Advice Needed on Transitioning 4 Month Old to Solids!

S.,
just wondering why you are starting solids right now. Were you told to start them by your pediatrician? I did not start solids until 6 months. Which I did here flack from some peopel about... but if they aren't ready, they aren't ready. There used to be a bottle feeder called an "infafeeder" that you could put the rice cereal/milk mixture in to make the transition easier. Many babies are very sensitive to new textures and the texture of the food and the texture of the spoon may be too much stimulation for your little one. If youy don't want to buy the infafeeder, you can always make the hole on the nipple of one of your own bottles a little bit bigger and use that.
That way the only new texture baby is experiencing is the food. I also like to make my baby food. That way I can control the texture and the ingredients. Here is a good site... my little one loves the avecado recipes... but I didn't offer that until later! :)
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
Good luck!

Wait a little longer, maybe he is not ready. The Peds recommend waiting until 6 months anyway to prevent allergies. My first was ready at 5 months but by second wasn't ready until after 6 months and took a lot longer to get used to it. Also, you can make the cereal very watery with breast milk or formula. Just try a little bit at a time. Solids won't become a major part of their diet until 7 months or so anyway.

Gerber rice cereal probably is the best to start off with, but it sounds like he may not be ready. You should probably wait and try in a week or 2. A lot of doctors say you can wait up until 6 months for solids if needed.

Hi S.,

I'm really surprised that you're starting your 4 month old on solids. Today's pediatricians are usually more savvy about letting moms know that babies' digestive systems aren't fully developed until 6 months. To prevent allergies and problems with digestion, the recommendation is usually to wait. I know some moms with babies who have acid reflux have to start their babies earlier to help them, but the majority don't need to jump into it all too quickly.

When I finally did start introducing solids into my first child's diet at around 6 months, she wasn't interested. So we just continued to nurse until she wanted food. It wasn't until she was 12-14 months that she started really eating full meals. She would have some pureed bananas or sliced and peeled grapes or wheat puffs at about 8 months. But she just wasn't ready for a solid breakfast, lunch, or dinner until later.

All children develop at their own pace. My 2nd child, my son, didn't walk until he was 18 months old. That was so strange to me. But he runs, jumps, and climbs and there's nothing wrong with him. He just took his time.

As a mom we can think that there are these age "milestones" that somehow define what our baby should be doing. But we can't force our children to grow up or be more independent. Independence and growth develop at their own pace. As parents we can monitor the growth and check in with "experts" whom we believe understand that all kids go at their own pace to ensure there isn't a developmental problem.

But I hope you will give yourself a break and your child too. You don't have to push this right now. He really is already listening to his body and if milk is what nourishes him and makes him feel full and content, let the solids go for now.

Best of luck and big congrats on the birth of your baby! Welcome to the journey of motherhood =)

I'm in agreement with the other responses--you should wait a while longer before starting solids. Pediatricians do recommend waiting until kids are six months old before you start, although some babies are ready a bit earlier. My oldest was ready at 5 1/2 months and started out without any trouble, but my youngest wasn't ready until six months, and even then he still had a lot of the thrust reflex left (when babies push things out of their mouths with their tongues), so he was probably 6 1/2 months old before he was really getting anything in him.

Unless your doctor has given you some medical reason, there's no need to push solids now. At four months, babies get all they need from breastmilk or formula, so do yourself--and your baby--a favor, and just stick to nursing/bottles for now. I know sometimes--especially with your first child--it's easy to get caught up in prepping your kid for the next big milestone (eating solids, crawling, walking, toilet training, etc.), but through experience I've found that it's easiest to just leave your kids alone and let them do all of those things when their little bodies are ready--it will save you all a lot of hassle and stress. :) Good luck!