Feeding babies cereal, when?

where were you when i was arguing this point with my x-babysitter/friend????? she snuck and started feeding joey at three months - grrr..... i'm still mad at her about that. she acted like i didn't know what i was talking about, then went to gerber.com to 'prove' to me that i should be giving him more than just my milk. it caused all kinds of problems for me, not the least of which was my milk supply almost drying up because he wasn't nursing enough! ahhh, what the hell, joey survived, i got my milk supply back up, and fired her as a sitter. still having a hard time putting up with her as a 'friend' though :$

 

Yes, because we all know that gerber is very unbiased, and only have your child's best interests in mind. They would never promote something for the sole purpose of lining their pockets!

 

Solid Food: Is Your Child Ready?

While no two babies are alike, many pediatricians encourage new parents to introduce solid foods into their baby's diet around the age of six months. If he or she is too young, a baby may have a digestive system unprepared to handle anything other than breast milk or formula. Consult with your doctor or qualified healthcare practitioner to determine the best plan for your baby. A good indication that your baby is ready for solid foods is if he or she actively shows interest in and reaches for your food.

First Foods

Many doctors recommend cereal as baby's first food. Iron-enriched baby cereal made of rice, oats, or barley makes a great beginning. Again, baby cereal is available for purchase or it can be made in your own kitchen with cooked, mashed and puréed rice or oats. Introducing your baby to one new food per week will allow an easy introduction to the new food and the opportunity to determine if certain foods cause problems such as indigestion or allergies. Other beginner foods to gradually introduce include mashed ripe avocado, cooked and mashed sweet potatoes and mashed ripe bananas. Check with your doctor to determine when your baby is ready to increase the number of feedings to twice and eventually to three times or more daily.

Solids

As your baby becomes more comfortable with solid foods, begin adding other menu items such as cooked and mashed organic apples and pears, organic carrots, peas, beans and green beans. Peel fruits and vegetables and cook in purified water until tender. Mash completely with a fork or baby food grinder. Add plenty of liquid to soften so baby can easily swallow the food. Consult with a pediatrician to determine when to introduce full-fat dairy products - yogurt is a great item to start with. Check with your pediatrician if a family history of allergies to milk products exists. Some infants and children do not tolerate dairy products well.

I got this info from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthinfo/nutrition_solidfood.html

 

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