Need Help W/ Ideas to Get My 5 Month Old Eating Ceral Without Gagging.

I wouldn't worry about it; he's telling you he's not ready. as for juice, some give it and some do not. I do not. I think the actual 'food' (organic apples, etc) is better than giving juice. that's just me.
rather than juice, you could start having a sippy of water out and about for him to start to explore...I like the lids that come with the snack-trap- they look like this (not saying to buy from here per se- just giving you a photo- second photo down):
http://www.cheekymonkey.ca/SnackTrapAccessories.htm
put an ice cube in there & let him clang it around...

as for starting solids wait until he can sit up on the floor, unassisted, w/o toppling over and that he can reach out to objects, grasp them and bring them to his mouth. these are the physical signs that he's ready (along w/ him not having actual trouble eating).

enjoy that baby!

It's okay if he isn't ready to eat solids yet. A lot of babies don't start solids until 6 months or older. If you are really adamant that he start eating solids, try mixing the cereal with baby food (like applesauce or another fruit). That was the only way my girls would eat it.

At 6 months the baby's digestive system has developed enough to eat solids. So maybe he's not ready and that is normal. Maybe he doesn't like the cereal. Can you try avocado or mashed banana?

Hi Detinee,
I completely understand your frustration and concern. I had the same problem with my daughter. It is called tongue thrust it is because the body isn't yet producing the enzyme emalayze which is produced by protein. It lasted with my daughter until almost 12 months old! Make sure your daughter is on a formula with enough whole protein. My daughter was on the "Gentle Ease" which has partially broken down protein; I believe that was a factor. Once I put her on regular formula it stops within 8 weeks.
Good luck!

Hi D.:

My son loved cereal, my daughter hated it. It made her gag as well. I did not push the issue when my children did not want to eat something. Leave it alone for a while and try back in a few weeks. He is fine on his formula. Baby food and cereals are more to get him use to other textures not really for nutritional value. I have a pediatrician in the family who alwasy told me that. As long as his growth is consistent you will be fine.

My nephew has something called hypotonia, which is low muscle tone throughout his body. It effects his ability to eat things like cereal, etc. I have a wonderful all natural homeopathic doc who can muscle test your son and determine whether or not there is a blockage in his system keeping him from being able to eat properly. She is awesome. Dr. Annalee Kitay. ###-###-####.
Good Luck.
S.
LMT/Reiki Master
Mom of two great kids.

Sounds like he's not ready for solid foods yet. As others have stated, breast milk or formula is their primary source of nutrition and even the American Association of Pediatrics has agreed that research shows delayed introduction of solid foods helps reduce allergies and even obesity as an adult. (See http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v9/n11s/full/oby###-###....

Just an FYI ... some posters below had indicated to add Karo syrup or choose sweet foods for your baby. There's no need to sweeten-up the food per-se. Baby does not know the difference yet and so you probably don't want to start a preference for sweet foods over veggies and not-so-sweet foods. That's a battle that even we as grown-ups struggle with!! LOL ...

Good luck!!

D.,

You can try a different food. He may not like the taste or the texture. My daughter didn't care much for the baby cereals. I didn't introduce her to baby food or cereal until she was was 6 months. forget juice, plain or diluted- she would have none of it.

She is not 2 1/2, & eats like a pig! She now will drink 1-2 juice boxes per day, will drink only chocolate milk, will eat oatmeal & barley (adult texture not baby stuff). By the time she was 9-10 months old, definitely by the time she was a year old she wanted our food, including meats (dad's plate) even though she didn't have any molars.

We have friends that are just amazed at what she eats when they go out with us.

Have you checked the thickness compared to stage 1 foods to make sure you are not making it too thick? If you are not try giving him some Veges 1st (stage 1) and see how he does. If you give them Fruit 1st they will not want the vegies. We made that mistake due to the peditrician said it didn't make a difference - believe me it does - he gags on vegs. and knows the difference he is now 8 months old and we still can't get him to eat anything that is not a sweet veg.

D.,

Congrats on your new little one! The general rule is that if a baby still has a strong toungue thrust reflex (gag) then it is too early for solids. Additionally, the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and Dr's that are members recommend waiting until babies are a full 6 months old before introducing foods. Even then, it is only to get them used to textures, tastes and sitting at the table. Their digestive system doesn't get much nutrition yet from foods, so breastmilk should still be offered first, then offer a sampling of solids just for fun. They won't get much nutrition from solids until their GI tract matures more (about 12 mo).

Also - cereal isn't necessary unless you are giving it because of low iron issues (since it's fortified with iron). Cereals don't taste good at all and can cause constipation. In another month try again, but maybe with bananas, avacados or sweet potatos....known to be awesome first foods!

Best wishes and just wait it out....no battling, he just isn't physically ready yet!

