Baby Cereal

Smells so good that i also feel like eating it!

Aaaaah! ~~ Baby just can't get enough of the cereal! ~

When baby turned 4 months, i bought the Heinz Baby Rice Cereal and tried to feed her. At that time i was not exactly successful because baby's neck is still not strong and her tongue thrust reflex has not disappeared (this is a reflex where babies push foreign matter out of their mouths; an inborn mechanism that protects them from choking on foreign bodies). Baby ate just a little bit and pushes most of it out. So i gave up after a few days and decided to wait for a better time.

The wait proved to be the right thing to do. When baby was 4.5 months, the entire episode took a different turn. She LOVED the cereal!! She would be so excited each time she sees the familiar bowl and spoon; her arms and legs would be flying frantically in the air beckoning the feed! Baby always grabs the spoon so tightly as if she wanted to feed herself! Hilarious! ~

3 things i learnt on starting solids:
a. It is important to assess the readiness of your baby before you start any solids. There is no "best time" - your baby's timing is the best!

b. Feed the solids after milk, not before. Starting solids at this time is more for baby to acquire the taste and experience, and not exactly to make her full. Milk is still the primary source of nutrients at this time. You may worry that baby will be too full after milk to eat the cereal. I had the same doubt but surprising baby still happily eats the cereal after a full feed.

c. Feed the solids from a spoon, not mixing it into the milk. It is important for baby to start learning how to eat from a spoon, which is THE WAY to eat as she grows up. Eating the cereal dissolved into milk will make her full, but does not teach her how to eat. For me, i do both; daytime feed from spoon and nightime feed from bottle.

The rice cereal has a very fragrant smell and i mixed it with breast milk; in the beginning to a very watery consistency and slowing thickening it through the days. You can get this readily at kiddy palace. Dear mummy friends, enjoy this next milestone with your baby! :