Starting Solids - Saint Paul, MN

He isn't ready if he isn't interested in eating it. It is exciting when they move onto cereal but he is telling you that he isn't ready yet :)

I never gave rice cereal, because it is known to constipate, I started with oatmeal, and we also did put applesauce in it. I think that "don't give them fruit or they won't eat veggies" is a myth. I alternated fruits and veggies as we were starting first foods, and she does fine, and LOVES Broccoli, Green Beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, etc. as well as all her fruits, too! One thig we always did do, though, was to use "real" food, ground in the food processor/blender, rther than Commercial Baby food - that stuff is so over-processed and has added salt and sugar. I think using real foods was a better path, cause she got used to the actual flavors right away, rather than that bland yuck that is canned/jarred baby food. I believe it is because of that that we have a great eater, now.

Hi L.,
My daughter had fruit first - pears and bananas. She is 1 now and LOVES veggies. I wouldn't worry about feeding veggies first.

My baby seemed really ready at 4 1/2 months, so we started feeding her rice cereal. She didn't love it either, but it gave her a chance to practice moving the food around her mouth and swallowing it. You want to make sure that the rice cereal has the consistency of soft yogurt, not liquidier or he will have trouble moving it around his mouth, and not thicker like mashed potatoes or he won't be able to swallow. After about a week of rice cereal we started peas. She really liked them, but not mixed with the rice cereal. Every three days you can introduce a new food. Next we did green beans, then carrots, then pears. We thought it was important to do veggies first so she could get a taste for them. She is six months now and her favorite food is still peas. We only feed her once a day, as we want her to get most of her nutrition from breastmilk & formula. I would say it is okay to add sweet fruits after he has gotten used to the more savory veggies. Good luck!

We started our son on cereal at like 4 months and babyfood at 5 months. He never liked the rice cereal as much as the oatmeal. He loves the oatmeal. I have heard of people even adding a little bit of like cinnamon to it. They also make baby cearal with bananna and fruit, etc. you could try to. We started with veggies for baby food and did 1 kind every 3-4 days, then did squash and sweet potatoes next and fruits last. He now eats everything and is 10 months old. He eats what we eat now and havent found anything he dont like. Also, i dont know how thick you are mixing it but mabye he dont like the texture of it yet. We just kept trying a little each day and he became a pro real quick and loved it. Good luck.

When my daughter turned 5 months, she also has been on 8oz bottles and acting like she was interested in our food. I gave her some rice cereal...a so-so reaction to it, but loved the bananas! I know nowadays they're telling us to give the veggies before fruits as to ward off the 'sweet tooth'.
Well, I gave my daughter bananas, pears, and applesauce before even trying the veggies and she does just fine. I know every kid is different, but as long as you don't just give him fruits and try a variety of veggies (yes, even ones you may not like)-he should be fine.
Anyways, my daughter will be 6 months next Friday and she's already had most of the 1st foods they have out and seems to like all of them (except the prunes, lol, but who really likes them?...we'll try again though)
I also have a 7 yr old son (6-13-01) that I did the same thing with and he loved his veggies as well! (Even creamed spinach--ewwww, lol).
Good Luck!!!

Try mixing the rice with formula instead of water. He may not be quite ready to eat solids yet. My daughter was 6 months old before we started cereal with her and she didn't eat it well until 8 months. My son is almost 5 months old and I am not ready for him to eat yet. Check out gerber's website for the progression of foods and what order to offer stage 1 foods.

You could also try single grain oatmeal, my daughter seemed to like it better. It also takes them a while to get used to new foods. Give him some time, he'll be eating like a champ in no time! After a couple weeks of the cereal or oatmeal give the veggies a try.

Hi L.,
My daughter was the same way. Her pediatrician suggested that I add just a tsp. of applesause to the cereal. I did and she loved it! If you add little amounts it will not keep them from their veggies. She loves hers!
Good Luck!
~S.

Try just the rice cereal for a week or two before adding fruits or vegetables into it. You might make it thin at first then start making it thicker until it gets to a good texture. This will keep him from gagging on it like they do when it is to thick at first. Starting with vegetables is what I did with my oldest and he did great with them and still rather eat vegetables then sweets. My other two it didn't matter, they both prefer sweets. Whichever you start with remember to only introduce 1 new food each week or two so if there is an allergic reaction you aren't trying to guess which food it is. Also remember that a baby's stomach is only as big as his little fist so don't over do the feedings, a table spoon or two of ceral is enough to begin with and you can adust that if he is still acting hungry. With my granddaughter we gave her a little cereal then she would drink 4 to 6 oz of formula after.

Good luck

Be sure you're making the cereal thin enough. Until they get used to solids it needs to be fairly runny and then as they get used to it, make it thicker. Start by adding just enough cereal to make it so it's not formula. That way it's not much different than formula but helps him learn what a spoon is. Then just gradually work your way thicker. I never made cereal with anything but formula. Making it with water makes it look like something I wouldn't eat. They say you can make it with juice also, but I never tried it. They also say mix baby food fruits in to add some variety. With both of my girls, 4 yrs and 9 mo, I never had any problems. That first feeding they would cry because I couldn't feed them fast enough. When he's ready, you'll know. I don't suggest putting it in a bottle though. I know my mother did it and suggested it to me, but they say it's not good, choking or whatever. He's old enough to be eating cereal from a spoon. Good luck!

