No Solids Until After 6Mo?

They can't digest it, it sits in their tummy and rots. He will be up all night with gas as this cereal rots. He won't sleep well at all.

I think it is important to wait. I think that it messes them up some and makes their digestive tracts less able to function will even later in life.

I think it is also because of allergies. If he dosen't need it yet....then wait. I saw one mom's comment about putting it in the bottle...that is a no no anymore. One month will go by quick.....enjoy it!!!!

Cereal is nutritionally void so "filling up" a baby on cereal is not a good idea. He'll get so much more nutrition and fat and good things out of breast milk and should be waking at night to nurse.

Kellymom.com has lots of good info:
http://home.kellymom.net/nutrition/solids/solids-sleep.html

I didn't start my youngest on solids until around 8 months and he is far and away the best eater and healthiest of all of the kids. He basically went from breast to mashed table food to regular table food.

There is relatively new research that suggests that infants under 6 months cannot digest the food, and this improper digestion can lead to allergy problems. In addition, filling the baby's tummy with things that don't have the necessary vitamins and nutrients (like cereal) takes up the space needed for the high-quality food (milk). When my son (now 3) was a baby, the recommendation was 4-6 months, but when my daughter was born, I learned the AAP had changed their recommendation, and it is now solidly 6 months or later.

ETA: Never put cereal in the bottle. This is soundly discouraged.

Hi K.,
It's mainly because the human intestines aren't developed enough to process solids until around the 6 month mark. But there are more reasons:

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-infants-toddlers...

I haven't read your responses thus far so forgive me if I repeat. (On lunch break and not much time.) Our doctor told us that introducing solids too early can cause the baby's body to produce more insulin to process the solid foods that their body isn't ready for yet. Eventually this will train the body to automatically produce that much insulin when in fact they really do not need the extra insulin. Apparently this is one of the causes of childhood diabetes.

Peace and Blessings,
T. B

Starting earlier than 6mo can create allergy issues later in life. In addition, babies bodies are not always ready to digest it properly and can cause other digestion related issues. Some babies are not even ready for solids until 7, 8, 9 mo etc so, dont' rush it.

There are a few reasons they suggest waiting. One is choking, not all babies are ready to eat solids before 6 months. The other is allergies and that an infant’s body cannot digest solid foods yet.

I know that some peds will recommend it for smaller babies to add weight gain, but I also think that new moms may not realize that infants NEED the nutrients from breast milk/formula for the first year. The only reason that babies start on solids is to start getting a taste for different foods, not nutrition.

In discussions with our doctor, it was basically that her system wasn't ready for it yet and that the cereal too young wasn't going to magically make her sleep better. Especially for breastfed babies, there's no real need for anything more before that age.

It's great if the doctor is aware of the AAP and other health organizations' recommendation of no solids til six months. Many peds still tell parents 4 to 6 months, and the parents think this is the actual recommendation. Here is a link that will explain the reasons that it's beneficial to delay food http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html. Giving solids to try to get baby to sleep longer at night is not considered a benefit to the baby.

If your son is still waking at night at 5 months, it is likely out of habit, comfort, and/or love of nursing, and not hunger. He should not need to eat in the middle of the night. maybe try just soothing him when he wakes, rather than nursing right away.

I am pregnant with my second, and will not start solids until about 7 months...the reason: it's one more thing to do! I started at 5 months with my daughter, and it was a hassle! I know, I know i'm a horrible mom for not wanting to feed my kids! joke. but really, they don't NEED the solids, they get all they need from the breastmilk, and i found myself getting all wrapped up in her eating her cereal, then i would forget to nurse!

My doctir always introducing cereal at 4 months especially for breastfed babies who need iron. So i would definately try him on rice cereal if hes sitting up and his tongue reflex is good theres no reason why he shouldn't be eating. Good luck and enjoy it was always a relief when i could give solids so daddy had something to give if i was out or at work.

I think I started putting cereal in my daughter's bottle when she was less than 5 months, not sure exactly when, maybe 4 months(?), but I know I was starting her on baby food when she was 5 months.

