When do you start with cereals etc for baby on formula?

Question

My son is almost four months old and has been on formula since he was three weeks old. I'd love to start him on solids but everybody says something different - like yes it's okay or no it will lead to allergies or stomach troubles if you start to early. What is your experiences? He is a very happy boy and loves to watch me eat... I think he may be curious.

Answer 1

I believe it was between four and five months that we started my son on Gerber # 1 food's. I would suggest that you talk with the baby's doctor before you try anything. just to be safe. We ( me and the wife) did not have any stomach problems (old wife's tale).

Answer 2

You really should wait until your child is between 4-6 months, ideally the later to start solids. The infant gut is very immature even at 4 months. It can lead to allergies or stomach problems, although many many parents start solids early and see no problems. The problems will happen later in life. Your physcian should advise you that there is no real hurry to start solids. Your baby will demonstrate curiosity towards your food just as he will to the remote control, hair brush, or anything else he sees you do/use. He wants to be part of the group, but hold off another few weeks on the solids if you can.

Answer 3

curiosity is a sign of readiness for solids!!! if hes almost 4 months you r at the correct stage... you can introduce soldids for a baby anytime between 4 to 6 months .

Age: 4 to 6 months
Signs of readiness for solid food
Your baby probably won't do all these things — they're just clues to watch for.
• Can hold head up
• Sits well in highchair
• Makes chewing motions
• Shows significant weight gain (birth weight has doubled)
• Shows interest in food
• Can close mouth around a spoon
• Can move food from front to back of mouth
• Can move tongue back and forth, but is losing tendency to push food out with tongue
• Seems hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breast milk or 40 oz. of formula in a day
• Is teething
What to feed
• Breast milk or formula, PLUS
• Semi-liquid iron-fortified rice cereal, THEN
• Other grain cereals like oats or barley

How much per day
• Begin with about 1 teaspoon dry rice cereal mixed with 4 to 5 teaspoons breast milk or formula (it'll be very runny).
• Gradually thicken consistency and increase to 1 tablespoon dry cereal mixed with breast milk or formula, twice a da

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babyfeeding/1400680.html#4

Answer 4

You really shouldnt start feeding any thing other than formula or breast milk till about 6 months of age. Your baby should be able to sit up and accept baby cereal from a spoon. Cereal shouldnt be given in a bottle unless your dr recomends it for digestive reasons (ie: acid reflux). Allergies can develop if given sooner than 6 months. (They can also develop if given too late-after 12-18 months.) Both my baby girls started around 6 months. After a month or so of baby cereal we went on to stage one foods. Just remember not to add any thing like honey to the cereal-it can cause botulism(a type of food poisining) if given before the age of one. Curiosity is a good sign that your son may be ready to try his first bite of baby cereal. It is yet another milestone....have fun with it :)

Answer 5

my little boy started on solids at 4.5 mths, I know they say leave it till at least 5mths, the main reason is because of the digestive system maybe not fully matured to handle anything but milk/formula, but every-time I sat down to eat he would watch intently and dribble. He also would lean forward and open his mouth when I put the spoon near his mouth.
When I finally offered him some solids it was Kfc potato and gravy, he loved it. Not that I recommending you to do this, but mothers know their babies best. Just make sure he can hold his head up and he doesn`t have to much of a tongue reflex otherwise you will be wasting your time as this pushes the food straight out. Have fun

Answer 6

I started all of my children on the rice cereal at 4 months and once they got use to that i tried the oatmeal and left them with that one to make sure they werent allergic. Then at 6 months (or when he can sit upright) I start them on the solids. You want to start with the green vegtables first because if you give them the sweet ones first they are apt to just want those and not get the nutrients they need from the green ones. I have 3 children of my own and this always worked for me.

Answer 7

I usually started my children around 3 to 4 mths old with cereal. I would start with just alittle bit of cereal. If your son is able to sit up then you should have no problem starting him on it. Just make sure when you introduce new food to him to wait at least 1 week between the new foods to make sure he doesnt have an allergy.

Answer 8

My son is almost 6 months, we started him on cereals when he got to five months, on the advice of our physician. He had started watching us eat and was able to sit up in a high chair. We started with rice cereal then went to oatmeal, then started on solids. Our pedatrician had us go with a color scheme, all green foods then all yellow then all red, then last fruits. He has loved the new sensations and has enjoyed the escalating level of sweetness.

Answer 9

Generally you start with cereal (rice) around 6 months. With my first, I started just after 5 months because she wasn't filling up enough with just formula. I actually read somewhere recently that if you wait to give your kids wheat until later (after a year or 2) they are MORE likely to have a wheat allergy.

Answer 10

My daughter will be a year old in about 2 weeks and we started her on cereal and baby food at about 4 months old and she tried it for maybe 2 days and after that she would not touch it.All she wanted was what we were eating.So she has been eating table food sence she was 4 months old.