4 month appt - recommendation for rice cereal?

boymamaco · November 2013

I've seen the links to some of the threads on the other boards, and have read that this has come up here already but I wasnt a part of those discussions. I just looked back through the last four pages and didnt find any discussions on this board SO.... here goes.

We just had our 4 month appt and our ped recommended we start introducing rice cereal between now and 6 months. His recommendation was for us to mix it with breast milk to the desired consistency and then use it as "practice" for LO to start learning how to eat solids. My plan, and everything I've read, is to wait until 6 months to introduce solids. I told him such and he was OK with it. I'm actually a bit confused as to why a newer ped would recommend this when it seems like everywhere I look recommends waiting.

Can anyone give me the break down of how they introduced solids to their LO. Clearly this will be for the BTDT moms. Also if anyone has any good book recommendations I'd appreciate that as well. Thanks!

BelhurstBride · November 2013

We did BLWing when DD1 was ready. (She was 6-7 months old.)

Rice cereal is a pretty old school recommendation.

boymamaco · November 2013

@BelhurstBride - I was under the impression that rice cereal was pretty outdated as well. Makes me sort of wonder if he's the right pediatrician for us.

I definitely need to read up on this and figure out what is right for LO.

Michelle N · November 2013

We'll be skipping rice cereal, and I'll be making purees with veggies around 6 mos. The bump's homepage had a good read about solids today.

Cocolamo1 · November 2013

We did purées with DS and DD, but skipped rice cereal. I waited until they were ready. Sitting with little support, reaching for food and watching me eat. I started with apples or sweet potatoes and introduced a little at a time. Baby's continue to get most nutrients and calories from BM or formula, so solids are mostly about teaching baby to eat during the first year.

ETA: DS was just under 6 months, DD was just over 6 months.

boymamaco · November 2013

Can I also include another question here!? As long as we;re on the topic. Our ped recommended we start with meats since their iron stores are naturally decreasing by now. For those of you who introduced meats, what did you start with? Is it also steamed and pureed? How nasty does that sound?!

MommyKristin88 · November 2013

lucyspeople said:

Can I also include another question here!? As long as we;re on the topic. Our ped recommended we start with meats since their iron stores are naturally decreasing by now. For those of you who introduced meats, what did you start with? Is it also steamed and pureed? How nasty does that sound?!

The ped told you to start with meats right now????

BelhurstBride · November 2013

I've read the same. (About meats and iron.) Stewed beef was DD1's second food. I had made a minestrone soup for dinner for DH and I and just pulled out a hunk of beef for DD to gnaw on.

LJUTCMommy · November 2013

My pedi did say that *sometimes* rice cereal is recommended for reflux babies as it is heavier "food". I use the term food loosely. I mean, if I wanted to give her something heavier, I'd probably do an avocado or squash--you know, something with nutrients.

However, I still told her I'd prefer to wait until 6 months and she was fine with that. I have read about the meat thing too. I'm also planning to do BLW. We just had an 8 month old over for dinner on Sunday and he tore up some roasted chicken, potatoes, and salad. It was really cute.

carrotcake06 · November 2013

I really like www.wholesomebabyfood.com. It has lots of good info, age recommendations, recipes. Very helpful.

We started w rice cereal a week or so before 6mo. He was ready - could sit unassisted, showed some interest, etc. we started slowly and moved onto veggie and fruit purees that I made. In the very beginning, we waited between introducing foods but got lax w it since there aren't food allergies in our family.

Purees can be a bit of a pain, especially if youre doing them 2-3x a day plus BF/FF 5-6x a day. It's like they're always eating. If we were busy or something, I'd always just ditch the purée and do puffs or mum mums or something.

Ashesha13 · November 2013

I'm seeing a lot about sitting unassisted before introducing solids, I'm a FTM and haven't looked much about introducing yet but is there a reason to this other than having to support baby while they eat? Just caught my eye and am curious

boymamaco · November 2013

@MommyKristin88 - no, not now but rather when we start introducing solids. Sorry I reread my post and can see how you thought that.

Thanks everyone for the tips. And thanks @carrotcake06 for the website!

