Some infants start eating baby food and rice cereal around 4 months of age. I have a 2 year old that started at 4 months with Rice Cereal and fruits. She never had a problem eating. It's up to your ped. to let you know when your baby is ready.

Well, I have a 2 month old daughter who loves cereal. I started adding cereal to her bottle about 2 weeks ago actually...just enough satisfy her. She was wanting to drink a 6 oz. bottle, but her little belly just isn't big enough for 6 ounces of fluid, so I added some cereal and fed it to her at her last feeding of the night. She would fall asleep not long afterwards and sleep all night. Then I started putting cereal in her bottle every morning and every night. I started feeding her some cereal with a spoon, and she didn't do too good at first, but now she eats it just fine from the spoon. In about another month, I'm hoping to have her on cereal and fruits/veggies. I don't care what the dr.'s say, there are just some babies that can't wait until they are 6 months to eat semi-solids! Me and my 2 brothers (one who is only 5 years old) were all on cereal and fruits by the time we were 2 months old. None of us ended up having food allergies either. I don't see how things change over the years. Even babies sleeping on their belly is wrong now...my daughter won't sleep any other way! So, really it's up to you. If you think your child needs more than formula, then go for it! Just do be careful and start in very small amounts. My daughter seems to be doing just fine with it.

Before babies are 4-6 months old they have a tongue-thrust reflex, so if you put something in their mouth, they will spit it out. This helps to keep them from choking. If they can't hold their heads up steady by themselves, they can choke. Babies under this age do not need anything besides breastmilk or formula. Their bodies are not ready for anything else.

I think that relying on a book or a doctor to tell you what to feed your baby and when is absurd. No baby fits into an exact schedual and my doctor refuses to believe that my son is teething "because he's to young". If she would just look at his mouth she'd see the top of a tooth starting to poke out. You know your baby and what he or she needs better than anyone else. My son is three months old and eating baby food. He exibited all the signs that he was ready for food. He's teething, he can sit up assisted, he can turn his head away when he's full and his tounge thrust reflex doesn't push the food straight back out of his mouth and he was so insistant about wanting food that he'd give puppy eyes while we were eating and try to grab some for himself. Also he was making himself sick by trying to eat way to much formula at a time. I COULD have put cereal in his bottle but that felt a little dishonest to me. Either he is ready for "real" food and can eat it off of a spoon or he can't and isn't. He has had no tummy upset issues and is a much happier baby now. He's sleeping easier and fussing much less. I don't feel that I'm shorting him nutritionally because I only offer him baby food after he's eaten a six ounce bottle. He's not eating any more infrequently than he was before he's just more comfortable between meals. The short answer to your question is that some are ready for baby food at three months and some aren't; it's really up to your baby to decide what he or she is ready for.

It depends some babies can start to eat applesauce and baby foods at 2months and some have to wait until they are 6-7months old. Also if your baby seems to be hungry a lot like needing to eat every hour or 2, then start by giving her just a small amount of babyfood or applesauce and if she goes for 3-4hours before wanting to eat again then you can give her a little bit more.

The important thing is that a 3 month old SHOULD not eat pureed foods. Health experts and breastfeeding experts agree that it's best to wait until your baby is around six months old before offering solid foods. There has been a large amount of research on this in the recent past, and most health organizations have updated their recommendations to agree with current research. Unfortunately, many health care providers are not up to date in what they're telling parents, and many, many books are not up to date. http://kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/solids.html http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000.asp#T032001 http://www.health.gov.ab.ca/public/InfantFeedingGuide.pdf

I believe that a baby can eat baby food whenever they seem ready for it. A baby is a little person that would like more than formula or breast milk in the daily diet. My daughter is 2 months old and she is loving her fruits and veggies. My doctor said that it was ok for her to eat cereal at 1 month and with that said she had her cereal then and at 2 months she started eating stage 1 baby food. You can tell that your baby is ok with the foods as long as they digest it( have bowel movements). Do what you think is best and not that of others you should be able to tell if your baby is ready all babies are different.

