Perhaps you like millions of other families have a newborn in your life that was born prematurely or simply a tad on the small side. This may not be any concern of the pediatricians, but you may want the baby to gain a little bit of weight to feel more comfortable with them health wise. This is completely normal and it can be done so do not worry that your baby will be tiny forever!
Firstly, ensure that your doctor does not have he or she on any diet restrictions. If they are on a special type of formula or other diet supplements. If they have a free clearance to have formula or breast milk, then you are good to proceed. You can use baby cereal if your doctor permits it. Some preemies have to have this from as early as two weeks old to help their bodies digest the foods. Many smaller babies also suffer from acid reflux disorder which can account for many ailments. If the baby has trouble sleeping, feeding or throws up after eating, you may need this taken a look at. They can suffer from lesions in the esophagus that can be permanent if not treated correctly. You doctor will help put the newborn on a special feeding schedule if that is the case and you should always prop the baby's head up higher than the rest of their little bodies to help aide their digestion going down smoother.
Baby cereal comes in all types of flavors. It can be in oatmeal or rice typically, and they do have various organic versions on the market today also. You simply take a teaspoon full and mix it into the baby's bottle at feeding times. It is the smallest amount of cereal that can make a world of difference in helping your newborn gain weight quickly. They can increase this amount if they begin to require larger liquid meals as they grow. Use common sense, if you put too much baby cereal flakes in the bottle the baby will not be able to get the liquid out of the bottle. It instantly creates a thicker consistency of liquid that makes it trying for a newborn to get out of the holes in the nipples of the bottle lid. Just a teaspoon for now should begin to do the trick. Many parents use this technique to get the baby to sleep all night long as well. When a newborn has a full tummy they will sleep longer, the cereal can provide that which is an added bonus!
Once the baby progresses along and they are a few months old, you can begin using baby food to help them with their weight plan. Introducing peaches, bananas and pears to the baby with a small amount of baby cereal in it can continue to help the preemie get back into a more average weight and height for their age.
My son certainly didn't struggle with this. He was 9.4 when he was born and was 15 pounds by 2 months.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is important to ask your doctor though, because I have never had a doctor tell me to use cereal in a bottle. In fact most of the time they advise against it I would say, except of course for raising very low birth weights, like preemies.
ReplyDelete