Cereal Nightmare!!

i dont want to come off as nasty but why are you trying to feed a 4 month old baby food??? No foods should be given until 6 months..why are you trying to rush cereal and highchair? at 4 months old they are no where near ready for any of this....give it a rest for another 2-3 months.

It seems that you have gotten a lot of advice already but I thought that I would suggest trying the bumbo seat with the tray if he's really afraid of the high chair - you can just sit right on the floor with him and try and feed him that way. HTH

Dear L.,
When I started my children on cereal, I began by adding the cereal in their bottle, a little bit at a time. The trick is to make the hole in the nipple a little bigger so that the thicker fluid can flow through. Each time you increase the amount of cereal, you increase the size of the hole.
E.G. I began with a few flakes of cereal, took a heavy sewing needle which I sterilized with a match, then put it through the nipple hole to enlarge it. A week or so later, I added more flakes, and put a small slit in the nipple. More flakes needed a slit perpendicular to the first one. And so on. By the time they were ready to accept a spoon, they were accepting cereal with no problem.
Hope this helps,
W.

I too am a new Mom with a big healthy boy....he's 8 months now!! We tried a little bottle, then a little cereal, and so on. We also (like every new parent) opened wide when we gave him a spoonful. How large is his highchair? We had MUCH better luck in the "portable" one, like you would bring to a restaurant, than his big high chair. Not sure if this helps, but it was what we had to do. Good luck :)

He may still be too young to feed cereal. When my daughter was 4 months I asked my mommy friends if I should start feeding her cereal and this was response I got:

She doesn't NEED anything else besides breastmilk until she is 6 months old for nutrional value but you can start giving it to her as ealy as 4 months old just to practice. There are a few signs to look out for to tell if she is ready:
-She needs to be able to sit up (obviously in a chair or something) but but able to hold her head up unassisted.
-Is she interested in your food? Does she watch you when you eat? Is she starting to put things in her mouth?
-They also recommend that the baby is double their birthweight.
-Tounge thurst reflex - when babies are smaller they tend to push things out with their tounges. As she gets older, this should diminish and the food may actually get in her mouth instead of pushing it all out with her tounge.

So, basically it all depends on the baby. Some babies are ready and interested at 4 months while others aren't even interested at all at 6 months old. Hopefully that was helpful

Hi L.!

Congrats on your son. My son is almost 5 months and we had a little bit of the same problem. I noticed when I made the cereal at a thicker consistency, he liked it and it seemed easier for him to eat (you'd think it would be reversed). Also, did you try the rice first? Maybe he just doesn't like the oatmeal. We just tried the multi grain and my son hates it.

Also, maybe instead of the high chair, try his bouncy seat or exersaucer (if you have either of these) to feed him.

Good luck!! :-)

C.

My advice is to relax and wait. Four months is a little young for eating from a spoon, and even if other kids can do it, your son is telling you that he's not ready. Try again when he's closer to 6months. If you are frustrated, he is picking up on that and will become more resistant. Don't start at such a young age making food a battle for him.

Dear L.,

I do remember being in your position, and my advice to you is, take things slow. You don't have to keep him in that high chair. He may enjoy it more if you start off while holding him...try a different kind of cereal. I've mixed the cereal with apple sauce and they loved it. Variety is the best answer I can give you and as much love and patience as possible. I tell you, now when I look back I feel so bad that I rushed some of that process. My children are now 4 and 6 and I wish to God that I could go back and relive those moments as if I were the most patient and happy angel of a mother. I still look at them as if they are babies now, and they still are. In time my dear. And do not worry about how much the child eats, they will not starve themselves. The doctor says that as long as they have 6 teaspoons of food a day, that should suffice their little bodies. Also, I am almost certain that I did not introduce cereal until either 5 or 6 months and only one new type of food per week. Hope this helped at all. I know it is hard at first, but before you know it you will be a pro. Just remember, take everything REALLY slow. They don't know any better. xo-J

I'd switch to rice cereal, that's usually the first solid food for babies, unless you're pediatrician says otherwise. If your baby isn't interested then hold off for several weeks. There's no need to rush it and if you force it now it'll only lead to more issues down the road with other solid foods.
Good luck

Neither one of my sons would touch any of the cereals until I started mixing fruits and veggies into them. My youngest also hated the high chair, so I used either his Bumbo seat or his bouncer. Once he got to the finger food stage, he loved sitting in the high chair because it was the only place he was allowed to feed himself. And remember, until a year old, solids are purely for practice.

4 months is a little early...maybe he isn't ready. You can wait until 6 months.

I used flashcards to distract mine while I put the bites in her mouth...but again, I would reconsider waiting until at least 6 months. And as for the fork give him his own when the time is right just to play with and get used to handling. don't rush it and don't sweat over it!!!

