When do you serve infant cereal?

[Pretty in Pink]

1) Before six months.

 

2) Around six months.

 

3) When baby shows an interest in table food.

 

4) The obligatory, "Other."

 

~Elizabeth (who obviously cannot figure out how to post a poll):tongue_smilie:

[Frelle]

4) the obligatory other. I never served it at all.

[Chris in VA]

Around 5 months--but I loathed the rice, because it turns into glue if you don't wash the plate quick enough! lol I had to mix it with breast milk, too, due to lactose intolerance or allergy (not sure which it was), so it was quite the picture for dh to walk into every am, seeing me make the baby cereal in the kitchen...

[Unicorn.]

Around 6 months w/ mine, and usually it was mixed w/ fruit.

[dawn of ns]

Never bothered. Just moved to regular food. Always seemed like more like a marketing thing then a real milestone.

[5kidsforME]

I always started at 4 months.

[swellmomma]

It has varied with each child, mostly due to what the medical community recommended. With ds1 it was 4 months because that is what they used to tell you. WIth dd1 it was 6 weeks, because she was nursing non-stop. TUrned out though she had a dairy allergy and was nursing to calm her tummy, once I got her onto soy formula we stopped the cereal and then started again at around 5 months. Ds2 was around 6 months, he was a big boy and ready before that but we held off until 6 months. Baby girl didn't start cereals until 7ish months, I started her on veggie at 6 months and introduced cereals after that. Who knows when I will introduce it if I have another.

[hornblower]

I'm in the 'other' with my 2nd child - didn't bother with it, just used food the rest of us eat.

 

I tried it with my 1st at the 6 mo mark.

[abbeyej]

Never. We did table food (and some baby fruit purees with one of the kids) starting around 8-9 months. I don't see any redeeming value in "baby cereal".

[AnnetteB]

No baby food here, either.

[Lakeside]

Other. We never used infant cereal or any other baby food.

[3lilreds in NC]

Around 6 months. Schmooey likes it, and still eats oatmeal with bananas for breakfast. :)

[Snickerdoodle]

Neither of my kids ate instant cereal. I never bought jar food either.

[PariSarah]

I didn't use much of it for Theo, just because we had moved into the "just use real food" camp by then. But we did use it when we were not at home, and couldn't count on finding an "acceptable" food wherever we were. I mostly just pureed the oatmeal we were making for ourselves anyway. (Or the rice, or whatever.)

[Carrie12345]

Never.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I dont think infant cereal is necessary or useful. With my first, I fed it to my son at 4 months because the doctor insisted that he needed it. Well, I later learned that most children do not have the proper enzymes to get anything useful out of it and the recommendation was to not feed any solids until at least 6 months. Plus, it is so highly processed, that the only nutrients in it are sprayed on. They are usually iron fortified, but my research showed that there was no need for extra iron because he was getting plenty from breastmilk (and most formula is iron-fortified.)

 

With my other two children, I never fed the infant cereal. When they were ready for something more, I did make regular oatmeal - just processed the oats in a food processor to make it a little finer, cooked it, and thinned it with breastmilk. But, the bulk of their solid foods was vegetables and fruits until they were ready for table food. Even then, I made all my own food and froze it in ice-cube trays. This only lasted for a couple months and then they were eating what we ate. I just used a baby food grinder (that I picked up at a garage sale for $5.)

[Joanne]

Another "never" vote. When my kids were ready for solids (they varied between 5.5 and 10 months), I gave them small pieces of real food and let them feed themselves.

[chaik76]

Way before six months. I start food very early, following the advice of my wise older relatives.

[The Governess]

Five months, but it was mixed with breastmilk and very watered down, mostly to get her used to eating from a spoon. When she was six months we introduced pureed foods, and I would sometimes mix rice cereal with them if the taste was too strong for her (I think carrots and a couple others she didn't like the taste of unless they were mixed with cereal).

 

At around 8 months she was switched to mostly soft table foods, but I still fed her a couple jars of baby food a day in addition to what she fed herself (in between bites) until she was getting enough on her own.

[Jennifer in MI]

I'm in the never camp. We started table foods anywhere between 7 and 11 months (my allergy boy didn't start eating until 11 months!).

[Mom-ninja.]

I don't give infant cereal.

 

When the baby starts grabbing food off my plate/out of my mouth that's when he gets solid food. The solid food he eats will basically be the same as what the rest of us eat. I might smash something with a fork...maybe.

 

 

If you want to feed cereal I recommend you make your own. Grind up some brown rice, cook it, and serve. Much more nurtrients than the store bought cereal.

 

In answer to your question as to when....wait for your baby to show interest in food, can sit up unassisted (those Bumble things don't count :tongue_smilie:), and has some fine motor skills.

 

For my first ds that was around 6-7 months. My second ds was 9-10 months.

