My Daughter Is 5 Months Old and Hates Eating the Cereal

Why is it killing you? You don't need to do this. She doesn't need the cereal. It's not required. It won't make her any healthier. The AAP does not even recommend starting any food before six months. Her breastmilk or formula has all of the nutrition she needs. Try again in a month, not all babies are ready for food when you first try. When the AAP says six months, they mean that you CAN give food then, not that you MUST.

HI K., Rice cereal has no taste. Try mixing some apple-sauce in it. She may like it better. Grandma Mary

She's really young so I wouldn't push the cereal. My son went through this phase around the same age. Our dr pointed out that during infancy, solid foods are just for experience- texture, taste, smell, etc, not for nutrition. He said that if the baby refused, put it away and try another day. We didn't force it, just offered it each day at lunch (babysitter) and dinner. We also let him play with the spoon so that it wouldn't be a scary thing. One day he literally decided to eat and that was it!

Also, our dr said that babies tend to refuse solids when cutting a tooth!

I had same thing with my daughter. I just added the smallest little bit of fruit puree so that it had some taste (I tasted it and it was HORRIBLE). I also moved from Rice cereal to the Oatmeal which I think tastes much better. Only thing about the Oatmeal is that it isn't binding (which was good for my more constipated kids).

HOpe that helps. Good luck!

K.,
Same for my DS. We stopped all solids until 8.5 months, actually. I read that it isn't necessary to feed a baby solids until 1 year. Bond with your baby. She can have solids later. I'd try on a monthly basis or longer if you want to be sure. She will very likely start asking for your food when she notices you are eating something. Cereal isn't TOTALLY necessary except for the one ingredient they put in she can get elsewhere - iron. If you are breastfeeding you can get more spinach and beef and supplements will help that.

We went through this with our pediatrician calling our food strategy 'feeding mismanagement'.

Contact La Leche League for more back up on this. Any other questions I'd be happy to help you find more sources. I hope to have another baby and will likely need them, because DH doesn't remember half of what we did. :)

Good luck,
M.

1 suggestion is trying oatmeal cereal. rice can be a bit gassy.

My daughter was the same way. Try the flavored cereals. Gerber has one that is apple/banana. Also try putting apple juice instead of water. My daughter loved it that way. I also bought jars of baby food and mixed it with the cereal. It may be that she doesn't like the taste. My daughter wouldn't touch the rice. Even when I put flavors to it. But she did like the oatmeal with the apple juice and baby food. I would start things a little earlier then what the doctors wanted and when I told them that we already have been doing these things he was happy.
Just alittle extra advice.... if they start her on the liquid vitamins, it tastes very nasty. (i tried a little myself) just put it with her cereal and have her eat the section first to make sure that she is getting it all. My daughter wouldn't take it straight. It does taste very nasty. This helped me to get her to take her vitamins. Thought you would like to know that little bit of info. Good luck and I hope this works for you.

Remember your daughter is only 5 months old! Her primart source of nurtrition in her first year is breastmilk or formula! From what I have read, and what is recommeneded by the American Pediatric Association, is to start introducing solids at 6 months. Why give yourself the added stress? You are only trying to get them used to solid foods at this young age. It shouldn't be a supplement or satisfy any nutritional needs. Sometimes, pediatrians aren't the experts of everything! My friend's pediatrician just told her not to start solids until a year - which I thought was a little late. Just keep trying, but don't stress. They say it can take up to 15-20 times before a baby will accept food. Hang in there!

~Annie

Adding fruit to your babies cereal is NOT harmful! There is sugar naturally in many foods, and Gerber and beechnut don't add sugar. Both my sons were spitters so we added the cereal to the bottle. When we started food, they hated it so we started with bananas. Don't push the cereal. It's fine to start with fruits or veggies. Good luck :o)

honestly my son is five months and doesn't like cereal he gags so i give him gerber 1st foods for 4 months and older and he eats those pretty well.
If anything buy the gerber cereal in the baby food jar that come with like banana or any kind of fruit she might like it. Another i have two kids and two different pediatrician and both said babies are ready to eat solids at four months i started both of my babies at 4 months and had no problems.So dont listen to people when they say do it at 6 months as long as you have permission from the doctor your fine.

My dd never ate cereal, baby food, or yogurt. I came to the conclusion that she just didn't like the lack of something to chew on. I just started her on soft foods... diced carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc. when she was ready. And just for the record, she in 20months now and still won't eat yogurt, applesauce, or mashed potatoes.

K.,
Did you start with Rice Cereal? My son hated that one too. You can mix it with fruit (they will eat anything mixed with fruit) just mix it with a #1 jar of Bananas or something like that and she'll love it. THey like oatmeal and barley better than the rice, I have find. My 7 month old won't eat cereal unless I mix it, so I indulge him.
Good luck,
S.

