When do I start baby food?

Mona - posted on 08/17/2009

baby food should only be started after the baby is 6 months i am sure that your doctor will tell you that babies befor this age have a digestive system with week barriers that they are more likly to develope allergies to any type of food. My baby was breast fed untill that age and then i introduced baby food gradually, she is now 19months old and has no allergies although my husband and i have allergies

Laura - posted on 08/11/2009

Hello

I am a mother of one natural birth and foster mom of 7. grandmother of 18. we have all kinds of children. I woul say speak to your ped let them know if your baby dosnt feel satisfied with formula/breast milk. trust your insticts. I have learned if you dont feed the child and then lay them down it helps with digestion and choking. my youngest grandaughter started cereal at 9 weeks. she is know 13 months and healthy 21 pounds. As i have barretes i always worry about digestion issues and read up alot on the subject. always check with doc first though and let them know your concerns.

Cathralynn - posted on 08/11/2009

Definately get your docs advice and the reasons why before making decisions. I know GERD babies have a different set of rules but, for most docs don't recommend starting solids bfore 4-6mo. Before then babies intestines are not fully developed and food enters the blood stream directly. You have a higher chance of developing allergies. That's why I say baby led, babies aren't normally able to sit upright and have the pincher grasp to feed themselves until 6mo or so. Just get all the info from a trusted source before you decide anything. Good luck!

Michelle - posted on 08/11/2009

Tabatha, I just read all of the replies to see what everyone was saying. I am a mother of 5, ages 20, 18, 17, 14 & 9. My oldest was bottle fed & at 2 1/2 weeks she was eating cereal at night in a cereal feeder, she had no problems. On the other 4 I breast fed them & started cereal at nights at one month, then at 2 months added cereal in the morning, with a little fruit mixed in. At 3 months, I fed them vege & fruit for lunch, then at 4 mos. they got meats added at dinner time. All of my kids are healthy & very active. I know what all of the drs say, but I am old school. You do need to be careful when introducing something new. Do it for a week & see if there are any reactions. Ex: One of my kids could not eat peaches or drink apple juice...she still can't drink much apple juice. If you are feeding her formula every 2 hours & she still doesn't seem satisfied, go for it. Good luck.

Lisa - posted on 08/11/2009

I would definitely wait until 6 months. My son didn't seem to ever fill up either. Turned out he was having problems from medication being given. Behind my back well meaning people were feeding him baby food, He has all kinds of allergies and stomach problems. Also allergic reactions can take up 7 days to occur. So add food slowly. My niece had gerd changed formula and finally found one that didn't aggrivate it. Good luck.

Krisanne - posted on 08/10/2009

I started feeding my babies at 4 months its really just watching your baby and see if they seem interested in what you are eating (following the fork/spoon) as you eat etc. If your baby seems hungry try cereal it wont hurt. it might even make your baby sleep better.

Kristin - posted on 08/07/2009

my son is now four months and a half we had a doctor appointment the other day and discussed this topic. My doctor told me at his two month appointment to wait to feed him baby food till four months. Well at three months all my son did was cry for more food and could not eat more then 6 oz due to his acid reflux. so at three months i started him on the rice cereal i fed him with a spoon. at four months he started fruit and veggies. He is now four and a half months old and is acting more hungry again during the day my doctor told me to start feeding him twice a day or three times a day. My son is very happy and healthy. I am very happy with my decision to start feeding him early. Also my doctor agreed with me when i told him why we started feeding him early. Listen to your doctor and take in his opinion but then go by your instinct too. If you think your child is telling you they are ready to move forward then don't hold them back go ahead and try.

Ilse - posted on 08/07/2009

OH PLEASE DO NOT GIVE TOO MUCH BANANA IS CAUSES BAD CONSTIPATION!!!!! its horrible.!

Ilse - posted on 08/07/2009

hi you will know when ur baby is ready. some at 4mths some at 6mths. they do say to wait til they are 6mths. My first i started at 6mths and my second i knew she was ready at 5mths cos she was eyeing off my food and still seemed alil hungry after booby. so really anytime after 4mths but id wait til aleast 5mths or 6. Also with my 1st a gave mostly baby food and she was fussy when she started to eat more grown up food. I really suggest to make ur own which i did with my 2nd and she eats everything that we eat and it hasnt been a big problem and then u know exactly what they are getting:) I stewed apple and pears and then stored them in the freezer than gave them to her as needed then just do a big cook up again...same with veges. i did them all separetly then i could mix them as i wanted so she had a variety:) good luck. Didnt mean to ramble on lol hope this helped:)

