starting solid a wee bit early- HELP!!!

Mary - posted on 11/09/2009

yes...start veggies, just add one at a time (don't do anything else new for about 3 days, then incorporate something else - so if he has a reaction, you'll know what caused it). I did wait for the 4 month mark to start feeding my little girl solids - but she was so hungry, she was not satisfied on milk alone and she was drinking 42oz or more a day. Veggies are better for him than cereal anyway, so I wouldn't worry about using them.

Tania - posted on 11/07/2009

Wow, some of these responses really irritate me. I am a childbirth educator, so I have a touch of a background in children. Nutrition is big in what we teach.

First, if you think your doctor and staff are idiots, it would be a good idea to change doctors. This is the person you are going to count on to make decisions on the health of your child. Seems silly to keep someone that you don't like.

Secondly, rice cereal is crap. There is no reason a child needs to be on any kind of cereal - especially in their bottles!! Maybe those babies are healthy NOW. But, these kinds of diets last a life time. These are the building blocks for the health of our childrens' future health! Look at obesity in America. This should tell you something.

I would not have a 5 month old on anything but breastmilk. The AAP and WHO recommend breatmilk ONLY for the first 6 months of life. This means, nothing but breastmilk - or formula should you so choose. At 6 months of age, it is fine to start directly with veggies. No need to start on cereals. They have zero nutritional value and fill baby with empty calories. Anything that is 'fortified', such as those cereals, are loaded with synthetic vitamins. Those vitamins are not absorbed properly.

I would ditch the cereal and start giving veggies. Good luck.

Tree - posted on 11/07/2009

I say be really careful- it is my opinion that this is why more and more children are suffering from so many allergies. Something you may not notice for years to come.
Also, does he want to eat? Does he seem interested in food? Any teeth? These are signs that he is a little more ready.
Also ,avoid really constipating foods (which are typically the ones we start with)
Mix these with breast milk (or formula) and make them a soup like consistency.

Leah - posted on 11/05/2009

i started veggies soon after the five month mark - carrots, squash, avocado, then pears, banana and apple. just do them one at a time so you can check for allergies and his digestion can keep up with it. and probably only for one meal a day until 6 or 7 months.

RENITA - posted on 11/05/2009

well i started my son on solids ant about 2 months the docs said because he was not getting full on just the milk they had me start giving himrice or oatmeal cereal at 2 1/2 weeks and after getting use to that at about 3 months they had me start him on solids but i could only give him plain things like applesauce pears sweet patatoes and things like that i think the only thing about that is now he's 2 but he is the size of a 4 or 5 year old (very tall) bu he is very healthy and hey i agree they never know how long them babies are in our bellies for they had my due date set for jan 23 and i didnt have him til feb 12th 2 weeks over due they only go by your last period which is not accurate when you still sumthimes have them while preg.

Catherine - posted on 11/05/2009

Keep it organic and make sure that the rice cereal is brown - the white stuff is just empty calories and you might as well feed him chips and dip. Some kids metabolize food faster than average. I would, however, recommend that you keep up with the breast milk (or formula, if that's what you're doing), because they really need that for at least six months.

Linda - posted on 11/05/2009

all 3 of my kids started solids at around 4 months as i knew they were ready, by about 4 months i started them on veges and they loved them.

Natalie - posted on 11/05/2009

Quoting Laura:

starting solid a wee bit early- HELP!!!

okay so we think little Christopher was in my belly alot longer than what the doctors' said and his growth the past few months and his milestones have sort of confimed this. I would ask this question to his ped if the man and his staff weren't such idiots...

=)

ANYWAYS!
Critter has been eating 2 tbs of rice cereal two times a day for almost the past month but he's only just turned 5 months and I was wondering if it would be okay to start him on the veggies..?

Any feedback is really appreciated- we are kind stumped!

I don't see why not, my son Dj was a big baby, and by 4months was needing more than I was able to give him without feeding him 2 hourly....so i started him on rice cereal at 4.5 mths then at 5.5 months approx. i figured that I've started the process of introducing solids so it is probably best to keep going...

I started with stewed pears then 2 weeks later on pureed pumpkin. Dj is 7 mths this week and eats meat, lentils vegies and will try fish soon. He has adjusted to solids very well and sleeps through at night, because he's satisfied. I now breast feed him, before solids at breakfast lunch dinner  and once at night (6 hrly) to ensure his breast milk is still the priority.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

KERI - posted on 11/04/2009

my son started eatin rice cereal at 2 months and was on veggies at 5 months..as long as they r mashed they r fine,,some babies just have bigger appetites than others...it all depends on whether or not u are comfortable feeding it 2 him!!!

