Is 4 months too early to start baby food like apple sauce?

Heather - posted on 03/18/2010

my son's doctor told me to wait till he is 4 to 6 months old to start solid food of any kind. since feeding solid foods b4 4 months can put your child at higher risk of developing food allergies. so I am waiting till at least 4 months to start giving him any kind of solid food.

Kristy - posted on 03/18/2010

Momma knows best. I would wait especially if your baby was a preemie. Depending on how early he/she was could bring her down to being younger then what they really are if you go off of her corrected age. My baby was 6 weeks early. I tried cereal at 4 months and she didn't like the texture that much. Then at 5 and half months I introduced sweet potatoes and she loves it. I mix the cereal in with it so the texture won't bother her. Good luck.

Rose - posted on 03/18/2010

I started my daughter on baby food fruits and veggies when she was 4 months. Your suppose to stick with one thing for a week and only feed it to them once or twice a day. That way if they have a food allergy you will know what it is caused from. My daughter did just fine i thought. She still is fine. But do what ever you see fit.

Brandi - posted on 03/18/2010

ok how my son was like that too....and dont worry he is your son not theres i did baby food at that age for him and he was fuller and happier !!!! i did fruit 1st and then veggies so its up to you dont let the other mom tell you how to rasie your baby ! bye hope i've helped

Alecia - posted on 03/18/2010

Hey there!!

Well, I have heard that it's really not good to give your baby cereal in the bottle, but that's just what I've heard/read.

As far as giving your baby pureed fruits and veggies. I would personally wait till @ least 5 months.

We started our daughter on just rice cereal when she was 4 months and stuck to that for a month and then started her on the pureed fruits and veggies when she was 5 months. She just turned 6 months yesterday and is doing great with both rice and purreed fruits and veggies. She is still on the stage 1 foods for now since she is still a supported sitter but I will be buying her stage 2 foods pretty soon, she's almost sitting by herself pretty good now :) If you do try a fruit or veggies wait a few days before trying something new just to make sure your baby doesn't have any kind of food allergy.

But, that's what I would recomend is sticking with the cereal till about 5 months and then explore some of the fruits and veggies, that way your baby has some time to get used to using the spoon first.

Hope that helps.

Lizzy - posted on 03/18/2010

They say if they can sit up, grab a banana and eat it, then they're ready. Or at least the end of their 4th month. But if you have a hungry baby, its hard to wait until 6 months. I plan to feed my little boy at the end of his 4th month if he can sit up, which he is starting to already and hes just over 3 months. He's on Hungry Milk as it is, and i put baby rice in his last night feed, and sleeps for 7 hours. I just think that if you think you're baby is ready, then just go for it. After all, Mummys know best. And if they're teething, they definatly need food to keep them happy and full.

Holly - posted on 03/18/2010

Forget others!! If he handles it fine, his dr is happy, and you're happy, its ok!! I started giving my bottomless pit of a daughter solids at 4 mos and she finally started getting full!! She spits up too, its common. I've learned that as all other issues, parenting is the same-you can't please everyone, so only please your baby and yourself.

Crystal - posted on 03/18/2010

no because my kids started at the age of two months because they werent getting enough from the formula

Amanda - posted on 03/18/2010

I think it's perfectly find if the dr says it is. But one suggestion.... start with veggies cause there have been many cases that if you start with fruit the baby won't want veggies. Also, stay with one flavor (peas, broccoli, pear, etc.) for a week or so before introducing a new one. This is so that if he has an allergic reaction you'll know what from.

Buffy - posted on 03/18/2010

Hi there, 4 months is not to early and mother knows best. If you feel your child is ready then go for it. Just introduce 1 type and a little at a time. My daughter was 4 mths and started out with sweet potatoes(half of small jar) everyday at supper time. I made sure to watch that she was not getting diahrrea or constipated. After a week I indroduced squash for lunch and sweet potatoes for supper for a week and so on. Only introduce one new food per week, that way you can keep track of what does and doesn't bother your babies tummy. It is also recommended that you introduce fruit after all the veggies and in the same manner(1 per week). Only because of course they'll choose fruit over veggies, I know I do, lol. Hope this helps you out

Kara - posted on 03/18/2010

4 months is early to start on food....I personally would wait.
When you do start...you should being with veggies because once they get the taste of sweet fruit...why would they want vegetables? This is just my opinion though...good luck.

