When do babies start eating rice cereal?

There’s a lot of conflicting information about rice cereal. Some say to put it in the bottle, others say to spoon-feed it, while some advise against feeding it to babies until they can hold their heads up. My baby is 6 weeks old and eats a lot. Because of this, my husband, who has 4 older children, wants to start giving cereal as soon as possible. With all the conflicting advice, I’m unsure where to start when discussing this with our pediatrician at the upcoming 2-month appointment. I’d like to hear how others are approaching this issue.

Pediatricians usually recommend starting rice cereal around 6 months when babies can sit with support and show interest in food. Avoid putting cereal in the bottle; it’s better to spoon-feed. Discuss your baby’s readiness with your pediatrician for personalized advice.

They shouldn’t before 4 months

Rice cereal is completely unnecessary as a first food (or food at all). It’s full of arsenic and not healthy whatsoever. When you do start solids, fruits, vegetables, and meat/fish are much better (and natural) options!

my daughter started at six months

My son wasn’t ready until 5.5 months, despite my pediatrician’s 4 months estimate. She stated it was okay that we waited at our six-month appointment. Certain pediatricians advise waiting till six months.

Six weeks is way too young for solids. Their stomachs aren’t ready yet and could cause digestive issues. Wait at least until six months; oatmeal cereal is better than rice due to potential health concerns. Babies need to sit up well and swallow properly to avoid choking. Breast milk or formula provides all the nutrition they need, so ignore anyone suggesting otherwise. Just feed them more milk if they’re hungry. And remember, pediatricians focus on baby’s health, but they’re not nutrition experts.

6 months or after they’re sitting up on their own so they don’t choke.