Getting Baby to Eat Solids

Hi M., my name is W., I have 3 boys and i breast feed them also. The way i got my kids to eat cereal, is first , have you tryed rice cereal? have you put just a touch of sugar in the cereal? if she dont like rice, which a lot of babys dont, try baby oatmeal. or maybe mix alittle bit of baby fruit in the cereal.. give it try..

I don't know if you pump and bottle feed but with both of my kids I started mixing the cereal in with the bottle, just to thicken it up, and never had a problem spoon feeding it to them. It may help to get her used to the taste of it...just start off with a little and slowly add more. Or if you're wanting to spoon feed, my kids always loved it mixed with fruits and vegis, especially bananas! Good Luck!

Hi M.

You really don't need to start cereal at 4 months if breastfeeding. We're waiting to at least 6 months before we introduce any food. And then it will probably be something other than cereal. Don't sweat it. :)

I'm not sure if it will make a difference for your daughter or not but this did for me. When I went back to work she got used to a bottle nipple (she would still breast feed though) so when I went to start her on some cereal we had to get an infa-feeder. Since she was used to the nipple bottle for food as well as the breast she didn't refuse it as much out of a nipple rather than from a spoon. And as she grows a little more she'll take a little more. My daughter wouldn't take much at first either. You may have to go to Walgreens or shop online at Walgreens to find an Infa-feeder. This was the only place we could find them.

I don't buy into all the baby books and doctors setting schedules for foods. My daughter was the same way but I found out if I bought the Gerber rice or oatmeal in a jar I could mix a little of the other dry cereal in it and she would devour it. I started my children on cereal a lot sooner than four months because they just weren't satisfied eating milk and they wanted to nurse constantly. Try some of the fruits too. At four months she should tolerate it real well.

First of all get a baby food feeder and try to get her to eat out of it. They are not very tall and about 2-3 inches around. It has a plunger like thing on the bottom of it and as she eats it moves. They are clear so you can see how much she is getting. But make sure the nipple is like your breast. Start off feeding her just like an ounce or so. Breast feed babies like the nipple like the breast not the long ones. You can always warm the nipple under warm water. You could hold her like she is breast feeding and put the feeder nipple in her mouth. At least she may begin to like the taste. Good luck. (a long ago breast feeder L. J)

Looks like you've gotten plenty of good advice on this.

We exclusively BF in the beginning, and DS didn't even really want any solids at six months. He just wanted to keep nursing round the clock. ;) We skipped the cereal (bleh!) and went straight to bananas and avocados - good foods to supplement breast milk. He didn't start eating foods regularly for a few more months. Really, as long as your DD is nursing enough, there isn't any rush.

my ped told me is was best to start a breastfed baby on solids closer to 6 months. if she doesn't want it don't force her. just put the cereal away for now...try again in a few weeks or a months...introducing solids is a 1 step forward 2 steps back process. or you could try nursing her a little and then giving her some cereal...if she's not famished, she might be a little more willing to give the cereal a try.

You've gotten some good advice to wait! I can't believe so many doctors are recommending feeding solids to such young babies. Keep breastfeeding, because that is what is best for you baby for sure!!

Here are a couple links about solids for breastfed babies:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

My son was the same way he hated it with milk. I started mixing it with infant juice and making it alittle thicker. If that doesn't work out then what you could try is putting some on your nipple and letting her try it and then putting some on the spoon and having her try it that way. I do know that is going to take alittle time. Good luck

B.

is your baby underweight or something?
i breastfed both my girls (10 and 2 1/2) and my doctor said not to start cereal until 6 months. a baby will accept cereal when the baby is ready, until then they just spit it out. unless there is a medical reason don't stress, she'll eat it when she's ready.

It sounds like your LO is not developmentally ready for solids. The APP recommends waiting until 6 months. Some older docs still say 4 months, but it really isn't what is best. I would put away the solids for a while!!

I breast fed my kids until two years old and worked full time. Breast milk is just fine and if your baby is growing and gaining weight, forcing the issue is dumb. Giving kids cereal at an early age can initiate allergies. I don't understand why doctors insist that kids have to have this. They survive just fine on breast milk. I would google breastfeeding and look up the lactation contacts in your area to find information and support. Good luck!

