Starting on Solids

Updated on August 19, 2008
A.G. asks from Lincoln, NE
11 answers

I just started my 4 month old daughter on rice cereal and her last few feedings she just screams and screams until she literally starts turning purple. I give her back her bottle and she is just fine. I was wondering two things. Is it this hard for everyone? Is there maybe another way I could gradually introduce her to the cereal where she will not cry so much. I have to tickle her cheek just to get her to breathe. She won't even burp half the time all she does is scream as soon as you take the bottle out of her mouth. Any advice would help a great deal.

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So What Happened?

Ok, I gave my daughter cereal in between her morning feeding and her afternoon feeding and she still screamed then I remembered that she loves bananas so I mixed her cereal and some banana slices and pureed them together till it was all smooth and tried feeding her again and she loved it! She just couldn't stand the taste of the rice cereal. Thank you for all your help! I appreciate all the responses. It is so nice to have mom's that I can turn to for help and advice when I need it! Thank you again all of you!

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J.F.

answers from Grand Forks on

I have a 1 yr. old that I tried giving cereal at about 4 months because I was hoping it would help him sleep thru the night. Well, it didn't...and he wasn't doing real well with it so I held off until he was about 6 months (maybe it was about 5 1/2) then he was fine with it. I'd maybe try and wait a little while longer and reintroduce it in a couple weeks.

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J.M.

answers from Des Moines on

you could do it inbetween meals like you would a snack. And if she's really hungry then she probably wants what is familiar to her.

you could add just a little cereal to her bottle so that it thickens a little and starts getting her used to the thicker texture.

Also, our dr. and several books I've read says that when you start baby food you should start with the greens first. They are the highest in fiber and least amounts of "sugars". If you start with carrots or sweet potatoes first, then go to the greens they may not eat the greens as all because they've acquired the taste for the "better tasting veggies".

and don't do fruits b3 any veggies. Yes, those are the great ones, but even if you had to choose whether to eat green beans or peaches...you'd probably go for the peaches by the fingerful.

Some babies will never have cereal. She could be just fine on formula until 6 mos. If the bottle isn't giving her enough then supplement after she's finished the bottle. Once she's done drinking the bottle she should relinquish it easily and take a few bites for you, unless she's been allowed to use the bottle as a pacifier and have it at beck and call. if you're sure to only have the bottle out for eating, then she won't squall for it as much. My kids never used a pacifier and never cried between.

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J.S.

answers from Pueblo on

Well you are typically not suppose to feed solids until 6 months... Maybe shes just not ready. I woul ask your doctor though if you still plan on doing it.

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S.W.

answers from Iowa City on

A.-
It sounds like she is clearly trying to tell you she is not ready for solids. I would wait until 6 months and then try again. She is not missing out on anything nutritionally breastmilk/formula meets all those needs for the first year solids are just practicing learning how to eat. My daughter did not eat many solids until she was a year and she has always been very healthy and in the 90th percentiles.
Brekka

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J.B.

answers from Des Moines on

First I would try letting her finish her bottle before you try to feed her solids, she might just be mad. My son didn't like cereal though. He never screamed like that, but I don't think he liked the taste. I ended up giving him bananas instead of cereal and he was happy with that. I think that was around 4 months when we started the bananas. Also check with your doctor about oatmeal, I guess some babies like that better.

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T.P.

answers from Omaha on

i would wait till she is older.
atleast 6 months.

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E.C.

answers from Boise on

My boy is 5 months and I just started him on solids since he seems obsessed with watching people eat...very curious! Everything I have read says to wait until baby seems curious about it...not to force it. Some sites recommend waiting til at least 6 months anyways so its probably not a big deal that your baby isn't interested yet. Mine just recently showed signs of wanting it so I waited until now to start. Maybe she is just not quite ready yet.

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A.G.

answers from Lincoln on

She may not be ready for solids yet. All 3 of my sons started at different months, according to when they were ready. 2 of them didn't even like the cereal, so I waited until 6 months and started them the orange-colored veggies and bananas.

You will just have to introduce solids when she is not already hungry, like right after her bottle or between bottles. Sometimes if you let them play in it (while sitting in a high chair) they seem to like it more. :-)

You may just want to wait a little bit longer, like when she 5 or 6 months. At this point she is getting nutrition from the formula, so waiting will not hurt her nutritionally.

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A.B.

answers from Lincoln on

Make sure that you are not giving her the cereal then a bottle. She can't be starving r ready for a feeding when you give her cereal. I always gave it to my daughter about 1 1/2 hours after her first bottle in the morning and then about 2 hours before bed at night. I would make sure that there is no bottle in sight if she is not happy.

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A.R.

answers from Omaha on

All my children started on cereal shortly after coming home from the hospital. These poor kids know days are so hungry for real food by the time they turn the "right" age. It's crazy! My youngest HATES cereal. So I went straight to fruits. Then worked in veggies. When he turned eight months he started pieces of veggies and fruits. LOVES THEM!

My two others would take half a bottle of formula to stop the hunger pains and then eat cereal. This helps them have full tummys so they sleep through the night. I just don't buy all this talk off starting one veggie or one "color" of veggies and then going to the next. Then introducing fruits. And you have to wait until they are six months? Sorry but my first wasalmost 10 lbs when he was born. He wanted more than the bottle and just seemed to drink all the time. Once I started cereal he was way more happy! Good for you for starting early!

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C.M.

answers from Sioux City on

Have you tried putting it in the bottle with the formula? that is what I have had to do, because i have hungry large babies. Well plus the last two have had that accid reflex and it helps keep it down. She seems to be very hungry and doesn't want to wait, another option is to try and feed her the bottle and then some cereal after she is finished with the bottle. that way she will be more patient. good luck, and if you decide to put it in the bottle remember your bottle is going to need a nipple that has a bigger hole, cause the cereal with thicken the formula. good luck once again.

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