2 baby questions since it's been awhile for me.

Crystalina wrote: 1. When do I introduce cereal? I would ask my ped but if I remember correctly he wanted me to wait forever (it seemed) with Evan and I did it sooner but I can't remember how soon. I think Evan let me know though. I could just tell that he was not satisfied with just a formula bottle or boobie.

2. When can I give plain water? I tried once already and she totally hated it. I tried a cold water bottle and then one at room temp to see if that was what she wanted and both times she would spit it out and give me a "don't do that again" look. I know she needs water though right?

Why did I forget some of this stuff? Evan's only 5! It hasn't been THAT long.

maestra replied: My ped prefers to wait until 6 months, as did I. Some start at 4 months. There's pros and cons for both.

As for water- I never gave water to either of my kids when they were babies, they didn't get it until later when they were eating solids. What is in breastmilk or formula is enough.

http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/fit6.asp

Hope that helps!

Danalana replied: We started cereal/baby food at 4 months because his ped said it was time. He did great!
As for water, I agree with the above poster (can't remember who it was!)...breastmilk has A LOT of water in it. Kade doesn't drink water, even now. He has had some mixed with juice, but he hasn't even had much of that.

Crystalina replied: Thanks to both of you. I was just wondering about the thrush with the water. I didn't want her to get it. Is that just from formula? She only gets like one bottle of that a day but I wasn't sure if she could get it from bfing.

BabyOwen427 replied: Cereal depends on if the baby is ready. They have to have grown out of the tongue-thrust reflex. So they aren't just pushing the food right back out. That's usually between 4 and 6 months.

Babies don't need straight water. It can actually upset the electrolyte balance in their bodies. Formula and breastmilk have all the water they need for now. Try water again closer to 7 or 8 months. She may prefer it mixed with juice or a little water to go to bed with (I never liked milk to bed, rots the teeth.)

ETA: Thrush can come from any milk based thing. Usually breastmilk cause it's easy for mom and baby to pass it to each other. I'd check with Tara for thrush info.

My3LilMonkeys replied: We started cereal/baby food around 3 1/2 months, which is earlier than most recommend but he was wanting to eat formula nonstop and spitting large amounts of it back up so I knew he just wasn't satisfied. He loves the baby food and is doing sooo much better now that he is getting it so it all depends on the baby IMO.

As for water, he gets a small bottle of it every once in a while because he gets hiccups really bad sometimes and that was our ped's recommendation if they won't go away.

CantWait replied: The above posters answered the water questions, Robbie had cereal at 2 months, but he was formula fed and going through bottles like crazy, Anthony didn't get formula till probably almost 6 months as it just didn't interest him at 4 or 5.

As I said, Robbie was bottle / formula fed, and Anthony bf, niether had thrush, so I don't think one or the other is an issue for it.

mckayleesmom replied: Both my kids hated cereal...so I skipped it and waited and by that time they could have regular baby food.


As for water.....I did the opposite. I always thought that babies get thirsty just like people do and didn't want to give them a meal when they were just thirsty...I only gave them an ounce or so at a time.

Crystalina replied:
Gabby gets hiccups with almost every feeding and it irritates her so much.

lisar replied: Lexi was eating cereal at 6 weeks. And Raygen we waited longer cause of her earliness and all. And yes it made her sleep ALOT longer.

A&A'smommy replied: cereal recommendation is 4months (giving solids to early can cause obesity later on in life among other problems) and water I'm not sure about they don't need it right now because she is getting everything she needs from formula and breast milk. They say that cereal making them sleep longer is a myth and normally is just a coincidence

Cece00 replied: cereal should be between 4-6 months, preferrably 6 months. Since cereal really doesnt contain barely any nutritive value, its really just a "practice food" and not neccessary to have before that time. I agree that in certain cases it can be needed sooner, but those are pretty few & far in between.

I tried the cereal thing *early* with my first and I regret that a lot. It didnt help anything for him...with my 3rd and 4th baby we waited past 6 months and skipped cereal since they were definetly ready for foods. In fact the last one went to table foods around 7 or 8 months or so (not all table foods, obviously, but some things...smushed bananas, rice, cooked veggies, etc...no junk foods) bc he hated baby foods and had some teeth.

Babies dont need water and giving certain amts can actually be dangerous. I would not recommend giving water, especially in the winter.

moped replied: I think I started Jack way too early, about 3.5 months, wouldn't do it again...Laila was 6 I am sure.
I never gave my babies water until much later. They got lots of fluid with BM or formula.
And cereal doesn't help them sleep better IMO...........
I think you will just know when it is the right time!
It had only been 3.5 years and I totally forget everything!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: I have also always heard that breast milk or formula contains enough water and that too much can be really dangerous. As for the cereal --our pedi was always very adament that Taylor be completely out of the tounge thrust reflex because they can inhale some and get really sick without you even knowing that it has happened. I am so on this forgetting everything boat too! I feel like a first time pregnant mommy and I keep thinking HELLO you have done this before!

PrairieMom replied:
I guess once an expert... always an expert.

She won't get thrush from breast milk unless you have it, then you can pass it back and forth. its an organism that lives in warm moist places where there is high sugar content. I wouldn't worry about it unless one of you gets it, many people BF and never once have a single problem with it.

As for the water, I agree, she doesn't need any, and We waited until 6 months before introducing food.

MyBabeMaddie replied: We waited until 4 months for cereal with a spoon but I think we put cereal in the bottle around 2-3 months...

It is not reccommended to give water until they are 1 year old. They get all the water they need in the breast milk/formula.

My2Beauties replied: See I always heard water helps bowel movements, sugar water. Everytime Aubrey or Hanna was constipated if I gave them sugar water they'd poop almost instantly I don't know why - so this is the only time I gave them water. As far as food, I gave Hanna cereal way too early, I thin Aubrey was 4 months when I started, she didn't like it (neither did Hanna) and I moved directly to baby food after that, she loved it. It just depends on the kid I think. We started with fruits (my ped suggested fruits since they are easier to digest) and then went to veggies. I know they say to start with veggies first ( a lot of people do) but my ped said honestly it doesn't make a difference let baby eat what they like, and AUbrey did eat veggies even though fruit was introduced first.

AlexsPajamaMama replied:
I heard this too and it did the same thing for Alex.

A&A'smommy replied:
it is actually, and suppose to help with gas too (not sure how true that one is though we never tried it). One of my friends daughter has had constipation issues since she was born (I TRIED to get her to switch formula ) and the water always helped her too. But I wouldn't give it to her otherwise