Start with veggies. Sweet potato and squash are sweet enough that I would begin with green veggies then add the yellows later, followed by fruits. Eventually, serve a little of the greens with fruit or yellow veggies, so he doesn't get used to an all "sweet" meal.

SAHM of seven

We went through the same thing so we went ahead and started veggies. we went through a bunch of stage one veggies did each for 3 days to make sure he didn't have any reactions. then we started mixing the veggies with the rice cereal. eventually we moved on to fruits. now our little guy is almost 7 months and he gets a fruit in the am for breakfast, a meat in the afternoon for lunch and a veggie for dinner. in between he gets bottles with cereal (but the only reason he gets cereal in his bottle is becasue he has reflux)

We started our boys on solids at 4 months and then the other at 6 months. Both loved them! We did the rice cereal first, and made it with either breast milk or formula. After a week we then stirred in a few spoonfuls of veggies. My boys also really like the Yo-Baby yogurt, and that is good for them too. You can get ones with cereal in them too. Hope these ideas help!

The longer you wait to give your child food the better it is for him. If he isn't interested then listen to him and put it away for awhile. Try again next month or wait until he seems interested in what you are eating. There is no reason to start with rice cereal which is nutritionally empty. Try starting with food that is actually going to benefit his body like a mashed up avacodo. Stay away from processed foods and artificial ingredients and especially foods that have added sugar or corn syrup. As a society we do things just because everyone else does it and that's the way it has always been not necessarilly because it is the best thing to do. Think outside of the box. Good luck and best of luck with your baby.

My oldest child would not eat rice cereal. We tried mixed cereal and she ate it very well....you could also try oatmeal. Another thing you could do is put a little sugar in the rice cereal and see if he likes it that way. I don't think it would hurt to give him vegetables around lunch and again around supper. I would do that for 2 weeks and then give him fruit & vegetables at both times. I did that when my kids were around 5 1/2 - 6 months old. They only took a bottle in the morning(what was left after I mixed the cereal), mid afternoon, and evening. I would also introduce a sippy cup with his meals. Hope this helps.

I personally think the "fruits before veggies is bad" theory is bunk! My daughter's first food after rice cereal was applesauce. She loves fruits and veggies equally. In fact, she didn't like the sweetness of peaches and applesauce for quite a while (we're rediscovering them now!). I don't think it matters what order they are introduced. Your kid will like what he likes...and he'll let you know!

My oldest refused to eat rice cereal - after a few weeks of frustration it dawned on me that maybe he just didn't like it and we went on to veggies which he had no problem eating! Aren't kids fun! Best of luck to you!
K.

Hello,
Have a six month old son and we started on solids around 5 months. at first he didnt seen very interested so we waited a little while longer but when we tried it again we mixed veggies (baby food) with the cereal. I mix cereal with a small amount of fourmula makeing the cereal thin then add the veggies... we started with a half jar then moved up to a full jar.
Hope that helps a little?
A.

I would try other baby cereals. My daughter never liked rice cereal, but loved the oatmeal.

You just need to keep at it, little at a time. I have 5 kids and I started feeding rice cereal at 2 months. After being on that for 2 months then I added the fruit and then veggies then meat. I have had no problem with my kids (ages 16, 13, 4, 3 5 weeks) eating veggies. I don't there is a problem with fruit then veggie. My kids eat their veggies with no problem. With the cereal, add the fruit only if you have given him the fruit with out anything else, to make sure he is not going to have a reaction to it. If after a week of it, no problem add very little to the cereal, he doesn't like the feeling of the new food to his mouth and that might be your problem. Good luck

All of the advice is great! Every child is so different! Another thought? Wait a little longer. I introduced cereal (only) at three and a half months for my first child - who was sooo tiny - and then for each of my daughters, we chose to wait the full first six months. Neither had any adjustment problems - my middle child cruised thru each of the veggies and moved on to 'real' solids quickly - with very little need for purchasing 'baby foods'. And our youngest - she was nearer seven months. She showed little interest, as well. However, once she began eating, she didn't stop, either. I remember having shopping carts brimming with baby food for my son - and each of the girls had two two packs of each veggie and fruit - then straight to table foods.

Good luck :)

Are you sure he is ready for solids? Just because he drinks 8oz doesn't mean much. Does he watch you and others eat and mimic your mouth movements? Can he sit unsupported and has good head control? When you try to spoon feed him, does he open his mouth and take the food off the spoon? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then he's probably ready for solids. If you answer no to any of them, then I would maybe try again in a week or two.

Some kids don't really like the rice cereal. I personally don't think it really matters what order you try foods. Oatmeal or barley should be fine. Veggies or fruit are also fine. Sometimes it's just of matter of getting him used to the new food. Experts say it can take 20 or more exposures to the same food before kids will like it. Just wait about three days before introducing new foods and do one at a time. If he does have a reaction to something, you want to be able to identify it without having to retry several foods.

