When to Start Rice Cereal

I started my son when he was just under 4 months. There are things to watch for before you start--such as holding their head up well, an interest in food, not being satisfied with BFing, and loss of the tongue-thrust reflex. My son showed all of these signs and so we started him on Earth's Best Organic rice cereal. He is doing great! Hope that helps, and good luck!

Hi N.....I started at about 3 months with both my chideren. I found nothing wrong with it. I did it at naptime and bedtime. Both my kids slept through the night after starting cereal. It was great for me. I used Gerber. Good luck! J.

I think my daughter was about 4 months when I started to put a very small amount of Gerber cereal in her bottle. And then eventually I'd add more.

This is probably too late, but I had premie twins and due to that we had a nurse come to our home for the 1st year to weigh and measure them and to make sure they were on check. She recommended that we don't feed them till they were at least 6 months. She also recommended that we start them on Oatmeal. She said that a lot of babies have trouble digesting Rice cereal and that it can also lead to alergies?? Who knows for sure, we did oatmeal 1st and it was when they were about 7 1/2 months old. FYI!!! And good luck!

I am of the belief that 4 months is too early to start anything other than breastmilk or formula. Rice cereal can be very h*** o* little one's tummies, and often times infants this young have gastric problems from the stuff.

Personally, I would wait until your son is 6 months old and start on something more gentle, like avacado, sweet potato, or banana, and save the rice cereal until he's a little more settled into eating solids with a more established digestive system.

As for brands, I'd suggest Earth's Best (you can get it at Babies R Us, Whole Foods, etc) or Safeway Organics brand (if you have a Safeway near you).

My mom is a nurse in a Pedi's office and the consensus there is if your baby is bottle fed, you may start cereal at 4 months if your baby is interested. If you breastfeed, it is better to start around 6 months or when your baby takes a real interest in your own meal times i.e. watching intently while you eat with mouth open. Also it is really good if your child can support his own weight fairly well so he isn't slouching while you try feeding him. Hope this helps.

I used rice cereal and started it at four months. My oldest had trouble with solids and stayed on formula until he was over 18 months. My youngest started in on solid and was eating real food by the time he was 8 months.

I think it just depends on your child. I would be careful at first to see how he takes it. Good luck!!!

Do you have a family history of food allergies? If so, I would hold off a month or two or at least talk to your pediatrician first before starting solids.
Is your child able to sit well and have good head control? If so, he probably has the motor skills to start solids now.
Is your son eating a lot of formula/breast milk (over 32 oz per day) or is he a bigger kid that might need more? If yes, then starting with solids might be a good idea for him.
Both of my sons were really big boys and just chugging down milk so I started around 4 months with my first and 5 months with my second. We used Gerber cereal.

Your baby can tell you when the best time to start cereal is. I used the gerber for my kids, and mixed it with formula or breast milk. If your little one seem to chew on the nipple while he's nursing, then he's probably ready to try cereal. Also, if he does not seem to be sleeping all night through, or nursing does not seem to fill him up at night, it's also a goods time to supplement with rice cereal. You can switch between the Rice and Bran cereals for something different.The most important thing to remember is, as long as your baby continues to gain weight and gets all the proper vitamins, minerals & nutrients, then it doesn't really matter what your doctor or anyone else says about what your child should ot should not be eating.

At my son's 2 month appointment my dr. said to begin feeding him rice cereal between 4 and 6 months, when you're child is ready for it.

Hey there. I am on Child number four (ages 12, 9 20 months and 5 months) and all of them have started rice cereal and single fruits and veggies at four months. My most recent baby (he's now five months old) is having a good time with his solids. As for brands, I have liked all of them I try. Beech Nut disolves the best, but I mostly use Gerber because it is what WIC pays for. Good luck with starting solids, it is messy but so much fun.

