Is it okay for me to feed my 2 month old daughter rice cereal and applesauce?

Answers:
Babies younger than about 6 months cannot digest solid foods; this is the reason that every major health organization worldwide recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. The main thing rice cereal and applesauce will do is make your daughter's diapers particularly unpleasant (particularly if you are nursing). In addition, it will make it more likely for her to develop allergies now or in the future. If the solids are replacing your milk, it carries even more risks--increased risks of everything from colds and ear infections to cancer and diabetes.

Other Answers:
Normally you begin Rice Cereal in the 4th month. Check with your pediatrician. In some cases they allow some fruit juice diluted with water for constipation, but most of the time the recommendation is to wait. I started my daughter on Rice and Oatmeal cereal at 4 1/2 months and at 5 months started introducing fruits and veggies.

2 months is maybe a little young, their digestive systems aren't fully working until about 4 months+ but ask your health visitor for more advice if you are worried

I would wait another month, and be sure to use stage 1 foods, not regular applesauce

i did with my 3rd child. formula wasn't filling her up. she did just fine. just keep a close eye on her and have a bottle to so she can drink too. i'm sure it's ok. don't worry.

I THINK IT IS OK TO FEED YOUR BABY CEREAL AND FRUIT. I FED BOTH OF MY BABIES CEREAL AND FRUIT AND NOTHINGS WRONG WITH THEM, IT ACTUALLY HELPS THEM SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT, IT KEEPS THEM NICE AND FULL.

not yet! just formula/breast milk. Until the 4th month!

Unless your baby can eat it from a spoon, then I suggest NOT giving it to her. Mnay parents now-a-days think that giving baby's rice cereal eariler will help them sleep through the night, grow better, etc. In fact, it is proven that rice cereal doesnt help them sleep through the night, it may infact make it worse because their digestive system is still semi-immune, and digesting the cereal can be hard on their systems, and cause painful gas. Rice cereal doesnt contain any nutrients that are needed for an infant at the age, only formula and breastmilk are needed. And feeding rice cereal at this age could actually hinder your daughters weight gain, because the rice cereal will be taking all the important, needed nutrients from the formula or breastmilk.

Some will try and tell you to wait until your child is a certain age to start on other foods such as cereal. But the truth is, every baby is different. Dont go by your child's age, but by your child development. I see many parents give a child, who they think is the right age, rice cereal, but in fact their child wasn't ready.

Some signs to look for when getting ready to start rice cereal are:

-Can your baby hold her head up on her own?
-Can your baby sit supported or by herself?
-Can your baby use her jaw muscles in a chewing fashion, instead of sucking?
-Does your baby swallow the food instead of pushing it back out with her tounge?

Dont rush things. As much as us mothers want to try new things with our babies, the best thing to do is wait until our child is ready. If we wait until our child is ready, it will be much easier for us and them.

And remember, if your baby cant take rice cereal from a spoon, NEVER put it in a bottle. Many parents tell you its okay based on opinions, not facts. The fact is, if your baby cant eat from a spoon, then developmentally she isnt ready, and neither is her digestive system. Also, rice cereal in a bottle poses a choking hazard.

Good luck!
Source(s):
cute_blondie_angel
mother of 2

Don't replace any meals with cereal yet. Too young. However, my son did start eating rice cereal about that age. I gave him some a little after he already breastfed, that way he still got all the nutrition he needs from the milk.

Yes it is in my opinion because I feel that while you were pregnant that baby ate what you ate so please explain to me what makes doctors or some other people think that they can survive on just milk/formula. Besides it helps that child to sleep at night longer because their stomach is actually full.

