Starting baby on cereal

Jade - posted on 08/14/2010

just try him on a very small amount and see if he can take it some babies can but others cant tollerate till 6 months.

Jessica - posted on 07/13/2009

WELL TECHNICALLY YOU NOT SUPPOSED TO START YOUR BABY ON CEREAL UNTIL ABOUT 6 MONTHS DUE TO STRETCHING OF THE STOMACH. AND BEING THAT THEIR STOMACH IS SO TINY IT CAN CAUSE OBESITY. I STARTED MY BABY ON IT AT 4 MONTHS AND I MADE IT JUST A LIL THICKER AT NIGHT SO SHE WILL GET MORE SLEEP AT NIGHT INSTEAD OF DURING THE DAY

Michele - posted on 07/13/2009

www.gerber.com has a quiz to determine if your child is ready. Not to take the place of your pediatricians advice, but as a general guide to readiness. I just started my 4 month old on it too. We give her about a tablespoon and a half at her last feeding of the day- she sleeps hard after the cereal feeding. Gradually you can work up to several feedings a day. Gerber has some good advice based on dieticians advice about adding solids, which kinds, when, and how much. Our babies are growing up! Best of luck with this milestone!

Tamara - posted on 07/12/2009

I'd wait until your little guy is 6 months as it's no longer recommended to start at 4 months due to their digestive system not being ready before a minimum of 6 months of age.

Mel - posted on 07/12/2009

I like your post Heather

Heather - posted on 07/12/2009

Quoting Sarah:

Quoting Lisa:

My sister started her kids very young by adding it to their formula. They were hungry and needed something more filling. As a mother, I would say trust your instincts on this one...

I find it hard to believe anyone does this any more. I've read in several baby books, on-line, and have been told by doctors to NOT do this, by all means. It can lead to obesity for one thing. This is considered a very out-dated practice.

 

As for when to start solids, it varies from child to child. Anywhere from 4 to 6 months, the key things are to watch for signs that your particular baby is ready, for example, is losing or has lost the reflex to push out with the toungue, can sit up at least a little bit, and so on. And cereal is beginning to lose favor as a first food. According to recent research, besides carbohydrates, babies have a great need for the fats (the right kinds of course) and protein. So consider squished ripe avacado, pureed meats and meat broth, egg yolks mashed with a little olive oil.

LMAO!   Just installed this app and saw this post.

I am the sister and please allow me to share with you that my daughter, who yes had cereal at about 11/2 -2 months - after breast feeding - and yes was in her bottles at times (1-2 tablespoons per 6-8 oz) will be 18 in about a month and if not for the booty I gave her at birth, would still be a double zero (5'2 and 100lbs)!

My son - now 14 - had  cereal in his bottle at 2 weeks as he would consure 12-13 oz's of formula in one sitting.  This was after faild attempts to breast feed him - as their just wasn't enough to satisfy him there either so the doc said to quit and switch to formula.  As his mom, I felt this was an extrodinarily large amount of liquid to be placing in his stomach multiple times a day - so yes I chose to go to an 8 oz of liquid with 2T of cereal.  He is now 5'4 and 120 lbs.

Neither of them close to obesity.  I gave them cereal as they were not satisfied with liquid.  I did not shove more food down their throats than what they needed in proportion to their exercise and growth.

Both of my children were eating their fruits and vegetables at about 2-4 months and it went from there as they were ready. 

I did learn after my daughter that Rice cereal is sweet and kids can sometimes reject the other flavors after having.  So with my son, I did the "Mixed" box first. 

Obesity does not come from cereal in a bottle.  Obesity comes from bad eating habits which can be started with allowing your child to fall asleep with a bottle or even while breastfeeding as some doctors believes this is what starts the "comfort" eating.

I fed my children what they need and as my doctors advised me, just watched for cramping and allergies.  They grew up on bananas and yogurt as their favorite snacks! 

As the mom of five (sorry I didn't copy the name) mentioned, you go with what your children tell you.  While they cannot speak, they do communicate with us in many ways. My daughter stole the pork chop off my plate when she was 6 months old, with her "child plate" in front of her, and commenced to eating it with no teeth and no issues!  She was ready :)

Amanda - sorry to ramble but sure hope this helps.