Mellissa - posted on 11/04/2009

hi,

i have a little boy who is now 8 months old but at the age of 3 months he was showing the signs that my breastmilk was not filling him enough so i started give him just a talbe spoon of fruit or mashed vegies (he tried the cereal but would never take to it even mixed with fruit), i increased the 2 tablespoon to 3 but only once a day until he was 5 months old but at the end of the day i adjusted this by him helping me, like many others above have said trust your gut, your baby will guide you , but also some mums have said is to leave it a few days between trying different food my son is allergic to milk (not lactose) so the custards i need to stay away from.





My son was eatting veggies like pumpkin(squash i think u call it over there), sweet potato, potato of course you would make sure that it is well blended if ur making it yourself , anyway good luck with your bubba

Gina - posted on 11/04/2009

Wait at least four days after introducing a new food before introducing another one. This gives you time to determine a few things. 1. is your baby allergic to the food. 2. does the food give your baby a diaper rash. 3. does your baby like the food.

Gina - posted on 11/04/2009

Well, you could do that but start on easy things like sweet potatoes. My pediatrician said the only reason why he wanted me to wait until he was six months old (meaning six months out of the tummy) was to help prevent some types of allergies. It does not mean there will not be allergies it just means they are less likely to have them.

Diana - posted on 11/04/2009

Find a new pediatrician. If you don't trust what he says, there's no reason to take your child there.



Aside from that-some kids are ready for solids earlier. My son started solids at 4 and a half months adjusted age, but we confirmed things with our ped before starting solids rather than just going it on our own.

Rachel - posted on 11/04/2009

I have 3 kids, all which started cereals at about a week old. They began having fruits at about a month, and veggies a short time after that... and there is nothing wrong with them! The BIGGEST thing to remember is to only intoduce one food at a time, and wait two days before introducing a new food. This will help to make sure they don't have an allergic reaction to it... Good Luck!

Deborah - posted on 11/04/2009

I would hold off on the veggies for at least another month. Cereal if fine for several weeks. Dont rush. 6 months is soon enough for veggies and then introduce one meat at a time about 6 weeks later. Same with veggies. one at a time to be sure they will agree with him. dont be nervous. You'll do fine - remember, your gut-feeling is a good indicator.

Mere - posted on 11/04/2009

Hi um....when I had my son and returned home with him,he would'nt settle even though I gave him the bottle he just would'nt settle,s .So I thought well may be I should try him on solids and guess what he was pigging out on mashed solids that I had prepared for him and he was then settled, and guess what, I had him that morning went home that afternoon. He was on solids soon after giving birth to him. So it wont hurt baba to try a bit of solids, and don't listen to the pro's what is good and what's not good for baby cause they are'nt the ones that are with baba all the time it's you and da baby,not pro's and baby.Hope this helps let me know how you get on,be interesting

Edel - posted on 11/04/2009

never add anything to your baby's bottle... every professional and babyfood book and company say this

Edel - posted on 11/04/2009

not allowed other cereals until after 6mths

Edel - posted on 11/04/2009

go by your baby. mine started at 4 1/2mths, didn't like rice so gave him pureed fruit first then veg, alternating, one fruit/veg at a time first, gradually increasing until you add variations of combinations... increasing amount of each by day and over time increasing meals to 3/day. my son is 8 1/2mths now and will eat anything. freeze your pureed food in ice cube trays

Elyssa - posted on 11/04/2009

yes i think its okay, my baby started veggies at 4, 4 & a half or 5 months get the 1st Gerber foods. start with veggies first NOT sweets (fruits & stuff) keep your baby on one for about a week to see how your baby reacts to the foods or if your baby has a food allergy.

Debra - posted on 11/03/2009

Well if he'll eat it I don't think it's a problem. I also think my daughter was in my belly a little longer than she should have. So her problem is that when she was born she did not want the bottle and had to be tube fed. So since after that I still couldn't give her, her formula orally well I started giving her solids at 4 and a half months. She did pretty good for not wanting to have any type of food in her mouth. I would give her anything. Although I believe I gave her fruit first because she just hated her veggies and did better with the fruits. So I don't think it's wrong in any way. Try it out

Krystal - posted on 11/03/2009

my son just turned 8 months old and is already starting table foods. my older daughter almost 2 has been "sharing" with her baby brother and now he has been refusing jar food. as long as your child gets mostly formula there is no reason not to give more heartier foods early. Good Luck

Valerie - posted on 11/03/2009

I started my son on cereal at 3 months and then fruits at 5 months. We started the veggies after fruit. Did you start fruits yet?