Your baby shouldn't be starting solids until 6 mos, despite what your pediatrician may have told you. He will get all the nutrtion he needs from formula until that age.

Babies can start on solids (baby cereal) anywhere between 4 months and 6 months. Maybe it is too early for him. I would not push it on him if he is not happy. You want feeding time to be enjoyable for both of you. Relax and try again in a few weeks. Don't worry he will eat baby food one day, but not right now.

M., RN
Mommy101, LLC
www.mommy101.net

since you asked - i think that 4 months old is way to young to be starting cereal. They should be showing an interest in food before they start and if he gets that upset chances are he is not ready. Why don't you give it a little more time. Try again at 6 - 8 months.

4 months is still early to start cereal. You technically dont start until 6 months. I started my baby a little past 5 months and it constipated him so I stopped.
Take a break and try again at 5 or 6 months. Why keep trying if he doesnt like it? He really doesnt need it until 6 months. He doesnt need to learn how to eat w/ a spoon and the whole meal process yet.

It sounds like he's not ready. It's ok to wait on the cereal unless for some reason your pediatrician is telling you otherwise. In fact the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding (ie, not introducing solid foods or cereal) until a baby is 6 months old. Even if you're not breastfeeding at this point, you can wait on spoon-fed foods and continue with formula for a little longer. Most parents start cereal between 4 and 6 months, so you are on the front end of the curve. I suggest you put the cereal away for a couple of weeks and try again when he's a little bit older. When they're ready they are a little surprised by the cereal, but they catch on pretty quickly. Good luck!

We had this problem not too long ago. My daughter is now 9 months old. I can remember thinking... OMG when is this girl going to eat the cereal that was dribbling down her face ... and down to her clothes?!? My friend works at a daycare, and she suggested to let them suck on the spoon. It worked like a charm. Also, we varied day to day on the type of consistency... I can't really remember what worked best. Stay with it, he'll get it. :)

i agree with others. poor thing is too young-leave him alone for a few more months.wondering why you started so early...

Stop completely for a few weeks. When you try again, make sure it is just the plain rice cereal to start. If after a few days he is still not interested stop again for an additional few weeks. There is no rush at this age to get him on cereal. My son loved it for a few weeks at first then rejected it. I stopped and when I restarted, he never looked back. There nutrition must come from their formula or breastmilk for close to or the entire first year. Food at this point is more of a training/tasting session.

Trust me, he will get into it when he is ready and then stop it when he is ready. By 10 months, my son wouldn't even eat anything he thought was baby food. He had had enough and wanted only table food.

I know some doctors say it's okay to start solids that soon, but ours didn't have us start until 6 months. It's the current American Academy of Pediatrics standard. It could just be that your baby just isn't ready yet. His mouth and jaw may not be developed enough to handle the goopy-ness of the cereal, which makes him feel like he's choking on it (just a theory!). I would give it another month or two.

Good luck!

Keep at it. My two children(now 6 and 4) acted as if I was torturing them while starting cereal. Initially I would place the spoon in their mouths when they were screaming. If I recall it took about two weeks and they eventually got over it and learned to eat off a spoon.

L.,

Is Oatmeal the only sort of baby cereal that you've tried giving him? If so, then its possible that he just doesn't like the taste or consistancy of that type of baby cereal.

If Oatmeal is the only type that you've tried, you might want to try the Baby Rice or Baby Barley cereal, to see if he seems to like either of those any better.

If you still have problems getting baby cereal into him, you might want to try mixing some sort of fruit baby food into the cereal, so that he will like the taste more. At 4 months, he should be old enough to digest the Stage 1 fruit just fine, as long as you don't give him an entire jar at once.

My niece's daughter, at your son's age, hated the Barley Cereal, and there was no way she could even get it into her mouth. However, once she added some Stage 1
Pear baby food to it, she couldn't shovel it into her daughter fast enough! LOL

Just a suggestion......

I say if he hates it you don't have to start with cereal. I started my daughter around 5 1/2 months with orange/yellow veggies - sweet potatoe, squash, carrots, and then moved to other stuff. She didn't have a reaction to any food and still hasn't at 15 months. My pediatrician told me that a lot of doctors are moving away from starting with cereal since there is a link between the high carbohydrate diet of cereal in infants with childhood diabetes. Your other option is to just try mixing it with fruit - he might like it better than! Unfortunately he won't be able to use a spoon himself until much older. Good luck!

I noticed that my baby liked it better when I made it very thin. Hope this helps.

It might just be a little too early for him yet.
We cant' always follow what the bookss or other's tell us is the right time to begin these milestones.

