Introducing Rice Cereal to 4 1/2 Month Old

I can't believe so many moms are introducing solid foods so young. As far as I know, the recommendation is still to wait until your baby is at least 6 months old. And I agree with a number of the previous mamas out there: cereal isn't necessarily the best first food. It *is* a constipator, and it's not necessarily tasty for baby. Good alternatives are fresh-made purees from organic fruits & veggies. My daughter started with pureed organic sweet potatoes at 6 months --- and she MAYBE had a total of 2 Tablespoons of it in a day. We gradually introduced other foods over the course of the next couple of months (one at a time for a few days in a row). Great first foods are avocado, sweet potato, squash, apples or pears (although the natural pectin in them can also slow down the digestive tract -- as can bananas), bananas ... also sweet peas. Remember -- these are first TASTES, not MEALS yet.

Having an 18 month old already, you must be aware, of course, that they don't stay babies forever. The time is so short. Enjoy the baby time you're given, and don't rush her into growing up and eating real food. Your previous daughter may have started eating at 4 1/2 months, but that doesn't mean this one will do the same. Every baby is different, and they won't develop on exactly the same time table.

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At 4 1/2 months, it could be early for her. Some take it earlier, some later. It sounds to me that it's all about the texture, and her tongue may not be ready for swallowing. Sounds like she's playing with the texture and the icky face may not be the taste but the texture. This is a very new thing for babies to be introduced to. They will swirl it around and it will end up coming back out because they're playing with the new texture and may not have learned to swallow and use the tongue properly yet. Give her time. It will be a game for a while as she explores and plays and gets used to how to swallow.

K.
Mom of 5 including triplets

Hi K....My daughter wont eat rice cereal, unless it has a little bit of Karo in it....then she loves it...

K., If your baby isn't able to wrk the food down then she isn't ready to eat solids yet. they really don't need to start these until 6 months. I wouldn't force it, but rather just put it off for a month or so. her formula is all she needs for nutrients right now. Sometimes we are told to adhere to a schedule when it isn't really neccessary to. Instead, sometimes we should listen to what our babies tell us and let them guide us. This could be a sign that she just isn't ready yet. If our babies arent holding their mouths open for a bite, then i say we move on.

I also have a 4 1/2 month old and have been trying cereal for about 2 weeks also with the same result. I just don't think he's ready to be able to take the cereal effectively. They say the babies come with that "tongue thrust" reflex (to prevent themselves from choking) and that eventually it begins to disappear. My baby spits everything out so I am taking this week off and then going to start back up next week and see what happens. I think my baby's appetite could handle more, but he isn't quite ready to gobble food up from a spoon.

Try the oatmeal or the mixed grain cereal. I had the same problem with the rice cereal and my 5 month old. I switched to the mixed grain and she loves it.

I also have a 4 1/2 mo old. I have 5 children total, 4 under 5. I wouldn't worry about it. If you decide to start cereal now, it truly is for practice. SHe is not expected to get any calories from it. It's recommeded the AAP to introduce between 4 and 6 months. If it's stresing you out even a little, or if she looks like she is unable to move it to the back of her mouth, try again later. She doesn't have to have it now. Take a look at the caloric intake per serving, and consider the nominal amount she's eating. It's almost nothing nutritionally. Also waiting can help prevent food allergies as well. Start with the rice only for several weeks. Sometimes adding too many different flavors too quickly can have the same effect. She has to hard wire her brain for each new taste and texture. Good Luck

Have you tried switching brands. I had my son on one brand, not even realizing it picked up another brand the next time i went to the store, and he hates it. So back to the original. He had it last night and ate it just fine. They all taste a bit bland but i guess like our food some can be a bit worse than others.

Hi K.,
I totally can relate to what you are going through! I tried the rice with my youngest daughter, and she just refused to eat it! I did give up and move on the single grain oatmeal which she LOVED!! Hope this helps, best of luck!
J.

I had the same problem with my 8 month old. My ped said to try oatmeal. He didn't love it at first, but he ate it a lot better than the rice. I still mixed it with juice or water to keep it thin. The formula seemed to make it thicker, even with more water. Good luck!

my son made the ick face also when he started out with the rice cereal. they are making faces because they are getting used to the texture and swallowing food. do not worry the baby will get the hang of it. try some baby oatmeal also. in a few weeks try some baby food. puree some applesauce with the baby oatmeal. eith make the apple sauce or buy the aopple sauce with not sugar added. i buy regular apple sauce not baby apple sauce is too expensive. do that for a few days and try some other things like sweet potato. i bake one in the oven until it is soft then put it in the food processor. do not give the baby too much or she will get gas. stick with it. everthing will be fine.

I had the same results with my daughter at that age. I found that she liked it best with just water, instead of her formula. But even then she wasn't really taking it. So I switched to oatmeal and she liked that much better. After 5 months I started making baby food and she has been eating like a champ ever since. I recently re-introduced the rice cereal as well, and she eats it now. So I would maybe just try something new for a while.

