Water and Rice Cereal

My pediatrician recommended water when starting cup training, usually around 6 months. Baby will not get much to drink this way, but as cup training can be messy it is the best liquid to start with. Babies don't really need water until age 1 as long they get enough formula to drink, but if the weather is especially hot and baby has had enough formula we would give water from a cup (not from a bottle).

We held off on all food until 6 months, and then started with oatmeal instead of rice. Rice can be binding, causing baby to get constipated. Oatmeal doesn't have this effect, is very easy to digest, and is less likely than rice to cause an allergic reaction.

This worked well for my babies!

Hi M.. Congrats on your baby boy..my daughter just turned 6 months and we started giving her rice cereal at 4 months. She took to it right away. Now the food was another story. She wouldnt take NOTHING. No sweet potato, no applesauce, no nothing. Then at about 5 months, she loved EVERYTHING lol. So dont get fustrated if he doesnt take to it at first.
And about the water, my doctor said wait til hes at least 4 months, but really he doesnt need it yet. I am a huge fan of water, my mom gave it to me weeks old. So ofcourse I want her to be big on water too (thats how I know about the water lol I always asked her Dr) But whatever you do, when baby has diarrhea or is throwing up do NOT give him water. Only because he is losing enough water through his diarrhea and vomiting and his salt levels and she said something else, gets thrown off and inbalanced. Give him pedialite (sp?) instead.
Sorry for the novel ;) Good luck!!

I started my daughter on rice cereal when she was 3.5 months and solids at a little over 5 months. She was showing interest whenever I drank water out of a glass so I introduced the sippy cup to her with water when she was 4 months but never gave her much at all. I just wanted her to practice with the sippy cup. But I have always followed what her Pediatrician suggested.

My daughter has also been taking finger foods for a few weeks now and she's going to be 7 months in a week and a half. I only give her the puffs since it melts in her mouth and she's been feeding herself without my help. She also has been grabbing her spoon out of my hand each time I feed her.

I would follow what your Ped suggests but also look for signs of interest from your son when you sit down and eat.

Found this awesome article and nutrition chart check it out. I'm sure it will help. I'm loving it this time around for my 3 month old...cause with my 2 year old I was always wondering how much to feed her, and when to feed her certain things. It's normally 4-6 months for cereal at least.

http://www.babyzone.com/baby/feeding_nutrition/a2597

I just started giving my 6 month old rice cereal 1 x per day. I had read that helps prevent allergies if you can wait 6 months. Some say a year.

haven't heard about water - ask your Dr. on that one.

good luck!

We started giving our son 1-2 tablespoons of rice cereal at about 4 1/2 months 1 x day...We have yet to give me any water by itself....not sure about that :)

Hi M., i gave my babies water as new borns, the nursing kit I bought, cam with a water bottle, and i used formula with the rice cereal not water. Every living thing needs water. J.

Stumbled across this one but since we exclusively breastfed, we were told she wouldn't need any other liquids until she was about a year. A lot of people think "they need water, we all need water" but they get that water from you if you're nursing and from the formula. (If you're nursing remember to drink plenty of water yourself though so you don't dehydrate)
We started her on Rice Cereal at 6 months in order to make sure her digestive tract was capable of handling it and not introduce something that she can later have allergies to (introducing some foods too early have been linked to developing food allergies later like grains, nuts, soy etc.)
I did however mix her cereal with water because I had difficulty expressing milk (she was great, the pump-not so much) so she got a little extra water from that. I also put a little water in a sippy cup at about 8 months mostly for the cup training, again because I had difficulty pumping extra milk for her. NEVER EVER unless the doctor recommends it for health issues, Give your baby cereal from a bottle. (this has been linked to aspyration of the cereal, plus a propensity towards obesity later in life)
A few resources for you that relate to water and cereal :)
Water-
http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/fit6.asp
http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/foodnutrition/article.js...
Cereal-
http://www.drgreene.com/21_561.html

I've always been told that a baby before the age of 1 does not need water as long as they were still getting breastmilk or formula.

my daughters pediatrician said we could start feeding rice cereal at 4mo (mixed with formula/breast milk or water) and okayed water at 6mos. i started giving my baby rice cereal at 3 1/2 months because she was demonstrating the mouth movements and intrest in what i was eating but didnt start giving water till 5 1/2-6mo.

Hi M.,

My baby's pediatrician recommended giving solids at 6 mos of age since he was exclusively breastfed. If not breastfeeding, then she said to start at 4 mos. She also recommended starting with the rice cereal especially since he has numerous allergies ( wheat, milk, soy ). As for water, babies are supposed to get enough water out of the breastmilk or formula feeding. However, at around 9 mos, his pediatrician okayed 2 oz of H2O to help with constipation and hot weather. Hope this info helps you out.

A.

Ditto what Kelli said.

Water after 6 months, per my Pediatrician.
Solids, starting at 6 months as well.

Remember, for the first year of life, breastmilk/formula is a baby's PRIMARY source of nurtients.

All of this is per the continuing development of a baby's internal organs, and digestive system, in conjunction with their swallowing ability and "tongue thrust" instincts.

Go by what your pediatrician says...only he/she would know your baby's conditions and needs best. Some Pediatricians are more conservative in approach (ie: waiting until 6 months), and some are more liberal....and per the baby's weight/growth as well.

Good luck!
~Susan