my doc said to start cereal at 4 mo, i waited to 5 months (using single grain cereals one at a time with a few days between trying anything new incase of allergies) then started fruits/veggies one at a time.
Hey there,
I start giving cereal at about 3 months! Just a little bit once a day! The babies were eating our food by the time they were 11 months old!!!
My first DD I started on cereal at 4 months and jarred food shortly after that. She did well. The only food I avoided and waited until a year were meat, strawberries, peanut butter, milk, cheese and eggs. I am doing the same with my second DD (she will be 5 months Jan3).
I started my kids on cereal when they were about 6 mos old. The dr said it wouldn't hurt them, so I fed them food. Besides, eating solid food kept them fuller longer than formula.
I also fed them jarred fruits and veggies as well. Oh... and mashed potatoes. I didn't start them on the jarred meats tho until they were a year old.
It's best to wait as long as possible so that their digestive systems have time to fully develop. Before a year giving them baby cereal or food is only beneficial in teaching them how to "chew" food and swallow it. I tried giving my second daughter baby food at the recommended age and she hated it so we just skipped it. She went straight to table foods right before her first birthday (maybe 10 months old?).
They recommend waiting until your baby is 4-6 months old before introducing cereal or food.