Our ped said we could begin solids as early as 4 months, assuming that the tounge thrusting didn't get in the way. She had no objection to thin cereal, but was adamant that we not give it in the bottle (choking hazard).

As for the tablespoon of cereal, I understand that it is believed to be a wives tale. Also, there is concern that the cereal has less nutritional value than milk. Apparently at 4 months, kids are probably ready to start sleeping through the night. Cereal at 4 months and sleeping through the night is therefore correlative, and not causative.

Best to you and yours,
F. B.

Kim,
congratulations and congratulations again for nursing your baby!

The news here is: cereal has no real benefit for your baby. You may have a doctor who recognizes that or has at least read the La Leche League research about it.

Cereal is grain which humans weren't designed to digest - and the cereal you would give is fortified - which means it is given something artificially not there. It also means that what it is fortified with is partial vitamins, not whole ones. that's the part that isn't spelled out for everyone.

You can just as easily give pureed or partially veggies as cereals, and they are far more healthy for your baby. Go with what your baby wants and likes first - and if rejection is the order of the day - try another week or month.

I went with my gut when my oldest refused cereals - and should have had a clue when he still refused them without my milk added to them - but I hadn't met my La Leche League meeting until he was 14 months. but I didn't truly start him on solids until 8.5 months, and at that, most people would have called it 9.5 months since I was giving him so *little*.

As far as sleeping through the night - babies weren't designed for it. That's another thing I've learned (and has sustained me through my second son's voracious appetite! ; ) So trying to create where design wasn't meant, may lead you and your baby to frustration or more.

Exclusive breastfeeding until your baby is one year old may not be on your plan - but it may be your baby's! It still doesn't mean you have to but it may mean you have more true *peace*, nighttime or otherwise. I fed my youngest exclusively for almost a year (not counting older brother's attempt to feed him what HE was eating ; ) and he didn't miss out on anything, weight-wise or food.

I encourage you to find a la Leche meeting near you and voice your concerns, and hear what they have to say. You can contact a leader if there is no meeting close to you.

Also, Dr. Jack Newman has a site with a ton of information on breastfeeding you might want to read more from:

http://breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml

Good luck, and great work looking out for your baby!
M.

PS: enjoy the 'clean' diapers while you can! Solids really change things.

I think it is opinion and preference between all the docotor's, my son is 5 months and has been on solids since he was 4 months, did the same with my 3 year old son at thtat age. This is per my doctor she told us we can start him on solids at 4 months. I think the guidelines to go by to know if you baby is ready for solids is if they can sit up on their own with your support, and hold their head up.

My son is 14 now. At 8 weeks they told me to use cereal as he was so hungry. My daughter born 17 months later was never that hungry and I was able to make it until 6 months. I am sure at 5 months it would not hurt to try a tiny bit like a tablespoon at night.

I have a 7 month old who I exclusively breastsfeed. His ped told me I could start at 4 monts. I waited til 5 months because that's how old my older sone was when starting them. By 6 months he had had a number of different fruits and veggies. I think it would be fine. Especially cereal which doesn't often cause an allergic reaction.

I started with both of my kids at 4 months and they did great!

I don't know the "why" but I started all 3 of mine on solids before they were 6mths and they're all fine (no weight problems or allergies). I think I started my oldest on cereal at about 4mths because she wouldn't sleep longer than 3hrs at night.

Allergies and the baby system is not ready to digest it yet I THINK. But you know how it is with your first baby. Well with my first baby anyway. I didnt know anything and everybody was trying to tell me how to take care of my baby. And like a dumb dumb, I listened. lol.I bottle instead of breast fead, I put cereal in the baby bottle at 2 months, started feeding the baby at 4 months and all kinds of things. lol. It didnt do anything but make her very very fat.

Early introduction of solids is linked to greater chance of asthma, allergies, obesity and diabetes. Babies also have what's called a leaky gut, meaning that particles can actually get through their gut wall more easily, resulting in more stomach upset and illness, if they are introduced to solids before it's reasonably well closed.

Now, if you're giving a 5 mo old a Tbs of cereal, it's unlikely to cause problems, but the above are the medical reasons it's recommended to wait unless there's a medical need to intro solids before 6 mos.