[Sandy in Indy]

My boys nursed exclusively till they were 8 months old. No cereal...they hated it. I did give them some jarred fruits and veggies but not for long. They were more interested in real food.

[FlockOfSillies]

Ditto.

[Jen in PA]

I'm having a hard time remembering, but I think dd had some starting around 4 months. She never really liked it, though, and we didn't really push it. I tried it with ds around the same age, and he was pretty underwhelmed as well -- he maybe ate 2 servings out of an entire box. With both kids I didn't really go the baby food route. They loved mashed banana, sweet potato, avocado, yolk from boiled eggs, and whole milk yogurt. I still remember dd eating brisket by the fistful at her first Passover seder, when she was 9 months old. I always felt the baby food thing was sort of a scam, although I did carry those little tubs of slightly chunky fruit when we were out of the house for extended periods and I didn't know what food options we might encounter. Both kids were totally graduated to table food by their first birthdays.

[OnTheBrink]

For breakfast. :lol:

 

Seriously, it was after 6 months.

[PCA]

Another vote for NEVER! I actually had a pediatrician tell me that baby cereal has absolutely no nutritional value, that it is just processed junk.

 

My babies are exclusively breast fed till 8-12 months, then slowly begin nutritional, real food. Mashed bananas, avocado, and egg yolks are good first foods.

[Pamela H in Texas]

never. Kids start eating table food as ready (usually sometime between 8 and 12 months).

[Barb_]

Also never. My girls all tend to be petite and lean so I find that the starch flakes..erm...rice cereal just fills them up and takes the place of the actual nutrition they should be ingesting. My second child was the only one who ate it on a regular basis and she was all of 15 pounds on her first birthday. I never made that mistake again.

 

Barb

[Aubrey]

I never heard of not feeding a baby baby cereal...hm... might need to do a S/O...

 

Anyway, I'd always heard 5mos, so we always started then. They'd spit it at us, we'd get bored w/ it & wait another couple of mos.

 

W/ #4, though, I've been on the boards long enough to know I didn't have to start at 5mos, so I was going to wait. Lately, though, baby's been acting really hungry, like he's not quite satisfied w/ just b'milk.

 

We pulled out the "boxed starch" last night (who knew?), & he's the 1st of our 4 to actually eat it on the first try. He *gobbled* it like he was *starving,* made the appropriate frightened faces, & then smiled like the happiest baby on earth.

 

Whether or not baby cereal's a good idea, I think he really was hungry. Of course, if you look below at his weight, I guess you'll understand why. (And that was nearly a mo. ago!)

[Plaid Dad]

We never served it either. Dd had breastmilk until she was able to eat small bits of regular table food. She would never eat anything mushy - no banana, no avocado - and still won't.

[cillakat]

Never!

[kat19]

My ds started cereal at 4 months old.

He has reflux issues and he still can't tolerate the stage 3 baby foods.

He was also on a hypoallergenic formula but at 9 months he got to switch back to soy(and it doing well on it).

He gets some gerber graduate lil' crunchies(mild cheddar) and the cereal pieces that melt in your mouth(he chokes on cheerios). And recently I found Yo Baby yogurt for him(he loves it). He still eats the baby cereal~we mix it with juice or stage 1 or 2 baby food.

He doesn't get hardly any table food right now.

I am too paranoid of him choking or his reflux acting up.

 

It's weird because I wasn't like this with the older 2 but they are 13 and 12 now and didn't have any issues with feeding.

[Mommyof4ks]

My first only ate it for a week or so, but she did not like it at all so we tossed it. She was about 7 months.

 

My second was starving at 2 months, and he nursed ALL DAY LONG and even with supplements of formula he was awake every hour at night. The ped said try cereal, and he slept all night at 2 months, and he went to a regular feeding schedule of every 2 hours of br**st milk and 2 times a day cereal. Best thing we ever did. He could not handle table food or even jars, so it was the only option.

 

The third 'skipped' cereal, and he was grabbing food from sibs by 6 months or so. LOL

 

It is a personal choice combined with the child's needs. If they are hungry feed them what they can/will tolerate.

[Pretty in Pink]

This is so interesting to me; thanks for all of the replies. This is the first I have ever heard of *not* feeding your baby infant cereal but I am interested in all that has been shared. My little guy is definetely not ready yet for anything other than formula IMO. (I know breastmilk is best but I cannot nurse due to previous surgery so we use organic infant formula instead). My baby is almost six months but cannot sit unassisted yet. He is perfectly happy and healthy on his current diet so I want to delay solids until he is sitting up well. Our pediatrician disagrees.

 

We don't use much jarred babyfood either, only for convenience purposes if we are traveling or eating out. I love our babyfood grinder!

[CookieMonster]

1st child: At 6 months

 

2nd child: Before 6 months, at 5 months exactly. She needed it.