The way to introduce her (in my opinion) is not to make the cereal as 'cereal'. You need to fill a bottle with breastmilk and add a LITTLE bit of cereal to it (so that it really doesn't look any different from the breastmilk at all. You don't want to add so much that it really changes the consistency of it. Try adding a teaspoon to start. Shake up the bottle and give it to her. You can gradually add more over time to make it a LITTLE thicker until she is ready to start eating it off the spoon. As the others have said, it is really up to you and your baby as to when she will start using solids in any form. Good luck!

I'm surprised your doctor is wanting you to start cereal at 4 months. My doctor and many books that i have read say to wait until 6 months. I started my daughter on cereal at 5 months, only because she seemed to need more than breastmilk. She is 6 months now, and still has some difficulty eating cereal and stage 1 foods. I would go with what your daughter is telling you, that she isn't ready yet.

You don't *have* to give your baby solids. The AAP recommends exclusively breastfeeding through 6 months -- and a baby relies on milk for all the nurishment until she is a year old anyway -- food is just for exploration. :-)

If she's telling you that she's not ready, then I'd take a break from it.

We actually delayed solids until my baby was 8 months. And even then, I didn't start giving her 2 meals a day until 10 months.

Check this out for some good info: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

Good luck!

E.

I'm not sure what kind of cereal ur trying. I added a pinch of powdered sugar to my daughters. That seemed to work. Also try mixing in a lil bananas or other baby fruit. If u can't get her to eat from a spoon, try to make a cereal bottle. Just to let her get used to the taste and texture. Good Luck!

I haven't read the other responses, and I'm late in responding, so I'm sure you've heard this already! :) Your baby doesn't HAVE to be eating cereal now. For some babies eating cereal at 4 months is ok, but for MANY, it's better to wait. You shouldn't even try to feed baby solids until she is showing she's ready. From what you describe, she is NOT ready. You really don't need to start worrying about feeding solids until the baby is one year old. My last dd didn't really start showing an interest until 10 months! My baby now just started showing an interest right before he was 7 months. I would at least wait a month until you try again. If she is not showing any signs of readiness then, wait another month. Most babies seem to be ready for solids around 6 months. You're doing great only giving her breastmilk! Keep up the good work!

J.

I have no idea why your pediatrician told you to start your baby on solids, when the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended no solids before 6 months of age to prevent allergies. Also breastfed babies don't need to start then either some can grow and thrive on breastmilk exclusively till 12 months. It varies from baby to baby but your baby is letting you know that she is not ready for solids so don't do it it will make you spend money you don't need to yet and make her poop start to stink and neither is nessesary at this time. I have fully breastfed 5 babies including a set of twins and am a La Leche League peer counselor. Also when you do start her on solids start with bananas, fruits and vegetables one at time and then you can combine after you see shhe handles it well she will let you know when she is ready. Check out Dr. Sears on this and www.drjaygordon.com. Your breastmilk changes daily based on her needs so you are still providing her with all the nourishment she needs. Starting solids this early isn't going to do her system any good she may tolerate it but it is making it do work it isn't ready for yet. She is gagging too so she is not enjoying the experience. Remember not all pediatricians are used to caring for fully breastfed babies anymore and their own association says wait till at least 6 months.
J.

If she's not developmentally ready, you're just wasting your time and both will be frustrated. My son was more than ready at 4 months but my daugher was closer to 6 months. They have to lose the tongue-thrust reflex. It's a reflex... something hits their tongue, they spit/thrust it out. It's something they have to outgrow and until they do, it's pretty much useless trying to feed her cereal. Since she spits it out immediately, it sounds like she hasn't outgrown it yet. Most babies outgrow it between 4 and 6 months. Wait a couple weeks and try again.

