When to Start Rice Cereal - Tampa,FL

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting between 4-6 months. Here's a link from their parenting website that has some clarity.
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/f...

I would take the advice of your pediatrician - we started both of our kids at 4 months based upon his recommendation and how they were thriving at that point in time.

Your pediatrician won't intentionally steer you wrong and is up-to-date on policies/practices of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Good luck.

I started my daughter on solids at 6 months, but in retrospect, I probably could have waited with her. She was doing just fine, and really not interested in food at all. We started with just rice cereal for a week or two, then slowly started introducing other solids. She's 10.5 months now and a pretty good eater.

I usually fed her solids first, then nursed/gave her a bottle. I figured that way she would eat as much as she wanted (or didn't want) of the solid, but still be able to fill up on milk if she was still hungry.

Good luck!

all dr. have different answers, most will say four mo. I went with the WHO and the LLL and the APA website recom. which is six mo., they state that a child that is nursed is getting all they need for the first six mo. and they want all parents to try to nurse only for that time. but I dont know how that applies to formula, and I dont know if you nurse or use formula. that might make a difference, but I still am pretty sure that it does not but cant say for postive sorry. well I wanted to wait until six mo but actually did it at five and a half bc she was showing signs of readiness. she was not only watching us eat, but she would pretend to chew and make yumm noises then she started to grab at our food so I was pretty sure she wanted more than breastmilk LOL. good luck and go with not only what your dr says, but your heart. if he looks ready then he might just be.

I would wait till your baby is about 6 months. However, to know wether or not your baby is ready, see if your baby IS ready. Try one feeding (perferably night feeding) and give your baby cereal mixed with (formula/breast milk) into the bottle. If he takes is well, then gradually do two feedings, then three feedings....once everything is going good, give it to him every feeding. Thats what I have been doing and its worked for me.

Good Luck!

I just started my son a month and a half ago because I saw the "signs" that I kept reading about in different books and websites. They include: watching parents eat, lose the extrusion reflex (pushing the food out of his mouth), has started to a chewing motion, growing appetite. He had all of these so I got some and he LOVED it! He even would open his mouth on the first bite. Also he had a doctors apt and he suggested I tried it since my baby is a HUGE baby and could use some extra calories. So I would also ask your ped next time you go in.

First, if she's breastfed, she never needs cereal. You can just start mashed table food at 6 months. If she's formula fed she probably needs the extra iron in cereal.
I really think this is all you need to know about WHY to wait:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

Wait until AT LEAST 6 months. You want her to also:
~be able to sit unassisted in a high chair (and the type that reclines doesn't count, it should be fully-upright)
~be interested in food, not just enjoy being with you at the table, she should be reaching for what's on your plate when she's on your lap, pretending to chew, etc...
~it's good to aim for doubled birth weight, but obviously that can vary if she was big or small at birth

Good luck:)

i started mine at 6 mos. she was up to 8 oz every 3 hrs...whew! she is a big eater. give her the bottle first because that is where she gets all the nutrition. the rice cereal is just to teach her how to eat table food. try it after a bottle and see if she is interested. remember - if she spits it out, she isnt ready. have fun!

Take the time to look up "open gut" as it relates to babies. That is the reason why it is now recommended to wait until 6 months. Here is some info on it (and a fantastic website on homemade baby food!):

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/early-solid-food-feeding...

Also, remember that breastmilk or formula is primary nutrition for the first year. Food is for practice and as a supplement to the breastmilk/formula. You would nurse/give bottle then between feedings you could offer cereal when you begin to offer solids. I don't believe watching you eat is really a sign. Just means you have an alert,interested baby. She needs to be able to sit up, hold her head up well, no longer have the tongue thrust, etc.

Well I had to start feeding my daughter cereal when she was about 4 1/2 months because I was breastfeeding her and she started to be hungry after feeding her. So, I would say, if your daughter isn't hungry after drinking her normal dose of formula, then she doesn't really need cereal. But if she seems to be hungry still then you can start her on cereal a little early. Just make sure you start with plain rice. And mix it with formula.
(Most doctors will tell you to wait till 6 months to start them on cereal)

I started mine at just under 5 mos. That was 2 yrs ago and I have also been hearing more and more to wait til 6 mos. I actually looked up some info on it the other day to give to a mom who was starting her baby at 7 wks, and what I read was that the "open gut" (lining of the intestines not being formed yet) goes away sometime between 4 and 6 mos. So I guess that is why they are leaning towards 6 mos now. I don't know how I would have made my son wait another 5 or 6 weeks though. I didn't start because I had been given the go ahead or had a plan to start on a certain date, I started when all of a sudden he was ravenous and it wasn't just another growth spurt with cluster nursing. I gave him cereal and he didnt even spill any. So I guess I will just hope my next one doesn't do that until after 6 mos.

You could ask your ped if there is any way to know for sure when the gut isn't open anymore. Maybe the signs of readiness are indications of that, I dont know.

And always bottle first. She should get her nutrition from her formula or breastmilk still primarily. Cereal and solids should come second. I was told to do the nursing, then about 20 mins later do the cereal/solid. So basically just enough time to make it and get him settled in. Any longer between and it will stretch out her feedings too far and she'll be taking less formula.

My 4 month old is eating rice cereal with my doctor's blessing. The reason to wait is food allergies. If there aren't food allergies in your family's medical history and your doctor is ok with it, I'd say go for it. I did a bit of cereal to taste (mixed and thinned with breast milk) and then added it to his bottle. So far it's been very successful. However my son can sit unassisted and has more than doubled his birth weight as well as having grown over 6 inches longer since birth so we may be unusual

My son is 2, and he started at 4 mos w/rice cereal. I'm surprised it says 6 mos anywhere, unless that's just because it's best to exclusively bf until 6 mos? But, really, it's best to do cereal before then. There's an increased risk of celiac disease if you wait until after 6 mos for cereal. So not only should a child have rice cereal before 6 mos, but also oatmeal, although that comes second. We always mixed the rice cereal w/formula & started him out really soupy, so he was almost drinking from the spoon, then slowly increased thickness. He got a bottle after, so he would fill up on the cereal first.

I started at 4 months and everything was fine. Especially if they are watching you eat I would start it. I had a friend wait until 6 months and then her baby did not want the babyfood and meal times just were frustrating for her. Ask your dr and see what seem best