Baby food! Starting my little one on solids....

Question

So, 2 weeks ago at my babys 4 month check up she said to start him on cereal. And, have him on cereal for about a month until starting the fruits and veg. So, I got the rice cereal and he just hates it! Ive heard alot of babies like the oatmeal better so today I tryed to give him that and it was worse! At least the rice he will give it a try for a couple spoon fulls. So, I know that when you introduce fruits and veg you are supposed to start with veg 1st other wise they will get the taste of something sweet first and not want veg. So, my question is... Would it be ok to try the cereal that has like bananas already in it now? To see if he'll eat that better? Or, could that have the same effect and make him not want veggies later? Is that cereal really sweet? New mommy, kinda clueless!

Answer 1

It doesn't matter if you start a veggie or a fruit first, thats a myth. When starting with jar foods, go orange first: squash, sweet potato, peaches, etc. Mix some of the jar food with the cereal and mix it up in the plate with some fomula or breastmilk, your baby will love it. The rice and oatmeal alone is just nasty. Your baby will more than likely not like that. I didn't start my son with rice, I just went straight to the jar and he's fine. I started him with sweet potatoes mixed with a little cereal and he ate it all. Now he loves his jar food but it has to have cereal or oatmeal. Try the bananas, he'll love it. Everybody will give you different advice on this so get ready for those "no solids til 6 months" answers.

Answer 2

From my experience, I have a 5 month old and I started giving her 1st baby foods at 4 months.  She loves the oatmeal in a bowl but will only take the rice in a bottle.  I started giving her the first foods and she seems to like most of them which includes the sweet potatoes, green beans, squash and pears.  I started her on them because she was advanced enough for them.  Every baby is different so you just have to use your judgment when it comes to yours.

Answer 3

Everything is totally up to you and how comfortable you feel about giving your baby solids.  My daughter is only 3 months old and we just started giving her fruits and apple juice.  The only fruit she has had is Prunes and she loves them.  I have yet to try her on ceral, just because we are doing Prunes and AJ because constipation.  Just keep in mind not to try too many things at once just in case he has an allergic reaction to something, you want to know what it is.

Answer 4

Keep trying with the rice cereal.  He's young enough that it's not essential for him to have to be fed at this point.  He'll get better in a month or so.  He could also have a strong tongue reflex to push the food out.  Regarding the "veggie first rule" I totally ignored that and put bananas in my baby's rice cereal and didn't start veggies until after she was already used to bananas and applesauce.  Most babies love the orange veggies (i.e., carrots and squash) so don't worry.  My daughter is 3 1/2 years old now and still loves her veggies.  She has even chosen carrots over eating crackers and prefers eating a salad at dinner.  She picks out all the peas in her fried rice because "they're her favorite" she tells me.  If you show you enjoy veggies and eat them often, your child will too.  

Answer 5

I don't really believe the whole don't give them fruits first cuz they won't eat their veggies later....My kids did fine, they actually preferred veggies and still do. I also read a lot of books, I read one can't remember the name of it, but it says you should start with fruits first because it is more gentle on their stomach. The cereal is harder to digest. I didn't necessarily follow this but, I did start mixing my own cereal with fruit. Also, do you mix the cereal with water or with formula/breast milk? If you use water try using the F/BM instead. So really you just need to do what you feel is best for your baby. But giving her fruit first won't hurt her.

Answer 6

I was told I had to try a new food at least 10 times before I could say my baby doesn't like it. You are giving him something that is different and it takes some getting used to. Also, he may just be spitting it out because it is a new skill and he hasn't yet learnt to eat off a spoon.

Answer 7

All unnecessary. Give "baby led weaning" a shot. Easier, healthier, simpler. What was the reason for starting your baby on solids so soon?