It is always a challenge to know when to start solids. I started my daughter on rice cereal at 5months. I watched for some signals that she was ready to start. Able to sit fairly well with assistance, taking interest in my food, and not sleeping as well through the night as she was previously. We did rice cereal for a month before starting veggies because she has a history of food sensitivity. So trust your instincts and if it doesn't work at first take a break, don't get frustrated you'll know when he's ready. Good Luck

Hi N.,
The thought of introducing our children to solids is very exciting. Finger foods will eventually become your saving grace when you are out and about. But infants systems do not start digesting anything other than liquids until at least 6 months, so giving him cereal before that time may get him used to the texture and taste, but it does nothing nutritionally, just goes thru his body. And he may slow up on nursing or taking formula because he'll feel full, and that's where he's getting what he needs right now. The longer you wait to introduce solids, including cereal, the better!
For what it's worth... good luck!
M.
mother of 2 dear girls, almost 5 and 17 months

I tried to wait until at least 6 months before giving my children solids. I have 4 kids(ages 3-11) and from the info I had, they said the longer you could hold off on solids the better, because of allergies (long and short term) and things like that. It will also depend on your child and their appetite, how well the breast milk/formula is sustaining them. The longest I waited was just about 8 months with my 3 child, and to this day she is a petite little thing without a large appetite (not saying this is a result but more likely why she didn't need solids sooner). We used Earth's Best rice cereal, you should avoid any kind of wheat at this stage. Good Luck and enjoy it! :o)

Hi N.,

It's funny that you are asking about rice cereal because I just started it with my daughter! Anyway, when my son (who is now almost 4) was 4 months old I tried rice cereal with him but he didn't like it (he would cry and turn away) so I stopped and tried again at 6 months. When he was 6 months he responded completely differently and loved it! He just ate and ate! This time with my 4 month old daughter I tried cereal again at 4 months and she already loves it. I only give it to her for one meal a day. I would suggest starting it during the day instead of at night before bed, so that you can watch for any allergic reaction. I think that each child is different; there is no set right or wrong. I am sure your pediatrician will go over all of this with you at your son's 4 month appointment too. Oh, I use the organic brand Earth's Best Organic. If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me.

Good Luck!
L.

I have an almost 7 month old boy. I started him on rice cereal at 4 months. His pediatricain said it's okay just make sure it's thin enough that he can still swallow it and not choke. My son has done very well with eating and he's now on stage 2 foods. If you feed your baby and he doesn't like it just yet he will let you know. You could always ask a pediatrician too.

Hi N., I have a 6 month old. We started him and his sister prior at around 4 months. Neither would actually eat the rice. I started them on oatmeal and stuck to that. I started by mixing in some formula (you can also use breast milk) and making it pretty thin. It was easier for my son to learn to eat when it was thin. He could suck it off the spoon and eventually learned to eat it thicker. Don't get discouraged the first time though...your son probably won't eat more than a few bites. As always, talk to your pediatrician. Mine said it was fine for my son to start cereal at 4 months. Hope this helps.

I have a 10 month old. We didn't start any solids until 6months. At 6 months we started mostly fruit. At 8months he had some homemade rice cereal(cooked brown rice mashed through a food mill)mixed with prunes, bananas, or blueberries. The reason: babies can survive on solely breast milk until 9-10months or older. Rice cereal can be h*** o* their intestines as the first food(meaning they may get constipated).

My first two I started at 4 months, my third I waited until 6 months. I suggest waiting, my youngest has done much better with it.

If you think he's ready, go for it! Just remember not to push too hard for anything in particular, and don't wig out when they don't do something "on time" like walk, or talk or sit up or whatever. Every kid is (divnely) differnt, and that is a miracle and should be celebrated. And, you're the mom, and you know him the best. You'll know when he's ready. (p.s. My daughter really liked the gerber brands of organic and regular cereals...rice and mixed were her favorite).

Hi!

I did not start solids with any of my three until they could sit up quite well. I saw many mothers shoving food into their babies' mouths while they were in a car seat or lying back in a high chair. It was not a pleasant thing for either of them. If your baby is getting enough nourishment and you are not concerned about his development, I'd recommend waiting.

Every pediatrician is different. Mine said wait til my daughter turned 6 months, but my friends gave her the go ahead at 4 months. I think if your baby is showing interest at 4 months to give it a shot! We waited til 6 months, and she was more than ready then. We used Gerber single grain rice. Found some really great stuff that comes in a can (similar to what the formula can looks like) it had the DHA in it. Good luck!

