all of a sudden, doesn't like food

[mandeloo]

My 5 month old started to show signs that it was ready to start solids. So I started him on a tablespoon of rice cereal a day mixed with EBM. It seemed to be lovely for about two weeks until three days ago, when he just started to gag and cry. I pushed on to the next day only to met with the same reaction.

I have never seen this with my others, I was wondering if it was a bad idea to just stop giving him the solid food altogether (it's only a tbsp a day) and go back to exclusive nursing? He really seems to not like that stuff. Or should I try oatmeal? I am really confused.

[whitnessforhim]

I wouldn't push him to eat something he isn't interested in. BM has all the nutrients, calories and fat he needs for the first year of life. IMO cereal has little nurtitional value and see no need for a baby to ever have it at all. I would just go back to exclusively nursing.

Here's a link about when baby will be ready for solids.
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html

[pumpkinhead7]

5 months is still a bit early for solids. It won't hurt anything if you stop and just try again later. Honestly, I'd skip the rice. It's binding, had no real nutritional value of its own (vitamins and minerals have to be added to it) and it can interfere with the absorption of iron from your milk. You could try a little mashed banana, sweet potatoes that have been steamed, pureed and mixed with some EBM or a few bites of applesauce/pears/peaches.