Yes infact some babies can eat applessauce of baby food at 1 month old. And some can't eat any until they are 6-7 months old.

Actually my baby is 3 month right now, and she is wanting to eat every 2-3 hours still, so my doctor told me that there is nothing wrong with putting 1 tablespoon of rice with every 2 ounces of formula (4 ounces of formula max) She has been eating rice in every other bottle, and is still at the perfect weight. She did say that it is true that babies won't sleep much longer with rice, but it is a little more filling, and also helps reduce spit up.

During the day I watch a 7 mo. old as well as my son who is 3 mo. So sometimes I give him a taste of her food. We've been having a hard time with feeding because he is just so hungry, but can only take 4 ounces at a time. So last night I gave him about two tsp of bananna and he was so content. This morning he actually ate half a container of those resealable gerber bannanas. He is just so happy today. He's been on medication since birth because of his acid reflux so he's use to taking his medication by spoon and other methods. Baby food is as thick as his meds. He doesn't spit it out and he can sit up with little assistance. He's also been able to hold up his head since 2 weeks old and he was holding up his head wobbly his second day alive. I believe that it all depends on the child. From my research it all depends on a few things. Can they sit up on their own? Can they hold up their head? When you go to give them a taste from the spoon do they push it out with their tongue? Do they take 4 ounces properly without spitting up more than a tsp? Also I read today that it's best to start with cereal so I think I'm going to back track and give him cereal in the morning when he wakes up and before he goes to bed until he's 4 months when I believe it'll be time to start eating more baby food. oh and anyone who is reading this that wants to feed their baby more I was reading the easiest to digest are yellow vegetables like bannanas and they are also the least likely to cause a allergic reaction. Also peaches as well.

i think its really up to you. you are the parent so you decide weather or not to feed your baby. i fed my daughter rice cereal, apple sauce with formula in a little bowl when she just made 4 months. if she still seems hungry , i'd give her the breast. she is going to be 6 months old this month and she can eat 2 bottles of baby food at one feeding if its not mixed with cereal. so long as your baby can hold his or head up, id say go for it.

I agree with you in everything...mommywithinsight. I actually have a 3 month old baby, and I started feeding him Rice Cereal, because it is recommended that you start babies with Cereal..preferably Rice. I also started giving him some fruits like banana gerbers, and sweet potatoes. But I just dont agree in one small thing you said at the end.. You said: "Even babies sleeping on their belly is wrong now...my daughter won't sleep any other way! " It's not that doctors think its wrong. The thing is that there is something called SIDS. And there has been alot of research involved in this..and they have discovered that sleeping babies on their bellys, increases the chances of SIDS. SIDS means..Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Nobody knows the cause of that, but they have found out that when you sleep your baby on her belly, it increases her chance of SIDS. But other than that, I agree with you completely. Feed a baby when you feel like they are ready. You are the parent, and its up to you when to do everything. You love your baby and the last thing ur gonna do, unless ur crazy, is harm your baby. God Bless!!

my daughter is 3 months old and i just started to give her sum baby cereal. everytym my partner and i sat down to eat she wud stare and start dribbling and get frustrated so i let her have a taste of potatoes and she loved it! She actually got angry at me coz i took 2 long give her potatoes! LOL i think its totally up 2 u and how baby is... my mother was giving my 4 sisters and i taste of food when we were 1 month old... none of us have allergies and we r very healthy, married wit kids.. just to add a quick story i was at the supermarket buying baby cereal and i was in the line to pay for it this lady behind me asked me how old my daughter was n i said 3 months .. she said dont u think its abit 2 young u giving her cereao its recommended from 6 months what age does it say on the box? i just looked at her n said "do i knw u? NO..so dont get involved wit my business!" she said "my son is 4 months n he still is not on that!" i said "where is ur son??" that shut her up!! makes me angry when ppl u dont knw try 2 step in n tell u how 2 raise ur child!! stupid B*****!!! LOL

I have a 4 month old who has been eating rice cereal since 2 months. We went from rice cereal in a bottle at night, to evening feeding with a spoon and now we just starting adding fruit to the cereal followed by a 6 oz bottle. I think it depends on the parent and child.

