Babies: 3 - 6 Months

decided to ask fellow bumpies...

it seems like i trust you all more than i do my mother, MIL, and LO's Pedi..

 at what age to i introduce baby cereal? i was told today 4 months is okay to start rice cereal, however, i read 6 months is the age... 

i was telling DH today that i guess we just have to use "our" judgment and see what we feel is best.. (but, we're new parents).. we read a lot and usually go by that.. (mother and MIL have some funny remedies, or well, you know how they do things, they say "we've been doing this a while") or sometimes by what the Pedi says..

but now, we turn to you.. 

 

P.S. i know at some point we will do what we feel is best, but id like to have input from others... thanks!

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Re: decided to ask fellow bumpies...

  • I'm not going to try any solids until six months. I would be willing to start earlier if he shows readiness. I'm going to do a mix of purees and BLW. I don't think I'll do cereal because it just seems unnecessary. It's really up to you just use your own judgement.
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  • I was hell bent on not starting til 6 months....but he started reaching for our food and staring us down when we ate.  I read that when they start seeming interested in food then it is time to start.  We started slowly with cereal every three or so days.  Now he gets cereal every morning and has started on green beans at night.  Things change :)
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  • I started Ella on cereal at 4.5 months and she HATED it. I tried a little sugar, a little honey, and still nothing. She would scream. So I put her on 1st Organic foods at 5 months and so far so good. I also give her 2 oz of juice 1x a day mixed with 2 oz of water. (for constipation with food, per dr) Like you said, it's your own gut feeling, but honestly, DD is doing great on it and she is sleeping better. PLUS!
  • We started McCrae on cereal at 4months and 1day, but he was ready for solids! He was eating at 6oz bottle like he was starving to death every 21/2-3hrs! I mean it was insane how much he was eating...I did cereal for a wk, then moved on to baby food, his greens are what we started with....But honestly, It's your judgment do what you think is right for your baby. 
  • We're starting at 6 months, but that's just personal choice. Our pedi said it's fine to start at 4 months. 
  • This is usually a huge debate, so I'll give you what I did! I started both my LO's at 4 months on rice cereal, but both of them were ready (i feel) they were both very big babies and were very hungry. They were sitting up almost unassisted and reaching for my food if it was in front of them. And within a week both were opening their mouths and leaning towards the spoon. And never had any GI issues once we started. You just have to test the waters and if you think your LO is ready then try it if they hate it then put it off! Good Luck! by the way my pedi said it was fine to start at 4 months but like babies all pedi's are different.
  • imagewhitward87:
    I started Ella on cereal at 4.5 months and she HATED it. I tried a little sugar, a little honey, and still nothing. She would scream. So I put her on 1st Organic foods at 5 months and so far so good. I also give her 2 oz of juice 1x a day mixed with 2 oz of water. (for constipation with food, per dr) Like you said, it's your own gut feeling, but honestly, DD is doing great on it and she is sleeping better. PLUS!

    Not flaming, but I have seen a baby get botulism from "a little bit of honey" and it is a horrible thing.  I would talk to your pedi about safe things to add to cereal. 

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  • imagernfromtn:

    imagewhitward87:
    I started Ella on cereal at 4.5 months and she HATED it. I tried a little sugar, a little honey, and still nothing. She would scream. So I put her on 1st Organic foods at 5 months and so far so good. I also give her 2 oz of juice 1x a day mixed with 2 oz of water. (for constipation with food, per dr) Like you said, it's your own gut feeling, but honestly, DD is doing great on it and she is sleeping better. PLUS!

    Not flaming, but I have seen a baby get botulism from "a little bit of honey" and it is a horrible thing.  I would talk to your pedi about safe things to add to cereal. 

    I've heard the same thing, and was told no honey till after 2 years old!

  • imagewhitward87:
    I started Ella on cereal at 4.5 months and she HATED it. I tried a little sugar, a little honey, and still nothing. She would scream. So I put her on 1st Organic foods at 5 months and so far so good. I also give her 2 oz of juice 1x a day mixed with 2 oz of water. (for constipation with food, per dr) Like you said, it's your own gut feeling, but honestly, DD is doing great on it and she is sleeping better. PLUS!

    I thought no honey til a yr... the bottle even says so.

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  • imageLynn1980:
    imagernfromtn:

    imagewhitward87:
    I started Ella on cereal at 4.5 months and she HATED it. I tried a little sugar, a little honey, and still nothing. She would scream. So I put her on 1st Organic foods at 5 months and so far so good. I also give her 2 oz of juice 1x a day mixed with 2 oz of water. (for constipation with food, per dr) Like you said, it's your own gut feeling, but honestly, DD is doing great on it and she is sleeping better. PLUS!