Crystal - posted on 06/26/2009

I find it really helpful to only just dip the tip of the spoon into the cereal. There's a lot less mess that way and baby figures out that there's something on the spoon to clean off.

Danielle - posted on 06/24/2009

Quoting Karen:

My generation (I'm early 30's & from the UK) were given solids from 3-4 months and childhood obesity & food allergies were virtually unheard of. I really don't see how childrens physiology could have changed that much since then so I'm looking to my own mother & mother-in-law for advice. Go with your insticts, if your baby seems hungry, feed him. He'll refuse it if he isn't ready. My little girl who is 4.5 months has just started having a small amount of baby rice and some pureed veggies on a daily basis and she is thriving. So far we've had no tummy issues and she is a much more settled baby both during the day and sleeping through the night.

I completely agree with Karen. I have five children ranging in age from fourteen years to five months. I have "gone with my instinct" when it came to foods with each of my children. I let them tell me when they were ready for foods as Karen describes above. You will know if they are ready or not. Each of my five children has been different when it came to when they started cereal and foods and the amount that they ate.

My five month old started cereal when she was three and a half months. I was breast feeding but it wasn't enough to sustain her so I started giving her formula with some cereal in it. This immediately filled her up and she was definiately ready to have this added to her diet. I started her on veggies and fruit (stage 1pureed) when she was four months. She is now 22 weeks and doing great. Good luck!

Kelly - posted on 06/19/2009

The WHO (world health organisation) recommends sometime in the middle of the first year of life. Watch for your babies cues - are they sitting? Has their tongue thrust reflex stopped? Are they watching you eat, reaching out? Trust your own instincts on this! Or are they just going through a growth spurt, which can be harder to pick up on as they grow older and more active.

Betsy - posted on 06/19/2009

With my oldest (now 19), the recommendations were 4-6 mo. Now we know more and their digestive systems aren't as developed until 6 mo as needed to be for solids. As for the making the eating faces, all babies do that and it has nothing to do with eating or food. This is a stage where they are learning by mimicking facial expressions. If you stick out your tongue repeatedly, you will notice he will try to copy you with that too. He is copying your facial expressions, which is a part of learning, but he doesn't connect it with eating real food or wanting it...just copying Mommy :-)

Erin - posted on 06/19/2009

I am happy to have my baby on breastmilk until at least 6 months of age. Studies have shown that breastmilk until 6 months can reduce a lifelong risk of cancer and other diseases. Plus, I am really not ready to delve into more complicated measures (i.e. other foods) at this point. My baby eats well, at four months has more than doubled her birth weight, and sleeps through the night. However, she does lick her lips when she sees me eating food...making me think she is bored with just milk. But as long as breastmilk is working for us, I am inclined to stick with it until she is at least 6-months-old.

Sarah - posted on 06/19/2009

Quoting Lisa:

My sister started her kids very young by adding it to their formula. They were hungry and needed something more filling. As a mother, I would say trust your instincts on this one...

I find it hard to believe anyone does this any more. I've read in several baby books, on-line, and have been told by doctors to NOT do this, by all means. It can lead to obesity for one thing. This is considered a very out-dated practice.

As for when to start solids, it varies from child to child. Anywhere from 4 to 6 months, the key things are to watch for signs that your particular baby is ready, for example, is losing or has lost the reflex to push out with the toungue, can sit up at least a little bit, and so on. And cereal is beginning to lose favor as a first food. According to recent research, besides carbohydrates, babies have a great need for the fats (the right kinds of course) and protein. So consider squished ripe avacado, pureed meats and meat broth, egg yolks mashed with a little olive oil.

Deanna - posted on 06/18/2009

My son was 6 weeks old when he started eating rice cereal. Since he has ge reflux his doctor told me to mix 1 tablespoon for every 2 ounces of formula in every bottle. I give him applesauce and bananas and squash. He didn't like the applesauce at first but then I gave it to him again a month later and he liked it. He doesn't like squash so I will give it to him again in a week or 2 to see if he likes it. He liked bananas right away. If he doesn't like something try again in a few weeks. Keep trying and don't give up. If he is hungry give him cereal.