N.,
Four months is fine. I brought both my daughter and son straight home from the hospital and put rice cereal in their formula ( it was very liquid but I still had to enlarge the hole in the nipple) They loved it and slept thru the night from day one! A warm bath a night and something warm and fuzzy in their tummy and it was sweet dreams. Give your son some cereal. He will love you for it.
PS: Add a little KARO syrup to it and it will keep him from being constipated AND he will like the taste more.

I started my baby on rice cereal at 5 months. He seemed interested in joining us at the table, and he would watch every bite of food we took. I used the Gerber brand rice cereal (single grain). Here is a helpful link with good information:

http://www.verybestbaby.com/NutritionFeeding/BabyNutritio...

It is from verybestbaby.com; click on "Baby Nutrition & Feeding" and then "When to Introduce Solid Foods."

Good luck!

From a different perspective, my midwife who is also a naturopathic doctor said do not start solids until the baby has teeth. Something in their saliva changes when teeth come in to help them digest. Also, the American Academy of pediatrics says don't start solids until six months.
J.

I have two boys. My first started Gerber Rice Cereal at 4 months. My second son just turned 4 months. We've started him on Natures Goodness Rice Cereal. Both my boys love it!

Watch for signs of readiness such as staring intently while you eat and seeming to be hungry in between feedings. I'd also ask your Pediatrician their thoughts. It varies much between the dr's too.

Try it, if they aren't ready, they'll let you know. Go by your own instincts. My sons (even though they'd spit it out (as part of a reflex) the first few times, were so very excited, I had to have my husband hold their hands so we wouldn't spill. I even gave them spoons for each hand to munch on in between spoonfuls.

wow! you have gotten a lot of responses! i have 3 children and i started them all at different times. with my first, i followed the books and did rice cereal at 4 months, then the green veggies, the yellow ones, then the fruits later. he is now 5 and eats fine. with my second, i tried at 4 months, and his tummy did not tolerate it very well at all...so we waited til 5 months and he handled it fine. he loves all types of foods and he is 3...definitely not a picky eater. my daughter is now 9 months old, and i did not start giving her any cereal at all til 7 months. she still doesn't have any teeth, so we are not doing any table food yet. all of my children were above their 90th percentile for weight, so starting later vs earlier did not seem to be an issue.

i guess my point is that each child is different. as long as you stay away from the major allergen-type foods (peanut butter, cow milk, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, kiwi, egg whites,etc) you can be pretty flexible with the starters. the best advice i ever got was to mix veggies in with cereal to get their palate adjusted to the taste of the veggies. the second best piece was to always serve it room temp...that way i NEVER had to heat their baby food. room temp is also better for their digestive systems...cold is always a shock, and warm is actually harder to digest...good luck...and remember, it takes on average 10-12 times of introducing a food before baby decides they like it...it is definitely a fun experience for all!!

You need to start when your son is ready. I had the same dilema when deciding to start my son at 4 months, but since he was showing a lot of readiness cues (sitting up with support, putting lots of things in his mouth, reaching for food I was eating, losing the tongue-thrust reflex) I just decided to try and see what he did. If he spit it out or turned his head or got upset, I would just wait a week or two and try again. We got him all set up and he loved it!!! He got so excited when he saw the spoon coming towards him!

So you know, more food ended up on his face than in his mouth, but he started sort of opening his mouth by the end. I did figure out you kind of have to figure out to put the spoon all the way behind his tongue or his tongue pushes it back out some. Now, he is 5 months and loves to eat. If I don't feed him solids first and he sees us eating dinner, he gets very upset until I fix his.

Now, on another note, use breast milk (or formula...whatever your son is currently on- I just pump a bottle once a week to use) to mix with the cereal so it tastes normal to him. I alo found that plain rice cereal from Gerber works great. They suggest 4 Tbsp of formula/breast milk to 1 Tbsp of powder, but I found that my son had trouble with how thin that was, so I just started mixing it until it was a little thicker. We also just started feeding him at dinner time, but his months, we will start a little as a snack time after breakfast.