Made - posted on 08/06/2009

i give my baby food when she 4 months old

Cathralynn - posted on 08/06/2009

Research baby led weaning and talk to your doc. You wanna be sure you address the GERD issue. But I feel that if you have your baby at family meals and offer them small bits of soft foods they can feed themselves, as in not pureed off a spoon, they will tell you when they are ready. A baby who has the pincher grasp to pick up food and the interest to grab it and place it in its own mouth is most likely sitting upright and developed intestionally to handle it, ~6mo. This lets your baby learn to recognize their own cues, when they are hungry and full and control their own eating. It makes mealtime a less negative experience and lets babies learn at their own speed so they eat when they are ready. If they develope faster than some they will show interest earlier on their own.

Janna - posted on 08/06/2009

My baby was breast feed for 4 mths going into the 5th mth I started him on cereal, it is not good to start them on food to early because it messes up there stomachs, it cause problems later on in life with the stomach also, but I would check with you doctor,

Beth - posted on 08/06/2009

Chiropractic care is crucial for you daughter's body to function properly. GERD is a symptom of an underlying problem with her nervous system caused by subluxation. Get her spine checked and see how healthy your kid can be!!!

Joy - posted on 08/04/2009

Hi, I havent read any of the other posts so sorry if I am repeating. I would def talk to a pead first. A lot of people think its no big deal to start a baby on solids BUT it is one of the most important things we will introduce to our children. It is a very big deal and a BIG part of everyday life. In the end you can listen to all the advice in the world but only you and your baby will know when it is the right time. I just say speak to a pead first as you can get the medical side of things as well as the opinions and experience of other mothers on this site. I started my little man at 4 months and he eats like there is no tomorrow at 11 months. good luck.

Tammy - posted on 08/04/2009

start with thin cereal, take your time. My dr said he saw my son drooling alot and that was the sign to start. He did this at 4 months, but I started a little bit at 3 1/2. Go slow and use your instincts. It will seem like it takes a long time at first, but around 9-10 months they start eating a lot of different foods easily. Rice cereal caused tummy aches for us, so we did oatmeal cereal, alone and mixed with fruit purees. That worked great.

Mel - posted on 08/04/2009

its fine my daughter was started on baby food at 3 months by the childrens hospital and she couldnt sit up or even hold her head up. so your baby is fine. i would stick to the pureed fruits and vegies. cereal tastes horrible and it doesnt really have to be a first food anymore

Melissa - posted on 08/04/2009

My doctor said any single grain baby cereal was fine at about 3 and half to 4 months and the WIC nutritionist says 4 months. Absolutely none in the bottle though, it's a choking hazard and can lead to overeating then obesity. Also cereal and baby foods are introduced to babies to get them used to eating with a spoon not because the baby needs it. Rice cereal has next to nothing as far as nutritional value so if you fill your baby up on that alone there could be side affects. When I started cereal I let my baby play with his spoon for awhile just so it wasn't so new to him. Now at 5 months he tries to put it in his mouth by himself. Lastly the doctor said that baby food purees should be started after 6 months. I have started Haden on them already because I felt he was ready. I started bitter veggies first like peas, green beans, and squash then moved on to the sweeter veggies. As everyone else has said wait 2-5 days before trying a new food. I actually tried a little bananas on Haden a few days ago and he didn't eat them well so I'm waiting a little longer on the fruit. FYI my baby didn't sleep through the night when I started him on cereal, it was when I started putting him to bed and letting him put himself to sleep somewhere around 4 months. He actually still has a night every now and then that he wakes up.

Tabatha - posted on 08/04/2009

Tamm--Thank you!!

Tamm - posted on 08/04/2009

Depending on how bad her GERD is it may effect how she will react to different foods especially if there is any acidity in the food. I have GERD as an adult and i know that certain foods make me miserable. I really hope that you are able to find something that will work for her. She is adorable

Tabatha - posted on 08/04/2009

Tamm--O NO!!! I didn't mean to sound so abupt with you. I agree on the doctor issue. My sister-in-law's doctor told her to start her baby on baby food at 3 months...mine says wait till 6 months...but my little one doesn't do well on cereal and the formula is not filling her up. So I was just trying to see what other moms do. I really do appreciate your opinion and advise.