My friend has a 3 month old and he eats baby food just fine.

some people do not introduce solid foods until six months while others feed their babies this stuff in 4 weeks time usually the first semi solids are the rice cereals that thicken the formula the simple things one by one like carrots green peas apple sauce I think a 3 month old should have applesauce when the mom andd dad feel comfortable the baby is ready to progress to it

THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE. MY LITTLE BOY IS 4 MONTHS AND HE HAS BEEN ON CEREAL FOR A MONTH NOW, AND IT HAS HELPED HIM SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT, AND HE NOW IS ON THE STAGE 1 BABY FOOD. HE IS DOING VERY WELL WITH IT, AND HE LOVES IT. YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR BABY, BUT IF YOU STILL WONDER ABOUT IT, ASK YOUR DOCTOR. HE CAN HELP YOU.

Babies should not eat ANYTHING other than breastmilk (or formula) for at least the first 6 months of life.

LOOK EVERYBODYS BABY IS DIFFRENT I STARTED PUTTING CEREAL IN MY DAUGHTERS BOTTLE AT 3 WEEKS SHE WAS CONSTANTLY HUNGRY. NOW SHE HAS JUST TURNED 2 MONTHS TODAY AND I STARTED GIVING HER APPLSAUCE AT 2 IN A HALF MONTHS AND I NOW FEED HER CEREAL FROM A BOWL BECAUSE SHE HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH KEEPING HER MILK DOWN BUT NOW THAT SHE EATS A FEW SOLIDS SHE NOLONGER HAS THAT PROBLEM YOU CANT LISTEN TO EVERYONS OPINIONS BECAUSE OPINIONS ARE JUST WHAT THEY ARE AND ITS SO NOT TRUE ABOUT THE BABY NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO SWOLLOW THE JAR FOOD YOU JUST HAVE TO GET THEM USED TO EATING FROM A SPOON WHICH DOESNT TAKE LONG AND NOW MY DAUGHTER SLEEPS 12 HOURS EVERYNIGHT BECAUSE SHE DOESNT STAY HUNGRY AND SHE IS 100% HEALTHY!!!!1

my baby is 3 and a hlaf moths old and she watches me eat and she just cries so i gave her a bit of a taste of what i was eating and she was so happy she was eating...i dont know what to do anymore...im confused with everyones answers...should i let her nibble on some foods or should i just stop all together?

For our family most of the babies were eating rice cereal and a little bit of baby applesauce and bananas mixed in the cereal just after three months of age. I think it depends on the child, and if your doctor is more of a nuturalist. Some doctors are very strick to formula and breast milk only. We have found that a more holistic and organic approach by the doctors follow different recommendation. http://childmodelsadvice.com

I have tried to stay on the guideline of 4 mth cereal, 5 month veggie, 6 mth fruit, and 7 mth meat. by 8 to 9 mths, they start to get teeth (hopefully) and can start on the Graduates, fun stuff! That being said, there are babies that need solids earlier and I mean cereal, and some that won't eat until later, either because of the tongue thrust, or they can't sit up or whatever. Your baby will truly let you know. However I would not give applesauce to a 3 month old. Your asking for upset tummy and soft messy stools. But if the baby is handling it, I don't find anything wrong with it, just watch for allergies.

YES! My kids could not take formula or breast milk, by doctors orders they went straight to baby food. I believe that is why they eat everything now. My sons favorite foods are raw onions and broccoli. My daughter loves asparagus. It's your choice to give them what you feel is best, but as far as it hurting them, are you fine and norman because I guarantee your parents did it and their parents did too, it was the norm back than to start food at around 6wks! And I am perfectly healthy, and not obese and have no health problems caused from this. Others will disagree and that is fine, but as I said I and my children are living breathing fact that it won't hurt them..Good luck and don't let other ppl make your parenting choices for you..:)

I was feeding my daughter baby food at one month so she would sleep during the night also so she would gain more weight.