I was told by the Le Leche League (who was a big promotor of waiting on solids, but I gave them anyway) to make sure I am breastfeeding him first because the solids are just a suppliment/experiment for the baby...He still needs mainly milk for food.

Good luck...just watch for allergic reactions (sweet potatoes and squash, pears and applesauce are best to start with too and can be mixed with the cereal as well).

S., 25, mom of Tyrrone, 5 months

My doctor said to start with rice cereal at 4 months, and then add your fruits and veges at 6 months (adding one a week to check for allergies). I find this to be the best for me too because I think they are hungrier then. My son couldn't get it in fast enough. My girls took 2 or 3 times of trying and they finally got it. They have to figure out how to eat, especially if breastfed.

Best wishes, D.

Hi N.,
We started our son on rice cereal right around the 4 mo.-5 mo. old mark. We just took a chance that he might like it so we tried it. We tried a couple of different types....Gerber Rice Cereal and Earth's Best Organic Rice cereal. Liked them both. Some kids take to it pretty fast and others don't, so be prepared either way. If your son doesn't seem that interesed, don't lose heart...just try again a few days later. The 4-5 mo. old mark is typically when babies lose the reflex to push things out of their mouths which is why they suggest trying more "solid" foods around that time.
Good luck!
-J.

American Academy of Peds recommends waiting to start any solid food until at least 6 months old.

I started at 6 months. We got the whole grain organic rice cereal.

N.,
I started my oldest son on rice cereal at 6 weeks old. He just wasn't getting enough with the bottle. He is now 18 6'3 210 lbs. I waited a bit longer with my other two sons for no other reason then they were happy and getting what they needed from their bottles. My little one started on cereal at 4 months. He is doing great. He didn't like the boxed cereal though so I have to buy it in jars. He did great with that. I also started adding fruit at 5 1/2 months old. He was underweight and since I had a failure to thrive baby I have been real careful with his eating. Try it for a couple of days and see how he does. Mix it really thin for him but dont try to give it through the bottle. My husband tried to do that and it was a huge mess that ruined a $5 nipple since he had to cut it to get the cereal out.

"Solids" (including rice cereal) should start around 6 months. We started our son at 5.5 months because he was a big boy for his age and still seemed a bit hungry after breastfeeding. He nursed until 1 yr. We used Gerber rice cereal...don't know that there is much difference between the brands. Read the ingredients....in general, the less ingredients a processed food has, the better.

I started my daughter on rice cereal at 4 months. I mixed it with breast milk, and then as I weened her at 5 months (I didn't have a lot of milk to supply), I mixed it with other baby foods or formula or water even. I used Gerber brand cereal. She spat out a lot of it at first and then started to get the hang of it. I remember I was so mad when she wouldn't eat the cereal mixed with breast milk, since that was like liquid gold to me, but we got through it. It was actually a lot of fun to see her eat her first sort of solid food. Take lots of pictures! And oh, I almost forgot, don't listen to people who tell you to put a watered down rice cereal in the bottle (if he's bottle fed). That's too confusing to the little guy. Food is food, milk is milk.

You should ask your pediatrician, since every child is different. Also, different peds have certain reasoning for starting earlier or waiting. Mine wanted me to wait until 6 months.

I started my DD on Avacado at 6 months old. I never bothered with the Rice Cereal. Everyone I talked to said the iron binds them up.....

her ped objected, but the ONLY reason was because he "didn't know which veggies had iron in them" and she was exclusivly BF until 6 months. Some people say that Rice cereal is the thing to start b/c of low allergies, but I looked at some other sites that suggested zucc and avacado as first foods.

The really interesting thing is that my daughter hates carbs (breads, fries, potatoes, cereal, mac and cheese) she'll eat them on occasion, but not often. She'd much rather have fruits or veggies over carbs and gets mad at me if I offer more than one or two meals a week that are carb based. Considering Americans are carb addicts, I think it's a good thinking....though it can be challenging just because she's allergic to eggs and I like my muffins for breakfast still.