V&G101808 · November 2013

lucyspeople said:

Can I also include another question here!? As long as we;re on the topic. Our ped recommended we start with meats since their iron stores are naturally decreasing by now. For those of you who introduced meats, what did you start with? Is it also steamed and pureed? How nasty does that sound?!

I've never heard of anyone starting meats when they began starting solids

Everything I've read had suggested starting with veggies and fruits - steamed & pureed.

MynaBird · November 2013

From what I've read, a lot of parents who do baby-led weaning offer meat from fairly early on, and that's our plan. They'll do ground meat, shredded chicken (thigh is apparently easier for babies to eat than breast meat) or even strips of steak to gnaw on.

natsko · November 2013

A friend of mine did baby lead weaning, and she did give him chunks of meat and he would just gnaw on it. I don't know if I will do it but it seems interesting and easier than purée foods

edenrivers · November 2013

V&G101808 said:

lucyspeople said:

Can I also include another question here!? As long as we;re on the topic. Our ped recommended we start with meats since their iron stores are naturally decreasing by now. For those of you who introduced meats, what did you start with? Is it also steamed and pureed? How nasty does that sound?!

I've never heard of anyone starting meats when they began starting solids

Everything I've read had suggested starting with veggies and fruits - steamed & pureed.

This. Rice and other cereals are recommended first because they're easy to digest. We started DS1 around 4 1/2 months; pureed veggies at six months. Baby is still getting bm or formula at this time, which contains all the protein he/she needs. All foods introduced to baby are simply training them how to eat--it's not their main source of nutrition.

Cocolamo1 · November 2013

@Ashesha13 Sitting unsupported shows that they are developmentally ready to start solid foods. It all decreases the chance of choking or aspirating.

Ashesha13 · November 2013

@cocolamo1 aaahhhh makes sense. Thank you

RK125 · November 2013

BLW?

BlueJewelM · November 2013

DS1 wasn't interested in foods until after 6 months. In our case rice cereal was great because it doesn't taste like much...so he was okay with breastmilk "flavored" rice cereal. Plus I liked using it to test the tongue thrust thing since it's so cheap and keeps for a while.

After he finally got the hang of eating (it didn't come easy for ds1) we did puréed veggies with breastmilk and finally took out the breastmilk. He did fruits fine.

Around 8 months is started BLW. He loved breastmilk pancakes. Scrambled eggs. Tiny pieces of chicken. Even as a btdt I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to start with BLW, but I don't want to serve puréed food after 9 months.

carrotcake06 · November 2013

BlueJewelM said:

Around 8 months is started BLW. He loved breastmilk pancakes. Scrambled eggs. Tiny pieces of chicken. Even as a btdt I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to start with BLW, but I don't want to serve puréed food after 9 months.

This is where I'm at too. I think i started phasing out purees around 10-11 mo and ideally, this time I'd do it sooner.

ktballz · November 2013

My ped told me we would be talking about food at our 4 month appointment. I assumed it was because that is our last appointment with her before 6 months and if LO is ready before that appointment she will have covered it with me. We are planning on BLW so no cereals over here.

laabeja · November 2013

We did BLW from the get go with DS around 6-7months. Just gave foods in large strips or hunks. We started with a couple of veggies but quickly moved on to meats. Here are two photos from when he was almost 7 months eating his first piece of meat (chicken) and first pickle (notice the strips - easier for little hands to maneuver). And for fun, a photo of DS just before his first birthday eating a whole apple. He prefers whole fruits, chicken legs, etc.
ETA: notice he only had two teeth at 11 months and yet he did great gnawing on food even before his first teeth came in!

BelhurstBride · November 2013

HauntedRadio said:

Here's a similar question for the BTDT moms -- I know a lot of people say that they waited for the tongue-thrust reflex to be gone before starting solids. How do you look for that? With just a spoon with nothing on it? Sorry if it seems like a silly question but I've seriously been wondering that for a while.

If you touch LO's lips they'll automatically thrust their tongue forward. It's to help with FF/BFing but not with solids. It usually starts to diminish around 3-4 months.

ETA: @HauntedRadio

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