Introducing Rice Cereal

I was told to start my kids on cereal at 3 1/2 mths and then baby food at 4 months. My youngest is 6 months old and he just started stage 2 baby food and he has done great with everything so far.

Your pedi needs to get in line with Amer.Acad of Peds and the WHO! AAP says minimum of 6mos of age. WHO says middle of first year for introduction to solids. Also, she needs to be sitting up entirely on her own. As others advice givers said, she may not even take it right now. Babies are not born to eat solids :-) Both of mine went thru a stage of interest that I thought was in food, but was actually in the cups, spoons, etc. So I had them play with those for a while before intro-ing solids.
Your pedi might be saying this if you commented on lack of sleep. Some ppl think that something 'heavier' will help them sleep longer - and for some it might - but others just get an upset stomach if their little bodies aren't ready yet.
IMO, just wait.
You know yourself and your baby better than your pedi does. Trust your gut.

hth
K. H, mama to
Catherine, 4yrs (began solids at 8.5mos)
Samuel, 1yr (began solids at 7.5mos)

I started mine in his cereal at about 2 months because of reflux, but not on the spoon till about 4 1/2 to 5. I think I actually did try it earlier, but he wasn't coordinated enough to do it.
Lots of people wait later. Do what you think is best...
GOOD LUCK!

Just try when you are ready to start. There is no strict rule with babies. She may not even take it at that point. Believe me, your little one will tell you when they want solids and if she doesn't take anything until she is past 12 months, that is fine too. Food is for play and adjustment. It is not a nutritional requirement at this age.

Personally, I tried cereal at 4 weeks. Elizabeth didn't take to it. I didn't force it. I waited a week and tried again. I did this repeatedly until she was ready. She started liking it at 5.5 months. She prefers oatmeal with mostly water.

GL!

I have always started cereal at 4 months and baby food at 5 and that is what all my friends w/babies have done as well.
If you feel that strongly about waiting maybe you should talk to your Pedi about it.

M.

I have always waited til 6 mo., but that is what mine told me, so if your pedi thinks you need to do it now, then maybe you should. GOod Luck!

If you do some research on line, you'll find that most peds (and I beleive the AAP as well) now recommend delaying solids until 6 months -- especially if there's a family history of food allergies, excema, hay fever, and food sensitivities. www.askdrsears.com, www.kellymom.com and the la leche league web sites all have good information on how and when to intro solids. Check them out.

I first introduced food at 6 months (and it doesn't have to be rice cereal either btw) and he just wasn't ready. He'd spit it back out and just didn't know what to do with it. I tried again a week later -- same reaction. It wasn't until 7 months that he actually took something (barley). I finally figured out that hee just hated rice cereal and who can blame him. I bf'd until then and my diet is definately diverse and spicy so I guess he was used to that as opposed to bland cereal.

Don't feel that you have to intro solids b/c your ped says to. Intro solids when your baby is interested (the websites I mention have info on that too btw) and ready.

I started my boys on rice cereal on 4 months and then at 5 months. When my oldest was born, the recommendation was 4 months, after my 2nd, it was changed to 6 months so our doctor said 5. Funny how "they" change the rules all the time. At any rate, do what makes you comfortable. She will be just fine at 4 months and 5 months - and she will not know you made her wait - ha ha...

Good luck!
M*

I have a baby girl who was born in September. Since this sounds like your first time with this, you have to have some help and patience. She will not like it at first and you dont have to do it every meal. start out once a day, in the mornings before a bottle. mix a little milk,cereal and make it kind of runny like applesauce so it sort of runs into her mouth from the spoon. she will spit it out and you just pick it right back up and feed it to her again. if she cries or turns her head she is usually done or not interested. put it away, clean her up and try again in a day or two. I watched my mom and mom inlaw feed my first and it helped. have some friends show you to make it easier. tell the doctor whats happening when you go for checkups..
L.