Kirsten - posted on 06/18/2009

I'm shocked that a doctor would recommend solids at 2 months!! That is so very early. I read quite a lot and babies are NOT ready for solids before 4 months, their gut just isn't mature enough. At 2 months your babes tummy is very small and it will fill up and take a long time to digest solid food, but solids are not as nutrious or calorific as breast or formula milk. Breast milk has more calories than most weaning foods. Some babies are not ready for solids before 6 months, and no baby needs formula before 6 months, as we can not see our babies guts and then make an informed decision the WHO recommend that nothing but breast or formula milk be used before then.
Yes the guidence has changed, but that is because research has been done. My mother was told to put me to sleep on my tummy, but since sleeping positions were researched and babies have been laid to sleep on thier backs cot deaths have dropped buy 70%. Hopefully the new weaning guidelines will reduce allegies, obesity and stomach problems.

Babies only need milk before 6 months! If you get advised otherwise (as some kind health visitor advised me) ask if they have read the latest research and what they base their decision on. Don't be fobbed off by someone telling you western babies are different and the new guidelines don't apply to them, it isn't true.
I weaned at 4 months and regret it. I will do it differently next time, now I'm better informed.

Anna - posted on 06/18/2009

My son is 2mths old and i took him to doc today, they told me to go ahead and start him on cereal . I was told that it might help him sleep all night. I hope it does or at least cut back on waking up as much.

Karen - posted on 06/18/2009

My generation (I'm early 30's & from the UK) were given solids from 3-4 months and childhood obesity & food allergies were virtually unheard of. I really don't see how childrens physiology could have changed that much since then so I'm looking to my own mother & mother-in-law for advice. Go with your insticts, if your baby seems hungry, feed him. He'll refuse it if he isn't ready. My little girl who is 4.5 months has just started having a small amount of baby rice and some pureed veggies on a daily basis and she is thriving. So far we've had no tummy issues and she is a much more settled baby both during the day and sleeping through the night.

Lisa - posted on 06/18/2009

My sister started her kids very young by adding it to their formula. They were hungry and needed something more filling. As a mother, I would say trust your instincts on this one...

Linda - posted on 06/18/2009

Most of what I have read says they don't need anything but formula until 6 months. Only if your ped recommends starting early, I would speak to them first, do not do anything on your own. We started our baby on a few ounces of whole grain cereal (rice cereal is very dry makes them constipated). She is now 13 months old and loves her cereal. Make it more runny at first then add more cereal as they get older...good luck

Barbara - posted on 06/18/2009

My doctor always said to wait until they doubled their birthweight.

Tamara - posted on 06/18/2009

Wait a couple of more months. Your baby is more than likely going through a growth spurt. Waiting until 6 months gives your baby's gut time to mature which reduces the likelihood of obesity and diabetes.

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

Rebecca - posted on 06/17/2009

There is a lot of debate on the issue of solids, so go with your gut rather than current advice because it all conflicts, contradicts, and changes. Eg the "oh no not before 4 months" has now changed, and some hospitals are back to recommending 3 months for introducing solids, because it's been shown starting solids early prevents allergies! It swings back and forth.

Basically forgot about months, go by your child. If they are watching you eat and seem interested, give them tiny nibbles of what you're eating when it's healthy. Eg a tiny bit of your avocado. If their sleeping patterns have changed for the worse and/or they seem hungrier than they should be, start trying solids. At first they never replace a meal, they're a tiny additive after a meal, so it's fine. Particularly if you can mix what you're feeding them with breastmilk.

Trust yourselves! You're all smart people who do their best for their child.

Kathleen - posted on 06/17/2009

My son started cereals when he was 3.5 months. My Dr. was completely comfortable with it and even suggested I could start introducing the fruits and veggies at that time. I think they look for certain markers (i.e. ability to sit up). My son is now 9mos and eats everything under the sun. For the first couple of days after introducing solids, he was a little constipated, but that't because their bodies need to adjust. The one key thing my Dr. told me when i started introducing solids was that breastmilk/formula should still be the staple in the diet until at least 6 months. Your son should still be drinking the same amount for formula with a little cereal throw into the mix. I actually started my son on a tablespoon and then we worked our way up from there.

