Ive been hearing all this stuff about how rice cereals are bad. What did you first start feeding your little one?
mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, yams, mushy rice, bananas.. mashed turkey .. turkey over chicken because its way softer for small ones.
Lemons and chili peppers! Seriously though, they really shouldn't have anything other then breastmilk until they're at least 6 months. When they're able to sit up on their own and they show an interest, you can start with bland fruits and veggies like avacado, banana, mashed peas or carrots, rice cereal, etc. Even at this stage though, they're still getting all their nutrients from breast milk, and "eating" is really just a way for them to experiment with new textures and flavors for later. Rice cereal this early is really not necessary and may be linked to food allergies later in life. Some parents favor it because it helps baby sleep longer, but that's because it's harder for them to digest so they stay full longer--it doesn't mean it's good for them. You really don't need to supplement breast milk at all until they get more mobile and are burning more calories in a day.
I saw something the other night about high levels of arsenic in rice cereal. Obiously not enough to kill,but more than is acceptable. I'll look it up and come back. My ex breast fed about a year with 2 of the kids and 2 years with the middle one. Anyway,we fed them the same foods as mentioned. We got a little hand food grinder which made it easier to prepare it. They're so cute when they don't care for something-it just comes right back out with no doubt about how they feel about it.
my pediatrician told me I could start putting rice cereal in a bottle wth expressed milk at 3 months but I plan to wait until 6 months. I don't really know much about it being bad for babies but I'm going to have to look into it now.
Yes, this ^^^^^^ Adding cereal just keeps their tummy full longer, but not much nutritional value. You will also notice more gastric distress when introducing the cereal, more gas, etc. AND it will make the poop start to actually smell like shit. Breast milk is the absolute perfect food for infants. It contains all the needed nutrients, automatically changes type/consistency as the baby develops, and there is a constant exchange of information between the babies saliva and the mothers body and the nutrient make-up of the milk will change to meet a babies dietary needs. Mothers always remember to eat well and be sure to take calcium supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Most women don't realize how much bone density can be lost if you don't supplement. The baby's gonna get what it needs to grow, even if it means "cannibalizing" mom.
My baby is 3 mionths old, I wont be giving him anything but breast milk until he is 6 months. That being said, Im trying to decide what his first food should be. I hear rice cereal is bad. I was looking at barley instead? I know that the first mineral he starts to lack is iron so cereals fortified with iron are whats recommended by the canadian pedeatric society... however, other cultures start feeding fruits or veggies that are high in iron and even meat as a first food. I want to do whats healthiest for my little one
My girls' first foods were avocado and banana mixed with breastmilk at 6 months old. The only cereal I did was oatmeal because they liked it a lot.
my mom says she started feeding me pablum for my first food. i found this website that's pretty interesting: http://www.becomingmamas.com/baby-led-weaning-an-alternative-approach-to-starting-solids/
