Starting Solids - Glen Ellyn,IL

Good Morning. I've never heard the advice that spoon-feeding prior to 6 months is bad. I started both my kids on rice cereal around 5 months with a spoon. My Pediatrician recommended against putting cereal in the bottle, but I can't remember why. Spoon feeding can be trying! Both of my children went through a "food & spoon rebellion" in which they refused to eat about a week after starting the rice cereal. So we put the cereal away for another week...and then started all over again.

At such a young age, your son is likely to continue to need night feedings, but the number will start to decrease over time. I don't think the cereal will have much to do with it. I think it is more related to his age.

Here's what I found on the website of the American Academy of Pediatrics...

Source: Starting Solid Foods (Copyright © 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics)

Starting Solid Foods
When can my baby start eating solid foods?

Most babies are ready to eat solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age. Before this age, most babies do not have enough control over their tongues and mouth muscles. Instead of swallowing the food, they push their tongues against the spoon or the food. This tongue-pushing reflex helps babies when they are nursing or drinking from a bottle. Most babies lose this reflex at about 4 months of age. Energy needs of babies increase around this age as well, making this an ideal time to introduce solids.

You may start solid foods at any feeding. At first you may want to pick a time when you do not have many distractions. However, keep in mind that as your child gets older, she will want to eat with the rest of the family.

Kinds of foods

For most babies it does not matter what the first solid foods are. Many pediatricians recommend cereals first. The first cereals usually are offered in this order:

* Rice cereal
* Oatmeal cereal
* Barley cereal

I'm surprised that nobody else has said this but starting solids is not recommended before 6 months of age. And even at 6 months, only if the baby seems interested. Rice cereal is filler and constipates them. There is no added nutrition in rice cereal. You could just as easily give a banana mushed up and at least they are benefitting nutritionally. Bottles are for liquids. Not food. Getting up still at night is not a sign that he needs solids, he's just really young still. Read the recommendations of the American Pediatric Association and the World Health Organization for advice on solids.

R....

Listen to your son's doctor. All baby books and pediatricians say not to put rice cereal in a bottle. It takes a while for babies to get used to spoon feeding, but it happens quickly.

Be aware that the transition into rice cereal can cause tremendous constipation...So be careful about to amount you are feeding you son.

I started my baby on cereal at 5 mos. He sleeps clear through the night and doesn't wake up hungry, but his pediatrician said that you can give him cereal, from a bowl, at night to keep him fuller, maybe try about 3 tablespoons plus about 2-3 tablespoons formula, water, or breastmilk. I have heard that you can put cereal (a little...not for sure exactly how much) in the bottle, but really isn't recommended. As far as feeding from a spoon until 6 mos, well mine started out at 5 mos. A lot of people say that it is best to start baby on solids at 4-6 mos, so I am sure your little guy will be fine with a spoon at 4 mos. Hope this helps!

Our pediatrician also started us on rice cereal at 4 months. The baby is just learning to eat it so don't over feed. It's about learning right now. if you put it in the bottle it defeats the purpose of learning. Most moms put it in the bottle to fill up the child so they sleep longer but it is not reccommended.
Next you will be going through the vegtables ,yellow then green each one for 3-4days to make sure the baby is not allergic. Then you will do the same with the fruits. It will take over a month to do all that and is normal for the baby to learn now. If you wait until 6 months it is usually harder for them to learn, I've heard.So, I would listen to your doctor and not worry. Good Luck!

I also have a four month old trust me the rice cereal in a bowl with a spoon is best. My son loves the rice with fruit. I have tried the cereal in the bottle method with another child it is not bad but the bowl method is healthier. After a month of the rice you can try other cereals like oatmeal or whatever. I would give cereal to him maybe twice a day to get started. Like breakfast and dinner. If he likes it and has no problems in a few weeks add on lunch. As babies get older their appetites increase, pretty soon he will be crabby if all he gets is milk. Anyway good luck.

We started giving rice cereal much earlier, and I never consulted my Ped. about it. My son had acid reflux, and the sheer weight helped him keep his bottle down. I used a medicine cup with the nipple attached to it, and made it pretty thin in the beginning. By about 4 months though, I was using a spoon to feed him rice cereal,... I dont know why the doc would have such a strong aversion to putting it in his bottle, but you'll more likely find that it just clogs the bottle more than anything else. Your son will get frustrated because he's sucking away and nothing is coming out.

He doesn't know how to eat from a spoon, and he needs to learn that skill. At first he is going to seem to just push everything out of his mouth. keep practicing and he'll get the idea in no time. I did rice cereal in the morning, and again in the evening.

I wouldn't expect it to do much in the way of preventing that late night hunger.

Also, if you notice is formula intake going down, lay off the amount of cereal you give him. It's important to find a balance in nutrition, rather than just taking care of hunger cues. He needs the formula more than the cereal right now.

Good Luck with your little man - this age is so much fun!

R. ~ You received a lot of info – So I will just add a couple of thoughts and things.

All children are different. Some can wait until they are 6 months to start cereal – some can not. Some will talk before the age of one, some will not. Some will roll, stand, walk, ect. When they are ready!!
If your ped. office suggested you start with rice cereal, fine, start there. I DO agree with those that stated a BOTTLE is liquid only, you should feed cereal from a bowl and spoon. START small. A bit in the am and see how it goes. Next week, after a full week of mornings, A little bit at night also. Just because they say to start it does NOT mean FILLER UP!! Take your time.
When you get the ‘green light’ to start other foods, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you start with Veggies. That’s right – NOT fruit. Add one in one week, and stick with it; you will find out what they like and don’t like and what allergies they do/don’t have easy. Most foods will need to be introduced three or four times before they might like it <some they might like cold, some hot just fyi!>. Once you get through the veggies, then try the fruit. Do you know a child that doesn’t like sweet fruit?? But do you know kids that WON’T eat veggies?? All my kids, friends kids and such that have done it this way, ALL eat Veggies AND fruit.
<BTW ~ all of my children were over 9 lbs and 22 inches at birth – ALL started cereal by their 4th month!>

Best of luck to you and your little boy. Boys are WONDERFUL!!!

WALMART AND WALGREENS SELL AND APARATUS THAT LOOKS LIKE A BOTTLE BUT ITS FOR CEREAL, IT WAS GREAT WHEN WE WERE OUT AND DIDN'T HAVE A HIGH CHAIR
Sassy Baby Food Nurser

i liked it alot

make sure you start off real thin and mix with breastmilk or formula

There's really no need to put the rice cereal in the bottle, so follow the advice of your pediatrician.

With the blessing of our doctor, we also started solids at 4 months. If he's lost the tongue-thrust reflex, then you're good to go. Basically, right now it is about practicing to eat food from a spoon. The book I consult frequently is Caring For Your Child, Ages Infant Through 5 (or something like that) which is an APA book, and it acknowledges that some babies can start solids at 4 months. I always gave the breastmilk or formula first then the solids. Fortunately for us we never had an issue with constipation - ever! But then again, my little guy has his BMs like clockwork.

He is now 12 months old and eats whatever we eat and is a fantastic eater. We did not ruin him by starting on solids at 4 months, and the only thing he doesn't like to eat are mashed potatoes!

Good luck, be very patient, and expect lots of messes!