I have three children and all of them were different. My first child didn't want anything but breastmilk until 5 months of age and then at almost exactly 5 months he started eating the foods I had been letting him have little tastes of(fruits mostly, no seeds of any kind as that can induce allergic reactions..i.e. strawberries, rasberries etc.) with a huge appetite. My second child wanted food at three months. I pureed bananas and peaches, made homemade applesauce and included rice cereal in his diet. He was breastfed, just like all three of my kids, until 7 months of age. But his appetite was just to big for ONLY breastmilk. My third child started eating soft-solid foods like that purees at 4 months. She is perfectly happy to play with it as eat it, and again, no problems. She is now 4. My oldest is 19. Big spread between the kids and all the info in the last 20 years of raising them consistantly changes. Honestly...the human race survived very well with mothers raising their kids without all this "research" going on for thousands of years. You just need to pay attention to what you childs needs are. I would say this in giving your children under the age of 6 months foods...Only try one food a week. Give a little taste of say, banana, see if they even like it or want it. If they do, make certain it is mashed up very well for them. Then give just a small amount, an ounce or 2 max. Wait a week to see if there is any reaction forthcoming. Allergic reaction. If not try it again. I would say dont introduce more than three foods into their diets before 6 months and make sure you keep track of what they are and when given along with how much. And remember, nothing with seeds in it. My kids are all fit and healthy and active with no allergies. Just pay attention to your children, ask your doctor for input, and use common sense here parents!

Yes. They usually recommend that you start them off w/ strained foods when the formula doesn't fill them up (which is about 2 or 3 mos old). I would recommend starting off w. veggie so they don't acquire the sweet tooth & then refuse to eat peas, carrots, etc.

yes a 3 month old can start baby food my mum started me on baby rice when i was 6 weeks old and i have no problems my baby is 10 weeks old and i have been giving him food in his night botle now for 3 weeks and hes fine hes all ways smiling and happy he sleeps 12 hours a night and hes having 28oz of milk a day hes not over wight hes just right so if ur baby is hungry i would start putting 1/2 tablespoon of baby rice in his night bottle and if his still hungry put it up but i will wight till hes 4 month befor i start spoon feeding him

my son is 11wks today and ate beechnut pears and loved them he smiled the whole time and got full after a third of the can... no problems with his tummy but i only recommend feeding it to them once a day

People managed to populate this planet long before Gerber was in existence, so I'm sure that your baby could eat just about anything edible as long as it is soft and yummy enough for his tender palate.

My son is 3 months old and he weighs a healthy 16 pounds. He was 8 pounds 11 ounces when he was born. The doc told us to give in 2 ounces of formula every 3 to 5 hours but that wasnt cutting it. By 5 weeks of age he was already eating 6 almost 7 ounces every 5 hours. He has had cereal almost every night since he was about 6 weeks and he sleeps through the night. He doesnt spit out his cereal or anything. He gulps it all down without any problems. He was holding his head up at 2 weeks old, he can roll from his back to his front and also the other way, he grabs things from ppl, and he can sit with very little support. I beleive that ppl should follow the guidlines somewhat but they are not written in stone and you will not be struck down by lighting if you stray from the guidelines. To each his own. Do what works for you because i know my son is healthy and right on target where he should be. Do what you think is best for your child. No one can tell you how to raise them.

i quit listening to the doctors as far as feeding. my child has reflux really bad so when she's hungry, i feed her, and she's still only on the 10th percentile in her weight. she eats all the time. she is six months old and i feed her second stage foods as well as the whopping big 1 ounce of breast milk still left in my body and however much bottle she wants. baby food doesnt make her spit up any worse than formula. she does just fine eating it and loves it. now that she is eating baby food she makes it at least3 hours to the next feeding. the latest time i allow her to have baby food tho is like 6:00pm. it's not a good idea to get them dependant on solids to last them through the night. i will listen to experts on that part. it would be like breaking the habbit of letting your child sleep with you. think about that one. my child doesn't do that either. bad habbit to start. i know to many people who do that and regret it when they can't get their child into their own room. anyhow, your child will let you know when they are hungry for more than just formula, and when they are ready for another stage of baby food. just be careful with the stage 2 bc it is thicker. (be especially careful with the mango because i was stirring it and found some of the fruit's skin still in the jar.)

