What signs should I look for to see if my baby is ready for cereal.?

Question

He is 5 months old and currently on breast milk with the occasional bottle of formula. I know cereal should be started at 6 months. Does he need to be able to sit up on his own before he can have solids? He can only sit with support right now. How can I help him learn to sit up?

Answer 1

When I had my baby, the doctor told me to try giving her some cereal at about 4 1/2 months to see how she did with it. You just have to make sure you thin it out really well so it looks soupy. Mix it with some breast milk, then just try to him tiny bites and see how he does. I believe as long as he can hold his head up on his own that it's ok to try to give him some cereal and see how he does with that. Hope my advice helps!

Answer 2

Our Daughter started on cereal at 5 months by our Doctors request. She is 6 months now and still can only sit up with support but she is also on veggies. 2 jars a day. We put her in her swing where she was supported. but you could probably hold him too. Mother of 1

Answer 3

Babies don't get a whole lot of nutrition from processed cereal. If he is ready, he will let you know by trying to grab your food.

From Kellymom:
"Developmental signs that baby is ready for solids

Solids readiness depends on both the maturity of baby’s digestive tract and baby’s developmental readiness for solids. Although the maturity of baby’s digestive system is not something that we can readily observe, research indicates that 6 months appears to be ideal for avoiding the allergies and other health risks of too-early solids. After this point, different babies are ready for solids at different times -- developmental readiness for solids cannot be determined using a calendar. Most babies are developmentally ready for solids somewhere between 6 and 8 months.
Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

* Baby can sit up well without support.
* Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
* Baby is ready and willing to chew.
* Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
* Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness."

Answer 4

He should be able to sit by himself and eat from a spoon before he starts cereal. To help my son when he was that age I would sit him down and sit behind him. I would put my legs around him so when he did fall if I couldn't catch him with my hands my legs were a back up. Practice makes perfect!

Answer 5

If he's sitting pretty well with some support, then I think it would be okay to start him. I started my daughter at 4 months. She was ready. Also, if the milk isn't satisfying him, he could be ready to move on.

Answer 6

he should be having cereal now! Is he able to sit in a good tight high chair?

Answer 7

i learned my son by putting pillows behind him to sit up for the first couple of weeks. yes they do fall over sometimes ,but make sure he or she is on a bed or a padded surface (well padded) and before you know it he or she will be able to sit up before you know it.