so maybe I should wait until the recomended 4-6 months of age. I just thought 4 oz every 2 hrs seemed like a lot and perhaps he was still hungry and if I increase the volume to fast he'll spit-up. Naturally, I thought cereal:)

[AmyK]

Sheesh, my brain is ticking faster than my typing LOL I meant to say: Did your daughter start sleeping longer when you added CEREAL to the formula? :) LOL

[momto2]

Amy,

Did your baby tolerate the rice cereal ok? Mine did NOT. Nor could he tolerate oatmeal. He is on Alimentum as well, so I'm wondering if you had success with something other than the Gerber cereals. Maybe if you had success with something, it'd be worth a try for my little one...

[AmyK]

Hi! I haven't tried cereal yet. I'm kind of sitting on it, debating whether I want to start or not. Perhaps, you should try another brand like what gmansour mentioned. Gerber is a multi gran and your little one may not have tolerated it because of that? I don't know. I will let you know though when I start cereal and what happens:)

[momto2]

No...Gerber is single-grain...but it does have iron...which seems to be difficult for some babies to tolerate...but I'm not sure if gas is one of the symptoms of that intolerance...or if it's constipation. (I know that when I have iron pills - for treatment of anemia - I can get a little stopped up)

I'll keep you posted...but it may be a little while...we're doing just Alimentum for a little bit until he gets content again, then trying Zantac for reflux again. We think it may have upset his tummy, but are unsure since he was trying solids at the same time that we tried the Zantac... This is all so frustrating...I feel like a full-time detective!!! ;)

[gmansour]

Hi there!

I started my older daughter (now 2) on cereal when she was 10 weeks old. She got 2 teaspoons in two ounces.

The reason I started her on it is that she had reflux and she kept getting fussier and fussier. When we started the cereal......it made a tremendous difference for her. In fact, we weaned her off the Zantac a week later.

My newborn is now almost 6 weeks old....she is getting really fussy too (she has reflux) and I am debating starting the cereal.

I was told to use a cereal without iron so it is easier on their tummy.

My dd slept better....but it wasn't a huge change...just like a 4 hour stretch instead of a 3 hour one!

Hope that helps!! I guess in my book, with my older dd the cereal was her miracle cure....so I am willing to try it again!

[momto2]

What brand of cereal has no iron? I haven't seen any... Did you use rice w/o iron or oatmeal w/o iron or what??? What are the symptoms of iron disagreeing with babies? Gas or constipation or what???

Also...in one of the earlier threads, you reccomended that I use the Johnny Jump-up toy...which we do own. Just one question...have you figured out some whay to hook it up so it's not in a doorway? I have read not to use them in a doorway since they can get their fingers piched should they bounce up againts the door frame... Ideas???

Thanks for your help! :)

[gmansour]

Hi again!

I lurk on the "reflux board" at parentsplace at ivillage.com. The moms there had said that the cereals with iron bothered babies tummies but they didn't specify why. I bought an organic single grain rice cereal without iron (I think it was called Happy Times) ~ you could try a health food store. My grocery store has some organic items and I found it there.

I don't think it was me who mentioned the Johnny Jumper thing....I have never used one, our door frames don't work with them! :-)

Hope that helps!!

[momto2]

Thanks for the info...and the website...I will have to check out the reflux board, too...