What does your Pediatrition say? My only other advice is, perhaps he is not ready to eat solids yet...I would definitely have him checked out.

I believe the current recommendation is for babies to start eating solid foods at 6 months. If he's gagging he's not ready yet. He is not behind, he is normal. Give him some time and he'll be eating you out of house and home!

hi D.,
my daughter has the same problem, she just has a very sensitive gag reflex! keep on with the food but try a different cereal, my daughter will only eat the oatmeal banana mix, she hates the rice...not sure why and maybe try and add a little fruit to it! my daughter is 9 months now and she'll gag on food that she likes and sometimes if i don't give her what im eating she will do it too. but just keep on trying!! i hope this helps!!

Dear Mom,
your baby is not ready to eat yet, believe me. They are not doing any good trying to get him to eat so early. 6Months is the age, dont rush cause the formula has all he needs and more for now:) The best of lucks!!!!

Don't worry mama! Babies know what they need and what they don't and he doesn't need solids yet. It's recommended that babies only have breastmilk or formula until age 6 months so you are really starting a bit early. My little one would gag and didn't want anything to do with solids until she was almost 9 months old! But she breastfed well and was gaining weight so there was no worry. Try again when he is over 6 months old but don't be surprised or worried if he doesn't want it then. Even at 6 months food is for practice not for nutrition so try if he doesn't like it at 6 months wait a couple of weeks and try again.

Hi D. - I wouldn't worry about it at all. I have 5 kids (the baby is almost 5mos) and none of them have ever eaten rice cereal (or any of the baby cereal for that matter). I'm not even trying it w/the baby. As for being 5 1/2mos w/nothing but formula? Again, I wouldn't worry. Our 2nd child (she's 5 now) refused to eat any type of baby food until she was almost 7 1/2mos old! I'm getting the feeling that this baby will be the same way. I've tried baby food and she just refuses it. You just have to keep in mind that all babies are different. And all the developmental things the drs ask about (including starting food)? Those are all averages, so some babies will do it sooner and some later :) Don't worry, your son will eat baby food soon enough and you'll wonder why you were concerned b/c it just takes more time and makes more of a mess :)
A.

For starters you don't say how thick or thin you make the cereal. It should be pretty thin, close to being runny. You shouldn't put juice in it. You also don't say what kind you try to give him. You can add a touch of sugar to the cereal or some baby fruit. Not much just a very little amount. You don't want to start him on fruits until he eats veggies or you will never get him to eat veggies. Some kids never will eat cereal. They just don't like it. I agree with the Mom's that say don't rush him. If he is hungry he will eat. When he gets older a great thing is to open a can of peas and put them on the high chair. It gives them something to play with, a sense of texture, shape and smell and they can eat it too. My girls loved the peas. Good Luck!

Don't force the solid foods. He's still fairly young for solids and his body just isn't ready for it. I know parents that didn't introduce solids until nearly a year old and the first was a banana. Until they have teeth, they really don't have the enzymes to break down the solid foods anyway. Be patient and don't compare to other children that way, forcing will only cause more harm than good.

Hi there first of all I would like to say i'm from the islands and our feeding routine is a little different. At this age most families has started given their babies other types of cereals such as cream of wheat, quaker oats, corn meal & corn starch, custard etc.(What we call porridge) As long as you cook them very thin adding a little milk and sugar is fine. Some kids during this stage are picky eaters so you may have to try & try till you find the magic one. Best wishes on your adventure.
S.

Have you tried it at different thickness? My son won't eat it if it is too watery, he likes it thick. He also acts like he doesn't like it when my husband feeds him, but will still eat. I'm sure you have but if you haven't I would test out different thicknesses and see how he responds. If you MD is OK with it, maybe jump to Oatmeal cereal instead of rice. Maybe that would make a difference. Don't fret, my friends little girl hated the cereal (it was a texture thing for her) but she ate the baby foods great! Good luck!

Well, first you need to let your pediatrician know about that and second, try a different brand of food. You must remember that kids will not starve, they do not know how, it is normal human nature to nurture our bodies. My son did the same thing and the doctor said, when he is hungry, he will eat. My mom told me to add a little KYRO SYRUP (Very diluted of course) to the formula and then he at it. He apparently just didn't like the taste. Have you tried that stuff?

Well, just dilute it so it is not thick and add the Kyro syrup ( found near the pancake syrups at the store ) and see if that helps. Good luck and blessings.

Our daughter did the same thing with rice ceral. After trying many things we found she just didn't like rice ceral. She prefers fruit in the morning but will eat oatmeal for lunch or dinner. She also is not a big breakfast eater like her dad and I.

