When to Start Baby Food

I started Ryan on solids at 4mo. He seemed almost not ready so I stopped for just two weeks and began again and he did fine. The cereal made him constipated so I only give the fruits and vegetables. He is now 8mo and doing fine. I will tell you this. I gave him food before bed (never in his bottle) and it didn't change his sleep pattern at all. He still woke up to eat about every 3-4hr. He didn't start sleeping all night until he was a little over 5mo old. At that time I put him out of my room and into his own and into his crib. He sleeps now 12hrs/night but still wakes once to eat in the middle of the night.

They usually suggest babies can begin solid food between 4 and 6 months, but I would begin with bottled vegetables and fruits. I also started my son @ about 5 months on cereal, but it was supplement to breastfeeding.

Start with some baby cereal and then gradually get into the bigger stuff it is best to start with one type os food just incase the baby has any allergies to anything you might give to them! good luck

Dear K.:

Everyone will probably have different points of view on this. I do have training as an Assistant to Infancy, which is a Montessori certification and have been involved with LaLeche League as a Mom. My daughters are now 4 and 6 yrs old.

In my opinion, you feed a child food when he is able to sit up on his own. This is contrary to the American culture of putting rice meal in formula or breast milk etc. You ultimately must do what you feel best as a Mother. Mother knows best. However, I would encourage you to do some investigating and take in all information you can before making your decision.

Further, when your child does sit up it is best to feed him "real" pureed food and soft foods like, banana, avocado, apple sauce.....there are many ideas out there and LaLeche League probably has info on the web site? I've never personally been to the website.

Good luck!!!! Sounds like you are a happy and nurturing Mother. Keep up the good work.

2 great books...The Baby Cookbook, by Karin Knight and Jeannie Lumley and Super Baby Food, by Ruth Yaron.

I just read some of the other responses. I don't think that we should feed babies for the end result of sleeping through the night for our convenience. They are not biologically meant to sleep all night yet at 4 months. There bellies are small. Feeding to get a baby to sleep through the night is the beginning of fostering overeating and eating disorders. Babies are only babies for a minute, enjoy those night feedings for you and your baby to bond. Don't try to rush them into a convenient schedule for adults. Please read some books by Maria Montessori.

I. They get no nutritionfrom it but, gave my son watered down cereal
usually one year is the start of walking,talking. Regular milk and food

K.,
I have 5 beautiful children whom are all grown now.My baby is now 19 years old,and having her first child.
Most doctors don`t want you to feed babies til they are at least 9 months old,but I started feeding mine at 2 months.Like you said they were not getting full on milk alone.I started feeding mine baby cereal at night before bed and in the mornings.Try starting out with a couple ounces at night,and a couple ounces in the morning and see how that goes.You have to make it with mike and kinda thin.Good luck,and I hope this helps.

K.:

You always want to go to Baby Cereal and Oatmeal first. I recommend mixing it and feeding it to him with a spoon because it is good practice for future eating. Also, some children have trouble when you put it in their bottle (choking hazard). The cereal and oatmeal will help tame the hunger during the night if you feed it to him at dinner time.

If you go to baby food you want to follow the stages of baby food...Start with stage 1, after he has mastered eating that stage and a few months have passed move to stage 2, and so on. Introduce only 1 baby food at a time. It is important to watch for allergies and find out what foods upset his tummy. By introducting 1 food at a time you will be able to do both. Pick a stage 1 food and feed it to him for at least 3 days. After 3 days you add another stage 1 food and feed him both foods, and so on.

If he becomes gassy from one of the foods I recommend Walgreens generic "Infant's Gas Relief Drops" ~ Just a little goes a long way. Continue to burp after feeding just like with the milk. You can also use a heating pad on low with a bath towel folded over it so he is not getting direct heat ~ Be VERY CAREFUL that it does not get too hot and burn him, check him often and only use for a few minutes.

I have a 3 mo old and my Dr said we would start baby food at 4 mos, so according to him it's time! I bet your little one will be pretty excited too :)

K.,
You might want to try an oatmeal cereal with him. You can check with your pediatrician to see if he can have that cereal. I would try mixing a little bit with formula or breast milk instead of water. That way he is full and is getting his nutrition. Feed him a small bit before bed. This worked for both of my children good luck.
S. B.