Hi, K.,

I have been trying to figure out why my son is so fussy. I turns out that he really needed more in his stomache than just formula. That is the reason that I started to experiment with the rice cereal(before my doctor recommended it). My doctor recommended that he not start until he is 4mos. Anyways, he reacted the same way that your daughter did. He loves it now. I cannot feed him fast enough now. He loves it. I, too, thought that something was a little odd. He would cry every time I would try to give it to him. I think that she will just get used to it. Also, I was making it too thick(with his formula). It was pastey, instead of runny. I also backed up the amount. Starting off, I was feeding him about 2 1/2 tbsp. So, I now only give him 2tsp., and make it more liquid, than paste. So, I hope this helps. Good Luck!

My wee boy wasn't interested in solid food until he was nearly 8 months old. He just spit everything out. He got his first teeth at that time as well. If your little one is breastfed soids aren't really an issue until 6 months at least. She'll let you know what she needs when the time is right

Your baby knows best. All cereals and formulas are not good chooses. If breast milk is out of the question then try to introduce healthy solids. Start with only one food for a little while then introduce one other and so on. Cook or just puree the foods and add water to make then thinner. Avocados are great, sweet potatoes are a good first food too. There digestive systems are brand new and can not handle too much.

I really suggest staying away from Formulas and rice cereal.

Hi K., cereal isn't a big need thing. Two of my girls never liked it and really didn't eat it. My third couldn't get enough of it. Sometimes it's a texture thing, sometimes it's a taste thing. The little 1yr old I babysit doesn't like cereal plain, but she loves rice cereal in her veggies and fruit (I put it in to make them thicker). Every child is different!! You could try the baby oatmeal cereal or the mixed...ya never know what will work until you try it. Best wishes.

I have found that making it thicker helped my daughter to eat it without the "ick" face. It was a texture thing for her. If it was too soupy, she didn't want it. I also started off with one bite of rice, then one bite of peas, etc. and then I kind of mix them together with the rice. Good luck!
A. F.

Good Luck! I just started my 4m/o son I'm having a lil better luck. THe first 2 days were scarey but he has got the hang of it now. Just relax she will get it soon. Why do we try an rush these things they grow up so fast.

I have a 4 1/2 month old son, and I had a problem with the cereal at first. I started to put some on the nipple of the bottle so he realized if he wanted his formula he had to eat the cereal also. I did this for the first 4 days 3 times a day, and now 1 1/2 weeks later he eats like a champ. I feed him in his room that is where his bottle warmer is and everything (it is just easier right now) so I put his boppy pillow in his crib and sit him there and feed him the cereal from his spoon. he loves it!!!

If you've ever tasted rice cereal, you might make an "ick" face, too! :)
My kids preferred the oatmeal baby cereal better. Not to mention, it has more fiber in it. Rice cereal seems to lend to constipation.

There's no rule that says you have to feed your baby rice cereal. You can always try well-pureed fruits and veggies, too. If she likes applesauce, go with it. The idea is to feed her healthy food, and to get her used to swallowing when spoon fed.

And, maybe she's just not ready for solid food yet. 6 months used to be the standard - pediatricians have lowered it in recent years. At her age, many babies are still exclusively breastfed.

Hi K.,
I think she may just not be ready. If she likes it with the applesauce, then go for it. Maybe wait a week or two and try again then. My son seemed to like the cereal mixed with apricots or peaches.
Good luck!

I had the same problem with both of my boys. What worked for me was give them a little bit then put his pacifier in their mouths. They would use the sucking motion and get it all down. It's not scientific, but it worked for me. I only had to do this for a week or 2, then it was smooth sailing from then on.

Hello K.:
It is possible that there too much is being added to her formula (making it too thick.)Only use the ceral with her formula. Try only giving her a teaspoon in her formula.

My daughter (now almost 13 months) wouldn't really take any food until she was about 7 1/2 months. I started when she was 5 months and try every 2 to 3 weeks for a day or two--if she wasn't interested I gave it a rest for another several weeks. When she was ready she started taking all sorts of food and is a great eater now.

My recommendation is that you try one of the other single grain cereals like oatmeal or barley. It sounds like your daughter is really disliking the taste of the rice. Since you have already been giving her the rice for more than a week, you would have noticed if she was going to have a reaction and you can try a new food such as oatmeal or barley cereal.

Good luck with your little one.

Unless your doctor specifically told you to start rice cereal, you should wait until 6 months.

Your baby might not be ready for solid foods.

Hi K., my daughter wasn't crazy about rice cereal at first either. Someone suggested to me to put a couple of spoonfuls in her mike in the bottle so she could slowly get used to the new flavor and texture. I gradually put more and more in the bottle (not too much that she couldn't suck it through the nipple) and still tried to feed it to her with a spoon until she stopped making the ick face and gulped it down. I hope this helps! Good luck!
T.