Anyway, there is new research out in the last 6 months or so that says you should really wait until the child is 6 months before starting solids....some peds still recommend 4 months, but that's actually outdated advice from what I understand.

I saw a post on here about waiting until teeth cut....I've heard that too and it sort of makes sense to me.

Good luck. Have fun!

J.

N.,

You have a lot of replies, so I'll try to keep it short...

4 months is the MINIMUM age to start solids, with most recommending closer to six months, or later. One thing that you may not have heard is that rice cereal has almost no nutritional value whatsoever. I'm not sure why it is recommended as a first food, other than the fact that rice is fairly hypoallergenic. However, since it will not add calorically or nutritionally to your baby, why bother?

Here is the problem with starting solids early. Before about six months, a baby's gut is extremely permeable. Basically, it has small holes in it that allow food molecules to get into his system. This is what triggers an allegic reaction, which can last throughout his life. If you have a family history of allergies, six months is considered the minimum age to start solids, and the introduction of all other allergenic foods should also be delayed. The standard on allergies is that the sooner and more often babies are exposed to a food, the more likely they are to develop an allergy. It has been postulated that this is why dairy allergies are so prevalent, because so many babies are on milk-based formulas and are being exposed to dairy proteins early and often. Overall, you would be wise to hold off on solids for a couple more months. The minimum requirements are to be able to sit up, and to no longer display a tongue-thrust reflex - when you put solids in his mouth, he uses his tongue to push them out. Better indicators of true readiness are watching intently as you eat, grabbing for food, and of course, being able to take food into his mouth and swallow it.

Really, there is no point to starting cereal at this point. If your son is breastfeeding, he has ample iron stores for AT LEAST two months (and many lactation experts say for much longer) and if he is formula fed, he is already getting iron fortification from his formula. As mentioned before, cereals offer very little if any nutrients, and certainly much less than he would receive from breastmilk, or even formula. In fact, since baby may be feeling full from cereal, he may reduce his nursing, which actually gives him less of the calories and nutrients that he needs. Also, the iron in cereals is not very absorbable, so baby doesn't benefit much from what he does take in, and it is very likely to constipate him. Adding Karo syrup to formula will make his blood sugar shoot up, which isn't any better for adults than it is for babies. Food is not likely to make him sleep longer, as (supposedly) most babies wake because they cannot self-soothe rather than because they are hungry.

I, too, was eager to start solids with my first. It felt like an adventure, a sign that she was growing up and something new and fun for the whole family to participate in. I realized quickly that she wasn't ready, and I did her no favors by pushing solids when she didn't need/want them.

I hope this might help.

Best of luck,
S.

Especially if you are breastfeeding, I would say don't rush it and get some input from your doc. We weren't able to breastfeed so decided to start homemade babyfood at around 5 1/2 months -- I think ~5-6 months is the average age for most little ones. My son was always reaching for our food at the dinner table and seemed interested in trying it. At our docs recommendation, we actually skipped cereal of any kind as they seemed to bind up my son's bowel system -- an awful problem to have... From 5-8 months, he only ate veggies and mild fruits (sweet potato and avocado are great first foods). He is just about to turn 9 months and now we're adding pureed oatmeal and other grains and legumes to his diet. His poop firmed up a bit, but is still manageable.

Check out this book: Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It's a great resource on natural/homemade meals for infants and toddlers. So much better for baby if you have the time and interest in taking the homemade route. Good luck!

I started rice cereal right at 4 months. I use Gerber rice cereal with bananas. My twins are just over a year and they still continue to eat rice cereal but now we also mix it with the Gerber multi grain. We use formula as the liquid to add to the cereal. I started using my stored breast milk but I wouldn't recommend that. Because once your supply goes, you're really going to wish you had it back. And when you do start the cereal I made the mistake of making it too runny. Once I thickened it up a bit they really went to town on it. Well, good luck.

S.

