Ok, so when are you supposed to start your baby on rice cereal?

Carla - posted on 03/28/2009

Thank you soo much for the help! I really didn't feel right starting @ 15 weeks on "rice cereal". There is alot of demand on my breasts but given that Cole is prone to gas (not colic) I felt it nesassary to wait for his intestines to mature a little. He's healthy and happy with 16lbs on & still gaining from my milk. I will be looking forward to making his purees like I did with my older kids. But agree that it's not time. Also found alot of useful tips regarding the cereals...I always felt they were just a filler(no nutrition)

I gotta tell you that I'm soo greatful for this site...Having a baby 8 years after the younget shows just how much things can change. A mothers instinct is a wonderful thing...but just add a bunch of mothers instincts and look at the good grow out of it.

Amanda - posted on 03/27/2009

well ive done lots of research on this cause lots of family n friends were tellin me ohh ur not givin her cereal yet y not. well she is 5months n it made me wonder so i found out that health canada does not recommened anything else besides breastfeedin till 6months at least or until baby can sit alone unsupported. The sooner foods are introduced (3-4 mos) the more likely there will be problems such as tummy aches and increase risk of food allergies. Food is not meant to replace breastmilk during that first year. It is supposed to compliment it kidda like dessert my health nurse told me so i havent givin her any yet.

Heather - posted on 03/27/2009

i started my daughter at 4 mo. i felt guilty because i exclusively bf aand they say to wait till 6 months. she was starting to feed so much, i wasn't making enough to get her full. she loves it, and now she is 5mo. and i started giving a little squash.

Andrea - posted on 03/27/2009

I didn't look at the links that Emily put for you, but I can tell you I am a trained breastfeeding councelor working toward my IBCLC so I am pretty current on what is recommended. For exclusively BF babies later is better--6 mos unless baby is really ready. Refer to signs listed above. Rice cereal is a bunch of junk. I honestly don't even know why they still sell it. Fruits and veggies are gentle on the tummy and will start baby on the right track for healthy eating. The sooner foods are introduced (3-4 mos) the more likely there will be problems such as tummy aches and increase risk of food allergies. Food is not meant to replace breastmilk during that first year. It is supposed to compliment it.

Sekayi - posted on 03/27/2009

Lauren is right 4 1/2mths is a good age to start and olny a little. You should always use a spoon and never in a bottle.

Lauren - posted on 03/27/2009

I started cereal around 4 1/2 months.  Make it very watery at first.  I used 1 tbsp cereal and 5 tbsp breastmilk.  Each night I used a little less milk to make it thicker. 

I only served it with a spoon.  Not in a bottle. 

Krystal - posted on 03/27/2009

i too was told 4-6 months. i think my son started at 5 months and my daughter not until almost 6 months mostly because its more work!

good luck.

Allison - posted on 03/27/2009

All solids should wait until 6 months. There isn't any reason to start with cereal - it's bland, has little or no nutritional value, and can be hard to digest. It's a good idea to allow baby to explore the food on his/her own and not introduce a spoon until they are actually eating because they are hungry, versus experimenting with the food.

I start my kids with avocado mushed with a fork at 6 months. Mostly they make a mess, but tend to enjoy the taste as well. I then move to banana, sweet potato, and zucchini or yellow squash, as all are easy to prepare and make enough for several meals (I freeze extra in ice cube trays). I will add cereal when they are a little older (I prefer oatmeal over rice) to thicken up the foods that I accidentally over-puree or are watery anyway, like zucchini.

A really great resource is

Have fun!

Tinah - posted on 03/27/2009

I wouldn't start a baby on rice cereal, or any other food that you spoon into thier moths at all. Wait until they are sitting up all by themselves, the just give them little bits of food or puree on a tray and let them "feed" themselves. Rice cereal is a nutritional wasteland, and if you are replacing BM with it, you are doing your child a disservice.

Emily - posted on 03/27/2009

It is "recomended" at 4-6 months old. Though, breastfed babies certainly can wait til after 6 months without any problems. Some signs to look for are unsupported sitting, interest, teething or signs of teething, pincer grasp, and absense of tongue thrust reflex. I went strait to fruit and veggies at about 6 or 7 mos because rice cereal is constipating and has very little nutritional value.  Here are some links

http://www.babycenter.com/0_introducing-...

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000...

Chrissy - posted on 03/27/2009

it should be around 3mths old when or if the baby shows interest in your food, if they can hold their head up on their own, and if the bm is not satisfying his/her hunger.