Oh yeah I've heard they can really smell it up once solids are started. I have a friend who is religious about cloth diapering as long as baby is nursing but once they start solids then she's on to disposables. She doesn't start solids till about 6 months, she does the baby led weaning, so no cereals, just real food, but at a later age. I cloth diaper during the day, so we'll see how long that lasts after Trey starts solids.

As a nutritionist have you heard the rumor about cereals being linked to gluten intolerance later in life? I swear I heard this somewhere - don't know how much fact/fiction there is to it.

No, I haven't heard that one but I will research it now! It seems like there could be some fact to it, in my opinion. It just seems like in my mind, rice is such a binding food so I'm not sure why MD still recommend that as a first. I wish I would've waited until 6 months for solids as well as I feel maybe all she needs right now is mommy milk. But she loves eating so much and picked up on it really quickly so I don't know. Our pediatrician is great with her and I love him because he's seriously like 70 years old (he was my husband's pediatrician and he's 30) but still so with it. It's like a grandfather. I also like the fact that the doctor does everything- shots and all :)

Oh, Poly- I was reading up on the baby led weaning and it really is interesting. I just get really nervous about Brenna just shoving pieces of food in her mouth. I'm always worried she'll choke.

I haven't done enough reading/research on the baby led weaning yet, even though I have the book (I better get on it) but a friend of mine did it with her two youngest and swears they don't choke. But yes I have your same thoughts. The other thing I've heard is "food before 1 is just for fun" - meaning that breastmilk is more than enough nutrition until they are a year old.

If you have a minute and want to "talk" to some ppl or get some insight into the baby led weaning - check out the facebook page "the leaky b@@b" - there are a lot of women who use it and would have tips/ideas and they could share their experiences with introducing foods to little ones.

From the little I remember about the cereals - it's such an overprocessed food, any real nutrition would have been taken out of it, the "good" fiber, etc and so it's similar to us eating white bread and clogging up our intestines with gluten. I really should quit throwing notions out there unless I do more research/know my sh!t. I hear things and they aren't always pertinent in my life now but then it'll be more important later and I can't remember everything about it. And I am by no means a nutritionist/health guru, but my mom/sister have TONS of food problems and so I try to know just a little bit (probably only enough to get me in trouble/be confusing) but hopefully enough to be a little healthier.

I'm glad you like your pediatrician - I worry about docs that are too old, then again I worry about docs that are too young too. I worry that they will either be old and stuck in their ways or young and inexperienced. We have our first appt with Trey's new doc on 5/9 - hopefully I'll like him cuz he's not a ped, he's actually family medicine and I'm hoping to go to him for anything non-female related, but mostly I want him to be good with Trey. A friend with 3 boys recommends him, so I'm guessing I'll be pleased.

I read an article that linked rice cereal to childhood obesity, but not the gluten thing. That's interesting.

The only thing rice cereal is good for is filling their belly faster, and that's not a good enough reason for me to feed it to my baby. You're right Poly, there's no nutritional value to it. There are are other soft foods that can be used to teach baby to eat off a spoon, if that's the route you want to take. I'll probably do a combo of the baby led weaning and making my own pureed food. I've heard mom's say that their babies will gag on the food sometimes, but that it's normal for them to do that, and it's just part of them learning how to chew and swallow solids. Prescott sometimes gags while drinking, and obviously he's not going to choke on formula. lol

Just start with softer foods, small pieces, and make sure they are only getting one piece at a time. My nephew is always choking himself, but it's because he wants to shove everything in his mouth at once. We literally have to hand him a piece at a time. You'd think he'd spent time in prison or something. lol

Babies are smart. They'll figure it out. :)

The reason rice cereal is one of the first recommended foods is because it is low allergenic. Also, the other main concern is iron deficiency anemia. Breastfed infants do not receive enough iron through mommy's milk along. Formula fed infants do as they are receiving it through the formula they drink. All infant cereals are iron fortified. We have chosen to go the organic, brown rice cereal route. I'm not unhappy with the product, I'm just unhappy with the slow BMs. However, I spoke too soon because since I posted this, she's pooped just fine. It still stinks though! ;)

I think they make baby iron supplements, don't they? Which you would only need if the baby actually had a deficiency.

They do make iron supplements for infants. I'd just rather her needs come from food sources when possible. Now I just read an article on arsenic in rice cereal!!! Ahhh! I swear. Now I am stopping completely.

If I'm not mistaken small amounts of arsenic are used in homeopathic/holistic medicine to help control skin problems (itching/excema) type stuff. But I sure wouldn't want to use it and DEFINITELY wouldn't want it in my babies food.

And an FYI - one of the nurses at our hospital told me they can't use Johnson's baby shampoo because it has formaldehyde in it. Isn't that nice??

Oh yeah, Poly. I had read that about the J&J baby stuff. I've been using Burt's Bees and California Baby stuff. There's so much crap out there, it's so hard to know what's safe and what's not anymore! It's enough to make your head spin.