Start with Oatmeal or Rice?

[KMommie]

IMO, DD is not yet ready to start solids, but the ped keeps asking if I've started yet. He gave me that Gerber sheet, some of you have mentioned at our 4 month appointment. Obviously, I'm not going to follow the directions of a BABY FOOD company, even if it did come from the dr's office! DD is now 4 1/2 months old, with a history of family allergies. She still has some tongue reflex going, but she will take a spoon (we fed her some formula this way this week because she was sick---another story) The ped agreed that those are reasons to wait, but said he'd really like to see me start before her 6 month appointment (we saw him again yesterday because DD was sick.)

So, when DD is finally ready---is oatmeal okay to start with? She's already a seldom pooper---I'd hate to stop her up and have to battle with constipation. Plus, it seems like Rice just isn't very appealing. Is oatmeal as allergy friendly? It sounds like I should start with one meal a day for several weeks, and take my cues from DD as to when to add. Why are some people (the ped, MIL, DH) in such a hurry to start solids?

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03

[jal]

I don't think it matters which you try first. It will be more of a "try one, if she doesn't like it, try the other".

As for the ped asking if she's on solids, I would have to say ignore the ped and let Kiki tell you when she is ready. For the average healthy baby, I believe that there is no reason that they can not be formula/breast feed for the first YEAR of life. But the typical developement is that babies are ready to begin solids sometime between 4 and 6 months of age.

As for worried about stopping her up, just make sure she gets plenty of fluids and don't make the cerial too thick.

[Marisa6826]

Hi Jeannie!

If you haven't picked it up already, get the book "Child of Mine" by Ellyn Satter. It's a REALLY dense read (I can't get further than a few pages without conking out!), but the premise of it is that the parent provides the what and when of eating and the child's job is the if and how much of eating. Basically, it's not up to you IF Kiki eats. It's only your responsibility of providing the option of eating.

In other words, offer her the food. If she wants it, great. If not, try again in a week or so. She will definitely eat when she's ready!

Sophie wasn't interested in solids until she was SEVEN months old. I would try and try (before reading the book) and she would just be a little clam. One day, we tried apple sauce at a restaurant and she was a little bird!! Her mouth was open wide, she kicked and screamed with laughter! It's been fine since then.

One other word of advice. Sophie HATED cereal. We completely bypassed it and went to fruits and veggies. The entire concept of solids before 12 months is so that the baby can experience the texture of solids NOT for nutritional balance. Kiki should be getting everything she needs from her formula/breast milk until she's 12 months old. If you want to try cereal, go with the oatmeal. You can also try some rice with some pooping-friendly pears. BTW, Gerber stuff is pretty gross. Kind of like wallpaper paste. If you can get your hands on it, try Earths Best.

When Kiki IS ready, try a little (1 tbs. dry) mixed with formula/bm to a thin consistency on a spoon. Gradually thicken it so that it gets to be like mashed potatoes. Give her as much as she wants. She will let you know when she doesn't want anymore.

Hope all this helps. I would stay away from the solids for now. I tend to take ped advice with a big grain of salt. What is he going to do if you tell him in a few weeks that you're not doing solids? Tell you you're a bad Mommy? If he does, then there are other more serious communication problems in that relationship. Trust your instincts!

Good luck

-m

[KMommie]

Thank you for all the good info!! LOL! I have Child of Mine...and I have been trying to get through it...for days (okay, weeks)! I thought it was side effects from the ole preggo brain. :P

It's hard to know when to trust my own instincts over the ped's. We got a sample of the Gerber's in the mail yesterday, and DH was begging to have Kiki try it. Good to know that it's gross, and to look for Earths Best (I'll try the Whole Foods Market) in a month or so, when Kiki seems more ready. I'll have to be firm with DH and MIL.

Yeah, I've had a few "communication problems" with the ped. Lots of my friends were trying to get their kids into his practice, and couldn't---so he's popular, I guess that doesn't necessarily mean he's the doctor for me and Kiki, though. It's a tough call, since we went on the recommendation of my SIL. Anyway, Thanks so much!!

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03

[C99]

I started with oatmeal -- pretty much for the same reasons that you did -- *I* like it better and according to my childhood allergist, at least, there aren't any known cases of oatmeal allergies (allergic to the dyes in the packet or additives, maybe, but not oatmeal). Nate *hated* the oatmeal, but he likes the rice cereal -- probably b/c it's blander and since we mix w/ EBM, more of the breastmilk taste comes through.

Do you like your ped? If not, you may want to consider switching. One of the peds in my practice told me to start Nate on solids after his 4-month appointment. So for his 6-month appointment, we saw someone else in the practice -- who told me that it was fine that I had waited to start him!

[CherylT]

I would start with oatmeal. My ped calls rice cereal 'the devil' because of all the cases of constipation they get after babies are started on rice cereal. My DD didn't have a problem with rice cereal, so I gave it to DS and of course he had a huge constipation problem with it. I will start all my future kids on oatmeal and skip the rice altogether. Good luck!

Cheryl
SAHM to Lilli 9/20/00 & Alec 10/21/02