[simage=1659,160,n,left,] At our four month check up the doctor said it was within the time range that we could start introducing food. Rice cereal is the first food you give to a baby. It’s bland and typically babies don’t have allergies to it. It’s a way to sort of ease the transition from mommy juice to real food. The time frame to introduce this food is between 4 and 6 months. The reason you would start to introduce food now is so that the baby can  learn to distinguish between liquids and solids and they learn how to eat. If you wait past 6 months you run the risk that the baby has to be taught how to eat (by doing more than just putting a spoon to their mouths). *Disclaimer* I’m sure plenty of people wait past 6 months to feed their baby solid food and they end up just fine! Our doctor was just mentioning that it can be harder to teach an older baby how to eat. The con to introducing a baby to food too early is there is a risk that they may develop allergies to the food. So I say ‘Let’s Wait!’ My husband says ‘Let’s Not!’ Each day goes by Scotty will ask me if I have put rice cereal in her bottle. I say no, and present a different excuse each time. For example, I tell him I think he’ll want to take pictures of her taking food for the first time. Then he reminds me that the first time she has it it will be in a bottle, not spoon fed. Ugh! So the time has come to introduce rice cereal. The reason I am hesitating is because I’m not sure I am ready for my baby to be eating! She’s already growing so fast and I just can’t believe the window to begin introducing foods is already here! Once that time comes you can imagine what all my posts will be about!! 🙂

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She’s excited for real food!!