when did you start baby foods / cereals?

Bonnie - posted on 10/23/2011

With both our boys we started cereal between 5 and 6 months and then a few weeks later started with vegetables and then fruits. We started then because our babies needed something more and they were showing interest. More of it was getting in their mouth at that point rather then out as well.

Stifler's - posted on 10/23/2011

I can't even remember but I remember he was good at sitting up and would eat it instead of spit it out when I offered him things. I'm sure it was around 5 months. My new baby is 5 months and nowhere near ready they are all different.

Sharlene - posted on 10/22/2011

Hi ,I started at 5/6 months cereal,homemade vegies,fruit and dessert.Cheers

Firebird - posted on 10/22/2011

8 months. It's all just for practice before a year anyway, since a baby's first source of nutrition should be breastmilk or formula until then. I saw no need to rush into it.

Sherri - posted on 10/22/2011

On avg. I started 4mo's for solids. Cereal first, then veggies, then fruits.

Erin - posted on 10/22/2011

We started just before 5 months. She was sitting up on her own and had lost her tongue thrust reflex. She was hungry all the time, and very ready. Never once turned her head away from the spoon or pushed it out of her mouth.

I also started with banana and avocado. I really only used cereal to mix with her fruits for breakfast as she got older. Rice cereal is totally pointless IMO.

I made her food and never did 'purees' really. I just steamed it down to a soft mushy texture and mashed it. My feeling is that if a baby can only tolerate a true puree consistency, they're probably not ready for solids at all.

Liz - posted on 10/22/2011

At 6 months (and after he could sit well on his own), I first offered banana and avocado -- later on, various soft or cooked-until-soft vegetables/fruits, plain yogurt, oatmeal (ground fine before cooking), egg yolks, minced chicken, etc.



I never forced it. He probably didn't actually swallow anything until 7.5 months. He would taste, lick, play, drop, etc.



I never did purees, jarred baby food, or baby cereal.

Teresa - posted on 10/22/2011

My girls started at 3.5 months. We started cuz we went out to dinner and they wouldn't quit grabbing at our food and sucking on it. The recommendation was 4-6 months, but the doc said if they were interested to go ahead and try it. They've never had any issues w/ it whatsoever and are almost 10 now.

My son (3.5 now) was exhibiting similar behaviors at 5 months, but he would just sit w/ some food on his tongue and have no clue what to do w/ it. He actually took his first 'bite' (of avocado) at 6 months, but his interest in food came and went at random and he wasn't eating on a regular daily basis til around a year and still had some breastmilk only days (mostly while teething or sick) til 18ish months.

Even w/ my experience of starting my girls early.... I wouldn't recommend (not that I'm an expert, just a mom) starting before 6ish months. MY kids didn't have any issues, but that doesn't mean another kid won't.

Oh, my girls started on baby rice cereal and had quite a bit of cereals. My son didn't care for them and I only used baby cereal a handful of times to thicken up some of the soupier baby foods.

Minnie - posted on 10/22/2011

Just shy of six months with my first, your typical by the book spoon fed goo. I did it because I was told to. Lol.

With my second we waited until she decided to feed herself, which was 10 months and skipped the purees. She went straight to eating whatever we were having.