When can I feed my son barley starter cereal??

Question

I accidentally bought barely starter cereal in the store instead of rice cereal for my 6 month old son. They had the same packaging and I was distracted. He has just started eating rice cereal 2 days ago, but they were sample packages and we ran out. He also has been strictly breastfed until then and I am currently breastfeeding as usual. I was wondering when can I start feeding him this barely cereal? (since I cannot take it back to the store because I threw out the receipt). He does seem to be very sensitive to things and even though it is a starter cereal I was worried he wouldn’t be ready quite yet for this. Anyways sorry for writing so much! Any help would be appreciated thanks!

Answer 1

Barley is an ok substitute for rice cereal, according to my son's pediatrician. It should be ok as long as he's 6 months old, but start with a little bit at a time, and watch for an allergic reaction (which may occur hours later). My son has severe allergies (he's 10 months old). With an allergic reaction, usually he'll break out into hives around his mouth within minutes and then throw up violently later that evening.

Answer 2

He's old enough to eat it. But it's recommended to wait 3-5 days between introducing new foods to watch for allergies. If he was okay with the rice, I would feel comfortable using the barley.

Answer 3

I would go ahead and start it today. Give him a small serving at the time you feed him, watch for signs of a reaction to it and if their is none keep on feeding him!

Answer 4

You can start it right away also you can try mixing it with jar baby food (applesauce, bannanas, pears etc)

Answer 5

it will be ok but if he breaks out you should know that is what it was.