Hi K.,

If she doesn't like cereal, she doesn't need cereal. There's no nutritional need for it.

I specifically wanted to respond to your post, though, because I respectfully disagree with some of the suggestions below. I do NOT think it's good, and it may not be entirely safe, to flavor an infant's cereal with processed, sugar-filled foods like the Gerber stuff. These foods contain additives that can produce an allergic reaction in some babies, and even if that doesn't happen, the best-case scenario is that they'll teach her to expect refined sugar with everything she eats.

What I recommend instead is stepping back, waiting a few weeks, and then trying other baby-friendly foods like mashed banana, mashed avocado, mashed/pureed peas, etc. Please try single-servings first, though, not combos. And if she doesn't like something, wait a day and try something else. My own son HATED rice cereal, banana, and avocado, but he was thrilled with peas -- and still is.

Best wishes,

Mira

I had the exact same experience with my son. He choked and gagged, I felt like I was torturing him. It actually brought me to tears one day! It turned out he just didn't like the taste of cereal. He is now 2 years old, and I still sometimes add a little fortified rice cereal to his yogurt to get some iron in him (he hates meat) and if I overdo it, he gags and chokes the same way. What I did, I just skipped the cereals altogether and tried something else - I chose vegetables. I tried carrots, and no gagging but still a lukewarm response. But when I got the the sweet potatoes he was in heaven - and he still loves sweet potato to this day. After a week or two of trying other foods I went back to the cereals but instead of giving it to him straight I mixed it in with his sweet potato and he did great on that. He never ever did take that cereal straight.

You could try some fruit or vegetables. Introduce one food every 3-5 days to check for allergies but otherwise you can start with something other than cereal. Later you can introduce the cereal with something mixed in. It might taste better to her. Feeding and meal times should be enjoyable and not stressful! Enjoy!

mix fruit with the cereal she will eat it that way.

If she's starting to eat the cereal from a spoon, it may be the spoon she doesn't like, not the cereal. You can try to make the cereal really watery. Or try scooping it up on your finger and see if she takes it that way. At least then you would know if it's the cereal or the way she's getting it that is the problem. I don't know how your doctor would feel about it, but you could always try some stage 1 applesauce and see how that works too. It might just be a phase until she's used to eating that way. Good luck!

I added apple sauce to cereal. I made it. It was easy, I streamed peeled apples than puree them in the blender, added water.

Also, different brands vary in taste.
Good luck.
S.

hey K. why not try mixing it with some Gerber desert banana should be a good start
good luck

At 5 months, your baby is getting al the nutrition she needs from the bottle or breast. I'd wait a month and try again.

Also, I found that thicker made cereal instead of thinner made cereal worked better. Not too think - but thick enough to be different from milk.

Also, is she watching you eat and showing interest? If not, she may not be ready at all!

Good luck!

Hi K.

It is perfectly normal for them to hate the cereal at first. I have gone through this with so many children at my childcare center. So many mom's get frustrated and give up. What I have found works was to let them have a few ounces of formula from their bottle (or breastfeed if your nursing) to fill their little tummies a bit. Then try the cereal a little at a time. I have always made it more like liquid at first and then as they get used to it thicken it up. I think the problem is with some babies if you give cereal near their scheduled bottle feeding they are so hungry and impatient they do not think that cereal is eating so they scream and cry because they just want their bottle. One other suggestion is to try it in between their feeding when they are not starving, because they will become frustrated. Also, I always put some fruit for flavor. Cereal doesn't really taste great and if it is okay with your doctor some applesauce, or bananas mixed in may help. Good luck!

It really sounds like she is not ready !! Keep in mind , the doctor can offer his suggestions on most things, but he doesn't live with your baby. She will let you know when she is still hungry after her formula or breast milk. I tried giving my baby cereal at around 6 months, just to see what would happen and the experience was much like yours, so I hung it up for a few weeks and tried again. Eventually she opened up like a little birdie! Definately add fruit to it every time. Ever tasted that stuff plain?? Gross. Apple sauce works well. Good luck! Dont stress, this is the easier part:)

Hi K.,

I just wanted to agree with your last response. If your daughter does not want cereal, don't waste your energy and make both of you frustrated trying to give it to her. She does not need it yet--it is a way to help her learn to eat. Not all babies are ready at the same time (some are happy with breastmilk or formula alone even until 8 or 9 months old). If she is growing, don't worry about it. Do not give her anything that is not cereal or breastmilk/formula or an approved starter fruit or veggie. She will eat when she is ready. Good luck!

Been there! Mama, don't worry, it's completely normal. A friend of mine suggested that I tried letting her sip the cereal from a spoon. Just kinda letting her suck on it. It took a couple times but, I'll be honest, I'm so thankful for her suggestion. Just remember to work up to a consistency... Good luck!