Oats and rice cereal?

[bug_blues70]

I have started to try to introduce rice cereal to my 5.5 month old but she really doesn't like it. She's eaten only a few bites of it once (she spat most of these bites out) and one bite of it the second time (she spit this bite out too... I don't think she swallowed any of it). There are no food allergies on either side of the family (any members, not just DH and I). Can I skip the oats and rice cereal and stuff and start with regular baby foods, like fruits and veggies and stuff?

Any other tips for getting her to eat the rice cereal and oats? I'm mixing it with BM but maybe it's too thick? Or maybe it's normal to spit most of it out the first few times? (she also makes a face like she doesn't like it though)

Thanks!
Megan

[anna*]

You absolutely don't have to give rice at all, lots of mums find that it really constipates their babies and really it has no nutritional value. The oat cereal will need to be really, really runny at first. I'd work with veggies first then add in fruits, because if she gets a taste for yummy sweet fruit she may decide she doesn't want to try the veggies!

Just to add, if she's pushing the food straight out again with her tongue, it may be that she's not quite ready to wean (tongue thrust being one of the indicators) and you could stop and try again in a couple of weeks.

[bug_blues70]

Thanks!! I'm glad to hear that!!

I'll have to watch more closely about the tongue thrusting thing, but I don't think that was it. She acted like she didn't like it and after the first bite or two wouldn't open her mouth again But I'll definitely pay more attention next time to that.

Thanks!!

[theaussiemommy]

As one option to see if she likes, avocado was a great first food for us! I found wholesomebabyfood.com to be a great resource for good ages to intro food and how to prepare them.

Here's to chubby faces and grubby hands! ENJOY!!

[bug_blues70]

oh thanks so much for the link!! I'm definitely interested in making her food!!

[bug_blues70]

Anna, been meaning to tell you. You were right about the tongue thrust... she still has a bit of it, but she definitely likes bananas much more than rice cereal regardless!! She opens her mouth and goes for the bananas rather than refusing.

[asele]

hello,
we had the same problem with my dd. I'm constantly communicating with the doctor, and she had given me permission to pass slowly to breakfast with milk&rice cereal, some white cheese (unsalted) and a baby biscuit (egg yolk to be added in a few days time). so today I added just a tiny bit of the baby biscuit in the milk&rice cereal, she adored it!

I'm not quite sure if it's horrible or ok to give biscuits at this age, but I'm following my doctor's recipes... And they are called baby biscuits in the end

[bug_blues70]

Ellen didn't seem to like any solids after that first day -  I tried several - but I think I wasn't waiting long enough after her bottle, b/c yesterday and today I waited longer and she did so much better!

I'd be more nervous to give cheese and egg yolk to a baby under a year than a biscuit... I thought both eggs and cow products were discouraged until a year?? But I guess if your doctor has okayed it, I hope your LO loves it!!

[asele]

now I'm also nervous but they recommend egg yolk and white cheese in our country (I'm from Turkey) when the baby starts solid food. I dont know... maybe I should just postpone them for a few weeks.

theaussiemommy, the website you posted is extremely helpful! thank you so much. I will keep on checking there...

[bug_blues70]

Oh I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to make you nervous! I'm sure that if your doctor recommends it, it must be okay!! It's probably just some pointless custom in the states that the rest of the world knows is just stupid!!:) I saw a post just the other day about someone in the UK giving their LO cheese too.

[theaussiemommy]

Aww, glad you liked it!!

[stephiepete]

Cheese and yogurt lose most of the lactose during cooking, so that's why they're OK before a year, while you would wait to give cow's milk. However, my pedi just heard new research at a big conference that waiting to give certain allergenic foods (like peanuts, wheat, eggs, etc.) can possibly cause more allergies, so he said go for it. DS is 6.5 months, and so far he eats yogurt, avocado, bananas, rice cereal, sweet potatoes, pears... I'm going to try acorn squash and brown rice this week!

[bug_blues70]

Wow, I still can't get Ellen to eat more than a tablespoon at a time... if that. I usually offer 3x per day and she normally refuses to take even a bite. No matter what food I try. 

[anna*]

Its really ok. There's no rush. What are you giving her? Whatever it is I would make it REALLY thin (ie liquidy, diluted a lot with EBM/formula), and very, very smooth.

Of course, you could also consider baby led weaning!

[bug_blues70]

I've given her apples, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, peas and prunes. Oddly enough, I've had the best results with the sweet potatoes and peas.

Most of it is Earth's Best First Foods, so it's made for baby's 4-6 months so it is really smooth and runny. I guess I'm not really too worried about it yet, hopefully she'll come around. But I hate not to offer and I hate to waste food too, iykwim!!