Nicolle - posted on 06/17/2009

I started my son on cereal when he was 4 months old. He ate about 3 tablespoons. He didn't care for it to be super runny. He has been eating solid foods ever since and he will be 6 months next week.

Jeanette - posted on 06/17/2009

I was breast feeding my son every 1 1/2 hours, which was absolutely exhausting! So, I started to put a little bit of organic rice cereal into his bottle with breast milk to satisfy him...doctor was ok with that, but NOT ok with just feeding him rice cereal alone. Babies are not ready for solids and do not need them until 6 mos.

Amanda - posted on 06/17/2009

I was started on cereal when I was 3 months old and so were all the other kids in my family and there is nothing wrong with us. I have the belief if it was good enough for us then it will b good enough for my son. yesterday was the first day of trying it and he is doing really good! most of it dribbles down is chin but for day one i expected that and now on day 2 he is swallowing a little more and I know it will get better every day

Beth - posted on 06/17/2009

my son started eatting cereal at 3 months, my mom actually started him on it while we were out of town for the weekend. But it worked out well. we mixed it with applesauce instead of formula, started with 1 spoon full and he loved it! By 6 months he was starting to eat desolvable solid foods and now at 2 he eats everything in site!

Mel - posted on 06/17/2009

oh and just saw the other comments i think i have said this a million times on here but just in case wanted to let you know solids is ok before 6 months they told me at the childrens hospital that my little girl goes to x

Colleen - posted on 06/17/2009

I started my son at 4 months, but he got constipated and had foul smelling poo, so I stopped. I started again at 5 months, he is 5.5mths now and is doing fine. I started him this time on veggies first, after a few days I re-introduced cereal. I started with one tablespoon of cereal mixed with 2 tablespoons of breastmilk. now I mix with water, 3 tablespoons with 3 tablespoons of distilled water. Its best to check with your dr before starting solids.

Philipa - posted on 06/17/2009

research has shown that a babies digestive system is not mature enough to cope with anything other than breastmilk or modified cows milk ie formula till they are 6 months old. Introducing solids before this times risks damage to their intestines and their health

Sushmita - posted on 06/17/2009

Actually there is no need for a outside food till 6 months. Because the taste buds do not develop by than. You should stick to only formula.

Mel - posted on 06/16/2009

personally i would not start with rice cereal mine started solids at 3 months and had pureed fruits and vegies. it can cause constipation and tastes horrible. if you do you have to start with it just add a little then then gradually add spoon fulls of water til you get the consistency you want. thinner is better

Nikki - posted on 06/16/2009

make it soupy and dont force it--my daughter at 3 months was the same way sometimes she ate a lot and sometimes a little. I would make about a table-spoon or so. At first she didn't likethe rice ceral so i tried the bananna flavored rice ceral and she loved it. Also some babies dont take to ceral when in doubt if not working try oatmeal ceral.

Monita - posted on 06/16/2009

Ask your doctor first. I started my children on cereal at about 6 months. A little bit 1-2 tbsp in the bottle in the morning and at night. As much as possible I tried to go organic.

Alisa - posted on 06/16/2009

2 T with about 4 T of formula in the morning and a night.. do his 2nd morning feeding and his 2nd to last feeding at night... dont give it to him when hes starving or he wont cooperate because he'll be looking for his bottle.

Michelle - posted on 06/16/2009

I started my little girl when she was 4 months old. She ate between 1.5-3 tablespoonfulls. She loved it from the very first time. My doctor told me to just start with a small amount and as she started to eat more to just keep increasing. My daughter will be 6 months tomorrow and now eats almost a full cup of cereal mixed with food three times daily! Good luck with it. And if he rejects it the first few times don't give up!!

Rebecca - posted on 06/16/2009

start with just a table spoon and make sure it's really runny. after about a week make it a bit thicker and if younotice he is still hungry make a bit more.