Tamm - posted on 08/04/2009

Well, sorry about that Tabatha. I am going by what my doctor told me and unfortunately every doctor is different as is all the information on the web. Also circumstances are different for you since your little one has GERD. It might be best to call the doctor and see what they recommend because that might affect what they want her to have and when. I am starting to feel that there really isnt a right answer and you just have to what is best for your baby within certain parameters. Good luck!



I didnt mean to appear negative if that is the way that it seemed. Sorry if it appeared that way. I was just trying to be helpful

Tabatha - posted on 08/04/2009

Tamm--My daughter was started on juice and cereal at doctor's orders.

Fauve - posted on 08/04/2009

I started my daughter on rice cereal when she was 3 months. I seen my doctor before doing so, but she said if she wasn't getting enough from her formula to start giving her some cereal. I give her as much as she will eat. Hope this helps!

Katrina - posted on 08/04/2009

My oldest son was on baby cereal at 3 weeks, because he wasn't getting enough out of the formula. My youngest son was on pureed table food at 3 months, he ate everything I ate, the same with my daughter. Someone is always going to say something isn't good for them, to me it's just crazy. Trust your instincts when it comes to your child, and don't 2nd guess yourself. No one knows your child better than you do. My children are completely healthy, heck they're all almost taller than I am. So just go with your gut feelings. Good luck!

Tamm - posted on 08/04/2009

They arent suppose to have fruit juice generally until at least 6 months or later. It is not recommended that they have them earlier than that. You shouldnt start baby food until you consult your doctor but they do not recommend starting until between 4-6 months because their systems are not able to handle it earlier

September - posted on 08/04/2009

i was told by my doctor that pureeing fruits and veggies for your baby is very harmful due to the pesticides they grow in, im from wisconin so maybe that makes a difference, but check with your doctor before you puree your own food... oh and my daughter had reflux so i understand what you mean about cereal and stuff!



NOT IF YOU COOK THEM FIRST :) WHICH IS WHAT I DO :) oh and one other thought...buy organic and you will not have to worry about pesticides. I live in Seattle so we have lots of health markets and organic farmers markets to buy from that grow all of their fruits and veggies without uses pesticides. I'm very lucky and so is my son :)

Jennifer - posted on 08/04/2009

The best thing to do is ask your doctor! We waited until my son was about 5 months old before starting cereal. We only started then b/c he kept opening his mouth like we do acting like he wanted a bite!!

Meagan - posted on 08/04/2009

I would say go ahead and try baby food. My son had some trouble with gaining weight and the doctor actually told me that as long as you are still making sure he is getting formula it is okay to try baby food. Also at first it is good to just try one food a week to make sure the baby has no food allergies.

September - posted on 08/04/2009

i was told by my doctor that pureeing fruits and veggies for your baby is very harmful due to the pesticides they grow in, im from wisconin so maybe that makes a difference, but check with your doctor before you puree your own food... oh and my daughter had reflux so i understand what you mean about cereal and stuff!



NOT IF YOU COOK THEM FIRST :) WHICH IS WHAT I DO :)

Courtney - posted on 08/04/2009

i was told by my doctor that pureeing fruits and veggies for your baby is very harmful due to the pesticides they grow in, im from wisconin so maybe that makes a difference, but check with your doctor before you puree your own food... oh and my daughter had reflux so i understand what you mean about cereal and stuff!

September - posted on 08/04/2009

Oh and by the way...in my opinion adding cereal to your child bottle is a bad idea unless of course there is a medical reason to do so. Also it's been proven that addding cereal to your childs bottle at night WILL NOT help them sleep better!

September - posted on 08/04/2009

I would say no. I'm a kinda by the book Mom so that is just my opinion. I was told by my Doctor that you should not start your child on baby food until they are 6 months old. I waited until he was 6 months and then I added in fruits and veggies. I've never given my son jarred foods. I've always made his food homemade and fresh. I would just puree his fruit and veggies and recently we've added meats which I just chop up into small bites sizes pieces. It sounds like you may have a special situation with your child having GERD. So the rules may vary when it comes to a child that has medical conditions. Good luck with whatever you decide to do :)

Lisa - posted on 08/04/2009

Also, juice shouldn't be happening yet either. She is going to get used to the sweet and not want to eat vegtables! Juice is LOADED!!!! with sugar. Hope you are watering it down! The sugar is terrible for weight problems and the teeth! I would cut the juice out until at least 6 months also!!!

