Starting solids: skipping cereal, straight to food questions

veloelle

I'm going to talk w/ DS's pedi, but we're looking to start him on solids w/in the next month; he'll be 4 months on Thursday. I'd like to go closer to 5 months and DH is ready today; I showed him reasons why we need to wait until he's at least 4 months. I waited to start solids w/ DD at 6 months, and honestly think that was part of the issue we had w/ her not eating. I know it's all about delaying solids, and for some 6 months is too early, but I'd like to start them earlier w/ him to try and avoid some of what we went through w/ DD.

Anyway. Did anyone NOT introduce cereal and go right to food? I have frozen apricot, plum, peach, and squash purees from our garden. I was thinking of starting a very watered down squash first. I'm reading on the nutritional benefits/needs of cereal, and opinion seemed to be mixed on if it's needed, as it's more to introduce the concept of spoon feeding. DS is FF.

Yodajo

For DS2, we gave avocado as his first food.  Dr. Sears and others rstate that it is a great first food.  We did go on to introduce cereal after that, but avocado came first. 

peekaboo716

I think the reason you start with cereal first is that it's supposed to be less chance of allergy and the consistency is good. IDK.

Anyway, our pedi advised waiting until 5 months with DD to introduce solids. Her recommendation was that we could start whichever solid we wanted, and suggested cereal, avocado, or peas. I think starting with a green veggie, rather than yellow since the yellow are more sweet maybe. I really don't remember the specifics of what she told us. We started with cereal.

shouldbworkin

FWIW, I did not delay with DS and did with DD.  DD is a great eater, DS is not.  DD ate cereal probably once and didn't eat much baby food.  She went straight to table food at 8 mos and has been a champion eater ever since.  DS ate cereal and baby food forever and adopted table food very late with much resistance. 

I think you should just follow your DC's lead and he will be fine.  Every child is different and I don't think anything you did made your DD a poor eater.  Honestly, sometimes I with DD and I ate a little bit more like DS.  He really has no pleasure in eating, he just eats if he's hungry and eats until he's not anymore.  There's something to that.