Author Topic: Stick with rice cereal till he's used to it before moving on?  (Read 1717 times)

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Offline MarciaMSPT

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Stick with rice cereal till he's used to it before moving on?
« on: December 31, 2013, 15:19:31 pm »
Hi!  We just started our 6 month old on rice cereal two days ago.  We are doing donor breastmilk bottle first about 2-3 oz and then cereal and then back to the milk. 

I know it takes time for them to get used to solids.  Is there an amount my DS should be eating before I begin with the next solid?  Or just keep up with the rice cereal until he seems fairly used to it and doesn't cringe with every bite :)

Also, going to start feeding him cereal and breakfast AND lunch now... 

BTW - I got him up for his dream feed last night and he totally refused... so I put him back down and he slept clear through till 7 am like he always does... Do you think this refusal has anything to do with starting solids?  He doesn't eat a lot at one sitting!  Maybe 1.5 Tablespoons of the mixture.

Thanks!
Marcia
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Offline creations

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Re: Stick with rice cereal till he's used to it before moving on?
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2013, 19:24:11 pm »
Hi
Unless there's a family history of allergies or he has any other health issue there isn't really any reason to hold back on solids at all.  You know many of us have gone the baby led weaning route where baby self feeds all sorts of foods right from 6 months.  Maybe you'd like to look into it. It means you can prepare regular family meals (minus salt, sugar, honey, maybe cool off on the hot spices a little) and just pop a bit in front of LO whilst you have yours.  It's great for fine motor development and apparently speech development too.

If you prefer to go the traditional puree route you can still introduce a wide range of solids, much of the waiting-3-days-thing was related to when babies started purees at a much younger age and it isn't considered necessary if you wait until 6 months.  In the UK finger foods are advised to be introduced alongside puree after only a week or two (so still at 6 months), and to rapidly move from puree to mashed to chunks in a very short time (again the many months of purees dates back to previous generations when solids started younger) so that baby joins in family meals as soon as possible. In fact many areas of the UK the health advisors are now recommending the BLW route instead.

I would give milk feeds at the regular time, and the full amount then offer solids an hour later.  Offer until he refuses (turns head away, throws or drops food, pushes it away, refuses to open mouth etc) and don't try to coax another mouthful so he can respond to his own full signals (if you offer finger foods he will just stop self feeding or will push the food away).  Don't forget a sippy cup of water alongside (I used a bottle of water too in the very early days when my LO was thirsty but couldn't quite handle the cup).  The only time you would need to watch the quantity is if his milk intake drops too low. Milk should stay the same amount at this point and solid foods are for tasting and experience and to 'add on to' the milk feed, not to take away from the milk feed.

Rice cereal, it doesn't have much in the way of nutritional value, I would skip it tbh.  If he is wincing with every mouthful perhaps he'd prefer a bit of mashed carrot or some steamed carrot batons?  Or some baked pear/apple wedges?  or just a bit of something you are serving yourself?

Don't know about refusing the DF. Not heard that one before.  Might have been a one off.

hope this helps


Offline MarciaMSPT

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Re: Stick with rice cereal till he's used to it before moving on?
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2013, 20:31:55 pm »
Thanks!  That is very helpful... and noteworthy about why things are done the way they are these days... based on generations past...  I'll look into and see what works best. 

On a good note, he totally enjoyed his cereal today at the noon meal!  So, just takes time I reckon... will take all you've said into thought, however.  Thanks!
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Offline Lemonthyme

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Re: Stick with rice cereal till he's used to it before moving on?
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2014, 14:58:54 pm »
We got a flat refusal on rice cereal here!  At 6 months you can have more texture too.
Here's my blog which is focussed on simple food for babies, toddlers and families http://mamacook.blogspot.com/