Starting Baby on Cereal

I would recommed waiting until at least 5 months, there intestines are not ready for solids yet. If she not getting her milk fast enough. Have you tried to go to the next stage nipple??

Me stay at home mom to a 18 month girl and 1 on the way in Jan

You start with rice cereal around 4 months (6 if there is a history of food allergies in the family). Than after a week or so if no reaction to cereal you can start vegetables one at a time. Try out one per week and if no reaction you can try another. You can start fruit before vegetables I just find that my kids eat the vegetables better if they have if before the sweet fruit. Hope that helps.

I would certainly start giving her more milk, but around 4 months you could certainly start her on cereal if you like :) (give or take a little based on size etc) if you plan on buying cereal then I would say the earths best rice is a great place to start - mix with a little breast milk or formula and try it on a little spoon! if you want to make your own cereal message me and I can share how its really easy!

anyway signs that she is ready for cereal include watching you eat intensly and reaching for your utensil. each child is different - do what feels right to you :)

hold off as long as you can. starting solids too early increases your daughters chances of developing all kinds of food allergies because her stomach isnt ready to digest it. I know its tempting and it seems so fun to give solids but hold off as long as you can. and start with pears and fruit, grains have gluten in them which is the number one cause of food allergies. If you daughter gets a gluten allergy (celiac disease) she will struggle with digestive and all sorts of other problems her whole life.

NO!!!!!

14 weeks is WAY too early. There is increasing evidence that states that a babies system is just not capable of handling solids before 6 months. Starting solids before that can lead to digestive issues later in life. (such as irritable bowel syndrom, crones disease, etc...)

Babies go through grow spurts... during these times they WILL WANT MORE MILK. Milk (either formula or breast) should be the PRIMARY source of calories for the first 12 months. Solids, started after 6 months should compliment, NOT replace the milk calories.

Just because your daughter sits up, does not mean she is ready for solids. A baby's internal system is FAR different from an adults sytem. They are NOT minature adults. Wait on the solids until 6 months. THEN... you can try. And cereal doesn't need to be the first solid food. There is no reason why other foods can't be introduced first.

www.kellymom.com is a good resource. Also, www.askdrsears.com

Start out with baby cereal and you can give her gerber baby applesauce small baby spoon try different fruits to see which one she will like mix a little with her cereal. My boys were on cereal at 2 weekes old and now I wish they wouldn't eat so much but they are older now..What I did I gave it to them again before I put to bed at nite and they slept through the nite cuz they had a full tummy. Good luck J.

lots of opinions!

talk to your doctor, there are actual readiness cues your baby will have to show you they are ready for solids. Have your baby sit with you at mealtimes (in a high chair or on your lap) make it family time. Start your baby off with a bowl to play with. they will come to understand meal time is about bonding and conversation as well as food! babies who are ready for solids no longer have the strong tongue thrust reflex. They will also become interested in watching you eat and try to grab things off of your plate.

some docs are now saying to start with things like mashed banana or avocado because they digest easier than the cereals. askdrsears.com is a great resource. you really have to do your research and figure out what is best for your baby.

for me I would wait as long as possible to start solids- as exciting as it is to do new things with your baby, you have to make sure they are physically ready (and make sure you are ready for the mess that comes with starting solids! prepare for meals to last twice as long- not including clean up!).

ask your dr if you should staart cereal.

most babies start between 4-6 months.

start with rice cereal.. the first meals are just a teaspoon of rice cereal mixed with formula to make it quite runny.

you gradually add more cereal and less liquid unitl the consistancy is more like regular oatmeal.

My 11 month old son eats 2 oz of fomula mixed with about 2 oz of oatmeal cereal.

Hi D.,
No need to start solids this early. The longer you wait, the better, eating solids too soon can cause allergies later in life. She will get everything she needs from your breastmilk which is best or iron fortified formula as the next choice. Per The Baby Book by Dr.Sears, starter foods at 6 mos are bananas, rice cereal, pears and applesauce. But even at this age you only need a very small amount just to get them started, a fingertipful. I think I remember waiting even longer to start my kids. You need to discover if they still have the tongue-thrust-reflex going on.

Per the book: "Baby's tongue movements and swallowing skills are the first clues to delaying solid foods. In the early months, babies have a tongue-thrust-reflex that causes the tongue to automatically protrude outward when any foreign substance is placed on it. This may be a protective reflex against choking on solids given too early. Between for and six of age many infants do not have good coordination of tongue and swallowing movements for solid foods. An added sign that babies were not designed for early introduction to solid foods is that teeth seldom appear until 6-7 months, further evidence that the young infant is primarily designed to suck, rather than to chew. Not only is the upper end of baby's digestive tract not designed for early solids, neither are baby's insides. A baby's immature intestines are not equipped to handle a variety of foods until around 6 mos, when many digestive enzymes seem to click in. Pediatric allergists discourage early introduction of foods especially if there is a strong family history of food allergies."
Hope this is helpful,
J.

You really should be talking to your baby's doctor about this. 14 weeks is quite soon for cereal I'm almost positive.

That sounds really early. I didn't start my daughter on cereal until she was 6 months and even then she only had cereal for that first month simply to get used to moving it to the back of her mouth and swallowing. They shouldn't be eating until they can sit up on their own. If she is still hungry I'd give her more formula/breast milk. Or perhaps more feedings, more frequently would be better to get more into her. Then she won't become sooo hungry. Actually, babies can be fine with formula/breast milk for the whole first year. So I wouldn't rush it.

