How much cereal to start?

Hi ladies,

We've started cereal now and we just went through rice cereal for 6 days and no adverse reaction noted so we started oat cereal today. My question is how much should they be getting? I've been giving them several spoons (5-10 baby spoons) until they don't seem interested or push it all out. Is this ok? I usually feed the bottle first and follow with cereal or occasionally just before the bottle but if they are hungry that's a mess. Any advice?

 

Sounds perfect to me. :good: The amount is not too important at this point, the main thing is to get them some practice at eating something other than formula/breastmilk. And, I always had the same experience as you, if they are too hungry it just doesn't work very well! I always gave them their bottle, waited 20-30 minutes, then fed them cereal.

 

Ditto on the bottle/bf'ing first. It was a total diaster if I fed them cereal without giving them their formula.

As for amounts-I never measured the amount of cereal I gave them. I would have driven myself crazy. Because one day they might eat 2 TB, the next 1/2 TB, and the next 4TB. You just never knew. So I just did it by eye. And they would let me know when they were done by turning their heads, clamping their mouths shut, or spitting it out.

I think you are doing a mighty fine job!

 

You sound like you are doing great. I am a little type-A and would measure out 3 tablespoons a piece. Gradually I just eyed it...I wasted a lot of cereal in the beginning. Mine usually did best eating about 15 mins after the bottle. If I waited 30 mins they would be too sleepy. Every baby is different...but at this stage it was so great to be only practicing and not really depending on the food intake, since they were getting everything they needed from milk. Good luck! Yay for oats!