I suggest laying off the cereal for a month and trying again next month.
He will be a little bigger, 4 weeks further in his growth and development and may be more apt to want to try it again.
My daughter didn't want food until she was about 5 1/2 months.
Every child grows and develops at their own pace.
Just give him more time and he will be ready and happy to accept it later on.
Pushing the issue is frustrating you and upsetting him.

Good you are trying though!
Enjoy your boy and good luck!
All will be fine in no time!

P.

Just wait! He is still a little young. Give him a few weeks or even a couple months & he will be more interested. Good Luck!

First, he seems too young for a high chair. Try feeding
him in a bouncy seat/car seat. He also may be so hungry
when you try the cereal that he does not have patience for it. Try giving him half a bottle and then the cereal.
If that does not work, I would let the cereal go for a
few weeks and try again.

give it time. he's only four months...maybe he'll like a different cereal, like rice?

Hi L.,

Maybe at 4 months, he's not quite ready to be eating cereal. If he is already at a healthy weight, that may be a little much and it does seem too early for solids.

Wait a couple more months before you try again, the high chair is probably not comfortable on his back. when you try again, try it in his car seat, reclining, (it may be a little harder for him to fight you)

When you do try foods, try jar bananas (they are mild), with just a little bit of cereal to thicken it up a bit. Even then, at 6 months or so, he may only begin by taking just a couple bites. Don't push him to eat if he's not that hungry. It only gets frustrating when they are not hungry and you try to force them.

If he is wanting to eat/drink more than what is given to him during the day (still hungry after a normal feeding), then just put a teaspoon or two of cereal into his formula (or breast milk) bottle. This will help to "fill up".

If he's not showing signs of hunger after a normal bottle/nursing feeding, he's definitely not ready to eat solids. Then again, it may be just a growth spurt that he may seem more hungry at times. Try the cereal in the bottle when he seems that hungry. It should be enough for a couple more months.

And remember; if you want to feed him solids, when he's ready, give him the solids first, then a regular bottle. This way, he will eat just a couple more bites - while he's hungry, he will be more likely not to fight or want to play. If you give him the bottle first, he wont be hungry enough to eat the solids - he will want to play or fight you, depending on your frustration level, rather than eat.

good luck

4 months is young for cereal. Many peds didn't take need of the AAP changing the recommendations some years back (at least 10, because the 6 month recommendation was in place when I had my last baby) of starting at 4-6 months to waiting til 6 months. He doesn't need cereal. He gets all of the nutrition he needs from his milk. Cereal isn't needed for his health. All through the first year, their milk is their primary nutrition and after six month, foods are for tasting and experimenting.

Here are a few tips-take or leave!

1. Relax, don't stress stop n wait for another month or two.
2. Paste on a smile, calm voice and talk non-stop while going thru
the feeding. Doc advised me to go thru alphabet using all vowel sounds.
(ba,be,bi,bo,bu)
3. Feeding technique dev. Therapist taught me-put one hand on forehead
when putting spoon to mouth-it is a cue n they open their mouth. With consistency
this worked very well!
4. Keep feedings very short, positive and clap and cheer and show when the bowl
is finished saying good job, all gone!
5. Continually mimic chewing and eating making yummy sounds -babies will follow
and do it too!

He's too young! Be patient and enjoy the feeding process when it's time. Give him another month or two. Great book on feeding is "Child of Mine" by Ellen Sadtler (check author I'm pretty sure this is her name). It helps you teach your child to eat healthfully and without pressure. Mealtimes should be a wonderful experience for all, not a stressful one.

I'm a mommy of two very good eaters: adventurous with new tastes! They are 4 1/2 and 15 months.

Good luck!

Every baby is different!!! So, he may be too young, but i had to start cereal at 3 months with my daughter because she refused to take a bottle and i was going back to work!!! My pedi said she had to recommend 4-6 months....but, that she would be doing the same thing!!! She absolutely refused the bottle, but would take cereal mixed with breastmilk with a spoon!! And, she loved it!! I am only working 2 days a week, so she only got it then to start, and like some moms said, she liked it thicker so it didn't just drip out her mouth. And, she also ate and is still eating in her upright bouncer seat!! She is still too small to prop up in her highchair. She is almost 5 months now and still loves it and has had some fruits and veggies which she also loves!!! I always breastfeed her first, since that is most important, but she really LOVES to eat, and for her....she was ready!! Also, i started with rice, which she liked, but it made her constipated, so i switched to Oatmeal and she is better!! Good luck!!

4 months seems early to start cereal and usually it's rice cereal started at 6 months, have you asked your dr. or just taking "advice".

