Starting Rice Cereal

I started my daughter on rice cereal when she was 4 months old. She would eat 1/4 cup mid morning with some fruit mixed in then I would give her a 1/4 for dinner with some veggis mixed in and she did great with it.

I actually started when my daughter was about 2 months just at bedtime. then at about 3 or 4 months i started adding baby food to it 2 times a day then moved to 3 times a day and now at 6 months she doesnt want it anymore. she is already on solid foods. but its all on what you feel comfortable with.

I started feeding my daughter cereal when she was about 4 months old. I was putting it in her bottle at about 3 months of age however.

I started my daughter at 4 months. That is when my doctor suggested it. I fed her a small amount at breakfast and dinner. It has to be very runny, so feeding is very messy but fun. I used to set her in her bouncy on the table instead of holding her since she couldn't sit up on her own.....this worked very well. Then you just gradually thicken it up as she gets older. By six months my baby was eating veggies and fruits along with the rice cereal. My doctor said that is important not to make it a substitute for breastmilk or formula. You are just giving them a taste of what food is going to be like..........so basically don't over-do it with the cereal. And always mix it with breastmilk or formula instead of water.
Hope this helps

Personally, I waited until 6 months to start ANY solid for both of my boys. They let me know when they were ready to start spoons. Both would watch me eat with this look in their eye like they wanted to try. Also, be careful giving young babies any food other than formula or breastmilk as it has been linked to allergies, and research is being done on the possible link between juvenile diabetes and other intestinal diseases. If you follow your gut instinct and do your research, you and your little one will do what is right for you! :)

I am also a first time mother of a 13 month old boy! :) I started rice cereal when he was four months old. I started doing it the same way you are, a little in the bottle before bed. Then I started spoon feeding a few days later. You'll know if she's ready if she can swallow it without spitting it all out. Give her a few chances though, it is a learned action! :) Good luck!

I started at 6 months, but you should ask your baby's doctor just to make sure. I also had to hold back because my daughter needed to have surgery, she had a teatherd lip. so ask your doctor he/she will help you lots.

hey D., i started mine around that age. it worked out great. my doc suggested it at his four month check up. If you try it and she does the whole mouth thrust thing then try later. Mine loved it. good luck.

mY FIRST BORN i STARTED AT 5 MOS AND HE REALLY DIDN'T SEEM TO TAKE TO IT SO ACTUALLY WAITED TILL HE WAS 6 1/2 MOS AND AT THAT TIME HE SEEMED BETTER ABLE TO ACTUALLY EAT. mY DAUGHTER i WAITED TILL SHE WAS 6 MOS AND SHE DID GREAT.

Hi D.!

If your baby girl has taken to the milk with the rice cereal just fine then she's ready. Rice cereal is the best usually to start them on because it's easy to digest. If she is watching you while you are eating, kind of eyeing your spoon and fork as you take it in, then usually that's a sign of them wanting to eat solids as well. Don't be afraid to get her started, it's all uphill from here! :)

Good luck!

Hi D.

Are you giving the rice to her from a bowl or a bottle?

Have you talked to your pediatrician? Your pediatrician really should be "your best-friend" 4-6 months is the ideal time to start rice-one meal a day. Until 4 months, the babies body cannot digest anything but formula or breastmilk (their digestive systems are not developed enough till then).

At nearly 4 months, I started my daughter on a teaspoon of breastmilk and an 1/8 teaspoon of rice, then gradually increased the rice and milk till she was eating a more solid consistancy within a week. It takes some time for them to adjust to the spoon since it doesn't involve sucking. The rule is 3 days on a new food item at a time to watch for allergies. We did rice for about 2 weeks, then I went to oatmeal, then barley, then started adding fruits and veggies.
I started making all my daughters foods from scratch, they tasted a lot better than the jars. If you want more help, drop me a line.

I see a few people suggested adding rice to a bottle...I hope the info below is helpful.

Contrary to "the norm", it is not safe to add rice cereal to your baby's milk. I spoke with my pediatrician about this when my daughter was 3.5 months old. He told us to absolutely refrain from putting it in her milk, she could sufficate. Check out these links.
http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&...
http://www.drgreene.com/21_861.html