My son never liked cereal.
Many Dr's say to wait until 6 months anyway but we all tend to want to sart at 4 mo- (which is OK)... relax. As long as his other milestones are OK- he'll eat when he's hungry!
If it really bothers you try a stage 1 vegetable -

consider the fact that he isnt ready for food. solids before a year are just a teaching tool. he gets everything he needs from formula/breast milk. if he is turning it away, he isnt ready. let it go for a month or two and try again, dont force it. and then try mashed bananas or something sweet like sweet potatoes. good luck.

Why are you in such a hurry to feed him anything but formula? At that age, I am not surprised that he is gagging on it. You have to go slow and even if your other children were eating at that age, remember they are all different.

Try mixing in fruit like stage one peaches and a bit of water to make it really thin.Also try different types of cereal like rice and oats. My daughter had a lot of eating issues. When she turned 11 months old and wouldn't eat a cheerio I got help. She sees a feeding therapist who helped her work through the texture problems and gagging. She eats everything now. I got help through early steps. It will happen just be patient. Try to make eating fun for him.

If all he has had is formula he may be behind nutritionally- check out Weston Price Foundation and they will give you the information you need to make sure he has the correct nutrition, and then he will be ahead!
Best of Luck-k

Hi D.,
He may not be ready yet for eating the cereal yet. My oldest daughter started at 2.5 months, (per doctors suggestion and the fact that I didn't know any better at the time), but my second daughter didn't start till 5 months and I could have waited with her even more too because she didn't know how to open her mouth to take the spoon, and then my sons were 6 months and 7 months before they started any type of solid food, because like your son, acted like they didn't know what to do with it and made faces. And for all the time before they started solid food they were exclusively breastfed.
Your son is still young and can probably still get by with just his formula for another month or so until he shows signs that he's more ready.
Hope that helps a little!
Take care!
V.

I would be concerned that the cereal is still too thick. Try thinning it down until it's near watery with formula, of course, and see how he takes that. If after thinning it down very much and he is still gagging, I would hold off and wait a while longer. Every baby is different and it could just mean that his gag reflex is still in effect. Otherwise, do ask your pediatrician if it continues past his 6th month.

Formula or breastmilk is where the bulk of nutrition comes for babies in their first year. So please don't worry about him being "behind;" he's totally normal. Juice is empty calories and personally I wouldn't give him much of it since most of his calories should be coming from his formula. As the other posters have said, the current recommendation is to wait until 6 months before introducing solids anyway. I'd hold off on cereal for a few weeks. You may find when you start again after 6 months that he'll have less problems with his tongue thrust reflex.

I'm not sure why people get so fixated on giving infants solids. I'm not sure what kind of nutrition babies are getting from them because if my son's diapers are any indication, a lot of foods are coming out chewed up and mostly intact!!! LOL

My daughter didn't like it at first either but then I started mixing it with milk formula intead of the soy she had been on and she liked the taste of her cereal much better. I also add 2 tbsp. of baby fruit to the cereal as well and mix altogether....She doesn't love it like she does her vegs. but she eats it...Good luck...Don't despair, she really didn't get into the spoon feed thing until she was at the end of her 6th mo...If the formula is working for him, don't worry about it...Spoon feeding is just a supplement anyway to get them used to it...Babies get all of their nutrition from their formula up until they are 1. That's what I read and was told. Hope things turn around for you, I'm sure they will..

He is gagging because he is not ready to eat. I would just make sure he is getting enough formula and he will be fine. Most kids aren't ready to eat until 6 months old and some breast feed babies don't eat solids until 9 -12 months old.

Your son does not need anything other than breast milk or formula. And if he is gagging, then that is his way of saying he isn't ready for cereal. And he really doesn't need juice. He really shouldn't be getting any other liquid at this point.

What does your ped. say?

I don't have any real advice, but wanted to offer some reassurance--
My son is 7 months. His pediatrician said that recommendations have changed, and now they suggest waiting until 6 months to start anything other than breast milk or formula. I think it's primarily for food allergy reasons, but anyway, some doctors may tell you it too early anyway.

Don't worry, he'll figure it out! Especially if he watches you and others eat, he'll become interested enough to trudge through those first new feedings!

I think you are likely rushing him. 5 1/2 months old is too young to be on solids for a lot of babies. Most doctors recommend exclusively feeding breast milk or formula until at least 6 months old...and from 6-9 months your baby still doesn't eat enough solids to count as a meal, they do it just to start getting used to textures and tastes. Your baby will likely be almost a year old before he's eating solid foods as a meal. Don't rush him...this time flies by too quickly as it is. :)

According to my pediatrician they don't need to be on solids until 6 months. Your baby is getting everything he needs from his formula. No need to rush or push it, he is not behind. I worked in daycares when I was younger & sometimes they push it becasue it holds them longer and they don't have to feed them as often. I'm not saying this is the case with your daycare.