Katie - posted on 11/03/2009

Yeah he can totally have stage one food buy now.... stage two is for self sitters and If you 5mo old is already tipping to that then all stage one's should be fine.... Just watch and see how he does with spoon feeding and go from there.....
PS: My son has been on veggies and fruit since he was at 4months and I breastfeed full time besides that :)

Hope this helped

ALISON - posted on 11/03/2009

HE'LL BE OK JUST KNOW ONCE THEY START IT'S NO GOING BACK

Mert - posted on 11/03/2009

I have four children and start all of them on solids before the doctor's said i could just try one veg for a couple days the a different one to make sure of no alleriges

Erin - posted on 11/03/2009

we started my 1st born on veggies and eventually went back to the cereals...first thing he ate was pureed peas! I never did the whole one food a week to determine allergies? We do not have food allergies really on either side so I wasn't concened soo much, although that is not a good thing to base my decision on :) It did not back fire so glad for that!!!

Nina - posted on 11/03/2009

My son was two weeks old when we put him on Whole Milk and cereal. He was eating mashed potatoes and other soft foods at 6 weeks. He was HUNGRY. I told his pediatrician and he was ok with it all as long as I had him on the WHOLE milk for the fat content. The formula's just weren't enough for him and he was always crying. He was a healthy happy child and is now 16 and doing just fine. In my opinion, not feeding our children regular foods and milk is a ploy for these formula companies, etc....Our parents weren't raised on all the formula's and baby foods and they all turned out ok, didn't they?

Jamie - posted on 11/03/2009

My doctor said one week start cereal then the next week I could start veggies. I started him on cereal when he turned 4 months.

Elizabeth - posted on 11/01/2009

Quoting Christina:


I always nurse her first to make sure she's not getting full on foods, she still drinks about 24 oz. of breastmilk a day. I always mix her cereal with breast-milk and feed her the solids separate , kind of like we eat, a bite of this then a bite of that.

I think this is the best way to start....

Michele - posted on 11/01/2009

honestly, I gave Kairi peas when she was 2 months old and she loved them.

Holly - posted on 11/01/2009

I would do it! My children all ate cereal at 6 weeks. I know its not what they say is "best" but they all did. We started with veggies at about 4 or 5 months when they got bored with cereal. I have children who will eat anything! Anyway, we did carrots, and the cereal with apples, and peas, some of the bland stuff at first. Never had any problems! Good luck!

Shannon - posted on 11/01/2009

I personally would just start a little my son was eating cereal at a month cause i just couldn't fill hiim up and his belly was just so wishy washy with milk. just watch for allergies that would be the only concern. my son is now 15 yrs old 6feet tall and as skinny as a rail i think like 125 and he still loves to eat.

Jennifer - posted on 11/01/2009

I started my son on rice cereal at 4 months and gradually started adding the fruits and veggies. I don't think your son is too young. Introduce him to one new vegetable every 3 days. Watch for an allergic reaction so you know which foods to avoid. Once he is eating the veggies, introduce the fruits. I did things by color so he tasted all the orange and yellow veggies first then we moved on to green, saving peas for last because they are thicker and most babies don't like the texture. As he appetite increases you can also increase the amount of cereal he eats. I fed my son cereal 3 times a day and mixed in his vegetables and fruits.

Christina - posted on 11/01/2009

My daughter showed signs that she wanted to eat at 3 1/2 months ;she would watch us eat and smack her lips. She was able to sit up supported , she also could do a full push up while on tummy time ( elbows straight ) these are signs that they may be ready for solids. Since 4 months she gets two tablespoons of Gerber oatmeal in the morning and two tablespoons of rice cereal at lunch with two tablespoons of fruit puree she likes bananas and applesauce best; for dinner she gets two tablespoons rice cereal and two tablespoons of veggies, sweet potatoes and carrots are her favorite !!
I always nurse her first to make sure she's not getting full on foods, she still drinks about 24 oz. of breastmilk a day. I always mix her cereal with breast-milk and feed her the solids separate , kind of like we eat, a bite of this then a bite of that. You can go to StartHealthyStayHealthy.com and there are quizzes to help you look for your baby's eating cues , how to tell when they are full, meal plan suggestions a wealth of information. Hope this all helps you good luck.

