We started my son on cereal at 2 1/2 months because he had GERD so bad that we had to thicken the formula with it. My daughter is going to be 4 months on the 28th. She hasn't doubled her birth wieght, but then she was 9lbs 8.1oz & is now close to 16 lbs. She is constantly eating for at least an hour at a time. Can I start her on cereal or do I have to wait for her doctor??

By Amecmom on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 01:12 pm:

I'd start her on the cereal if she seems ready for it. My son also started on cereal at 2 months because of GERD. No fun. He out grew it, and then all of a sudden after a virus, it returned. He's still on Zantac at night. No fun.
Ame

By Ladypeacek on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 01:13 pm:

hmmm i would ask the doc. We started our son at 4 months too cuz he ate like a horse, lol. We started too by just adding to his milk to thicken.

By Tonya on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 01:49 pm:

Timmy started cereal at 3 weeks he was taking 6-8 oz every 2-3 hours by then and I as a mom thought he needed to be more filled up. I know allot would disagree but he was fine.

Jade started cereal at 4 weeks only at night because she was waking every 2 hours to eat now she sleeps from 8-9pm until 7-8am. I will not start her on anything else until she is 4-5 months.

Use your mom gut it won't fail you.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 02:20 pm:

I would ask your ped. just to see what he/she says. At 4 mos. I think it would be OK. My DD also had GERD and starting cereal early was never suggested to me. She was exclusively breastfed, because SHE NEVER took a bottle, so thickening formula wasn't even an option. (Glad those days are over! LOL!)

By Babysitbarb on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 03:29 pm:

I started my girls at 2-3 weeks also. I was nursing and they just didn't seem satisfied. Im from the old school and I did what my mother did and she started us early.
One of the little ones I babysit for had GERD and her doctor also suggested cereal early to help everything to stay down better.

By Emily7 on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 03:34 pm:

She has her 4 month check up on the 4th. She watches everyone else eat, I think I might try it this weekend, just a little bit.

By Peggy13 on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 06:05 pm:

I started all my 4 on cereal by a month. They were bottled fed and just plain hungry. The cereal did help them sleep better too.

By Momaroze on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 06:56 pm:

I started my ds at 4 months. I read that is just fine. Anywhere from 4-6 months, or earlier for some. My ds is 16lb almost 5 months old. We went for a check up today.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 07:12 pm:

Older daughter started on cereal by about 4.5 months. Other daughter couldn't handle solid food until she was about 7 months old. When we tried to feed it to her, I ended cleaning it off of her, the jammies, the wall, the crib, and maybe even the floor! Sheesh, those were some messes when she threw it up!

By Tink on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 08:12 pm:

I started all 3 of mine at 4 months and it seemed to be perfect timing for all of them, it was just when they started to be interested in the rest of us eating. Good luck

By Mommyathome on Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 08:17 pm:

Mine were between 4-6 months. By around 4 months they were "tasters"...we let them taste some table foods...they especially enjoyed jello.

If your daughter is healthy, I would go ahead and start her on the cereal and see how she does. Thats the only way you'll know.
Good luck!! Hope she likes it

By Feona on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 07:43 am:

Really you should talk to a doctor. I read that starting formula before 4 months was not good.

By Feona on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 07:47 am:

Cereal linked to diabetes in babies
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3131076/

Cereal doesn't help babies sleep longer.
http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/cnrc/consumer/archives/cereal.htm

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=cereal+studies+babies


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By Ladypeacek on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 08:45 am:

I am curious...my dd had reflux until she was almost 2, while most mothers had little spit up rags i had beach towels!! Is this what gerd is? I had never heard of gerd till now. Just wondering.

By Sunny on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 09:01 am:

I would wait and talk to the doctor first. The youngest age I started cereal was 5 months and the latest was 7 months.

Breastfed babies don't need any other food for the first 6 months if they are exclusively breastfed.

By Texannie on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 09:32 am:

I would talk to your doc too. My oldest was 3 months at the pediatricians advice. My youngest was about 7 months per same pediatrician. The different ages were to different circumstances with each child.

By Amecmom on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 11:28 am:

Yes, Reflux and GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) are the same thing.
I don't think the question being asked here is, should a baby be started earlier than 4 months without a dr's advice. Emily7's DD is 4 months already, so she falls into the correct age category. Many babies start cereal younger because of medical conditions.
When my son started at two months, I had to give him oatmeal with a spoon and a pacifier to keep it in, because the rice mixed with his formula constipated him.
Believe me, I would have been happy just to give him his bottle, but if he didn't have his oatmeal first, he was miserable and in pain.
Ame

By Emily7 on Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 12:46 pm:

My son started cereal because of GERD, I was very concerned at the time because of everything I heard about starting cereal before 4 months. Even though we were putting it in his bottle, it was a very small amount of rice cereal.We didn't start giving him anything else until he was almost 6 months old.
DD appointment is in a few weeks, I can wait until then. I was just concerned that if she was at breast for that long maybe she wasn'y getting filled up. Since she is 7 days away from being 4 months old I wasn't sure if there would be a problem. Because DS started early, I wasn't sure what the signs were.

Thank you all for your input!