I have a three month old baby. My ped told me I could give cereal to him at 13 lbs. (my big baby hit that about a month ago.) First I did one table spoon of rice cereal soupily mixed with formula once per day. Now I do it two times per day - lunch and late dinner. At four months old, I am going to start with pears. (that is supposed to be the gentlest fruit). My baby sleeps through the night, 10pm-ish til 630-ish about 5 out of 7 nights a week - and only once a night the other nights. But, he is a bigger baby. Each baby is different! Good luck!

Hello K.,

I would start your baby on a cereal type food first if you haven't done so already. I have learned with my own children, through the years you can't really do them wrong when you love them.

Everyone has advice, and what they think you should do with your child. You can really gage how your child is growing by check ups with the pediatrician to see if they are the ideal height / weight.

BUT if you think your baby is hungry, by all means start him on cereal feedings. I gave my last baby which is 8 months now cereal in a bottle at 8 weeks because I was really desperate for sleep because she was colicky. This is usually a doctor no no, but my pediatrician knew my situation and knew we really needed sleep in our house with four other children in school (my 4 yr old was in private school).

Anyway, I would suggest starting on a rice cereal, then maybe oatmeal. After that, you can introduce baby food one at a time to check for allergies. Me? My newest baby got a little of everything all the time and I didn't space anything out to check for allergies. I feed her everything she can't choke on. I did everything early with her and she's not to fat, has baby rolls, but not too big, but her height is like 96% for her age, she's the height of a one yr old.

Hope this advice helps a bit for you K.. Remember, you know your son best. God bless and take care.

Most people start solids between 4-6 months. Start with a simple rice cereal mixed with formula or breastmilk. Make it soupy to begin and you can get thicker the older he gets. They give clues as to when they're ready to eat. If he can't figure out how to get the food from the spoon to his belly or just keeps spitting it back out, he may not be ready. It does take practice though.
I don't agree with putting cereal in the bottle. It doesn't teach them to eat properly and makes sucking the bottle harder for them and could lead to ear infections. So my opinion is to start off on the right foot with the spoon feeding. Have some patience since he is new at it and he'll catch on pretty soon.
But a 4 month old having "problems" sleeping through the night is not because of hunger. It's because he's only 4 months old. That will also get better with time. But try doing the cereal a half hour or hour before bedtime and see if that helps.
I hope you find something that works for you and you're able to get some sleep soon! Good luck! and enjoy that new baby :o)

Hi K.! . Your little man can't necessarily be expected to sleep thru the night at 4 months old. That's still pretty young. Definitely discuss with your pediatrician before starting any solids. Our ped recommended that we did not start solids-rice cereal-until at least 6 mos. Then after that veggies, then fruits and then later on meats. Each needs to be given 5 days in a row. At this point, breastmilk or formula should be your son's primary nutritional source. I think the whole cereal makes them sleep thing is bah. Babies need to wake to eat in the middle of the night. That's just a reality of having an infant and it's hard for us sleep deprived parents but that's part of what we sign on for. You can also try cluster feeding in the evening. Give the evening feed and then maybe an hour later give a bit more. This is described in The Baby Whisperer (and it's been a while since I read it so do check it out) What you can be doing now is starting a good nighttime routine and nap routines during the day. Sleep gets you sleep so the better your little one starts sleeping during the day the better he will get at night. Just remember, every baby is different. Don't compare yours when it comes to sleep. They do it when they are ready and you've helped them learn how to sleep with good sleep routines!

Hi K.,

I waited until 6 months before starting my oldest son on solids (my youngest is still on breast milk/formula), and received some flack from friends and relatives who thought I was starting too late. It is important to remember that nearly every major organization that studies issues of child health suggests that parents delay the introduction of solids until 6 months of age. There is a good website, which does focus on breastfeeding (formula is fine too!!), that has a lot of this information laid out with links to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and others that advocate the delay of solid foods.

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

They have all their references in PDF at the bottom of the page, so if you're so inclined you can read the actual studies. I am working on my PhD in Biology and this information was very convincing to me.

As far as sleeping through the night, I agree with others that it has nothing to do with when you start feeding them solid foods. My 16 month old and my 3 month old both sleep through the night and started at 6-8 weeks of age!! Yes, I know we're VERY, VERY lucky. So, I think it's just the development and preferences of your particular child, rather than what they're eating. By the way, an excellent resource on the introduction of solid foods is Mommy Made (and Daddy too!!): Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby and Toddler:

http://www.amazon.com/Mommy-Made-Daddy-Too-Revised/dp/055...