Tamara - posted on 11/01/2009

I would start on the gerber veggies. Like green beans and peas.... stay away from the sweeter veggies and all fruits until the really eat veggies good.....

Roxanne - posted on 11/01/2009

My dr. okayed solids at 5 months so i started at about 4 and a half. I found that rice cereal made her gassy. I tried avocado and banana's before the vegs. I mixed them with the cereal and then on their own. I waited 3 days when i introduced new things so at 5 1/2 months she was eating fruits and veg. Then protein at 6 months and now she eats everything. I make all of her food. she is a very good eater and very healthy.

Elizabeth - posted on 11/01/2009

I started my kids with cereal in their bottles at 4 weeks, to help them sleep through the night. They were eating cereal by 2.5 months, then veggies mixed in by 3.5 months. I don't know how you guys waited until 5 months, lol. My kids were always hungry, though. They are not overweight or anything now, though. Only advice from me: Def start with the veggies. I learned from experience that once they taste that sweet fruit, it is a little more difficult to get them to eat the not-so-sweet vegetables. Good luck!

Sherri - posted on 11/01/2009

My kids were pigs. I started them early. Just make sure you try one at atime to make sure that he isn't allergic to it.

Samantha - posted on 11/01/2009

my baby girl is 6 months and shes eating everything if u think its the right thing to do then do it....if he can sit up and turn his head away then also thats a sign that hes ready for food

Natasha - posted on 11/01/2009

My son started eating solids at 4 months. He was so hungry all the time!! He didn't like rice cereal so i was giving him veggies i don't think its bad for them. I saw on TV last night that they don't even have any evidence that says babies can't start solids earlier then 6 months and say now just to start it when the baby seems ready.

Michele - posted on 11/01/2009

my son weighed 9 lbs 8 oz when he was born and started on cereal at 5 weeks and not too long later i added fruits and then not too long later but long enough to know he wasn't allergic to any of it i added veggies you'll be fine

Brittany - posted on 11/01/2009

My doc. said that because my son was progress in milestones early he thought it would be just fine to try him on foods. My son has been eating cereal w/fruit since he was four months and now is eating lots of things. Just remember to give each food item its time to see how they react to it. Every baby is different and they grow at their own pace. Good luck and have fun, :)

Ashley - posted on 11/01/2009

Of course! If you think he is ready, go for it. You can try it, and if he doesn't like it, wait a couple of weeks, and try again. Don't push it, because then he'll hate it! My daughter started eating solids early also, and her pediatrician said she knows what she wants. If she wants to eat it, she will. So just let your son help guide you through it! It's a big step, and can be lots of fun! Good luck!

Deanna - posted on 11/01/2009

Yes. My son is 5 months and my dr said you can start him on carrots squash and sweet potatoes. you can also start on fruit like bananas peaches pears and applesauce. Just mix it in with his cereal. But go with your gut!

Laura - posted on 11/01/2009

thank you guys for the quick replies!!!

for certain reasons I can't switch doctors just yet because our insurance sucks and only covers the cheapest ones I guess...

*hugs to friendly helpers*

Hayley - posted on 11/01/2009

my son is almost 6moths and he has been having one baby jar a day and then the hungy baby formula milk but that isnt filling him anymore, once he has finished this tin of milk we are goin to put him on the follow on milk and give him breakfast as baby rice or baby porridge, dinner as grown up food e.g. mashed potato, and tea as a baby jar, then if he wants anything else he has got his follow on milk. i know he will take to it cos he's such a hungry baby! he too has been reaching milestones quickly. hope this helps!

Melissa - posted on 11/01/2009

Try other cereals first. Barley, Oats... That will get hime a bit closer to the six month mark...

Angie - posted on 11/01/2009

If you don't like your doctor and staff, find a new doctor so that when these questions come up you will trust your child's caregiver.

Sharyn - posted on 11/01/2009

what kind of veggies? my daughter ate baby gerbers since she was 4 months old ... including rice cereal in her bottle .... she is the healthiest baby i know .... go by your gut instinct, your his mother and you know how your baby reacts to foods ....