When to Introduce Cerial?

6 months is the new standard.....that said I started veggies first (6 months) then fruits and didnt introduce any grains until 8 months. Grains really are not needed at that young age, they just act as a easy food for young babies. My Dr said if i wanted to do grains at 4 months I could, she would wait till 6 though, if I wanted to start with a veggie or fruit first then I had to wait till 6 months. I follow the Dr Sears guideline a little more, which is a delay in grains and not making grains a large portion of the diet.

My doctor said 4 months is ok and that is when I started both of my girls. My 2nd daughter is almost 6 months and is already eating sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, apple sauce and cereal.

Yes, 6 months is the "standard" nowadays... even the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends this. Your Pediatrician knows your child best and her medical history. Go according to your doctor for medical advice. Remember, it is not about feeding your baby food... their body physiologically is STILL forming,their organs is STILL forming and their digestive system as well... this is why is it not recommended to feed "solids" earlier, and for allergy issues as well. I did not feed my children solids until 6 months as well. Everyone is different though. But, think about the baby, and how their internal organs and system is still developing. Rushing it is not always the best... their body may not be ready for it. Go according to your doctor... and their recommendations. That is just me. Again, everyone is different.
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

My son is now six months and I just started him on cereal this week. I wanted to wait until he was really ready, so I waited until he was trying to grab the food off of my plate, then started him on a little Earth's Best organic rice cereal mixed with breast milk (the easiest combo for their fresh bellies to digest). So far he's chowed down every bite greedily, which means he really was ready. I chase it with a little nursing and a nap usually. Good luck!

My second daughter is 9 mo. old and our dr. is holistic and Western trained and he's not into feeding cereals either ... even now. Last month he said we could start with barley's and stuff like that but not white wheat at all. He had us start both our children when they were sitting up and grabbing off my plate ... around 6-8 mo with the first and 5 mo with this one ... he advised vegetables cooked and mushed only until around 8 mo. and then we started on the barley stuff and some fruits like cooked apples. No meat until after 1 year.

I introduced cereal at 5 months, but I think you can start anywhere between 4-6 months once your child shows an interest in food. As for baby books and what to feed them I have 2 I loved. Superbaby Food, which tells you how to make your own food using the freezer cube method and also tells you which foods to introduce every month for the first year. Another great book is 100 Best Baby Food Purees by Annabel Karmel. This will take you from the first fruit or vegetable puree all the way to making baby beef stew and spaghetti at 9-12 months. My daughter ate everything out of this book and now is the best eater! Good luck!

Hey T., My doc said the same thing with my son, and we started him on cereal at 3 months because he was starving every 2 hours, we did not give him much, a table spoon here and there, along with breastmilk. He is a healthy 4 year old that still loves his cereal and has no food allergies. Go with your gut, you will know when the time is right. They are cautious about food til 6 months for the allergy possibilities as far as I know. Have a good weekend, A.

I started my son, per his doctor, on rice cerial his first week of his forth month. I currently have him on oatmeal (2nd week), will introduce barley on the 3rd week and then fruit and veggies his 4th week.

I reference babycenter.com when I was pregnant and continue as my son grows.

Good luck!
S.

I waited until my son was 6 months old to give him cereal and baby food. That is what most doctors say today. Most of my friends gave their babies cereal at 4 months (or younger) but that always seemed too soon to me. What's the rush? They are going to be eating food for the rest of their lives - there is no harm in waiting until the child is 6 months old.

Hi T.: My son, Alex (now 6 mos) started on rice cereal at 4 months, boy did he hate it! So I offered him baby foods mixed in with the rice cereal and he eats like a champ. Right now he normally finishes off a stage 2 jar in each sitting (we feed morning and at dinner, & breastmilk throughout the day). I try to keep him well rounded with what he eats, and his favorite is the sweet potatoes.

Hi T....

I was always told by my docs to start cereal at 4 months old. I made my own baby food and I started my daughter on her cereal at 4 months and with apples at 4 1/2 months. It is really hard to find info on when to feed what and how much because kids vary so greatly. As for foods I'd say it's totally up to you when you start but with cereal at least start with single grains like rice cereal first and go from there. I started with a Tablespoon of Rice cereal mixed with formula for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner with her bottles. If your interested in making your own food try looking for the fresh baby food kit from Onestepahead.com...the Cworkbook had lots of good info on feeding your baby. Good luck and enjoy it. I really found it rewarding and fun to make my baby's food.

Hey T.,
I also have an almost 5 month old (Dylan born 5/16/07). I started him on cereal at 4 months just like my older son (Jake is 3.5) as they were both (I felt) ready for it. Dylan immediately got constipated without any other reaction. I then earlier this week gave him some oatmeal to loosen him up. He then got very very loose stools. SO I'm gonna lay off for a week or so but I'm glad I tried it because Jake took to it right away and has been eating ever since. We don't have any history of food allergies in our family so we felt ok about starting at 4 months. I think that if you feel ready then a little bit just won't hurt.

i have a 9 month old daughter.. I started her on Cereal at 4 months old.. her ped told me to wait till 6 months.. but my baby girl seemed more hungrier than for formula.. and she has done great with it.. U really have to do what u think needs to be done.. if ur daughter seems more hungrier than give her more than just formula or whatever ur feeding her... before my daughter went to cereal she was eating 8 oz bottles at a time... now mind u shes not a big baby either.. at 9 months old she weighs 16 lbs....

it depends on the child i think. With my first son who is 14 now I started him on cereal at about two months old because he was drinking too much formula. Back then they told me to put it in his bottle until he was old enough to sit up and eat it.
With my other two it was about 3 months old (they are 5 and 7 years old), and i started off in their bottles, then with a spoon later on. But at five months personally I think rice cereal is fine mixed with formula. You can try it and if he has a reaction stop. I wouldn't recommend baby foods until six moths though, like canned foods. But I was always told four months was the recommended time for most babies to s tart cereal.