Our GGG trips are almost 6 months and I have not started solids yet. Well I have tried a little rice cereal but all they do is spit it out. I was wondering how long it takes them to get used to it and when everyone else started solids. I am starting them to soon. They were born at 35 weeks with very little problems. Just some tempeture issues but all were home in 10 days. Anyway I have an older daughter but for some reason I have lost all my ability to remember much fcrom day to day lately. Must be a triplet thing. Anyway any ideas or suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.

Michelle
Bailey 5years
Gillian
Allison
Cadence
35 weekers
Oct '09

We started rice cereal when our were about 6 months actual. They pretty much took to it right away, but I did not follow the directions on the box for how to mix it the first time. It's way to thin that way - like I might as well just feed them their milk with a spoon. Instead I mix it to a consistency like cream of wheat: 1 Tablespoon of cereal with .6oz EBM or formula. Now I only use EBM because M will actually gag when I use formula and E gets all upset. I have no idea why, it didn't used to be a problem, but now it is. I measure the .6oz in one of the NICU bottles we were sent home with that have the mL and ounce measurements on the side.

You could just wait a week and try again for a couple days. Or try a different single-grain cereal.

Mom to GBG born in July 2009 at 30w6d: 3#10oz, 3#12oz, 3#2oz

Ours hated rice cereal! I made it thicker also and started mixing banannas in it and they ate it. pretty soon i moved to straight banannas or other fruit. Now they are almost 7 months and they are eating all kinds of level one fruits and veggies. as gross as it sounds they really like a veggie dipped in a fruit, green beans and banannas being the favorite this week!! they also have started eating oatmeal and are taking to it a bit better than the rice cereal!

Crystal
GGB 8-28-09 32w6d
brianandcrystalplustriples.blogspot.com

My trio was born at 30 weeks and we started cereal at 5 months. They hated the rice but I found that they love the whole wheat cereal. I mix it with white grape juice and they like this better then BM or formula. I do love the idea what someone else said about mixing fruit with veges I will have to try it.

From what I've read, it is important to introduce solids to preterm babies at some point between 4 to 6 months (actual age). My occupational therapist advised against starting too soon but at the same time encouraged us to start by 6 months. We started at 4 months actual and have seen tremendous strides over the past 2 months. We started with rice cereal(which they hated), then did only vegetables (loved), slowly introduced protein (loved tofu but not so sure about chicken) and have just started to introduce fruits (love). There are a lot of opinions out there on when to start fruit but our dr. advised to do that last as it is the least nutritive and the most appealing the taste buds.

My BBG trips are 6 1/2 months and they started eating solids around 4 months. We were feeding them papaya even earlier due to constipation but we started in earnest around 4 to 4.5 months. They are currently eating the following and will likely start them on a couple of meats next month:

CEREALS
- Oatmeal

VEGETABLES
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Green peas
- Soy beans

FRUITS
- Papaya
- Pear
- Apple
- Banana

We usually mix the cereal with formula and banana and feed them that in the morning. Midday is vegetables and in the evening we give them papaya (helps with constipation) and another fruit. We prepare all their food at home.

Our pediatrician was telling us that there is a new study (from Finland, hence the food choices) that shows that babies who are eating oatmeal and potatoes by 6 months, fish by 9 months and egg by a year, have significantly fewer food allergies than those who eat some of these foods later in their lives. Basically, they should be eating almost every food by one year.

Good luck!

GBB born at 33w 1d, 9/09
Ana 4lb 9oz
Emilio 4lb 15oz
Sebastian 5lb 7oz

Big sister 6/02

Big brother 11/03

I started at 6 months actual with fruit, per my pedi's recommendation. All 3 just spit everything out. Took a break for a few weeks, and only one had any interest in eating. At 7.5 months actual, my trio actually ate a couple spoonfuls today. I have read that it's important not to force a preemie to eat solids as they can easily get food aversions, so I went very slowly and just waited until they were ready.

Mom to GGG born at 29w1d on 9/1/2009, including a set of mono-mono miracle babies.