Randee - posted on 03/18/2010

My daughter was very small at her 3 month check up she was 9lbs, she was 6'6 at birth. Her doctor suggested the cereals and small amounts of veggies and fruits. She did great and it helped her to gain weight she is now 13 months and loves every type of food and she weighs 20 lbs

Tori - posted on 03/18/2010

I started my daughter on baby food at 3 months old. But my mom told me to stick with one kind - like bananas - for 4 days before i move onto another to make sure she wasn't allergic to it. Maybe he's ready to try another kind and that's why he spits it back out some days. A friend of mine started her son on baby food at a month. I think thats too early, but the dr. ok'd it because he wasn't getting enough of his formula and was constantly eating. As soon as I gave it to my daughter, I fed it to her every day. Breakfast was formula, rice, and fruits mixed in so she would eat more. the only time I just gave her formula, was in between meals. I even started her on water at 2 weeks old so she would get used to that and I wouldn't have a problem with her drinking it in the future. She's 2 now and loves water. She'd rather drink that than anything else. Every now and then I will give her milk and juice, but her juice is waterd down. I try to stay away from juice and milk alot because the sugars messed with her teeth and I had to go take her to get them pulled a week before she turned 2.

Danielle - posted on 03/18/2010

We just did pablum until about 5 1/2 months. But after he took well to the plain pablum I started buying the pablum with bananas in it and then the pablum with apples. It's really up to you, you know what your baby...I suggest not rushing anything though. And of course, as you already know I'm sure, give him a few days for each type of food so you can watch out for allergies and whatnot.

Heather - posted on 03/18/2010

I started with veggies at 6 months, then i introduced fruits at 7 so she didnt get a taste for the sweet stuff first. Also i wouldn't give rice cereal in a bottle, doctors and many books say it will make baby gain weight to fast. besides half the fun of making cereal is the messy spoon use :)

Brandi - posted on 03/18/2010

i started my little one at 4 months and shes fine. i make her baby food and when i told her doctor that i was making it they said not to give her honey, peanuts,and strawberries so keep that in mind if you make his baby food.

Samantha - posted on 03/18/2010

I started my daughter on baby food when she was right at 4 months old. It took her alittle bit to get use to opening her mouth when I would try to feed her but she picked up on it really quick. It will be really messes the first few times...lol but thats what makes it fun. I wouldn't worry about other people I got the same looks but my daughter loved the baby food and did good with it. Before I started feeding her the baby food she was always hungry for more after she was finish with just the formula. I think you should go ahead with it, and the doc says its ok then he will do fine.

Shawnice - posted on 03/18/2010

my dock gave the ok for my son to have baby food at 3.5 months. i think it depends on wether or not the baby is ready. if he appears to chew alot try it

Helen - posted on 03/18/2010

We gave DD #1 solids at 3.5 months at the recommendation of her pedi. We started out with apple sauce and cereal and she did wonderful. Our Pedi also said it doesn't matter what you start with as a baby is going to like what they are going to like and not like what they don't like. And for us that is true. DD#1 is now almost 2 and she LOVES her veggies and her fruit. So I don't agree that if you give them fruit first that they are not going to "like" veggies.

Ave - posted on 03/18/2010

i started to give my child some baby food at 4months as my doctor suggested. and he ate very well. some babys mabey don't need baby food so early but some do. i don't think it's too early :)

Anne-Marie - posted on 03/18/2010

I started giving my son pureed fruit and veggies at 4 months. he had no problem with it what so ever. if you are going to give it to him i would puree the fruit or veggies ur self with a little bit of water if needed cuz the tins you can buy are full of sugar. they say to only give 1 small tea spoon of food at a time and normally just before his bottle. I have also heard people say babies dont know when they are full and kep eating no matter what but i disagree. my son would always turn his head one he had enoug. i think that if it is not upsetting his tummy and he is pooing it out fine a little bit isnt going to hurt him :D

Jennifer - posted on 03/18/2010

I introduced my son to solids starting at 4 months and he did fine. We did the rice first then after a week I decided to start trying other things I think it may have just been pureed baby food then every 3-4 days I introduced a new one. I think you should just really pay attention to your mother's intuition and if you feel like your baby is ready to try something else then go ahead a give it to him then gauge if you should continue or wait a little longer. Just don't start giving him potatoe chips, ha ha, kidding of course.

Brittney - posted on 03/17/2010

i started my son on baby food at four months... his doctor said it was fine..... however i started him on the vegies instead of fruit... so he'd actually like them!!!!!

Kristina - posted on 03/17/2010

My pediatrician recommended starting them on orange veggies, they can handle those better. Carrots, squash etc. but only one new food at a time :)

Tasha - posted on 03/17/2010

Yeah he was eating a lot and i was worried that he would gain still too much weight and so this helps him get full better and doesnt drink as much during the day too. so it really works out for him

Stormy - posted on 03/17/2010

some babys eat more than others and food is sometimes the best way to keep up. my oldest started baby food when he was 4 months old. a lot of the guidlines have changed, a few years ago they said not to give food til a baby was 6 months a few years before that they said not to give a baby food until they were a year old. so depending on the age of the person you talk to they may think it is strange, but thats they way it was when they had a baby around.