He's probably not ready for cereal, especially if he's not really swallowing well. Just stop and try again in a month. Also, rice cereal DOES NOT have to be the first food. It's actually constipating, try baby oatmeal next time.

She may just not be ready to start cereal yet. Yes some say you can start cereal at 4 months, but others say start at six months. Sp if she isn't taking to it right now, she may not be ready. I wouldn't worry too much unless she won't accept cereal past six months. And the fact that she tries but just moves it around and eventually comes back out tends to suggest that she just isn't ready and should prob just wait a bit before trying again.

It is possible she doesn't like the taste or texture of the rice cereal. Try one of the other first foods, such as sweet potato, avacado, or mashed up ripe organic banana. Please make sure the banana is organic as the peel is porous enough to absorb pesticides and fungicides into the fruit. Please consult your pediatrician before offering such a small child other grains or mixing new foods together. Remember that eating is a happy time and no matter what your baby's reaction is, it is best to keep smiling and say "yum!" then try again tomorrow.

Look for a book called Super Baby Food at your library. It is an incredible resource for moms. I use my copy at least once a week. Good luck!

Babies take a bit before they learn to swallow with their mouth closed. I found that if I left the spoon in my son's mouth and he sort of slurped the cereal off it worked better. I also give him his bottle a little bit first. Sort of to remind him he's suposed to suck then swallow. That's just what worked for me. good luck.

HI K.,

I have a son who is almost 5 years old now, but I had somewhat the same reaction with rice cereal when he was a baby. I would continue what you're doing by adding "flavor" with applesauce, etc. You might also want to try a different grain cereal, such as barley or oatmeal. My son really liked oatmeal. You can add a touch of cinnamon to it as well. Good Luck!

A.

PEACHES!! Try mixing the rice cereal with some infant peaches - it worked wonders for my husband, who was caring for our daughter full time when she was at the cereal stage (I had to return to work 7 days a week because of a strike situation there). He also tried other fruits, but she like the peaches best of all!! And, try singing to her while you feed, she will get all caught up in watching your mouth and moving her mouth to eat and before you know it the feeding is done. Also, I seem to recall that on the pediatrician's advice we actually mixed a little cereal in her formula at first to make sure she could handle it (that's an easy way to start)- she was a premie but a very HUNGRY premie!!

So, I missed the cereal phase all together, but now that she in COLLEGE I am glad I went back to work $$!! Good luck!

All the new research including the AAP recommend waiting until baby is 6 months. Babies under this have a tongue thrusting reflex - they'll automatically push out whatever is put on their tongue. I'd suggest wait a bit longer and try again. Also google signs of solid food readiness.

I had to mix it with baby food fruit like bananas and applesauce whatever i could mash fruit wise and mix it then I slowly switched to juices and milk. I think it's the whole new texture thing. My newphew who is 6 months younger than my daughter we couldn't get him to eat baby food. Once in awhile but because my daughter was eating the big people food that's what he wanted. Hopefully this helps a bit.

Try mixing the rice cereal with warm water and a sprinkle of sugar. (unless there is some reason the baby can't have sugar) It worked for me with both my babies . They are 35 and 40 years old now but they did eat the cereal. My mother-in-law suggested this to me. I think the water makes it lighter in their mouths.

Hi K., I am pretty much going to repeat what everyone has said before this.First she may not be ready to do solids yet.Give a break of maybe a week or so and then try again. Grains are difficult for babies to digest. May try pureed vegetables like butternut squash. Always remember to try only one food at a time. Give a gap of 4-7 days between starting of 2 foods. Keep note when you started something so as to make it easy to detect what your baby may be allergic to.
Have fun. Hope things settle down.
A.

Hi K. - First I would try the oatmeal instead - my kids have seems to like that better and I always fed them the cereal/oatmeal first before any liquids. My children would never or rarely take solids if i had given them any liquids first. Hope this helps!

If she is truly not interested, I would hold off. My cousin started her son(same age as my oldest) on solid foods early and when he rejected them she would keep it up.She would feed him until he spit up. Now she has a severely obese son(about 150 lbs) with Acid Reflux at the age of 10.The acid reflux was diagnosed very early, I think around 3 yrs. It just started a very unhealthy cycle. Most Dr.'s recommend not trying until at least 6-7 months.
Just my opinion.

Hi Kathie, my baby, like yours ,started rice at 4mons.what i know is that she HATES the lumps in the mix and will not hasitate to SPIT IT OUT if i don't mix it properly. Every child is different, but try different textures with your baby and keep adding the fruits she likes, you'll be surprised how sometimes is the simples thing that matter THE MOST to our babies!
GOOD LUCH.