what age did you start giving your baby cereal??

Question

everyone in my family is pressuring me to give my son babies cereal at 4 months! my moms the only 1 who agrees with me not to give him cereal at this age. hes just a lil over 17 lbs. im not ready to give him cereal yet and ive told my family this as well. his paed. says not to either... but they keep nagging me that hes hungry cuz his milk isnt enough for him and im tired of them always on my back, but they wont listen to me. its really discouraging and annoying. what else could i possibly tell them without cursing at them, cause thats how i feel most times!

Answer 1

I *never* gave my kids so-called "baby cereal". Instead, I chose to wait until they were ready for solids, then give them actual food.

As for how to deal with your family, the easiest way may just be to tell them you don't want to talk about it. Say something like "I really value our relationship, and I don't want to ruin it by having these continuous arguments. Let's talk about something we can enjoy." Then change the subject. If they insist on bringing up the subject, stop inviting them over and visiting. Or leave the room every time. Lock yourself and the baby in the bathroom if necessary. They'll get the message (and it's better than swearing at them!).

P.S. 17 pounds isn't that huge at 4 months old; it's around the 80th percentile, so it's well within normal!! See sources section below. These are the newest and most accurate growth charts--the first ones ever based on a group of babies known to be well-nourished; older charts were based on a population of babies with unknown nutritional status.

Answer 2

5 months is when I started, which is what my pediatrician told me. I know some people start earlier. When people keep at you, you can politely tell them, "You know, I have discussed it with my doctor and it really isn't any of your business," and leave it at that. Or, you can simply ignore the comments and change the subject completely. Surely they will get the message. You will get SOOOOO much unwanted advice, especially if it is your first child. Also, just make sure you avoid the topic of him being hungry, waking up at night, etc., with those people and hopefully you won't give them the opportunity to spout off. I am sure you are doing a great job, don't let them discourage you!!!

In fact, with my first child I was so young I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. She didn't begin eating solids (like Cheerios, etc.) until she was almost year old, simply because no one (including my doctor) had mentioned it to me and I hadn't read up on it. And you know what?? She's 8 now and just fine.

The bottom line is, this is your child and you can raise it the way you want to. Not everyone does things the same way and that's okay.

Answer 3

The AAP suggests waiting until 6 months to start solid foods.

YOU are his mom, not all those other people. YOU know him best. If you and he are not ready to start solids, don't let them push you. If they keep bringing it up, change the subject and say "pass the bean dip please!"

My oldest started cereal at 6 mos. My girls both skipped baby cereal and started bananas at 6 mos.

LLL actually recommends starting with bananas, avocados and sweet potatoes instead of those nasty baby cereals.

Interestingly enough, my child who started with cereal is my picky eater. The other two will try most anything and eat a wide variety of foods.

ONE MORE THING I WANT TO ADD:
Sometimes people think baby is *interested* so they want to feed them. OK...if he's *interested* in Dad's beer, are they going to try to convince you to give him that too? He doesn't know what's good for him....only what interests him. He sees the rest of the family gather around the table and do something together than they make a lot of fuss over! He wants to be part of that. Include him in "the meal time ritual" when you eat by giving him an empty plastic bowl and spoon to play with or a sippy cup so that he can practice with a little water or expressed breastmilk. He'll feel that he's "part of the family meal time ritual" and will be completely satisfied and enthralled with what you gave him to play with. Then start solids when he is the proper age and showing all the developmental signs of readiness.

Answer 4

to answer your question, my baby was 1 month old. yes, the doc said no, but when you have an infant that is always hungary, I chose to put some rice cereal in with her milk to "thicken" it up and YES...it sure helped. I don't regret it at all! 17 lbs for 4 months seems rather high...my baby is 11 months and she weighs 23 lbs which is on the high side.(she is at the 80 percentile (which means out of 100 babies same age, only 20 are heavier) tell your family to back off...its your decision what you do w/ your son!

Answer 5

My oldest was a ten pounder when he was born. His ped ok'd him at 2 months. But he was ready for it.

All the other children, the rule of thumb was 4 months. But, they should be showing signs of readiness. First, check with your ped at the checkup. The doctor will know what's best. If the baby doesn't try to swallow the food, and just lets it sit on the tongue, then baby isn't ready. If the baby smacks, and tries to swallow, then it's time to try solid foods. Not lasting in between feedings is also a good sign that baby needs a little more substance to get through the day.

If you are aggravated at the people who we all know have good intentions, but still don't understand how to let you parent your own child...just politely say thanks,and that you're waiting for the doctor's ok just to be sure. I have several siblings who always wanted to give advice, and this is how I treated them all.

Answer 6

I gave mine cereal at the early age of about 3 weeks and I know that everyone has their own beliefs. You need to do what you are comfortable with and you are the one raising the child. I know that the Peds now say not for at least a year, but you can really dilute it down with formula.....and I guarantee you....talk about "sleeping like a baby"! You will have fewer and fewer of those sleepless nights. I would start out just giving it to the infant before you put he/she down for the night after the last feeding. And, like I said....not a lot and very diluted.....You will be amazed! Then you can gradually increase it. I am a firm beleiver that babies need more than just formula. Not only that, but it will cut down on cost.....formula is very expensive. Unless your baby is having digestive problems, I would try the cereal!

Answer 7

I give my son a few bites of single grain rice cereal and he is 2 months old. You have to do only what you are comfortable with. Try nicely telling your family "thank you for the advice but I'm not comfortable doing what you're suggesting". If they do not respect your feelings and continue to pressure you then I think you should refrain from being around them as much as possible.

Answer 8

I agree with Momma2mingbu! People always have an opinion about baby care, always! Just because your Aunt Betty's neighbor's grandaughter is eating flank steaks at 6 weeks of age doesn't mean it's OK. Know what I mean? Little babies intestines are not ready for solids at only 4 months and, in fact, by feeding him too soon you could introduce a whole bunch of problems, like allergies. If you want to think of it in a practical way, babies don't have teeth to chew solid foods typically at 4 months. They *usually* get their first two bottom teeth at six months, which is when soft solids are started. No teeth, no solids? I know that it doesn't always work that way, with the teeth coming in right on time or earlier, but it's a sure sign to me by nature that babies aren't ready to handle solids. My son lost his intestine to a terrible accident where his intestine twisted and died (gangrene) though no fault of mine. Because of this tragedy, I am keenly aware of how important it is to treat babies intestines with great care. I'd do anything to have my son's health back (he gets his food via IV and is only 18 pounds at 21 months of age) Forget what people are telling you what to do. Follow what the AAP says ...and your pediatrician IF you trust him/her.

Happy mothering!!!

Answer 9

My baby's doc said to try to wait to 6 months to introduce cereal or solids. That she would be just fine on milk. Doc also said due to my husbands allergies (food and environmental) that waiting could help prevent our daughter from developing allergies. She is 4 1/2 months old. She is starting to show interest in our food but she still is sleeping well. We really are going to try to wait til she is 6 months.

You could always tell your family that you want to wait til your son is older and digestive system is more mature so that he does not develop allergies.

Answer 10

Four months is the EARLIEST recommended to start cereal. You don't have to start giving it until you think it's time. No one knows your baby like you do. Some people start before that and some people start after. If you want to wait until six months you can, as long as you are giving the baby enough breastmilk or formula.