    Not flaming, but I have seen a baby get botulism from "a little bit of honey" and it is a horrible thing.  I would talk to your pedi about safe things to add to cereal. 

    I've heard the same thing, and was told no honey till after 2 years old!

    Yes, and then some.  Botulism is so scary!  It may be rare, but not rare enough.  I would just hate to hear of a baby getting it from someone innocently adding it to food.

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  • imageLynn1980:
    This is usually a huge debate, so I'll give you what I did! I started both my LO's at 4 months on rice cereal, but both of them were ready (i feel) they were both very big babies and were very hungry. They were sitting up almost unassisted and reaching for my food if it was in front of them. And within a week both were opening their mouths and leaning towards the spoon. And never had any GI issues once we started. You just have to test the waters and if you think your LO is ready then try it if they hate it then put it off! Good Luck! by the way my pedi said it was fine to start at 4 months but like babies all pedi's are different.

     

    omg i love ur bottom picture lol

  • imageMCMoo23:
    We're starting at 6 months, but that's just personal choice. Our pedi said it's fine to start at 4 months. 

    This is what we are doing too

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  • we also wanted to introduce solids at 6 months. that was something DH and I felt strongly about... so you can understand that when DH and I learned my sisters boyfriend let LO suck on a piece a brisket on 4th of July, we were infuriated!

    im not sure if that started this, he does look at us when we eat as if he wants our food (like a PP has mentioned) he'll do this and move his mouth, now we're not sure if hes doing this for real, or if its something we see.. he also eats like crazy, sometimes im not sure how many oz he is getting, because i nurse, but yesterday it seemed like he was on the boob ALL day.. growth spurt? or just a hungry kid? 

    i might give the cereal a try, but i feel he wont like it.. he HATES formula, and ONLY wants bm, so im not sure if hed take a liking to cereal.. 

     

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  • imageLynn1980:
    This is usually a huge debate, so I'll give you what I did! I started both my LO's at 4 months on rice cereal, but both of them were ready (i feel) they were both very big babies and were very hungry. They were sitting up almost unassisted and reaching for my food if it was in front of them. And within a week both were opening their mouths and leaning towards the spoon. And never had any GI issues once we started. You just have to test the waters and if you think your LO is ready then try it if they hate it then put it off! Good Luck! by the way my pedi said it was fine to start at 4 months but like babies all pedi's are different.

     

    those siggy pix are way cute!!! and ill say, he looks ready! very cute!!!

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  • imagecampSnoopy02:

    we also wanted to introduce solids at 6 months. that was something DH and I felt strongly about... so you can understand that when DH and I learned my sisters boyfriend let LO suck on a piece a brisket on 4th of July, we were infuriated!

    im not sure if that started this, he does look at us when we eat as if he wants our food (like a PP has mentioned) he'll do this and move his mouth, now we're not sure if hes doing this for real, or if its something we see.. he also eats like crazy, sometimes im not sure how many oz he is getting, because i nurse, but yesterday it seemed like he was on the boob ALL day.. growth spurt? or just a hungry kid? 

    i might give the cereal a try, but i feel he wont like it.. he HATES formula, and ONLY wants bm, so im not sure if hed take a liking to cereal.. 

     

    We mix the cereal with breast milk.  But then again, my DS will eat/drink ANYTHING, warm or cold.

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  • I started LO when he was a little over 3 1/2 months after doing tons of reading. The consensus of what I read was when they start showing interest in "grown-up" food and if they have great head control. Also if they have the reflexes to swallow the cereal, which he did right away. There were other signs they're ready like if they have doubled their birth weight. But LO was 8.4 oz, and will still be short of 16 1/2lbs at his 6 month checkup. And I'm still not completely sure why the weight has much to do with it. I personally think each baby is different and will be ready at different times.

  • We wanted to try and wait until 6 months, but that was not happening. LO was drinking so much formula it was ridiculous. He was eating 40+ ounces a day and was eying up our food when we were eating and trying to grab the fork/spoon out of our hands.

    Last week I gave him a little rice cereal and he hated it, I tried again a couple more times and he refused to eat it. We even tried oatmeal with bananas and that didn't work, so I just started giving him the jar of Gerber 1st stage baby food and he is doing wonderful. I give him a fruit in the morning around 8 and then late afternoon I give him a veggie. Since we started this he doesn't seem to be starving all the time like he was.

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