When to Introduce Foods to Baby

My doctor told me I could start rice cereal, with bowl and spoon, at 4 months (when I asked), but not to force it. We tried it a few times and he hated it. A good friend and then my pedi both told me to not worry about it and start again at 6 months. So, I did that, and it went just fine. SOme babies just aren't ready at 4 months, so don't worry if yours is not. Then, I've read many people knowledgeable about food allergies say its best to wait until 6 months. I'm pregnant again and will probably wait until 6 months with this baby.
Also, the best advice my pedi ever gave me was that my baby's main source of nutrients and calories come from breastmilk or formula until 1 year. So, absolutely introduce new foods slowly from 6-12 months, and introduce sitting down and eating at mealtimes, but don't worry if he's eating as much as I think he should, as long as he was still getting the breastmilk/formula. That put me at such ease!! Now, he's 13 months old and eats 3 great meals a day and is super healthy!
As for types of baby food, I always got Earth's Best or made my own in the blender.

My pediatrician recommended that we start our daughter on 1 tablespoon of cereal once a day at 4 months. I was told to water it down considerably and feed her with a spoon (I think we started with 1 T. of cereal and 4 or 5 T. of water). He told us to gradually make it thicker as she gets better at eating. We were told to wait until six months to introduce baby foods. This was the same advice he gave us with our son too. But our neighbor was told she could start feeding her four month old stage one baby foods!

Both of my kids hated the rice/oatmeal cereal, and the pedi told me to start them on stage 1 foods at 4 months. They were on stage 2s by 6 months, and stage 3/finger food by 7 months and breasfed and took juice/water from a sippy. I started the sippy at 5 months old. Most people will tell you to do cereal for a while, but I just mixed it in with applesauce so that she still got the iron she needed. My girls are both great eaters now and are very healthy.

I started my baby last week when he turned 5 months old. I started with some rice cereal mixed with either breastmilk or formula and feeding him that with a spoon. He got a little constipated at first, so I gave him a little diluted applejuice (about 1/3 apple juice and 2/3 water), which helped. Now I am putting a dab of diluted apple juice in the rice cereal/milk mixture to prevent that. However, I am going to start him on stage one food in a couple days (probably bananas). My doctor told me to introduce one kind of food a week in order for me to tell if he is allergic to something. Once I start mixing in fruit, I don't think I will need to apple juice anymore.

I started my son pretty early. I never did the rice cereal, I made my own rice porridge. email me and i would love you tell you how to make it and other food ideas.

As everyone else has said, check with your doctor first. Some recommend cereal/food at 4 months, others recommend it at 6 months. The American Pediatric Association recommends 6 months so that's what we went with. I gave cereal (about 1T cereal to 2-3T water/breastmilk/formula) with a spoon (you should never give it in a bottle!). Once DD was okay with rice cereal, we started oatmeal cereal. Then I started making baby food. (I found a lot of info at wholesomebabyfood.com.)

Let me know if you have any questions!