Once she does outgrow it, skip the super-runny cereal altogether and give it some substance. Make it thicker than the directions on the box of baby cereal. Or just fork smash a banana or avacado. I've noticed that most babies actually do better on slighty thicker/chunkier foods... they have to learn to use their tongue to move food to the back of their mouth. And that takes practice. The super-smooth-runny food is too hard to move with their tongue because there's nothing there to move! Oh...and your baby WILL gag when she first learns to eat. It's part of learning. Gagging is VERY different from choking and there's no need to be concerned. As she learns to manuveur the food to the back of her mouth, some of it will hit the back of her throat and trigger the gag reflex. When this happens, do not stop feeding! You need to continue to offer food so she can practice. I know many moms (especially first time moms) simply give up and wait a few weeks... then try again but it still happens because they haven't had a chance to practice. They put it off longer and before you know it, you have a 9 or 10 month old that "can't" eat chunkier food.

I've had several pediatricians (moved cross country) and all said the same thing. Your goal food-wise with babies is to have them 100% self-feeding before their birthday. Most are perfectly capable of using their fingers to feed themselves by 6 months. Simply cut whatever you're eating into small bits since many babies don't have the front teeth to take bites off. My kids were 100% self-feeding (with their fingers, didn't master the spoon until later) by 8-10 months - they just ate whatever the family was having at a meal.

Sometimes just waiting another week or two then trying it again you might find your daughter having a different response. Be sure to make it very soupy. If she is satisfied with your milk and sleeping good I would not worry about it to much. I have found that every doctor is different in telling you when to introduce solids to a baby.
Good luck,
P. B

You really don't have to start foods until they are 6 mo. My doctor told me the same thing about feeding my daughter at 4 months. I didn't choose to do that b/c she just wasn't ready. The doctor was fine with my choice. Now, when I did start feeding her at 6 months it took her a long time to catch on. I even mamasourced the same question you have right now. My responses were many and they just told me that it takes time. It really did take time... a lot of time and practice. She probably isn't quite ready and I would wait until she's 6 months and try again. Also, once you try, keep trying. What takes so long? They are learning to swallow. It's almost a foreign substance to them! Also, my daughter gagged and hated cereal, too. I eventually stopped mixing it with breastmilk and mixed in some fruit, which she did become more interested. I make my own baby food using the book called "Super Baby Foods" by Ruth Yaron. Even if you aren't interested in making her food, it is an extremely helpful book in telling you how much to feed them, when to feed them, and what to feed them. Like the best foods to start off with are avocado, banana, whole milk yogurt (Yo Baby brand), and sweet potatoes. My daughter is a big fan of the yogurt and you could also mix that with cereal. Again, my suggestion is to wait another month or even two and try again. Be consistant and don't give up no matter how frustrating it gets! I know it seems like a big waste of food and time, but they just need time and practice. :) Good luck.

We had trouble getting our daughter to take cereal too! It was a real battle every morning for about 10 days. Then she liked it. Gradually she went from eating a spoonful or two to a quarter cup. I mix the cereal with water and forumla. Also pay attention to temperature. Our daughter likes everything hotter than the average. Keep trying. She is not used to spoons and the feel of the spoon and she is not used to the texture and taste of the cereal. At first you may not get anything in her. If she continues to spit it out after a couple of weeks of trying, call your pediatrician and ask if maybe a different cereal would be in order. Our daughter was started on rice and then the doctor switched her to oatmeal so your doctor may want to do the same thing.

The American Association of Pediatrics doesn't recomend feeding babies solids until 6 months. Many "old school" docs don't go by this, but their governing board does recomend it. It sounds as if your daughter is showing no sign of being ready for solids. I would wait until next month and try again. If she starts to show interest such as paying attention to what you are eating or refusing to nap during meal times or waking up at the smell of your dinner cooking, try again. Mix the cereal with pumped breast milk instead of water and make it very thin. Most babies don't stop tongue-thrusting until closer to 6 months which is why the AAP doesn't recomend feeding them solids - they just don't get how to swallow yet.
Another note - the truth is, babies don't need cereal at all, it's got almost no nutritive value, it's just used to train them to swallow something other than liquid. Most doctors and most lactation consultants agree that pureeing vegies to start on is fine and many will even tell you that you can start with meats as long as they are blended so smoothly that there are no lumps.
I know quite a few women who have looked their pediatrician in the eye and said "yes, we have started cereal" and haven't or have started with something else. Some times it's just easier not to fight them! Don't fret, breast milk alone is enough to sustain your daughter for the first 12-18 months!
Good Luck:)

You know what? Pediatricians like that just make me angry. Four months old baby does not need any solid food yet and you really should listed to what your baby is trying to tell you instead of listening to what the pediatrician had to say. If I were you I would look for a different one (ped) for my child. It is perfectly normal for a baby to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months (that's what I did with my son). In fact I breastfeed my son exclusively for almost nine months, he just let me know when he was ready for solids. So communicate with your baby instead of forcing her to eat something that she is not ready for.