Amanda - posted on 03/17/2010

I started my son on rice cereal at 3 months old because he wouldn't sleep through the night. He was getting up five to seven times a night and would drink an 8oz bottle every time. I started him on applesauce at 4 months old, but we make our own so I wasn't too worried. Our doctor told me I was nuts but I wanted sleep and didn't harm in at all. She also told me that I shouldn't give him applesauce because of all the additives in it. I bought Hinez organic for other fruit and squash because they are very hard to make, but other then that I made everything else myself. A bag of frozen peas is about 3-4 bucks but it made enough to last a month, unlike baby food in jars which last three days. Every doctor and every child is different. My friend gave her child peanut butter at 6 months and her doctor told her that she didn't believe any of the peanuts causing allergies. I have no allergies and my mom gave me peanut butter at 8 months.

Tia - posted on 03/17/2010

Most Doctors suggest waiting until 6 mos. However, my Dr said you can start sooner if the baby is showing signs that the baby is ready. If his poop becomes darker and less frequent, chances are most of his milk is being absorbed and his body can handle something additional like infant cereal or other infant solids.

Heather - posted on 03/17/2010

I have three children, all of who had acid reflux as babies that caused them to drink because their tummies hurt. Because they wanted more to drink so much to calm their stomachs, they would end up violently throwing up. This would make their tummies hurt again so the cycle would continue. My children's pediatrician said to introduce some thin cereal at around 2-3 months but continue their normal bottle feedings as well. The vegetables I started at around 4-5 months and then fruits. Some docs feel that if a child is used to the sweetness of the fruit they may not like some of the bland and bitter tastes of the vegetables. All of my children were eating off of the table, in moderation and under close supervision, at about 9-10 months.

Katie - posted on 03/17/2010

Where I come from 4 months old wouldn't be considered old enough. Main reason being he could get constipated. Producing a weight problem later down the road. I didn't think baby's could digest the foods. In formula there is an ingredient to help break down the formula. It sounds like a test and trial kind of situation. If he's happy I would do what's best for your son.

Angela - posted on 03/17/2010

& my 5 wk old already started eating cereal

Tasha - posted on 03/17/2010

Thanks Angela .. that is true ... yeah my husband would stick his finger in like the cheese in the mac and cheese and he woudl suck it off his finger he loved it lol ... but your right.. he is my child and he shows me that he is ready

Angela - posted on 03/17/2010

girly girl i let my 2 oldest girls eat food food loke mashed pot & gravey @ 2-3 months old if he holds his head up & does good who cares whatever one elsa thinks no one knows ur baby like u good luck

Lindsey - posted on 03/17/2010

i think every baby is an idividual, and if you think that your son is ready for it, go for it! my daughter is 5 months, and we started her on baby food about a week before she turned 4months. she didnt like the cereal at all, and our dr said that it would be fine to start trying other things if i was comfortable with it. i made her carrots the next day, and she loved them! the next day, she wanted nothing to do with them. lol. its all on their terms, you just have to follow their lead, imo!

Rachel - posted on 03/17/2010

Hi my son is 3 months and 3 weeks old.. I started feeding him rice cereal and fruit, now he eats 8 ozs a day.. 4 in the morning at daycare for breakfast and 4 at night at dinner before bed... but i dont use a spoon i ordered online the feeders that are like bottles but shorter and fatter... he loves it, and my son has a acid relfexs and he doesnt spit up as much as he use too...so i say go for it...babies are different, so he may like it more then others babies at that age...

Tirza - posted on 03/17/2010

We started my daughter on baby food, like applesause, at 4 months. If your son is ready, he will let you know, he will also let you know if he is not ready(by vomiting frequently, things like that). Also, the doc said that it should be fine. It does not hurt to try. Just stay tuned to your son, he will let you know for sure!!!

Tasha - posted on 03/17/2010

Alright I didnt know that.. that gives me options on trying him on different foods.. I probably should have started him on vegies... We have been giving him Bananas for almost a week.. and He seems to like them.. So i think that maybe i will try some kind of veges next week to see how he does... I didnt realize that they would get use to the sweetness of fruites and not want to even try vegies ah keep my fingers crossed he will like them cause he needs a lot of what those offer lol

Deborah - posted on 03/17/2010

My daughter was eating rice cereal with breastmilk at 2 mos every morning and at night to help her sleep we started her on baby food stage 1 at 4 mos and now she eats table food as well she turns 10 mos on the 18th.