My son was about 4 1/2 months when we started rice cereal. He didn't like it at first either, but after about 2 weeks we gave him carrots with it. He really liked the carrots and he seemed to eat the cereal better. Then we went to a fruit and then a green veggie and we have kept that order and it has seemed to work. The fruits, expect applesauce seem a little sweet though and my son doesn't really like to eat them by themselves, so I have to mix them with cereal. So I would mix a little veggie with it. Or you son may not be ready yet. Just keep trying, and he will be interested some day. As a lot of other mom's from this site have told me, just be patient and he will start eating when he is ready.

Hi L.. I see you have gotten a lot of advice and seem to have worked it out. I did want to correct one of people who said that the cereal is for babies who don't get enough formula. This is not the case. The reason you start babies on rice cereal is because they are the least likely to have an allergic reaction to it and it is easy on their stomach as they are not used to digesting vegetables and fruits. I think what you did...mixing the vegies into the cereal was the right thing to do.

I wouldn't worry too much about the order you give the food in. With my first boy I followed that advice. Gave green veggies first, followed by orange veggies since they are sweeter and then fruits. He ate and liked them all just fine. Then he turned 3 and won't eat any vegetable except corn and the occasional carrot. I wasn't so concerned with my second boy and gave him what ever in any order, and he is the one that will eat anything and everyting including vegatables.

the only reason for serving rice cereals to babies is for the iron content, which isnt important until after 6 months - that is usually when there reserves are used up. you are safe to try any foods you want to, pears are good because they are not known to cause allergies. you can certainly try veggies too. just make sure it is simple, one ingredient foods. i encourage you to use veggies because starting early, when he doesnt really need it, is better than trying to force a new food at a 1 year old who could already be trying to assert independence LOL.

so go ahead, add cereal to the veggies if you want. but theres no reason to worry about it now. kids may turn down something new anyway, and it takes up to 13 tries before they accept it, just dont let them not liking something once discourage you from feeding it again!

however, i also agree with leigha b that if hes not interested, stop and try again in about a month. we shouldnt force our kids into anything they arent ready for. if baby cant tell you that he wants it or he doesnt want it, hes not ready. www.askdrsears.com has good advice on when to start solids, and there are a few required signs, one of which is the ability to tell you when he wants it and when he doesnt. theres nothing wrong with waiting, some moms wait until their kids are over 1 year old, and thats fine too! until then, most of their nutrition comes from formula or breastmilk anyway, so food isnt nutritionally important until after then.

slow down :D our kids grow up quickly as it is, we dont need to hurry it if they arent ready.

good luck!

If he is eating/drinking more than 32 ounces almost every day for a month that's when you know that he needs something more than formula/breast milk. For one thing we don't see very well the first 5 - 6 months. That's one reason why baby toys start at 5 or 6 months. So for a 5 month old to show "interest" is kind of hard. Because he can only see things almost clearly is if it's right up close to his face. And the only food he/she has been seeing close to their face is a bottle or breast. Babies come into this world and they don't know nothing, they have to learn everything, right? Babies suck already in the wound, so sucking a bottle or breast comes more naturally. They didn't get fed in the wound by spoon and they didn't fed by spoon the first 4, 5, 6 months of their life so they just don't know what the heck it is. It's like WHOA I'm not use to this. I"m not comfortable with this. Get this the heck away from me! The first week or two they are going to move it around in their mouth a little and they are going to have a hard time getting it all to go down the throat. That's just something babies naturally do. Their tongues will just push a little bit of it back out. He'll get the hang of it. I was trying fruits and vegetables at the same time. And yes, the only one he cared for was sweet potatoes. Well by the time we started give him the 3rd foods at 8-9 months he started eating green beans, squash, I think one of the pasta dishes had peas in it, anywayz, he ate more vegetables. And then when we started giving him table foods he ate almost everything. Now at 2 1/2 he's quite the picky eater, but most two year olds are. Rice cereal and oatmeal has the iron like others said and also it's more filling. If you want to give him rice cereal great. If you don't that's fine too. But, it reads to me like he needs some sort of solid. Also, when you feed him by spoon, especially if he has to chew/gum it it fools the mind into thinking it's had more than if you just gave him extra formula/breast milk. Plus, the food takes longer to digest than the formula/breast milk. Therefore, your son will stay fuller longer. Good luck!

I tried that rice stuff too and my daughter did not like it. I gave up - I have her on fruits in the evening and a veggie during lunch time and that seems to work right now. The cereal is for babies not getting enough iron and if he's eating bottles, should be okay. If breastfed though after 6 months you may need to do an iron supplement I read. My daughter seems to get enough iron with the formula so the rice I don't care about. Its jsut a guideline for starting solids. Ask your pediatrician - I think as long as you vary the foods and watch for allergies, it's okay to add fruits (preferably after 6 months) and begin with veggies. So far my daughter prefers veggies over the fruit. Try mixing the veggies with the rice - make it a consistency not too think if you want. See what he prefers.