My DD is four months now. We just started her with eating rice cereal, and I am planning to start vegetables around five months. Today at daycare I heard one mom saying that she is giving her four month old apples already. Not that I want to push foods yet, but what are the guidelines to start fruits and veggies? I have heard so many different views. Now I'm confused

By Melanie on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 08:03 pm:

I always followed the guideline of veggies before fruit. The theory is that if you start with the sweet stuff, they will reject the veggies when you do try and start them. And, like you plan to, I started the first veggies somewhere between 4.5 and 5 months.

By Amecmom on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 08:11 pm:

Veggies first Ditto Melanie! Docs are now saying no solids before 5 months, unless there is a mrdical reason (reflux) etc. Just take your cue from your child.
Ame

By Amecmom on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 08:11 pm:

sorry, medical - typing one handed

Ame

By Kaye on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 08:19 pm:

Your child is getting all they need in terms of nutrition from their milk right now (as long as it is breast or formula). We give them food to help develp tongue muscles, not for nutrition. Each child is developmentally different. But when they start reaching for foods you feed them. A general guideline we went by was 4,6,8,10. Cereal, veggies, fruits and then meats.

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 09:45 pm:

My ds is 6 months and our doctor said that, at 4 months, he could start solids. Stage 1 stuff like applesauce, carrots, etc. He said to start feeding him in the high chair, with a spoon (NOT an infant feeder) to get him used to eating.
We tried starting him with veggies but he REALLY did not like them. (He also had a lot of tongue thrust still and the spoon seemed so foreign to him...it was cute.) So, we started with applesauce (remember to give him the same solids for 2-3 days, once a day so you can look for any allergies) and then he took to veggies too about a week later.
Our son eats like a horse and is not picky, unless the rice cereal is not diluted enough.
He'll now eat a jar of fruit or veggies and a small bowl of rice cereal or baby oatmeal at his 11am feeding and then he'll have banana rice and formula at his nighttime feeding. (Banana seeds put him to sleep for some reason.) I think it's Gerber that makes the banana rice.

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 09:48 pm:

ACK- PS...I read your post about what you teach, etc. I just have to say that I admire what you do! And, you're going to get your masters...I'M jealous! One day I'll do that And, thank for the compliment on my DS. Your picture of your daughter is so adorable. She looks SO happy!

By Jrsmom on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 03:51 pm:

I didn't feed my daughter any solids until she was 6 months old. She was strictly breastfed. At 6 months I started her on veggies and then fruit. Now she is 17 months old and eats everything. She only has sweets on very special occasions.

By My2cuties on Wednesday, January 19, 2005 - 06:23 pm:

cereal at 4 months baby foods at 6 months is what I did, but now the doctors are saying that it doesn't matter which you start first at 6 months (veggies or fruits) ....check this out..from the Babytalk magazine dec/january 2005 Article "table for 2"

maybe you can read this...

By Agreen on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 06:51 pm:

Thanks everyone for your great advice. I feel much better about what I am doing with the foods. I guess we'll try the veggies in a few weeks and see what happens then. Does anyone know which cereal to try after the rice? and when to start it?

Heidi- Thanks for your compliments, Unfortunately I have no choice but to get my masters to keep my certification up in CT. I much rather be home with DD!!!! She is a happy baby these days, but we had a rough start!

By Mrsheidi on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 07:47 pm:

hi angela-
i started my ds on baby oatmeal. he ate a small thing of baby oatmeal and a small jar of fruit/veggies in the morning. is she sleeping through the night yet? gerber makes a banana rice cereal that put our son *out* for the evening. there's something about the seeds that seem to do it. most doctors don't recommend putting it in their bottle because most parents cut the opening too much and it's a choking hazard, but we opened it just *slightly* and it worked great. took us longer to feed him, but he was full the whole night and only woke up for a pacifier.

By Imamommyx4 on Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 09:23 pm:

24 years ago the docs were pushing starting solids at almost a year. Thought that was ridiculous. Started the boys on cereal at at 5 months. Now days the docs are saying start cereal at around 4 months. But some start even sooner if their baby just doesn't seem to be getting full. But take your cues from your baby.