Cereal Question

brunettemomma

When did you start giving your baby cereal, and did you do it in the bottle or spoon? If in a bottle what type of nipple did you use? Being a first time Mom everyone keeps giving me advice but I think I should wait until the 4 month age reccomendation. TIA

mrshutch

I was so naive about this (laughing at self). When pedi first mentioned cereal, I honestly thought she was talking about actual cereal (i.e., Cheerios). Thank goodness I asked for clarification before I tried to shove Cheerios down my 4 mo-old's throat! I never tried it in the bottle. I went ahead one day and mixed it with formula in a bowl and used a spoon. DD took to it instantly, and liked grabbing the spoon. I never saw a need to put it in a bottle, but maybe other moms have needed to do that for various reasons. I also stuck w/ the pedi's rec for age. GL!

Mrs_JR

We started at 4 months to increase the amount of iron she was getting and help her get used to eating from a spoon.  I mixed it with BM in a bowl and spoon fed her.  My pedi said not to give it in a bottle because it's a choking hazard.  However, some pedis do recommend the bottle for reflux and things like that.  I would check with your pedi. 

beenbizzy

We first gave DS cereal at four months.  We mixed it in a bowl with formula using a spoon.  DS loved it. 

Don't you love unsolicited advice?  Uh, annoying. 

LadyLove-GA

We started at around 4mos and we use the bowl and spoon.

Maybride2

DS was 6.5 months before we started him on cereal.  If your child is growing ok on breastmilk or formula, there's no real reason to give cereal earlier.  In fact, the AAP is looking to move the "recommended" age to 6 months instead of 4.

And DON'T put cereal in a bottle unless your pedi tells you to.  First, it's a choking hazard.  Second, it completely defeats the purpose of the cereal......which is getting your child used to solids.  Third, it can cause your child to overeat.

pnstirling

DD had rice cereal at 5.5 months. ?I fed it to her with a spoon about once per day. ?About 2-3 weeks later I introduced oatmeal ?- which she still prefers over rice cereal to this day. She started eating cereal puffs at 9 months.

marrymemylove

1. NEVER EVER EVER use a bottle. Only a spoon.

2. 4 months is too early. We now know it increases allergy risks later (though rice cereal has the lowest increase in risk it still has some). We know this because in the 1970s it was common to start at 6 weeks and we got a spike in allergies in a large number of kids. SIX months is the recommendation.

3. THey don't need cereal ever really. There's no nutritional need that it fills, it is not easier than other foods at the 6 month point. Once at 6 months many foods are possibilities for first foods - including yoghurt, ?pureed fruit or veges and broth.

?

?