4 months is a little young to be eating cereal and very young to sit in the high chair. If you feel he needs cereal to fill him up, especially at night, then either hold him in your lap cradled in your left arm while feeding him with your right hand, you can hold his hand with your left hand if he waves it around. He will enjoy the cuddling.
Or you could mix it with his milk and enlarge the nipple slightly and feed him that way.
Or you can sit him in his bouncy seat. I dont recommend either, but if you decide he needs cereal these are 3 options. Please dont make him sit in the high chair, his little spine is not strong enough for it.

hi there! i think you should start him on something easily digestable first. rice cereal is the commonly preferred first food (mixed with your breastmilk or some formula into a thin paste). oatmeal is something you should move onto when he gets the hang of swallowing and can move onto more rougher textured foods since it's harder to digest oatmeal than rice cereal.

the goal with introducing first foods to your baby isn't for sustinece's sake (since they get that from milk initially), but more for teaching them to swallow (instead of jutting their tongues out) and to introduce them to the experience of doing as they see their parents/siblings do at the table, sharing a meal. both of my kids began eating soft solids at 4mos but some babies aren't ready to start so early. i have friends who didn't give solid until 6mos and later. i knew my kids were interested in real food when they couldn't take their eyes off our own meals. let your baby hold a spoon in the highchair and get him used to the ritual of eating. make it fun instead of a forced experience. and remember babies can read your anxiety if you get frustrated too, so stay calm. choose a feeding time when he's not tired or cranky (like during breakfast time, after his first bottle) they shouldn't eat for too long, sometimes my dd would eat maybe 5 tiny bites (much of which would end up on her face and hands and i would just keep re-spooning it into her mouth) and as soon as she got fussy i would clean her up with a smile and be happy with that. eventually, she'd eat more and more and then you can start mixing rice cereal with vegetable purees or bottled baby food. just try to make it a positive experince for both of you. good luck and hope my suggestions helped!
-M.

He may not be ready for cereal. Plus in most cases rice cereal is the first cereal to start with not oatmeal. Talk to your pediatrician and go from there.

As other people have responded, he may just be too young. The AAP now reccommends starting at 6 months. He doesn't need the nutrition. It is just to teach him to eat and enjoy different textures and flavors. I would put the food away for a month minimum, maybe 2 and start all over again. For now, let him sit in his cahir while you eat and play with toys or a spoon. He'll let you know when he's hungry.

try using a plastic spoon my daughter is the same way she doesnt use metal...they is something in metal that bug the babies......and try the car seat or exersacer when feeding him...or a bouncer chair

Most babies do not like cereal at first. I would make sure the texture is very soupy and then thicken it as he gets used to it. One thing I do at my daycare is let them have a few ounces of formula first. If you are trying to feed cereal when they are hungry they do not associate the spoon with eating they want their bottle. So I would suggest try cereal when they are not starving, let them have a few ounces from the bottle at first, or just lay off for a few weeks and try again. Good luck!

We tried introducing solids around 5 months with a similar response. I was shocked b/c he seemed so interested in eating and sat with us at the table every night. I spoke with the pediatrician who suggested trying different cereals and texture levels. He also was very careful to note that solids are not necessary at this age as long as he was getting enough breastmilk/formula. He reminded me that eating should be an enjoyable and social time for our family and that if the baby was throwing a fit he was telling us he wasn't ready! The doc suggested putting it away for a week and trying again.

Hi L.,

Congrats on your wonderful bundle!

Perhaps your son is fighting the cereal because he is simply not ready for it. My pediatrician did not recommend us feeding it to my daughter until 5 or 6 months. Perhaps taking a break for a month? Something to think about...

just stop! he is telling you he is not ready. try again in a week or two. if that fails, try again a week or two after that. there is no rush. they have their whole life to eat food! my first started solids at 6 months and my second started at 5 months. they are both great eaters now!

He's too young, both for the cereal AND for sitting in a high chair. If he is at a very healthy weight, there is absolutely no reason to begin feeding him cereal until another two months. Stop ASAP, or you will traumatize him so much, it will make it even harder later on.

Have you tried giving him a little of his bottle first. I found, with both my boys, that if I tried to give them cereal when they were really hungry they would cry the whole time because it was not filling them fast enough. I started nursing them first on one side and then feeding them cereal. It worked wonders. Good luck!

He is too little and not ready yet. I would wait until he could sit up in the high chair and willingly accepts food from a spoon. This should be in about a month or two. When you give it to him, make sure the consistency is very soupy. He probably doesn't like the texture yet. Not only, but feeding him from a spoon is more work than getting it from a bottle and it takes longer for him to be satisfied so that is probably why he is getting so upset. He is not getting his food quick enough.

You can try putting some favorite toy(s) in the high chair tray to encourage him to sit in it. Also hold him in your lap when feeding him cereal. Maybe he doesn't like the taste yet so ergo nasty food and chair association. (Lots of babies are afraid of falling in the high chair) Also 4 months is kind of young to stress this. Give it time and enjoy your wonderful boy.