I would not make her eat solids. Their little digestive systems are not ready for solids until at least 6 months despite what some pediatricians say. I would just nurse her until she is ready! I would not force the cereal on her at all. Also, I would start with fruits or veggies and not cereal. Check out: www.drsears.com
He is a wonderful, progressive pediatrician!

i always try to imagine what the foods would taste like for babies. i wouldn't want to eat plain rice or oatmeal cereal! add some fruit, it will probably go easier. i'd wait until around 6 mo too.

M., i use to have the same problem. your baby may not be ready to eat solids. as long as the baby is doing well and gaining weight just breast feeding i would not force the issue on the baby at this time. however if u do try mixing just a little baby dessert with it or fruit they may help. also i found that just putting a drop or 2 of kayro syrup in with it worked also.

try mixing the cereal with juice. the juice gives it a little flavor. my little boy is 15 weeks and he loves his cereal, i mix it with white grape juice.

Hello M.,

I think the same as the other two moms. It is not necessary you give solids to your 4 mo old baby already. My ped said me once that I could start my baby on cereal at that age, but I was the one who would know if my baby was ready to have that at 4 mo old. My baby was not ready, and I started him on cereal at 6 mo old, it was perfect. I just gave my baby boy baby food for just a couple of months, even less time! He didn't like baby food, so I started him on food prepared by myself. Ped knows babies, but moms know their babies better because they are with them day by day, and they are their babies! You can use your ped guideliness and the general information about milestones but, your baby will be ready for different things (feeding, crawling, speaking,walking, etc..) at HIS/HER own pace.
Take it easy, and do not worry...
Good Luck!
Alejandra

I wouldn't worry about it. Most Peds do not encourage solids until 6 months. Unless your baby is under weight I wouldn't force it or even try it again for a while. I certainly wouldn't stress out about it (unless she is under weight). Everything I've read says to not start them on solids until 6 months. I exclusively breastfed my daughter (who is now 15.5 months) until she was 6 months. I am still breastfeeding her in the mornings and the evenings even though she is now eating some table food. I highly recomment going to the La Leche League website and utilizing the message boards. They are so supportive and have always made me feel better. Remember, breastfeeding is the best thing you can do for your child. According to the La Leche League babies can actually survive and thrive on purely breastmilk until they're 1 y/o or so.

Just don't force it!!! She will start to eat the cereal when she wants to. Just try it again in a couple of weeks, she will take it eventually. Another thing to try is to mix in a little spoonful of a fruit, like banana, to make it a little more appetizing to her. Just make sure you are using the couple of days rule of thumb for trying new foods to make sure she isn't allergic. Also, you can try to breast feed for a little bit before you try to spoon feed, because she might just be frustrated because the food isn't flowing like she is used to and she is hungry right now. Please, let me know how it is going. Good luck.

Hello M.,
Your doctor is wrong. Starting a baby on cereal early is an outdated practice. As long as your baby is breastfeeding on demand (meaning you don't time her feedings and she can breastfeed as much as she wants), then she is getting all the "food" she needs. Please contact your local La Leche League or WIC office and they will give you the data on breastfeeding. Follow your gut intuition and you'll know when your baby is ready for cereal.

Kind Regards,
A. Sherrow
Editor, Southeast Ohio Parent Magazine
www.southeastohioparent.org

HI my name is K. and I have had 5 kids. Most of them are grown and have homes of there own. I use to put a some baby fruit into the cereal. It will make it a little sweeter and give it more flavor. Your baby will like it. Good Luck. Lots of Hugs to you and your little one...K.