Infant Oatmeal- when to start?

[Anonymous]

When did you start with pureed food/infant oatmeal
We went for 4 month check up and dr said whenever. Baby has good head control but obviously doesnt sit up alone. Baby also drools a lot (heard this is sign baby is in anticipation of food)..
What else did you use for guidance for baby being ready?

[Anonymous]

There is no need to feed a baby infant oatmeal. We started introducing food at 6 months. Babies should get their nutrition from breast milk or formula until they're 12 months old. "Food before 1 is just for fun."

[Anonymous]

SO why at 6 months did you introduce? What showed you baby was ready?
And when I say infant oatmeal I mean any baby food..

[Anonymous]

The baby should sit up on their own before you start with solids. Also, fortified oatmeal is suggested if your baby is breast fed but not formula fed.

Honestly there is no need to rush food.

[Anonymous]

Never. I started with fruit my kids always thought the grain stuff was gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did you start with pureed food/infant oatmeal
We went for 4 month check up and dr said whenever. Baby has good head control but obviously doesnt sit up alone. Baby also drools a lot (heard this is sign baby is in anticipation of food)..
What else did you use for guidance for baby being ready?

This is just a thing that 4 month olds do, people try to say it means their kid who got his first teeth was teething for 4 months, or that the baby is ready for solids, but all babies do it.

Our ped said to introduce rice cereal at the 4 month appt but we waited until closer to 5 months - tried a teaspoon here and there. She hated it, then she tolerated it, now she loves the spoon and and eats some of it. (And yes, she was drooling like no tomorrow, watching us eat, grabbing for our forks/food -- all that's just developmental stuff not necessarily a sign that it's time for solids). It's more for practice swallowing a different texture than nutrition. After the 6 month appt we'll try veggies, hopefully the range of tastes will make her more interested.

[Anonymous]

We started solids just after 6 months, starting with applesauce and avocado. We waited until baby was 6 months, showing an interest in food, and able to sit independently.

Drooling is not an indication of being ready for food.

[Anonymous]

Indications that baby is ready for food:

1. Baby can sit up without support
2. Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex
3. Baby is ready/willing to chew
4. Baby is developing the "pincer" grasp
5. Baby shows interest in eating

[Anonymous]

Ped gave us the go-ahead at 4mos with both kids but we waited until 6 months. By that time, they were sitting unassisted and were more alert and interested in their environment. It still took awhile for them to consume more than a teaspoon of food at a serving. Ped suggested "3 meals per day" around 9+ months but they don't care much about solid consumption until after 1 year, as PP mentioned.

[Anonymous]

I started at 4.5 months just for exposure, but my DS didn’t consume any meaningful levels of solids until closer to 6-7 months. Even a tablespoon of baby cereal was a lot for him until he was bigger. He was sitting supported but not fully independently, but had lost the tongue thrust reflex, otherwise it’s super hard to feed them because they’ll just push all the food out.

Introduce some water at the same time is my only advice ... solids can cause constipation but increased fluid intake will help avoid it.

[Anonymous]

interest! that's how you know. my doctor said the same at 4 months but it wasn't until almost 6 months that my husband was eating baby was sitting up on his lap (aka good support and head control) and baby one day started reaching for his yogurt his spoon his bread and bringing it to his mouth all inquisitive (not like teether but wanting to try it). next day we did avocado and he loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no need to feed a baby infant oatmeal. We started introducing food at 6 months. Babies should get their nutrition from breast milk or formula until they're 12 months old. "Food before 1 is just for fun."

Nope, this is no longer the recommendation. We started at 6mo, when DS was showing interest in our food and could sit comfortably in his high chair. Follow Feeding Littles on Instagram and look at their website, I’ve found them the most helpful in introducing solids.

[Anonymous]

^sorry, the “food before 1...” is no longer the recommendation. Solids should be started between 4-6 months and baby should be getting most of their nutrition from solids at a year.

[Anonymous]

You can absolutely start introducing foods when baby is able to hold his/her head up- that is why a professional told you whoever you’d like. It’s no harm in feeding a baby food. You should limit the amount of food given,, to avoid decrease in formula and breast milk until they’re at least 10 months old. While the recommend formula/breast milk until 1- it is totally fine if they don’t drink as much because they’re getting nutrients through other foods. You can also use your formula or breast milk to make oatmeal, mash potatoes etc.,

People have done that for years. They even recommend giving babies eggs before age 1 now to decrease their chances of having an egg allergy. The earlier you start, the less likely you’ll have a picky eater. It’s total fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can absolutely start introducing foods when baby is able to hold his/her head up- that is why a professional told you whoever you’d like. It’s no harm in feeding a baby food. You should limit the amount of food given,, to avoid decrease in formula and breast milk until they’re at least 10 months old. While the recommend formula/breast milk until 1- it is totally fine if they don’t drink as much because they’re getting nutrients through other foods. You can also use your formula or breast milk to make oatmeal, mash potatoes etc.,

People have done that for years. They even recommend giving babies eggs before age 1 now to decrease their chances of having an egg allergy. The earlier you start, the less likely you’ll have a picky eater. It’s total fine.

whenever