It has good advice on what to introduce when, how to make your own baby food, etc. I used to make my 16 month old food and put it in ice cube trays. Then I would pop out a couple of cubes, heat them up and have a great meal for him! We saved a lot of money and had a great time going to the farmer's market together. It's fun to get into that phase of babyhood, but don't be in a rush. Hope this helps. :-)

My mom started her kids on cereal at 6 weeks, so did I. My daughter is now 18 months and has slept through the night ever since the night cereal feeding. Doc's don't always agree about it but I have not seen any problems with any food allergy's. Try small amounts of rice cereal really thinned out. I always gave a week on each food before introducing a new food to make sure there was no allergy. Hope this helps.

hey K., i have gone through having 3 boys and have found that 4 months is just about the right age. as long as your baby has started teething it should be fine to start on the first stage baby food. if your baby drools a lot that is the first sign that he is just beginning the teething process even if the teeth are not fully visible yet.

I am a dietitian and the current recommendations are to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months, but if you are not breastfeeding or you feel your baby is really needing the calories you can feed rice cereal (from the spoon not the bottle) starting at 4 months. The other recommendations are also that you do not add any other foods until 5 months.
I started feeding my baby rice at 4 1/2 months after my milk supply decreased and it really helped him with his weight gain. Good luck whatever you decide!

Hello K.,
All of this sounds like great advice. I have a 5 1/2 month old (and a 2 1/2 yr old). My little boy was doing the same thing and my dad (pediatrician) told me to start with rice cereal and then do veggies, meats and fruits last because if they get fruits first then they wont like the other stuff. Well....i didn't listen and did fruits first and now when I do give him veggies and meats he gags:-) Good Luck!!! Also...he loves prunes so I would add that just to keep him from being constipated!

My pediatrician had us start on white fruits and veggies, and cereal @ 4 mths. My youngest never had babyfood though, we got a food processor and just kept alot of fresh fruit and steamed veggies onhand in the fridge to puree. She loved smashed bananas, still her favorite food!

Try starting with baby rice cereal. When you start foods, do it slowly - one food at a time.

I believe the current recommendation is to wait until six months old, but this may be for breastfed babies, babies on formula may need solids earlier.

He should also be showing the readiness signs (able to sit up on his own, able to grasp a small object like a cheerio, etc.)

I guess I would ask the pediatrition or family doctor at the four month check up, I know that is when ours told us to wait until six months.

K.,
I am a mommy of a3yr old girl and a son that just turned 12 months. My suggestion is give him a little baby rice cereal mixed with breastmilk or formula in the morning and see how he does with it. (make it very runny for the first month) If there are no allergic reactions after the 3-4th morning then go ahead and give him some in the evening before bed. I never try anything new with my babies at night in case they do have an allergic reaction such as hives, throat swelling etc. I would also start giving him some nursery water during the day to help keep him from getting constipated from feeding him solids.
Another trick to getting him to sleep all night is wake him up to feed him a bottle or nurse him before YOU go to bed. Change his diaper too. This is what worked best for both of my babies. Most people will say not to wake a sleeping baby but it worked with both of mine. Good luck!
Sincerely,
AClough

I went from formula to baby food at 4 months with no problems. Reason being, my son had a lot of constipation problems and didn't want to give him starchy baby cereal. I believe you start out with fruits, then veggies, then meat. And you try one food at a time for several days or so to ensure baby's not allergic or have any sort of reaction. But do talk with your pediatrician before you start. My son was a big eater too and did not sleep through the night until 8.5 months.

The information I wasa given is that the baies digestive tract isn't ready for solids til 6 months, so we went with that and started her on avocado. I know 2 months seems long but it will whiz by. Keep nursing or feeding bottles or whatever. This too shall pass.

Hi K., Pediatricians say you can start baby food anywhere from 4-6 months. My recommendation would be to nurse/bottle feed your baby first and then give rice cereal afterwards.

Hope that helps

I am a mother of 4 and the oldest is 21, my five grandchildren were all different. I would consult the doctor and try and persuade him to allow me to feed him at least 2 to 3 teaspoon full of Gerber Rice cereal. If the baby is full he will sleep a lot longer. How much milk is the baby drinking at each feeding? Is the baby a big eater? Are you breast feeding? All of these factors are important.

You can start him on the rice cereal. That can be mixed in with his formula. I didn't start my daughter on jar food until a little later, but I am sure if he'll take it, its no problem. If you are really concerned I suggest calling your pediatrician. They can answer a question like this over the phone without you having to go in.

Good luck!

