Too early for rice cereal?

[Anonymous]

Hey all,

Kate just recently had her four month check up(I can’t believe she’s that big!!!! Time has really flown despite all our trouble)and our ped said that we should intro rice/oatmeal cereal soon. Is it too early in anyone’s experience? I’m a new mom and just looking for some input. She said if you don’t intro it soon, especially for a bf baby(sensitive taste buds), you could lose your window where they’ll accept it well. Also, what kind of rice cereal works well or is oatmeal better? Sorry for all the seemingly silly questions but I’m pretty lost when it comes to solids and books just overwhelm me so I’m counting on you mommies for help!!! Thanks in advance for any advice!!

[Anonymous]

4 months seems plenty early to me. My oldest didn’t start any cereal until 6 mo and he did fine. I started cereal early with Owen at 4 mo b/c he was having so many troubles btwn wt gain and refusing the neocate and also I think it helped with his reflux when he started with cereal and other foods to keep everything down.

It won’t hurt if you start now or don’t start for another month, I would think she would be fine either way! My doc actually said not to start until 6 months b/c it reduces the probability of food allergies the longer you wait to introduce solids…….. He said anyway, I haven’t read many studies on it.

[Anonymous]

Hi Claire,

4 months is early, especially for a reflux baby who may have allergies or intolerances, but I know peds often recommend starting cereals at that age. It definitely isn’t true that you’ll miss a “window of opportunity”. None of our kids started solids that young, and the earliest we started any of them was at 5 months. Caden started cereal at 5 1/2 months, but he didn’t react well to it (mucousy bms), so we held out until just recently. He can tolerate it now, but only oatmeal cereal. The rice doesn’t settle well on his tummy.

You could try the cereal if you’d like to, and then if she doesn’t react well you could just put it away for awhile. It’s really up to you. There is no rush though.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Personally if I were you, I would wait. With all the difficulties you guys have had I wouldn’t rock the boat now that it seems that things are smoothing out for you. Cooper is 4.5months and we haven’t started anything and won’t start anything until 6 months and at that time we will start with fruits/veggies as we can’t do cereal b/c of the MSPI. If you do go the cereal route, then I would watch for excess gas which is a side effect of the rice cereal along with constipation. Those are just my thoughts, take them with a grain of salt.. I am just so happy that Kate if finally feeling good and you guys can actually enjoy her more.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much ladies for all your input! It’s funny, that was my gut instinct, to wait, but you all confirmed it. She JUST started eating well. For the first time in her little life I’m enjoying her so much now you’re right, why mess with that. Alrighty, the high chair can wait awhile!

[hellbennt]

I waited until into my babies’ 6th month to start solids.
I waited for all the signs: able to sit up fully upright without toppling over, didn’t push foods back out (no tongue thrusting reflex), was able to bring objects with hands into mouth…

I read this article which states, as I believe, there is no reason to start foods in any particular order: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9646449/

American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Breastfeeding

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496

cons of pureees (not sure I agree 100% but find it interesting nonetheless): http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21924101-5006007,00.html

I started w/ avocado, banana, sweet potato & pretty much just gave oatmeal or barley cereal sometimes to mix in w/ jarred fruits/veggies (all organic)

I did not introduce proteins until babies are 9months old- beans, poultry, soy, meat, yogurt, egg yolk, etc

I am very interested in this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby-led_weaning

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedselintroductie/vast_voeds…

http://www.babyledweaning.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/B-LW/

http://blwbaby.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_blwbaby_archive.html

http://www.myblwexperiences.blogspot.com/

http://www.babybanana.biz/page4.htm

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html

this is what I do/did.

~laura

[Anonymous]

Evie is 19 weeks on Tuesday and we tried rice ‘just to see’. She seemed to tolerate it until we looked at her stools. They were really mucousy so we knew she wasn’t ready. I should’ve listened to our ped gi who said rice should be last. Physically, she is ready. Anyhow, we started with squash and it’s been marvelous. Our ped gi says: 1. Yellow veggies 2. green veggies 3. fruits (applesauce first). Although it really doesn’t matter, the yellow veggies are considered the “least allergenic.” And the fruit is last b/c of it’s sweetness and the “they won’t like veggies if you give fruit first” theory. We’re starting carrots tomorrow!

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