Lisa - posted on 08/04/2009

Cereal is good to start when they can support their head. Actual fruits and veggies aren't critical the first year, but the docs recommend at least 6 months. They do not need it the first year. Formula and breastmilk are MORE important. I can't believe your doctor said it was ok to feed cereal at 2 days old. They don't even have swallowing, breathing and sucking mastered at that point, nonetheless eating cereal! You want to wait as long as possible and then unfortunately, they need 4-5 days of the same thing to see if they are allergic! And then wait for a year for cow's milk. They can develop allergies to it also. Good luck.

Courtney - posted on 08/04/2009

my doctor said it was fine to start my daughter on baby food at 3 months. she said as long as the baby will eat it off a spoon shes ready for it. also, my daughter didnt like the stage one foods because they were so plain so my doctor said to try stage 2 foods becaused they had mixed flavors and she loved them! do what you feel is right if shes been having cereal and juices her stomach should be able to handle baby food. Good Luck :)

Ashley - posted on 08/04/2009

To reduce the risk of food allergies, pediatricians recommend no baby food until 6 months. Then you can introduce one food at a time. Feed that food for 2-3 days and watch for allergies (rashes, etc.) If none, then you can add a new flavor and repeat the waiting game. There are different schools of thought on if you should introduce fruits or veggies first. I would recommend vegtables. If a baby develops a liking to fruit, then the veggies may be too bitter later on for a liking. Start with veggies and then fruit is like a treat later on.



NO honey, citrus or peanut butter within the first year and be careful with the higher risk foods (strawberries, etc). If you have heard of it as a common allergy then I would wait as long as possible since your baby already has digestive issues.



Also, NO cow milk until after a year old....babies can't digest it until that point. I hope this helps!

Shannon - posted on 08/04/2009

I gave my kids cereal in their bottles around age 2 months so they would sleep through the night. Started feeding it to them with a spoon at about 3 1/2 months. I feed them regular baby food at age 6 months.

Amanda - posted on 08/04/2009

My son is also 3 months old and has been eating baby jar foods since 2 months old but I put it in his bottle with his formula and shake it up and he sleeps well at night on that and he doesnt need to eat as much as he normally does without it.

Sheila - posted on 08/04/2009

I would recommend that you speak with your pediatrician. But in general, they give the basic guideline of 4-6 months, and that is due to the ability to digest food and risks for food allergies. Just remember when you do start solids, introduce one each week, that way you can pinpoint any possible allergies that might arise.

Amber - posted on 08/04/2009

I started my little girl at 4 months, it took her a little while to get the hang of it, but if wanting sooner than 4 months I would recommend to obviously speak to you pediatrician, the reason they say no sooner than 4 months is due to their digestive abilities and higher risk for a food allergy. But in her unique situation, definetly ask the pediatrician.

Lori - posted on 08/04/2009

My son was breastfed, but I still started him on cereal at 4 months. I did cereal for about a week or 2 and then began adding food. I started adding bananas and apples with his cereal. After that you can just start adding a different fruit or vegetable every week or so, just to make sure they are not allergic to anything. I found that easing my son into solid food was the best way to go. He pretty much spit out everything I gave him the first try, but you just have to keep trying. Eventually, they will get used to them and love it. My son is 20 months now, and he is a very good eater. By the time he was about 15 months he was pretty much done with baby food, and eating regular food. Hope that helps, and just like Ashly said trust your instincts because no one knows your baby like you do.

Renee - posted on 08/04/2009

Doctors give a general guideline on many things when it comes to children, but every child is different. Even your own children will differ in the way they develop. You have to follow your child's lead when it comes to EVERYTHING. Even starting them on solids. I began with baby food in the bottle first. When it seemed that baby wasn't satisfied enough, I began to feed him from a spoon. It's natural instincts before doctors orders siomply because YOU and BABY have a bond that NO ONE can comprehend! You will know when the time is right!

Wendy - posted on 08/04/2009

Also,when you do start baby food you want to try 1 new food a week so in case she has an allergic reaction you can pinpoint exactly what food it is. Good luck!

Wendy - posted on 08/04/2009

I started my son on cereal when he was 3 mo old and mixed in baby fruit with it. If your daughter can take in the food with a spoon I would try.

Leah - posted on 08/04/2009

My dr said the only reason they reccomend starting babies on solids later in life is because their digestive systems arent fully developed so it can cause constipation and also some theories are that it can cause food allergies! I would call your dr and explain the situation and just see what advice they give you! Studies change like every year haha... GOOD LUCK!

Ashly - posted on 08/04/2009

go with your instincs my son is 4 months old and has been of cereal since 3 even though the health nurse lady says dont start until 6 months. if she isnt getting full then why not it out it wont hurt her