You have many responses and good ones. I just want to add that I started my daughter having rice cereal in her bottle at night only and giving her some in the morning at 5 months. However, some babies are ready for it. It is up to YOU. I also have a prefered type. It is Beach nut. You can get it at Kings soopers and Albertons. They have a night time rice cereal and a morning time with some fruit in it. It mixed the best. Good luck and let us know how it turns out! :)

Wait until at least 6 months old. I never wasted time on rice cereal. (Have you tasted it? Yuk!) I always start with mashed sweet potato or banana, pureed fruits or veggies. You're mostly just introducing them to the textures and tastes of new foods. Don't expect them to eat it to fill them up. Baby should be receiving most of his nutrition from breastmilk or formula for the first year.

I started my baby on Gerber rice cereal at 3 mos. Just a couple of bites every other day. "They" say that babies have to do certain tasks at certain ages. You are the mom you know your baby better tahn anyone else. You'll know when your baby is ready. After a couple of weeks on rice cereal she just didn't like it, so I switched to oatmeal with bananas. She gobbles it up. So a little trial and error and knowing your baby is all it takes.
The most important thing to remember is that you know yur baby better than anyone and don't let anyone tell you differently.

We started rice sereal at 4 months and our little guy did very well. He had been eyeing our food for a while so we thought we would try it out. We liked the gerber brand. We another brand that was organic and it gave him bad gas so we went back to gerber. I would wait a bit longer on oatmeals and grains though. My baby can have them now but when he was under 7 months whenever we tried to give him even a little it tore up his tummy and made him crabby so we only tried about once a month for about 3 months, then it just stopped bothering him! At about 4 1/2 months we started giving him a little baby food. We gave him sweet potatoes the most. He loved them and ate like a champ! We mixed in a little rice cereal with it though. We just gave him little teeny bites. When we tried to feed it to him as runny as it is he spit it back out and couldn't eat it very well. I know some people say 4 months is early but if you feel your baby might be ready then give it a try. Out ped said at 4 months we could try and just see how he did with it. He did well so we continude. We didn't give him a whole bunch at that age but at 6 months we have him eating solids for dinner and sometimes for breakfast as well. When he has solids for dinner he sleeps through the night waking for only 1 feeding. On the nights we just give him a bottle he wakes up about 5 times. Sometimes not even hungry, he just wakes up. Listen to you instincts mama. If you want to try the rice cereal try it. It after a couple different times he just isn't going for it then give him a few weeks and try it again! Good luck!

First, ask your doctor. I started my baby boy on rice ceareal at 4mos. I just put a small amount in his bottle. I went back to work when he turned 3mos, so I pummped at work and my sitter bottle fed him breast milk during the day. He ate constantly! I knew I'd return to work after my maternaty leave, so I had a stockpile of breast milk in the freezer, (about 70 5oz bags) and he ate ALL of it within the first month I went back to work! I supplemented with formula, but he still was hungry a lot, and stopped sleeping through the night. I NEED sleep, so putting a little cereal in his bottle really helped. I ALWAYS use Gerber cereal. I tried a couple of other brands, but the texture and color were different. Gerber cereal dissolves really easily. I hope this helpes!

I started both of my boys on rice cereal at 4 months. They were both big boys, so they need the cereal along with a bottle. I highly recommend starting the rice at 4 months.

i started both my kids on rice cereal at four months. my son did great, but my daughter had a hard time swalloing so she didn't like it until later. i would recommend not using the parents brand of rice cereal(walmart brand). i tried it and it was super clumpy and hard to swallow. i know there was a recall a while ago because of this, so maybe it's better now, but i've never had a problem with the gerber brand.

N., I've also heard it both ways and erred toward keeping it later. I started both my little ones on rice cereal a couple weeks before they turned 6 months. With both of them, I did try a little cereal at around 4 months just to try it out and they didn't do well with it at all. But when I started it just shy of 6 months they ate it very naturally, didn't have trouble with gagging or resisting and both were very ready for it at that age (but not at 4 months). Personally, I wanted them to be able to sit up well, to no longer have the tongue thrust reflex that was going to push that food right back out, and to be interested in the food we were eating. Once they had all this and were trying to steal our food from our hands and plates (lol), it was time to start food! And because I did it this way, I was able to progress fairly quickly to veggies, fruits and finger foods.