Anna - posted on 03/17/2010

i started with what the call the yellow veggies like squash n she wasnt too big on the fruits so I mixed a little bit of the fruits with rice cereal ... If youre curios about something ask your peditricican or you can always try calling your wic ofice they usually have a nutrionist

Caroline - posted on 03/17/2010

If you start anything I would advise to start with a vegitable.

Some studies have shown that when you do this, your child is more likely to accept vegitables easily.

Children always like fruit because its sweet, its always the vegis that we have to fight with!



I started my son on green beans first.

Then went to peas and so on.

After introducing a few vegitables, I introduced fruit.

And my son LOVES his vegitables!!!

Broccoli is his favorite food!



Also when you do it make sure you only introduce one kind of food per week.

ex: if you start with green beans you should continue to only give green beans for the whole week.

Lisa - posted on 03/17/2010

i think every child is different. u get to know when ur child is ready for something new or wants something more than just milk not all babies are the same both my 2 started eating more than just milk at different ages.

Stephanie - posted on 03/17/2010

no, if the child is hungry feed them, my son was 2 months and my daughter was 3 months old when i started feeding them solids, it was the best thing i could ever do, i just started them with farex and things like that....dont listen to what others say, if YOU the PARENT think it is ok for YOUR child then do it.

Tasha - posted on 03/17/2010

Elizabeth.. the funny thing is.. He has screamed a few times but i think its only because I am not putting it in his mouth fast enough its kind of funny actually cause as soon as i get the spoon to his lips he stops crying and he will attack his spoon haha.. and every one else yeah I think that he is ready for sure I did it today and he did so well he was opening his mouth for every bite and he would lean towards the spoon so he is really ready for this. He may only be 4 months and be a preemie but like i said all the nurse prat. and nurses and doctors say that he is advanced for his even though he should really only be 2 months old if he was born full term.. he is doing what a full term 5 month old baby would be doing.. he is was rolling over at 3 months.. and he is starting to sit up better and bettter every day..that was actually ment for one person who thought that my doctor was crazy because he was a preemie and shouldnt be suggst. him eating baby food already so there you go that is your answer to that.. still a little upset with what was told to me..b ut every one else thanks so much for your encouragement and helpful thoughts!

Elizabeth - posted on 03/17/2010

My doctor actually told me to start my daughter on food at four months, and she is the most healthy little thing you will ever see. She will be five months old tomorrow and eats 4 tbs. of cereal a day, and 2 tbs of fruit, and 2 tbs of veggies. We gave her veggies first so that she wouldn't reject them after having fruit, bc babies naturally have sweet taste buds, so she needed to accept the taste of veggies before she was given the sweetness of the fruit. My daughter did the whole eating it one day and spitting it back out the next, it is normal, so is the eating more one day and not so much the next. Also, if you little boy starts screaming in the middle of feeding him, I was told you justhave to keep giving it to them off the spoon, don;t give up, that's what I did, and now she eats like a pro!!!

Jemma - posted on 03/17/2010

hi, my son would open his mouth when i put a spoon near his mouth and he never spit anything out so at 3 months he was eating banana, pumpkin and potato. docs told me it was too early but he was ready for food??? diferent story from each doc to. so yes it entirely depends on your baby.

Candace - posted on 03/17/2010

i started mine on step 1 at 3 months and rice ceral but it just depends on your doctor and what you think is best

Morgan - posted on 03/17/2010

My daughter is now 5 months old.... she has been eating rice cereal off a spoon since she was 2 1/2 weeks old.... when she was 2 months we atarted her on fruits... then veggies ... then oatmeal and barley..... now 2 weeks ago i started her on the dinners.... So I think it it perfectly fine!!!

Nicole - posted on 03/17/2010

I know what you mean about getting the weirdo looks...many ppl think you should follow the little feeding stage chart but hello we all know EVERY baby is different...I started both of my boys on baby food early and they are both healthy..oh and just a little FYI if you give them their veggies first it will be so much easier to get them to them later as they get older...if you start off w/ the good stuff..lol fruits it might be a little harder to get them to the veggies they need.

TIFFANY - posted on 03/17/2010

i have feed all my boys a little of baby food .that will help him not drink so much milk .. he would love to taste a different food.. you can mix some cereal with baby food .he will love it.

Sandra - posted on 03/17/2010

I started feeding my daughter baby food at about 4 months old....I think it is fine at least it is the 1st foods or something like applesauce that is not chunky....