 

3rd child (on the way): Anytime around 5 months or beyond that the child shows readiness, willingness, and need.

 

I have read the research on the open stomach. It clearly says "between 4-6 months" the open stomach closes up. Obviously this makes me more inclined to wait the full six months.

 

However, I have had a reality check on mandating six months and no sooner. The way I think about it is that infants have been fed things at younger ages for thousands of years by all different people groups - and we haven't died out yet.

 

That's why, when my second showed a need, willingness, and readiness the day she turned five months old, I got out the rice cereal.

[Adrianne]

3) When baby shows an interest in table food.

 

Although as I posted in the s/o, my current son cannot tolerate the added iron so we stopped and he gets just fruits, veggies and momma's milk.

 

My other two did not care for it, so again we just gave fruits, veggies, and momma's milk. If we have another, I don't think I'll bother. It is so processed. The rice cereal is like paste - Yuck!

[tabrizia]

4) the obligatory other. I never served it at all.

 

:iagree: We never did cereal with DS either, and won't with bean when she arrives. We also never did baby food though we went straight to table foods, and did baby led feeding/weaning.

[Laurel]

Another never for infant cereal. No nutritional value whatsoever. We did begin food early, around 4 months or so, with mushed table food.

[Rosie_0801]

Never! The stuff looks like wall paper paste, and wall paper paste goes right against my ideas of whole foods style eating. I'd rather feed them foods with naturally occurring vitamins. I started dd on solids at about 6 1/2 months. She'd been showing interest for a few weeks, but that's when she tried to swipe my lunch. You have to reward initiative ;) Guess we'll do just the same with number two, though it's going to be a bit weird. We're transitioning to veganism, but will have to feed him bits of animal product anyway because it seems a bit irresponsible not to find out if he's allergic, just in case.

 

Rosie

[LaxMom]

Never! The stuff looks like wall paper paste, and wall paper paste goes right against my ideas of whole foods style eating. I'd rather feed them foods with naturally occurring vitamins. I started dd on solids at about 6 1/2 months. She'd been showing interest for a few weeks, but that's when she tried to swipe my lunch. You have to reward initiative ;) Guess we'll do just the same with number two, though it's going to be a bit weird. We're transitioning to veganism, but will have to feed him bits of animal product anyway because it seems a bit irresponsible not to find out if he's allergic, just in case.

 

Rosie

 

:iagree: Hopeless drek. I want my children to learn to enjoy food, not be repulsed by it.

[dirty ethel rackham]

My baby is almost six months but cannot sit unassisted yet. He is perfectly happy and healthy on his current diet so I want to delay solids until he is sitting up well. Our pediatrician disagrees.

 

/QUOTE]

No offense to the pediatricians on this board, but, in my experience both as a parent and as a childbirth and breastfeeding educator, pediatricians tend not to be all that learned about infant nutritition or nutrition in general. They tend to tell parents what they have been told, either from doctor down to intern or from marketing reps. Parents who read tend to be more educated about nutrition than the typical doctor. Even though there is gobs of research to support delaying solids until the readiness signs are there, a large percentage of pediatricians still recommend solids prior to 6 months. There is a reason a baby has a tongue thrust instinct that typically does not disappear until around the 6 month mark.

 

The primary source of nutrition for children under age 1 should be breastmilk, or formula if breastmilk is not available. Solid foods should not be considered a replacement for liquid nourishment in that first year of life, but a supplement.

[chaik76]

My baby is almost six months but cannot sit unassisted yet. He is perfectly happy and healthy on his current diet so I want to delay solids until he is sitting up well. Our pediatrician disagrees.

 

/QUOTE]

No offense to the pediatricians on this board, but, in my experience both as a parent and as a childbirth and breastfeeding educator, pediatricians tend not to be all that learned about infant nutritition or nutrition in general. They tend to tell parents what they have been told, either from doctor down to intern or from marketing reps. Parents who read tend to be more educated about nutrition than the typical doctor. Even though there is gobs of research to support delaying solids until the readiness signs are there, a large percentage of pediatricians still recommend solids prior to 6 months. There is a reason a baby has a tongue thrust instinct that typically does not disappear until around the 6 month mark.

 

The primary source of nutrition for children under age 1 should be breastmilk, or formula if breastmilk is not available. Solid foods should not be considered a replacement for liquid nourishment in that first year of life, but a supplement.

Honestly, though...these recommendations change all the time. They've changed since I had my first son, til when I had my second son. I bet they change again if I have a third child. 150 years ago kids didn't start foods until one, sixty years ago they started at 2 months. I go by what I feel is right...and yes, I've researched the issue extensively.

 

For instance, there's no proof that babies sleep longer if given infant cereal...but there is proof that they fall asleep faster. Just one example. I try never to be bound by today's medical advice...because tomorrow it will be outdated.