Check out www.kellymom.com and www.wholesomebabyfood.com for more information. Also, look up Dr. Jack Newman's website. His opinion differs a little from the other two sites, I think. All three are great for information on what to look for in a baby to know they're ready to eat.

Good luck with your decision!

I started with my daughter at 5 mos, my son at 4, he was a eater and needed something more substantial. I think it depends with you. I know they say feeding them solids before 6 mos can lead to allergies, however in both of my kids cases, neither is allergic to anything and both were started before 6 mos. Heck my mom gave me cereal at 2 mos (per my baby book, hee hee). If you have a hearty child I see no reason not to give them the experience if you want to. I can say too, those that start solids later are more picky eaters from what I have witnessed.

I am a little late in the response, and I am probably just echoing what a lot of moms have told you but....I waited until 6 months to introduce solids. I was breastfeeding (still am) and I knew Jack was getting enough from the breastmilk. After doing some research and talking to our pediatrician and homeopathic doctor, we decided it was best to wait. Once a baby gets to be 6 months their digestive system is better developed and really ready to handle solids. Also, if there are food sensitivities with your little one their immune system is just that much older and stronger to try and handle it.

As for when you do start, organic rice, bran, and oatmeal cereals are great! They are not too much more expensive and are so worth the cost of not having chemicals, additives, and genetically engineered ingredients (GEI) in your baby's system. My favorite brand is Earth's Best Organic...you can get it just about anywhere. Usually Target and Wal-Mart are the cheapest, but if you don't shop at these big box retailers, you can usually purchase it at your local grocery store. Obviously, the organic, specialty stores will have it, but it will be most expensive :).

Good luck to you and congrats on being a fabulous new mommy!!

A. :)

I started my son with rice cereal at 4 months. He did really well and LOVED it! We actually moved to baby food a few weeks later because he was doing so well!! When we started he didn't have much of a tongue thrust and was good at swallowing. I think that if your son is interested and can take the cereal in his mouth and get it to the back of his throat, he should be fine!

Good luck!!

I have two older kids and a 4 month old baby. I'm waiting to hear from the older kids' allergist because if you or your husband have ANY kind of allergies, i.e. seasonal, to lotions, foods or anything, then your kids have a higher (I can't remember the percentage) chance of having food allergies. I have read 2 articles recently about waiting until 6 months of age to start solids if there is a family history of allergies. My pediatrician on the other hand is saying that once your child starts watching you eat, watching the fork go to your mouth, and opening their mouth as if they are trying to eat what you are eating, then you have a one month window to start feeding solids so as not to end up with a child with texture issues or who won't eat solids and ends up needing to go to feeding clinics,e tc.. I am supposed to hear back from the allergist (Dr. Atkins at Children's Hospital) on Thursday of this week.
BTW, brown rice cereal is better than white rice cereal since rice is constipating and that becomes an issue. Just do one feeding a day until 6 months, 2 at 6 months, and 3 at 9 months. At this age its supposed to be mustard-like consistency and only about 1 TBsp. Its a practice in eating, its not for nutrition, and so if you are having a crazy day or going out to eat, you can skip it and resume on a calm day since its best to have it all happen in a postive way.
R.

We waited until 6 months with our two children. Their little tummies are not ready until that age. Also, there have been studies that starting cereal at that age doesn't even help with sleeping through the night. We really like any of the organic brands of cereal!

I am a mother of a 7 month old. I had the same question when my son was your sons age. I started giving him rice ceral a little here and there when he was 3 1/2 months and by 4 months he was eating every morning. At 4 months when I would mix it up I would put in some ceral, B-milk and add a spoon full or two of some baby food fruit like peaches or pear or applesauce and then my son would just down it. Good luck.

My second son would only breastfeed, so starting him on some cereal at 4 months gave my husband a chance to feed him a bit and it gave me a break! He is now 3 years old and did fine starting cereal at 4 months. We started with Nature's Best rice cereal.

