Help! He won't even take rice cereal?

[Liam and Shane's Mommy]

I started my now 6mos. ds on rice cereal at 5 1/2 mos.  He didn't like it at first until I switched from Heinz to Milupa which is sweeter due to the formula in it.  He was taking it well and then we started him on antibiotics a week and a half ago and he started refusing cereal.  At first we thought maybe it was due to the fact that we have to force the liquid into him and he just hates to be forced.  After a few days though he started taking antibiotics more readily but still resists the cereal.  My dh now wonders if it isn't because the liquid antibiotics are so sweet and his cereal is not as sweet so it now doesn't taste as good?

I don't know what to do.  He's exclusively breastfed and I know he needs the iron from the cereal.  Plus he has to continue on antibiotics due to persistent urinary infections and apparently they can make babies anemic so its doubly important he get iron.

I never had any problems with my older son and solids so I'm in uncharted territory.  I'm worried about adding a fruit sweetner like banana or something as I don't want him to get stuck on the sweets as I had planned to introduce veggies after I had him on cereal twice a day.  Should I give up and just try a veggie?  How important is it that they get well-established on cereal before introducing something else?

[Schae]

Perhaps get him started on something else to begin with? It sounds like he is slowly getting back into eating solids after being ill.

Lentils are a good source of iron, and I think they are fine for babies aged 6 months.

If you do add a fruit to the cereal, you can slowly add less and less fruit (pear would be good) so that eventually he's eating cereal again.

[Hubbafer]

My son did this also. I had to skip to the next cereal (barley) and added a bit of pureed fruit (baby food) to get him to eat it. Now? Forget it .. he loves it. The Milupa is what he prefers (sweeter) and LOVES the rice/banana one. I've tried the Nestle and Heinz... no go.

[Katet]

Seriously I wouldn't worry about sweet fruits v veg... babies adjust to foods & if you need to get food into them you do what you must... my girlfriend used to give her ds (now all his veg with apple sauce in it & gradually cut out the apple sauce... he now hardly eats any sweet things & loves his savoury foods & veg... he is the healthiest eater of any 8yo I know.
I started my 6mo on rice cereal + pears (3 days ago) as he is a once in 10day pooper (bf) & I know the iron in rice cereal is constipating so I wanted to add the pear too... I will try to offer veg soon but if need be offer veg + pear.