Has anyone's Ped. ever told them this?

[Smurfette]

I was told to make sure that my DD gets cereal every day and not so much with the fruits and veggies as F &V are just 'rabbit food' and don't really fill them up.

Is this normal advice? Seems counter-intuitive to me. Wouldn't fruits and veggies be better for LOs then processed cereal, plus with all the fiber and nutrient, be more health and filling?
Just wondering.

TIA

[~inbalance~]

I think it's always important to appreciate the advice given by your LO's doctor.  After all, they are the professional. 

With that said, I don't think they are always right!  And no, I wouldn't opt to try and fill my LO up with cereal over fruits and veg.  F&V are packed with SO much healthy goodness!

Plus the point of solids isn't just to 'fill up' your LO.  You want them to get good nutrition from the foods they eat, not just bulk. 

JMHO.  Go with your instinct when it comes to choosing what foods to offer your LO. 

[Mashi]

The reason for this is because the cereal is fortified with iron, and after 6 months LOs lose their iron stores. FOrmula fed babies will still get it from their milk but BF babies usually need the extra iron especially if mom is low on iron (as many new moms are!)

[~inbalance~]

This is true, LOs start to lose their iron stores at 6mos.  But it is a myth in part because it's not like the stores dry up all at once.  They begin depleting sometime after 6mos, so it is not like there is a mad rush to get iron in them.  During this time you will be introducing many different foods, lots of which will contain iron. 

The thing about iron too is that iron from breastmilk is much easily absorbed than iron from iron-fortified sources.  Something else to keep in mind.  Also, pairing iron with vitamin C helps in it's absorption.

I can understand that this is part of the reason why many peds might push cereals, but I also think much of their information is outdated.  I would be much more trusting of the nutritional advice from a qualified nutritionist or naturopathic doctor when it comes to these sorts of things. 

[Zoey]

I think a well balanced approached is the best way to go, personally.    All these foods you've mentioned have a nutritional value needed by growing bodies and brains

[LizzieN]

Agree with Martina.  If iron is the worry have a look at your LOs toe nails, if they are very very flat this is a sign of low iron, couple this with your LOs skin colour...if your LO is really really pale, there might be some iron worries.

Personally though, no I wouldn't fill your LO up on processed cereals, however there is one cereal which I find fab for my kids and myself (we are gluten free currently) and it's quinoa (keen wah).  It's like a superfood, brilliant source of protein and nutrients, excellent for breast feeding mummies   I would give it a go, mixed with roasted veggies, we love it! xx

I find doctors advice is generally good, BUT they have their own opinions and axes to grind, so a grain of salt is required too.  I like pps believe that initially it's about variety and textures and less about "filling them up"...

Good luck sweetie xx

[aidenmc]

Our GP also said she likes babies eating cereal because of the iron. This was said when I told her we were not giving him much due to constipation. I wonder how many babies end up with low iron?

[LizzieN]

My GP said that heaps of babies are low on iron, but she prescribed a supplement for DD when she was severely constipated....hmm, never gave it as I didn't want to block her more and she has a fantastic diet

[Mashi]

I can understand that this is part of the reason why many peds might push cereals, but I also think much of their information is outdated.

Yes I guess I should have clarified this more with what I meant.  After all I am one of the moms who gave my LO cereal ONCE and then tossed it in the garbage in favour of real food!  I just meant to explain what the thinking behind it is!

The Canada Food Guide actually advises that meats be the first foods for LOs for the iron content, rather than cereals and all of the issues that they can bring.

When it comes down to it, advice on feeding varies from country to country, doctor to doctor, mother to mother, and the best thing I found was to READ - read everything you can on infant and toddler nutrition, and make your own decisions based on a good balance of what you believe!

[~inbalance~]

Mashi, I was pretty sure that's what you meant.    Definitely wasn't trying to correct you in any way!  lol  Just offering up more info.    I did the same with T, tried the cereal out but quickly moved on as it didn't offer him anything substantial and he preferred fruits and veggies anyway!

[Mama_Mia]

Personally, I have always started my babies on rice cereal first, but they also started at 3 months of age because that was the norm back then. Now with my DGS he also started on rice cereal first. I think other than iron, the main reason is that its easy to digest and doesnt normally cause any food allergies. Since a babies main source of nutrition is their milk until they are a year old, I dont believe that there is any rush in giving them all the fruits and veggies. You have plenty of time to introduce each new food very slowly.  

[Katet]

When I was a baby (& my brother 20 months earlier) My Mum was told that she absolutely must feed her babies "brains", they needed it for brain development & Mum & her fellow Mums all mashed up brains for their children... 3 years later when my Sister was born, Mum was told that Babies must have rusks from the moment they start dribbling because otherwise they don't learn chewing is associated with food!

Information changes year by year, country by country, Dr by Dr... thing is for millions of years babies have been born & not had processed baby cereal & somehow survived... at the end of the day a Dr is only as good as the information he reads & the value he places on the information he has... Drs are human, they have opinions (& calling F &V rabbit food, is an opinion) that influence their professional opinion... at the end of the day he may well go to conferences sponsored by baby cereal manufactures so it is in his interest to promote it!

[Lemonthyme]

No way!  We don't see paediatricians in the UK unless there's something very wrong with a baby.  In fact you rarely see a GP (general practitioner), most advice comes from nursery nurses and health visitors.  Tbh I've had mixed experience with these but the up side is that most are female and mothers themselves so have some 'real' experience not just learned experience.

From all I've read, the best sources of iron are red meat anyway not cereal (although I do give fortified cereal to my LO) but iron intake is helped by also having vitamin C at the same meal (ie from fresh fruit which is normally the best source) so as with everything, a balanced and varied diet seems to be the best way to go and the health advice in the UK seems to support that view.

[~*~Louisa~*~]

That is very silly advice imo, there is alot of iron rich vegitables, and fruit and vegitables are a vital part of a balanced diet, and though you might get more iron from the cerials you should have the full range of other vitimins from fruit and veg.

another thing is if you dont introduce fruit and veg early on they can refuse them later on

[Smurfette]

Thanks everyone.

I kinda think my ped is out to lunch a lot of the time so it's nice to hear from all of you. She also isn't very supportive of breastfeeding and offers me formula samples everytime I'm there. Nothing wrong with formula babies, I just had to work really hard to get breastfeeding going in the beginning (which she knows) and now that it's great, I feel offended everytime she offers it.

I agree with those of you who said to do a lot of reading and research. My ped also told me to start my DD on solids at her 4 month appt and said 'no later than 5 months!' And now that I know more, I wish I didn't listen to her cause there was no rush.    Oh well chalk it up to newbie mom.

Thanks again