No it is not OK. Your baby should only be having either breast milk or baby formula exclusively. Your baby is too young to be on any solid food.

if you spoon the food into your baby's mouth and her toungue thrusts it out, and does this everytime you try to spoon food into your baby's mouth, then she is too young. this is a reflex, called the toungue thrust reflex. it means the baby's digestive system is not developed enough for solid food. when she is ready you should start with a single grain cereal like rice, oatmeal, or barley (most doctors will recommend rice to start, but my son preferred oatmeal) and then when she is doing well on rice then you can begin to introduce fruits and veggies one at a time, allowing 2-3 days between each food. i heard you should introduce veggies first becuase if you introduce fruit first you may have a hard time getting them to eat veggies. my son's first food after rice was sweet potatoes, and he loved them!!! good luck.
Source(s):
personal experience and alot of baby books

It is not recommended to put cereal in a baby's bottle. In the early months, your baby will be able to suck and swallow liquids but cannot safely swallow solids especially if it is in a bottle. It poses a choking hazard and it is a myth that it fills them up so they will sleep at night. They did that in the old days. Ask any goood doctor and they will say NO. Babys should be eating cereal with a spoon. They need to learn about the texture and at 6 months, it should be watery. You gradually thicken it as they get older. These are some signs your baby is ready for solids: She has good control of her head. She is able to sit upright in a highchair or infant chair. Her mouth opens wide when it is offered.

actuall some new born babies, in particular in orient and negre races place babies on even solids such as flour dumplings and rices and they soon toughen up and produce productive stools.

I agree and disagree with a lot of the advice given to you. But there are situations in which it would be ok, but you have to consult your physician. My daughter was eating rice cereal at about 1.5mos due to reflux. She vomited at all feedings...and while she still go most of the nutrients, because they are taken from the formula immediately in the stomach, something about the rice cereal helped her keep it down.

My 2nd daughter, who was eating us out of house and home had to be supplemented with rice cereal at about 2mos. She was not getting adequate nutrition and not getting full at all.

This baby, number 3, has been eating rice cereal at bedtime. I did do the spoon feeding but then switched to it in a bottle, it is not very thick..so it poses no choking hazard.

I think you do what you feel for your kids...we women have that intuition and again, sometimes a doctor will okay it, for certain reasons.

No. Her little tummy is just not able for solid foods yet. If you think her regular formula is not filling her, try have a look for special brands that are developed for hungrier babies and are more filling. They are usually well labelled in the supermarket. Otherwise you may just have to put up with more frequent feeding for a while. Experts are now recommending holding off on weaning until six months. I think this is a bit extreme and the four month mark is more realistic - as long as you progress slowly and with small amounts.

I started my youngest daughter on rice cereal when she was 2 months old because she seemed like she wasn't getting enough to eat. She is now 6 years old, and doing fine. I will probably do the same with my son who is 2 weeks old.

NO!!!!! She is way to young for both. You need to wait until she is 4 months old to start on rice cereal and wait until she is 5 months before you start on baby food. Don't rush your daughter.
Source(s):
Mother of two
13 month old son
3 month old daughter

I have never started foods this early but consult youre pediatrician some babies develop quicker than others

I have given all 4 of my boys rice cereal @1-2 months. Formula wasn't getting it for them. They all wanted to eat every hour or 2 hours. Try adding a formula scoop to 4 ounces of formula. It really helps. You won't have to make bigger holes in the nipples or anything. It should still be thin enough for normal nipples. I wouldn't do applesauce til 4 months.

The recommended age is 4 months but I had four hogs so I started feeding them cereal and pureed scrambled eggs at 2 and half months. They did fine. You may just want to pay attention to their bowels so they don't get constipated. But the applesauce will probably help with that. Good luck and kiss your baby girl every chance you get. They are blessings from God!

Put a bit of the rice cereal in the bottle, or if you are to spoon feed be sure it is more milk than cereal. This allows you to carefully control how much the baby gets.

The FACT is: Baby more full, baby no wake up. Mommy (or Daddy) gets more sleep!

Just remember moderation.
Source(s):
Experienced Daddy (3 kids including twins)

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Is it okay for me to feed my 2 month old daughter rice cereal and applesauce?

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