Once we started we used rice cereal, then after a month rice cereal and a vegetable (separate), wait a few days for reactions and then try another vegetable. Keep going like this for a while, then try fruits. Write down what you are giving so you have a log of what she has had and any reactions. It gets confusing after a while and you may even forget what she's tried. We did vegetables (home-made) after cereal first and my daughter LOVES them. It probably helped that I eat a lot of them too.

When you do move onto foods consider making them yourself. It's much easier then many people would have you believe, esp. in the beginning when they are eating one veggie at a time. And it tastes SO MUCH BETTER...not bland and filled with preservatives etc... Don't get me wrong, we still use some jar food b/c it's just easier at times, it's more for back up. And I had a girlfriend who's kids refused to eat jar food since she made all of theirs, which you don't want to be in that situation either. All you need is a steamer, ice cube trays, and some type of processor makes it even easier. I got a book on amazon to help with ideas.
Good luck!

I don't think you should start solids quite yet. Chances are, it's just a growth spurt and can be handled by simply increasing the amount of breastmilk/formula she's currently getting. I started solids at 5 months which most people think is still to early. The site below is AWESOME on helping to decide what foods to give & when. They also have recipes for making your own foods for her if you want to. I used it mostly for the schedule - it was nice to have a chart to show when what foods are generally safe to give.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyforsolids.htm
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/solids2.htm

Good luck!

Hi D. - Congratulations on your beautiful daughter! Enjoy it all!! Usually a pediatrician will tell you to start with rice cereal made with her regular formula. Swallowing sold food at that young an age may be a challenge, so be prepared for it to be a messy experience! They usually say not to introduce things too quickly at first, let her get used to the cereal for a few weeks before you start to introduce fruits one at a time. That way you can figure out if any foods have a bad effect on her digestion. If you introduce things in bunches or too close together you can't always figure out what is and isn't accepted/digested well. Have a great time, it's a grand adventure! Beth

Wait as long as you can to start cereal. Increase the amount/frequency of feedings. This baby is ONLY just over 3 months old and baby tummies only hold a few ounces. Breast milk digests faster too. I felt like I did nothing but feed my kids (and change them!) for the first 6 months but it was all worth it. Food allergies are common and NOT a fun thing to have in children. I have one with them even though I waited. All 3 of my kids were strictly breast fed until 6 months and all continued nursing until 10-13 months old (one was a biter that wouldn't quit--so I quit!). First one would have eaten baby food till he was six if I let him. Second one wanted nothing to do with baby food by 9 months (he still wanted to nurse though). Third (the biter) also wanted nothing to do with baby food by 9 months old. She got breast milk in her bottle/sippy cup till she was a year old.

Wow, so many opinions! You're probably feeling overwhelmed.
My friend has a 5 month old and just had this conversation with her dr. Here's what she found out:
There is more evidence that babies shouldn't start solids until 6 months, because the breast milk/formula coats their little tummys and protects them from developing allergies. When solid foods are introduced, the protective coating begins to break down and allow allergies to occur. However, this is your baby and your decision. Do what you feel is best, you know your baby. No one has the right answers, there's just more and more theories!! And next month it could be something totally different!

I agree... it's probably just a growth spurt, and to wait a little longer on the rice/cereal. Ask your ped. for sure, though.

Infants go through growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age. This may be why your child is still hungry after finishing their bottle.
I would consult your child's doctor before adding anything new to their diet.

I dont think I would start a baby on ceral at 14 weeks. Normally I think it's about 4 to 5 months. My daughter didn't get ceral till around then ... but I was able to nurse on demand. And the worst thing is putting cereal in your baby's bottle!!

Everyone will tell you that you wait until 4-6 months to start cereal...I started all 3 of mine way before that. My oldest started cereal when he was just a few weeks old because he was never full. I have never had any problems because I started them on cereal before it was "the right time". When it comes down to it, mama always knows best for her baby.

Start with rice cereal, it has the least likely to cause a reaction. Start with a small amount and make it pretty runny. You'll probably find that more will be all over your daughter and the bib than what gets in her tummy! Let her suck her fingers if she tries while she is eating, don't worry about the mess, that is how she will learn to swallow her food. Try the rice for a while to make sure there is no reaction before you gradually move to the next kind. Try all the single ingredient kinds first before the mixed and the added fruit kinds just in case she does have an allergic reaction. After she gets through all the cereals, the fun starts with all the different foods she gets to taste! Always remember though to wait several days in between introducing a new thing just in case she does have a reaction so you know what caused it. Hope this helps!

Always start with rice cereal, mixed cereal is last - after you have introduced the other "pure" grains that are out there. I believe with our oldest we did rice cereal for a week or two before we started adding the next item. Same thing with baby food. Start with "pure" fruits and vegetables (avoiding things like mixed veggies or fruit medley until you are sure there are no allergies to all of the fruit in the mix). Meats and dinners are the last to be introduced and I think not before 6 months. If your concerned about getting the order correct, talk to your doctor.

I would hold off on the cereal. 2 of my 3 little ones didn't have anything but breastmilk til one year. Maybe she is eating too fast and needs to be burped more often.