do not listen to people who say they should not have food till there 6months! its bull! my 3month old has rice cerial befor bed and YES it helps her sleep and NO is will not make them upset you still have to burp them if you dont then they will get sick. but a lil rice cerial in there bottel like the tip of a teaspoon is ok! the experts are not right all the time! the mother knows her baby best trust what your gut says! not what others tell you

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T030500.asp look at this page

my baby girl is nearly 3 months old and weights 12lb 07oz and she can hold her head up and move it to side to side and she is drinking 7oz every feed and feeding every 3 hours but she still wakes in the night starving hungry her belly is rumbling so i have started to put about 2 tablespoons of pure baby rice in her bottle in the morning and one at about 11 at night and she seems happier not crying all the time i prob wont feed her from a spoon till she can sit up properly.

You and only you know your baby. All the responses you got are just others experiences not whats best for your child. now my experience. my now 5yr old daughter didnt have solids till 6mnts like the dr said and being the first i did as told now my son started cereals at 3mnts at about 4soups and sauces and at 7mnts he had it all organic meat, eggs, veggies and fruits yogurt...everything but honey and nuts. applesauce can give a baby gas or loose bowel rice does the opposite... so i guess do what u feel is right

I have known people that give their infant some baby cereal at a few weeks of age and some that have only breast fed for years. All those children seem equally healthy now that they have grown up. I started my babies on cereal at 6 mo. and 4 mo. but if they needed it sooner I would have given it to them. And shortly started on other baby food fruits. They also had apple juice before that. One of my girls had fresh banana mashed when she was about 2 mo. and ice cream at a family picnic when she was 3 mo. She has never been ill, had an allergy, or even a cavity in her teeth, she is now 20 y/o. Just do what you think your baby needs and know that you are doing the best job of raising your child that you can.

My baby is 1 1/2 months old and has been eating cereal in her night time bottle since about 4 weeks. We started with rice cereal, only about a pinch in her bottle. She would sleep 6-7 hours a night. She started spitting it up a few days into it. We then switched her to the barley cereal. She sleeps about 8 ho0urs a night now and we have had no problems with spitting up or tummy ache. She also drinks apple juice (diluted with water ofcourse) in between feedings. She is perfectly fine. We are getting ready to introduce her to applesauce anytime now. She isn't overweight at all and seems perfectly happy.

Generally a child that age would still be on milk or formula, though you might start supplementing with a bit of cereal. But that's an average, you have to read your baby and adjust accordingly. Some kids need more food earlier. Some fruit in the morning, some cereal with meals, might help fill a hollow leg so s/he's happier longer (which really helps at night). If s/he's always hungry then you need to supplement.

my son weighed over 9 lbs at birth and only lost an ounce when we left the hospital, so hes a good size baby.He weighs about 16 lbs now at 3 mos and a week. so since he is so big, formula just wasn't enough...period... i've been giving him cereal in his bottle since about 3 weeks old and spoon feeding him a few bites at around a month and a half.i weighed the same as he did and my mom told me thats what she did with all us kids(both my brothers were 9lbs 10oz). In my opinion as long as you start out with a small amount,they can swallow without choking and their stomach can handle it(also if they're a good size, not 6 or 7 lbs) it should be ok....i also started him on fruits and veggies about 3 weeks ago and he looooves them.in fact i only give him half a jar at a time and he threw a fit the other day cause he wasn't finished!! haha....

