1. Health

Your Baby Week Nineteen

By , About.com Guide

Updated December 15, 2007

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Baby Food Next Steps
After rice cereal, parents usually try oatmeal cereal and then vegetables and fruits.

After rice cereal, parents usually try oatmeal cereal and then vegetables and fruits, such as Gerber Peaches and Peas or Earth's Best Carrots or Peas.

Photo © Vincent Iannelli, MD

After your baby is doing well eating rice cereal for a while, you will likely want to try other baby foods.

Although there are no absolute rules on how to do this, some general guidelines include that you:

  • not be in a big rush to start other baby foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and meats, since you have started rice cereal on the early range of normal (4 to 6 months).
  • start other foods once your baby isn't satisfied just eating cereal, for example, she is already eating 3 or 4 tablespoons of cereal once or twice a day and still seems hungry.
  • wait 2 or 3 days in between starting new foods, such as carrots, peas, or peaches, so that you will recognize symptoms of a food allergy or intolerance, such as diarrhea, gas, vomiting, or skin rashes.
  • after your baby is tolerating an iron-fortified rice cereal for a few weeks or months, you can then try oatmeal, barley, wheat, and then mixed cereal, in that order.
  • experts usually advise adding a vegetable to your baby's diet, before you start fruits, just because your baby might prefer the sweeter taste of fruits if you start them first.
  • slowly work your way up to 4 ounces of baby food three times a day, in addition to 24 to 36 ounces of breast milk or formula. Unfortunately, how much your baby eats at each age varies quite a bit, so you will have to play it by ear a little to figure out how much to feed your baby. For example, a sample menu for a baby might include nursing 7 times a day and just eating 2 ounces of cereal once a day, while another might be nursing 8 times a day and eating 4 ounces of cereal for breakfast, 2 ounces of veggies and fruit for lunch, and 2 ounces of veggies and meat for dinner.

Also, remember that many babies don't start any baby food until they are 6 or 7 months old, so don't be discouraged if your baby doesn't seem ready for solids yet.

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