D. M,
For now all he needes is formula. If you feel that you must give him cereal, then you can try putting it one of the infant feeders that is like a bottle. I wouldn't push the cereal, if he is at a healthy developing weight then stick to formula, cereal just adds calories, not much nutrients.
A.

D.,

The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend feeding anything but breastmilk or formula to infants before the age of 6 months. Some pediatricians, like my daughter's doctor, adhere to this, and others say it's okay to begin trying foods earlier. But they certainly don't need any other food until at least 6 months. So unless your son isn't gaining weight like he should, ask the daycare (and yourself) to hold off on solids and juice for another month or so.

Good luck,
S.

The latest recommendations on infant feeding are not to give solids to babies until 6 months old. They should be exclusively breastfed to 6 months, then add complementary foods slowly. In fact, he doesn't even need cereal. If you want to try a fruit or veggie (mash up some banana, for example) he may prefer that.

Don't worry about anything. He is getting all the nutrition he needs from your breastmilk or formula. At this age solids are totally optional and more about learning than really eating. He'll catch on and will be eating solids before you know it. :)

The babies are suppose to begin eating cereal with 6 month or older. I suggest try to mash fruits like banana, apple and then try sweet potatoes and other roots with milk or juice first (like the baby food, but natural. I have two boy and that work for them. Hope will work!

Hi, D.. Well, he doesn't really NEED to eat cereal to survive or be well. The stuff is bland and gummy, and that may be why he's not interested in it. Also, according to the best scientific information on infant nutrition, babies don't NEED solid food until they are older than 6 months. Some of them don't need it or want it until they are about a year old. So don't panic if your son isn't interested in bland, sticky rice cereal.

Try him on a very well mashed-up, fresh banana at home and see if he'll enjoy a little spoonful of it. Bananas make a very good first food for babies. I have never met a baby who didn't like bananas, but anything is possible. Once he has gotten into the habit of eating bananas, you could try mixing up mashed bananas with a tiny, tiny bit of that bland, sticky rice cereal and see if he'll go for it. Try just a spoonful of rice cereal to a whole mashed banana at first, and then increase it gradually until he's eating mostly cereal that's flavored with some banana.

Again, don't panic over starting solid food, and don't be anxious or upset while you're trying to feed him. Your emotions will transmit to him, and he won't want to eat something that makes you so disturbed. He'll associate the food with you being upset, and that sets up a whole host of pain at feeding time that you don't want.

Peace,
Syl

He doesn't need to have cereal at 5 months...and if he's gagging he may not be ready for it. Wait until he's 6 months and try again...take it slow...it isn't a big deal if he doesn't start eating solids just yet. :)

I would stop giving it to him for a few days and then try again. He might just not be interested and it's not really "necessary" at this point. No need to frustrate yourself.

Good Morning,

Your little one may prefer food with less texture at this time. Is he gassy? Perhaps he is swallowing too much air when he eats? Is it easy for him to swallow smaller amounts of liquids? This is a transition time, so I would be patient. If you notice that your son is struggling to swallow, discuss that with your child's MD. I work with children and adults to eliminate the gag reflex when swallowing food, liquids and pills. Let me know if I can help.

Good Luck,

Mine didn't get the hang of it until they were 6.5 months old...now they are 13 months old and eat everything! Don't fret.

Just make it fun and don't stress. If they see it as a stress, they will be more likely to resist as well. I would also add a little fruit puree to it. Have you ever tasted rice cereal plain? It's nasty! Mine never ate it plain, they needed a little flavor.

All of their nutrition is still coming from the formula. The cereal is really just for practice at his age.

My daughter was the same way. We just held off for a while and tried again. I think after 6 months she was fine. She still has quite the gag reflex though and she is 3. No need to rush it. Good luck.

He may not be ready yet, every child is different. Try once a week for a few more weeks, then if he still isn't ready, call your doctor.

I wouldn't worry too much about it right now. Maybe take a break. I didn't start my daughter on cereal until she was 6 months old. Even then, it wasn't easy. She's 12 months old now and eats everything in sight.

The first teeth is a bodies developmental sign that the digestive system is developed enough to digest solid food. If he doesn't have at least 2 teeth and more on the way, you could be doing more harm than good if the food actually gets into his stomach. Food allergies and digestive issues especially. I also thought the general pediatric recommendation for solids wasn't until 6 mos. DON'T start giving him juice. Water maybe if you want. But until those teeth are in and HE lets you know it's ok for solid food, stick with formula. I know of children 10-11 months with no teeth that still are primarily on breastmil or formula. That's fine. Your baby will let you know when it's time for solid food.

Hi, I also have 5 month old who favors her formula more than anything. I was suprised because my first LOVED eating since she was 10 weeks!! I guess each child is different and if your babe is not interested yet, I wouldn't push it. He still gets all the nutrition he needs from formula and delaying solids and/or juice is quite ok.