My docter said I could start feeding my 4month old cereal.....however she hates being spoon fed. Any tricks?

Question

I have the cereal as thin as her formula, but she gets so upset when I put it in her mouth. Do I need to just keep working with her? I don't want to put it in her bottle b/c I really want her to learn

Answer 1

If she refuses - that might be a sign that she's simply not ready. AAP says that between 4-6 months is the good start age, but they do advise to start around 6 months. When she is ready - she will open up. No tricks.
That's what happened to me and my son. I tried the rice cereal first time when he was about 5 months old. He did open up, BUT - he would throw up for the rest of the day. I once had to take him into ER because I could not make aconnection between 1 spoon of rice cereal and vomiting continiously for the rest of the day.
And after about 1 month - when he turned 6 months - it went all smoothly. Now he's 19 months old and chugging regular food :)
Good luck to you and your little one. Just don't force her.

Answer 2

Try giving her milk/formula from a spoon as a way of finding out weather it is the cereal or the spoon she objects to. If she takes the milk than gradually increase the amount of cereal added to the milk. If she rejects the milk keep trying but don't push too hard. A spoonful or two of milk before her bottle when she is hungry. When she takes the milk then start adding cereal to it. You have a couple of months to get her to eat before cereal is needed nutritionally for the iron.

Answer 3

If she refuses, she's not ready. Don't worry about what the doctor said- you're her mother, you know her better.

Does she meet the milestones for being ready for solids?
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.

These milestones are usually not met before the age of 6 months, when babies are supposed to start solids. Before that they're just not ready and it can do more harm than good, and can cause food allergies and sensitivities.

At this point she doesn't need to "learn" to eat- when she's ready to eat, she'll know how. Also, solids up until the first year are just for experimenting with different tastes and textures- nutrition should still come breast milk or formula.

Answer 4

I had this problem too - the best thing to do is wait a week and try again. If still no go, wait a week and try again. She'll do it when she's ready.

I started trying to spoon feed my daughter around 5 months, and she'd have none of it. I tried every day for a few weeks, and we were both just getting pissed about the whole thing. So I gave her two weeks off - and the next time I tried it, it was like she'd been doing it for years. So give it time, and it'll happen. :)

Answer 5

The size of the spoon you're using will cause some different results. My daughters prefers the tiny nuby spoons, if i give her a larger one she clamps her mouth shut.
Also you don't necessarily have to put the spood directly in her mouth just the tip and tip it into her mouth.
She may just not be ready for it, so don't force it. Don't put it in her bottle there are so many things wrong with that! Good luck and be patient.

Answer 6

I have a 4 month old daughter, too. And her physician wants her to start on cereal. I tried it last night, but it was just too frustrating for my little girl. She doesn't have the tongue control to push the cereal to the back of her mouth so she pushes it back out.

I started my son on solids when he was about 7-8 months old and I think I am going to wait to do the same with my little girl.

You can always try every week or so until they get the hang of it, but for me personally, she is doing just fine on formula.

Answer 7

Go to your local walmart and in the baby department, next to the feeding supplies, there is a Parent's Choice feeding system. It contains 2 different sized feeding bottles, a nipple, a spoon, and what looks like a sippy top. Mix the cereal in a bowl first then put it in the container. Do not make it to thick. Try her on a nipple part first and see how she does. It's great! My 2 boys loved it.. and did very well on it.

Answer 8

Baby cereal does not have a pleasant taste. Try different varieties, there are tons of them and make it thicker than the formula. If she uses a pacifier dip the pacifier into it and have her taste it. Once she gets used to the taste she'll happily open her mouth. Remember that it will be a little tricky to adjust from the suction motion of a bottle to moving her gums.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Answer 9

I'll tell you what my Dr. told me. No baby food. None. Keep them on a formula/milk till they have the fine motor skills to pick up food. When they are able you start them on foods that disolve easily in their mouth (ie-cheerios) once they master that you can give them small cut up vegetables. This way they learn HOW to eat. After that you introduce the spoon. I did this with my daughters and never bought jar baby food or puree'd anything. It's wonderful.

Answer 10

I have always heard that one of the signs that the baby is ready for cereal or baby food is that they 'cooperate' with the spoon feeding, I would think that if she gets upset with it in her mouth, maybe she's not ready yet, or try a different cereal. One of my kids liked oatmeal, the other rice.