We were told to start with single fruits and veggies first, and only a small amount at a time to get her used to solids. No mention of meat at all, but our WIC program here will not even cover meats until they're at least 9 months old.

i have never heard of that. i have always been told cereal as the first introduction to solids.

I have also only heard of cereal or fruits/veggies as first foods. I've found that my daughter gets constipated easily from meats, more so than from cereal. You might look at this website for some tips: www.wholesomebabyfood.com.

I did fruit /veggies and cereal first and then to meat as the texture is harder to chew, digest so I'm surprised they suggest this. Plus they are still getting breastmilk or formula as nutrients ( and they are on a supplement if breastfeeding, so iron should not be an issue).

I suggest you look up baby-led weaning.

Could it be that maybe you misunderstood the nurse? Did she really say to NOT star veggies or fruits? Or, was she just trying to impress upon you that baby will get more iron from meat than from rice cereal?

Because she is correct. The iron in rice cereal is very hard to digest, and also causes constipation. As does the rice. Which makes for an unhappy baby.

Back in 2003, when I had my first, I also started him n rice cereal. Somewhere between then and my second, in 2005, the guidelines CHANGED. I was told NOT to start him on rice cereal, but instead, to start him on bits and pieces of food on my plate.

For more on starting solids, see this:
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49:starting-solid-foods&catid=5:information&Itemid=17

i introduced cereal first!
but the nurse told me it was a new thing. there are alot of new things from my babysitting days. lol. like apparently you can give your children peanut products and shellfish at 9 months...where as before it was the last thing you introduced!
i think im going to hold off for a little longer, maybe let her try a little turkey when i eat some and what not.
just thought it was strange.....

Weird. I was told rice cereal, then oatmeal, then fruits, then veggies. Only 1 new thing every 3-4 days. We're still on oatmeal. I'm a vegetarian, so I'm not going to feed my baby meat at all, but I would think meat would be one of the last things to introduce. Babies can get iron from formula and breastmilk, and at 6 months that's still the main source of mutrition.

I think there is a reason we have all done things the same way for years and years and years. I know there are things we have all learned over the years, but somethings work because of nature.
I think of a baby's tummy as being sensitive like when we have the flu... what is easier for us to process when our tummy is sensitive? It's not meat!
My older boys are 12 & 6 1/2, I started the cereals about one a week until I had introduced them all, then vegies (it can be harder to get them to take the bland tasting vegies after the sweet fruits), then the fruits, and then the baby meats (they are pastey and don't have a lot of texture to them)
Does the nurse realize that the iron in formula is also processed, therefore her reasoning doesn't make sense. Formula fedd babies will have already been digesting processed iron for 5-6 mos.
You can always call the WIC office and ask to talk to a nutritionist, or call a private nutrioninst to ask if you still have concerns about this.

I've never heard of that either. We were told to start cereal at 5 weeks and the veggies and fruits in that order at 6 months. My DD is 8 1/2 months and we still are not at meats yet. She gags too easy on the other stuff.

She has her six month check up on Tuesday, so ill swing this newfound knowledge past her doctor and see what he says. hes a GP not a pedi, but he should know whats best for her.
ill let everyone know what he tells me about the meat ordeal.

In some cultures, parents cook small amounts finely ground meat in with broth and veggies and offer that as baby's first food. What it comes down to is your baby being able to swallow without choking. My girls have a hard time with meat- Em is 11 months and she has a hard time with anything but fish. Nina couldn't swallow meat until 11-12 months.

Franny is very right about the guidelines to introducing solids have changed. Make sure that your doctor is using up to date resources. If your GP is in a small office, they most likely do not update their database often. (This is why I have learned to look things up myself- a doctor's advice is NOT always trustworthy)

You don't even have to offer baby rice if you don't want to. Wholesomebabyfood.com is a great resource for learning the nutritional values of food and when best to offer them. Also look into how much iron is absorbed into a baby's system. A baby could eat two cubes of peas and only get a small portion of iron from it. Its due to an immature digestive system and it will take time for your baby's body to learn how to drag out the nutrients.

Good luck! :o)