Absolutely not! A 3 month old's digestive tract is not mature enough to properly digest the food. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Medical Association recommend beginning the introduction of cereal at 4-6 months of age. A recent study done in Denver, CO cited a connection between early introduction of cereal to Type I diabetes, Celiac disease (a digestive autoimmune disease), obesity and asthma later in life. Sensibly speaking early introduction of foods baby is not developmentally ready for also causes baby tummy pain and gas.

my 3months old baby girl is now eating smashed banana and sweet potato..and i dont stop giving her breast milk..shes healthy and no belly pain:) aira

My baby is 5 months n i have been giving her rice cereals since 4mnths n also multi cereals with applesauce n she is doing realy fine, just take things slowly n wait 4 any reaction(s),if she seems fine go to vegy n later on fruits.just let ur baby guide you! gosalmanur@gmail.com

My baby is 5 months n i have been giving her rice cereals since 4mnths n also multi cereals with applesauce n she is doing realy fine, just take things slowly n wait 4 any reaction(s),if she seems fine go to vegy n later on fruits.just let ur baby guide you! gosalmanur@gmail.com

we've just started feeding our 3 mo. old cereal and some baby food... she loves it!!

I have a 3 month old son and he watches me eat. We have had bouts with colic (or so the doctor says) and he has been on 4 different formulas. He has been eating over 6oz of formula since he was 3 weeks old... and my doctor tells me that it is too early for cereal and wants me to thicken up his formula with more formula. This created the problem that he can't or has trouble going poop which causes more of a tummy ache!! So my question to all the individuals out there who are so against people giving their kids anything other than breastmilk/formula until they are 6 months old is, did you ever have a child that it wasn't enough for? Because until you are faced with it you can read all the "research" that you want but you have no understanding of what it is like.

i was on cereal when i was 2 months and ate baby food by 3 1/2 months, i'm fine... no health problems.. i noticed this with my daughter as well. she likes to eat and guess what, at 2 months she was eating cereal... with permission from the doc.....

mine is 2 months and I give him a little cereal mixed with breast milk and baby apple sauce or pears... He's a big boy, was born at 10 lbs and breast milk does not fill him up... he loves the food! I don't give him much just a little bit and he does fine with it.. he does not cry or have digestion/stomach issues and he sleeps longer. I know they say you are not "supposed" to, but every child is different.. it's trial and error.

Yes my Son is 2 months and 9 days today and he has been eating baby food for the last 3 to 4 days and there is nothing wrong with it. He sleeps all night. My son is also gettin a tooth. He already rolls over and tries to sit up.. He tries to talk he says "hey" and "hi".. And right ow he weighs 15 pounds dont worry there is nothing wrong with teething early or eating baby food early.. you are not being a bad parent!!!! Natasha Ihave a question do you think that i am feeding my son too early??

I am adopting a beautiful baby girl. I've had her since she was 7 weeks old. She will be 4 months old on the 20th. My natural instincts are kicking in and I know in my heart she is ready for more than formula. I have been adding rice cereal to 2 feedings for ohhhh 2 weeks, and just started this past Monday spoon feeding those meals instead of adding to her bottle..she loves it...Every baby is different, she is teething (3 of them) and she can turn over and is trying to crawl..she is loving her spoon fed meals, we bond, we laugh, we record them and most importatn her tummy is satisfied!!

A 3 month old pig will eat amost anything :-)

my son is 3 a little over three months and I just started feeding him cereal but I went straight for the spoon. He does great. He doesn't spit it out and he doesn't make a mess. He can not sit up on his own but he does good. My daughter is 5 now and I started her on cereal at 1 month in her bottle and about 2 on a spoon. my son just was not ready but the last couple of days he seemed like he was not satisfied. Since he has 3 teeth coming in I figured it was his teeth but I gave him cereal today and he is a happy camper :) I don't care what the doctors and other people say. I know my children better then them

6 months is a stretch, i have a 3 month old and she eats squash, peas, apple sauce, sweet potatos,like a pro and she eats mixed cereal. I have a 7 year old too and i started feeding her food at 3 months. and also the 1st foods are for babies that can sit up when u hold them...2nd foods are for like 6 month olds so YES u can feed your baby before 6 months old. My cousin started feeding her premie baby at 2 months old and he liked it and done just fine. Each baby is different, if they act like their belly hurts or like they cant handle it dont feed them wait about 2 weeks try again or until they are 4 months old. The doctor recommends 4 months as a GUIDELINE!!! and for the lady that said babies under 6 months old shouldnt have food is bull crap....it is at least 4 months any way, ur kid will be behind and wont be used to it... just try when u feel ur baby can.