at what age can I give my child baby cereal and fruit or vegtables?

Question

my girlfriend's grandmother who is 68 years old claims that my 3 month old son is not satisfied with formula and gives him cereal and fruit. As far as I know you shouldn't do this untill the age of at least 6 months is that correct?

Answer 1

When Grandma was raising her children it was common practice to feed solids to infants at a very young age. However, by today's recommendations, 6 months is considered an average age for babies to begin solid foods. Babies who are fed early have links to obesity and food allergies. You and your girlfriend are now parents and should be in control of what your son is fed. Grandma means well and is trying to be helpful. However, if you do not want him having anything except formula, then you can respectfully ask Grandma to please not give him cereal and fruit. If that is not possible, then you may need to keep your son from Grandma during feeding times. In addition, you can check with your son's pediatrician and can tell Grandma that your son's doctor does not want him having any solids until he is 6 months old. My youngest daughter was almost 7 months old before she had anything besides breast milk. She is extremely healthy, eats lots of fruits and veggies, and has not been to the doctor for an illness in 2 1/2 years (she is now 9). You are correct to want to wait to give your son solids until 6 months old.

Answer 2

You should ask your pediatrician. A lot of older women, including my mother, are used to doing things "their way". To me this is either ignoring your pediatrician or the well-being of your baby. Babies stomachs are not used to food and they can be allergic to certain types of cereal like wheat. If cereal is introduced, it should be rice because babies have less reaction to it, but 3 monthes is still too early. Especailly fruits and vegtables! Six months of age is a better time to start these.
Which to me (I am a nurse) is saying that there is no more modern, up-to-date way of doing things, which includes taking care of your friend's baby.
Nursing the baby is the best way to go. It's good for the baby by giving him/her natural antibodies which fight off infection for years, increases their intelligence,its so handy, no bottles, no getting out of bed in the middle of the night, 5minutes on each breast and your friend is done, no constipation for the baby
. And the benefits for the mother is even better by slimming her down (burns 5,000/day!), bonding with her baby, fighting breast cancer, there is nothing like it!
I did it for 5 months before I had to finally give my baby a supplement of juice and we are so close today. Actually he saved my life my nursing. I had a retained placenta after he was born. The doctor went back in and dug it out, but he didn't get all of it. A week later I started hemorrhaging, luckily my husband had just come home from work and rushed all of us to the hospital. I stayed over night and sure enough I passed a clot. That may sound gross, but it saved my life. He is my little hero.

Answer 3

You can introduce solids any time between 4 and 6 months if your baby is ready. Until then, breast milk or formula provides all the calories and nourishment your baby needs and can handle. His digestive system simply isn't ready for solids until he nears his half-birthday. Waiting until your baby is ready greatly reduces the risk of an allergic reaction and shortens the transition time between spoon- and self-feeding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breastfed exclusively for at least six months — though parents will attest that some babies are eager and ready to eat solids earlier.

Since you're not sure if your baby is ready, see also 'How do I know when my baby is ready?' on the same website (source below).

Babies have a growth spurt between 3 and 4 months. This should not be a sign that your baby is ready for solids! He'll take more formula for a few weeks, and usually parents find that their baby is over the growth spurt after those few weeks, and returns to normally scheduled feedings. Give your baby more formula during the growth spurt.

Recommendation to ensure good nighttime sleep: Give him more formula at his mid-day meal (around 11) and at his evening meal (around 6:00), but try not to give him more than usual at his mid-afternoon meal (around 2). If you give him more at his mid-afternoon, he will not eat as much at his evening meal, and then he will get hungry before his next feeding (usually around 2, unless he is sleeping through the night already; some do).

Also see the second link for information why you should not give solids to your baby before FOUR MONTHS.

Answer 4

Normally cereal at 4-6 months depends on doctors recommendations. Fruit should only be introduced one kind at a time, in case of allergies, but not before steady regimen of cereal is set-up.

Answer 5

It depends on you and you culture. I'm from Puerto Rico and we tent to give babies cereal as early as one week old, and we start with jar food at 2 or 3 months, since is easy we just put it inside the bottle and fill the rest with the formula. The baby will get really big. I did with my girl and my sister with her and nobody in the family have any allergies. That is what we do, is your decision, don't do nothing that doesn't feel right to you and don't let anybody do it neither.

Answer 6

Thats what doctors say but my sons both had cereal at 3 months and they are fine

Answer 7

Yes it is true, the formula doesn't satisfy the baby for long, by itself. So giving a 3 month baby cereal is ok. I would start the fruits maybe at 3.5 months and vegetables at 4 months. The babies also have to eat meat, from the prepared baby food, but that isn't until later on, like at six months. My daughter never really liked the meat, so I used to mix some meat with her vegetables, in the baby food. At six months, my family doctor said to start giving my daughter homo milk in a bottle, to stop the formula. So after that I even gave her yogurt, she loved it, and bananas. One time I was having a salad in the living room with her and her father sitting there. My daughter crawled very quickly to me, it looked like she wanted some vegetable salad too: it had lettuce and cucumbers and tomatoes, with my homemade dressing of vinegar, salt, pepper, oil and sugar. I looked at my husband to see what he thought, he said go ahead, see this wasn't food that wasn't mushed, like baby food, it was real food that needed to be chewed. So I was a bit worried, that she might not be able to chew the salad, and might choke. But I let her taste it, and she liked it, especially the cucumbers and lettuce and my dressing.

Answer 8

i gave my daughter cereal at 4 months and then started her on fruits and veggies at 5 months like my pediatrician recommended

Answer 9

No solid foods until around 6 mos of age is the current recommendation. She did what she was told years and years ago when she was raising her kids. Doctors have learned better since then.

Answer 10

I gave my daughter cereal in her milk by the age of 2 months, and she is fine and it helped her sleep better which of course so did I. as far as fruit, try gerber the 1st foods, a little at a time and see how he does, it won't hurt him a bit.