When to Start Solid Foods.

Per my pediatrician-rice cereal at 4 months, then oatmeal and barley cereals. Orange veggies at 5 months, then green veggies and fruits. A second cereal feeding and meats at 6 months. A third non-cereal feeding by 9 months. At 10 months, they were eating what we ate after finishing their baby food serving. Breastfeeding continued as normal, 4 times a day, until they weaned around 12 months.

I don't think there are any hard or fast rules on this although my doc did say 4 months was a bit young, but honestly I can't remember why. My older son started showing interest in what we were eating so he started solids at 5 1/2 months while my younger son showed no interest and didn't start until almost 9 months (believe me I tried). I think it's all your child's preference.

6-7 months. It's a PIA, a total hassle, and completely messy. Solids are not their main source of nutrition for the first year. They are mainly used to get baby accustomed to eating solid foods. There's definitely no rush to start.

My kids were all interested (and two insisted) in starting solids at 4 months - not a lot, but wanted to eat when the rest of us did.

Pediatricians thought they were giving good advice regarding allergies when they started recommending putting off solids until 6 months. However, that advice, based on one mouse study, turned out to be very misguided and is probably why we have sky rocketing rates of food allergies in this country. In Israel, where they hand EVERY teething baby a peanut butter covered treat at around 4 months they have almost NO peanut allergies in the population. Waiting too long causes the body's immune system to see those complex proteins as threats - thus the allergic response. Recently American pediatricians are re-thinking the wait 6 months or more advice http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/09/10/221119528/doc...
Finally, kids don't need teeth to eat - their gums are quite tough. My oldest was eating all adult finger food (cut in the appropriate size) and breast milk at 9 months (nothing pureed) and he didn't get his first tooth until 13 months! Have fun!

6 months. And I would avoid rice cereals due to the recent finding of arsenic in rice.

Most docs say 6 months and Start with oatmeal cereal (rice is not good for babies in my opinion) and after a couple weeks start mixing pureed veggies in the oatmeal cereal. One veggie per week. And only one solid feeding per day.

My son started at 5 months my daughter at 6 1/2 months. With that said, doctors vary on their recommendations between 4 & 6 months. Solid food is not so much for nutrition but for practice, exposure to new tastes and to get a little extra in their bellies when they seem interested. I waited until my kids seemed interested in eating. My kids never had any issues with food upsetting their stomachs or digestive tracts except my son has a milk protein allergy. If once you start, you feel it is not being receives well by your daughter then you can always stop and try again a little later.

As far as waiting to introduce new foods, I have heard anywhere from 3-7 days, varying from doctor to doctor. Definitely give some time in between new foods so you can identify an allergy easier if needed.

My daughter only had breast milk/formula until she was 6 months old. Then we just did one meal of rice cereal, along with her usual formula/milk all day). At 9 months we started veggies/fruits and those little puff crackers. Their tummies are very small, and so much of their needed nutrition will come from formula/breast milk. Don't hurry up solids too fast :)

wait until your baby watches you eat and looks like she wants some. they will open their mouths and stare at the utensil with the food in it. at 4 months my first kid wasnt ready and spit it out rather than swallowing because she didnt know what to do yet. my second child was almost 6 months when she started staring at the food and when we gave her some she would swallow immediately and the grunt for more. i heard you should start with the yellow or orange foods first.

My daughter started the last baby around 6 months. There is some thought that starting too early and with several foods contributes to food allergies. Her first baby developed food allergies; so she was more conservative.

Definately varies with child. With my first & the whole allergy issue, didn't start her on cereal until 6 months then verrryyy slowly introduced one veggie at a time. With the most recent son, he seemed very interested in what we were eating right away & disinterested in breast milk or bottle, plus he got teeth early(think 4 months). So it was barely a week of one grain cereal then veggies, fruits, whatever we were eating. He started solids 5 months but also had 4 teeth by then.
Good luck!
P