Too early for solids?

DD is 5 1/2 months old and we started her on rice cereal yesterday. Last night she was screaming as though in pain, but it was hard to figure out whether she had a tummy ache, was teething or was overtired (she's been sleeping poorly due to the upcoming wonder week 26). Once we got her to sleep she slept for 11 hours and was a different girl all day today...very happy and smiley with almost no crying at all. I gave her some more rice cereal tonight and about an hour later she started screaming again. I'm pretty sure it's a tummy ache as she was fine until then.

I thought she was ready for solids as she started grabbing food from us the last couple of weeks. Since around 3 months she's always watched us eat with fascination, but has only just started showing interest in the food itself. I'm happy to leave it for another week or two before trying again. I think I might learn a bit about baby-led solids. But I'm just wondering if anyone else had a similar experience starting solids (particularly rice cereal). And do you think it's a sign that it's too early to start?

try and go with your gut hun (:rofl:). What you are saying about the tummy aches sounds quite reasonable. If you are happy to leave it, do so. There is plenty of time.

Rice Cereal is the usual start, but jeeeeze - have you tasted it? Wet cardboard springs to mind. Check out the BLS chats and see what strikes a chord with you. Letting babies hold their own food and mash it through their hair is all part of getting to know food as well.

You are doing fine xoxoxo

Hannah, starting solids can be a very confusing time. It is always difficult to know for sure, but given that the same thing happened twice, it is certainly possible that the cereal is upsetting your little one.

One of the great things about BLS is that you don't need to know when they are ready to start - you offer the food, and when they are ready, they eat. This approach might be helpful at this point in time. You can give her some steamed vegies, meat, fruit, whatever you like, and let her decide when she wants to eat it and how much. And there is no need for her to have cereal at all - it has no nutritional benefit at all, the added iron is not readily absorbed the body in that form anyway. Vegies are tastier and healthier, and meat is a very important early food.

All the best with it hun.

It could be that it's too soon. Or it could be that it's just the rice cereal. If you think she's ready, you could try some soft steamed vegies or soft fruit and see how she goes with that. But yeah, I don't think there's any harm in waiting a bit either - whatever seems right.
I'm with Lu on the cereal -it's pretty dreadful stuff.

Thanks for the replies. I'll skip the rice cereal today and see how she goes today.

I did actually try the rice cereal before giving it to DD...I had second thoughts but if she didn't like it I wasn't going to push it. She kept asking for more. She would have her mouth open for the spoon as soon as it was back in the bowl. She's her father's daughter...he'll eat anything.