Help with starting solids please!

[gabrielsmommy]

My son is just over 5 months and 3 days ago I started trying to give him rice cereal in the mornings after his bottle.  The first day he seemed to really be interested in taking it, but today he was not interested at all.  He just cut his first tooth a week ago and has been pretty grumpy from the teething.  He has never been a huge milk drinker, only taking about 24oz a day, but has doubled his birth weight already.  He does has reflux and is on Prilosec twice a day.  He sits up with little support and is very interested when I am eating.  He chews on everything.  He seems to be ready for solids.  Do I just keep trying everyday to get him to take the cereal or stop and come back to it in a week or so?

[deckchariot]

some reflux bubs have a hard time with cereal because it can be harder to digest.  You could try something like sweet potatoes maybe.  Honestly, rice cereal for babies is pretty flavorless, I can't really blame him.  Also, when are you offering it?  It's best to do solids 1 hr after milk feeds.  And at 5 months, there's no big rush to start solids.  We waited til 6 mos.  Until he's a year, milk is still his primary source of nutrition, solids are really more just for fun.

[gabrielsmommy]

So they don't need rice cereal as part of their solid diet?  What if I mix the cereal with applesauce to give it flavor?  Would that be ok or a bad idea since it is two new foods?

[Buntybear]

5 months is till young and if he isn't interested then maybe he isn't ready. Keep offering if you like but don't worry if he doesn't want any.

[Lemonthyme]

I agree with the PP.  Biting on hands at this age is more like "wow!  I have hands and I can bite on them" not necessarily a teething sign.

Rice cereal also tastes like wallpaper paste!  If you're not in any desperate hurry, I'd just hold off for a while but as you suggest you can mix in rice cereal with other things (I used to make a home made apple puree and use the rice cereal to thicken and add vitamins) but you don't have to use rice cereal at all if you don't want to!

[deckchariot]

agree - they don't have to have rice cereal ever.  And yes, you can mix it with fruit - but make sure you've offered the fruit first for 3-5 days - you really do only want to introduce one new food at a time.  Personally, if he's not a fan, I'd just wait til he's 6 mos.

[gabrielsmommy]

Thanks everyone for the advice!