I agree with the post below. You can start it and see if your child likes it but definitly do it in the daytime. I have five children and the first four started cereal at three months and did fine but the last one who is now one was born with exema and he had a very bad reaction to cereal and baby food at five months so we had to quit feeding him anything but formula until he was about 10 months. Now he is doing fine. Every child is different and you will know if something is not right.

I have two kids. When my oldest(who is now 3)was 4 months the advice I got from my pediatrician was to introduce rice cereal. If your child takes to it, meaning if he figures out how to swallow it, seems to enjoy it, and tolerates it well digestively then great! Stick with it. If he has trouble swallowing or it causes upset stomach then hold off another month or two. Oddly, with my second(who is now 20 months old...so not too much time in between the two)I was told, by the same pediatrician, I should wait until she was 6 months old because of potential allergy issues, etc. I did not wait. I started rice cereal at almost exactly 4 months with both kids and what a difference it made. Both my kids were happier and more satiated. I think it is funny how trends change so rapidly. The only caution could be that if your family is prone to allergies you might decide it is better to wait until 6 months. One other tip, try mixing the cereal with breast milk if you are still nursing or as you introduce solids like fruits and veggies, you can mix a bit of rice cereal into those to make them more substantial. Good luck!
K.

It is recommended to start rice cereal at 4 months, but if your baby acts like he's never full earlier is ok. I use Gerber rice cereal and I like it. They say to use rice first because it's easiest to digest. I had to start using it earlier because my son (5 1/2) months has reflux and was throwing up constantly. It was recommended by my docter at 3 months along with formula because it is thicker in the bottle than the formula alone. I would start by spoon feeding but because he was so impatient because he was tring to catch up on the weight gaining, I started to use the bottle and made a small slit in the nipple. He is doing much better now and is actually getting chubby. If your baby isn't acting like he's never full I would wait until he's 4 months

When my daughter, who is now 9, was a baby they said 3 months, now they say 4-6. The real question I think is whether your child is ready. Does he drink more than 32oz of formula a day? Or if he is nursing, is he constantly hungry with no breaks in between? Does he watch you when you eat and seem really interested in food, making the same types of faces you do when you eat or sucking on his tongue? If so,then he is probably ready for a taste. He may not eat much the first few times. As far as brand goes, I am a Gerber girl all the way :)

Our pediatrician said if a baby is sleeping through the night and suddenly stops, then it's time to start cereal. Worked for both our guys. We started with Barley as it's less allergenic.

With my first son, I was told to start at 4 months. With my second son I was told to wait until 6 months. My advice to you is to respond to your child's cues. If your baby is paying attention to what YOU eat --- then he is ready to try rice cereal. If he is able to take the spoon with the food into the mouth and keep it in without pushing it out with his tongue --- then he is ready. Otherwise, he is not. What kind of rice cereal is up to you. Just don't put it in the bottle.

That's a tough question to answer difinitively because all children develop at different stages. A good indicator that it is safe to start him on rice cereal is if he can hold his head up steadily without bobbing it. That means his neck is strong, and he won't drop his head down to his chest while you're feeding him and choke on the cereal. Now, that said, if he can do that, it doesn't necessarily mean he is ready to eat it. It just means it is safe. You can try him on it and see if he likes it. If he doesn't, wait a few weeks and try it again. My 4th baby (8mos now) started around 4 1/2 months. The very first time she tasted it, she spit it out and cried. She also refused a bottle with it in it directly after trying it on the spoon. A few days later, we tried a second time on the spoon, and she still didn't quite like it, but she didn't cry and spit it out. She was willing to at least try it. Now, she takes it in her bottle every feeding. You'll know whether he likes it or is ready for it if you try it. Good luck!

The 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation is at least 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding/before starting solids. (I actually don't know if you're breastfeeding or not.) If you are breastfeeding, starting solids decreases the antibodies in breastmilk. The other reason is because of allergies. Look for signs that your baby wants to start solids -that's the best time. (I looked this up - it's from Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.)

I started my kids at 4 months old- Just for tastes, not whole meals, they loved it. I did start with gerber rice cereal and then moved on to others. I also started apple sauce just after the rice cereal, partly because I mixed the rice with milk sometimes and for a change I mixed it with applesauce too sometimes.