You can start baby food anytime between 4 and 6 months although the recommendation is 6months. Are you nursing? Nursing babies tend to be more hungry during the night and need more feedings that formula babies. It actually is a "myth" that feeding babies food or putting cereal in their bottles will help them sleep through the night. Unfortunately most 4month olds are still frequently waking up in the middle of the night. :( Good luck!

J.

I have two girls that are 18 months apart, who are now 26,28 where does the time go. Anyway I had a book Feed me I'm your and it was my bible. It tells you when to do finger foods and gives you Recipes that you can use to keep them interested in food. (I had one child that would eat only bread and butter for a week. Dr. said that she would eat when ready) But with book I did not get that with the 2nd one. I just checked on e-bay and it is there. Good luck

Hi K.,
Well, four months is the time to start baby food and cereal. I started my son at 3 mos and my daughter @ 4 mos. The peds say if the child eats and doea not thrust it out than he is ready. I agree with the others, start with cereal RICE. You may also start with a fruit. Each thing you introduce you have to give it 3 days then you may introduce another. Stick with stage one until he is 6 months. Make sure he is eating more formula/breastmilk than food. At least 32ozs a day. If he gets overly gassy you can give him Mylacon gas drops right before he eats his food. Do you breast feed or Formula feed? Breastmilk goes through the system in about 2 hours, Formula lasts longer. Definately talk to your pediatrician if you are unsure. Good Luck!! N.

I would check with your ped. but we were giving our son some baby cereal at four months in the evening--we would put some into his bottle just to give it some more substance--but each child is different.

Good luck!

I would check with your baby doc. You could probably start giving him some cereal. Good luck!

Hello K., my daughter is 13 mos. and still doesn't sleep through the night. Everyone suggested trying baby cereal right before bed. It might help you..Good luck!!! R.

My son was the same because I breastfeed. When he was four months I started feeding him cereal or oatmeal. He did really well. From experience, sometimes its not hunger keeping them from sleeing all night, my son just started sleeping through the night, and he is turning 11 months. My son has a lot of teeth already and I think thats what woke him up. But feeding him food may help. I'm glad I started feeding him at 4 months. Then each month I started adding fruit and veggies into the cereal and now he eats everything. Good Luck!

I know it is probably against all information you receive from pediatricians these days but when my children were 3 to 4 weeks old, I started giving them rice cereal in their bottle their last feeding each evening and within 2 to 3 days, they were sleeping through the night. Only about a teaspoon of cereal in an 8 ounce bottle will do the trick.

Good Luck, E. K

What I did is I bought a juice bottle, the nipple had slits at the top. I would mix a little baby cereal with the formula and put it in the bottle and that seemed to fill my baby's hunger through the night a little better. But things may have changed since 1989. My baby is now 19 yrs old. Maybe some newer mommys can help with a little more update information.

Hi, I had a very good daycare when my son who is now 2 was that age... she began feeding him cereal in a bowl when he was 3 months old, once in the morning and I would do it once in the evening to keep him full through the night.. I was told not to put the cereal in the bottle because it causes more ear infections... Around 5 or 6 months she started him on baby food.... remember when starting your child on baby food... only give them one kind of food a week... for example the first week give him only carrots and then next week only squash to find out what foods if any he is allergic too..Hope I was able to help.

Well feeding them solids doesn't help them sleep through the night, but if he's hungry it might be time. A lot of people will tell you that it's way too early, but my little man started at four and a half months and he was definitely ready. He was showing all the classic signs, and in the week and a half prior to starting solid foods I literally did not leave the house once (even though I'm at college), and our breastfeeding sessions would last three hours each, have a half our break and then another three hours of feeding. You know your baby best- if you think he's showing signs, give him a very small amount of something, and just take it very slowly. Good luck!

I would speak with you doctor first. But, I started both of my kids on thin cereal at 4 months. My daughter needed oatmeal (because she was always stopped up), but most DRs recommend starting babies on rice cereal. It should help fill him up a little and help him sleep longer at night. Make sure to only feed him one type/flavor of food for a few days before adding a new one to watch for any food allergies. For instance, give him rice cereal for at least 4 days. After he is used to that (and your dr recommends it), then give him bananas and rice for a few days. Then try another fruit or veggie. DO NOT try more than one food at a time. If he has a food allergy, you won't know what caused it. Good luck and make sure to take pictures of messy baby's first food!!

Baby's are ready for food when the tongue-thrust reflex is gone; they can sit up unassisted and grab food,toys, etc and bring it to their mouth, they are able to chew, mimicks your eating behaviors.