Have you fed that baby cereal yet?

... The answer is still no.

This has always seemed to bother my husband's family, his maternal grandmother in particular. Every time we see her she asks "Have you fed that baby cereal yet?" - EVERY time. I try to assure her that Auria is getting all the nutrients she needs via breastmilk and a variety of veggies/fruits, but that doesn't seem to satisfy Great-grandma V.

No judgement on the other mommas out there but I never understood why rice cereal was the "obvious" choice for a baby's first solid food. Prior to settling on this apparent controversial decision, I checked in with my lactation consultant & our pediatrician and they agreed that skipping the cereal and starting out with a fruit or veggie was more than fine. So, between my mommy instincts, the LC & MD's approval, and the fact that no one could really give me any reasons beyond things like "That's what the books say." or "That's what my parents gave me.", it was settled... Auria's first solid food would be: peas. She quite enjoyed them, by the way, and since then she's tried many other tastey things including, but not limited to: squash, sweet potatoes, pears, peaches, & bananas. And I still see no reason to incorporate cereal.

The reason all of this is on my mind is because this morning I read this article that I thought was really interesting. Toward the end of it there was this section...

"How an Advertising Blitz in the 1950s Hoodwinked the Public into Believing Babies Needed Rice Cereal

Almost every childcare book offers the same advice about a baby's first solid meal—start them first on rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. This has been the standard line for 60 years now.

But there is no scientific basis for this recommendation—none at all.

According to Stanford University pediatrician Alan Greene, other than breast milk or formula, rice is the number one source of calories for infants in their first year of life—and this is a nutritional disaster. The notion originated in the 1950s when baby food companies launched an advertising blitz trumpeting the benefits of white rice cereal.

White rice is a refined carbohydrate, one of the highly processed, nutritionally devoid foods that have been linked to increased rates of heart disease, insulin resistance, eye damage and cancer in adults, and are nutritionally worthless for infants as well. Feeding infants cereal has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and may prime your baby for a lifetime of carb cravings for white bread, cookies and cakes.

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which in turn leads to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes the brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.

This glutamate is identical to the flavor-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its chemical cousins, found in literally thousands of food products, which further inflame the problem.

In addition to taking a physical toll on your child's health, food dyes, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and other chemical additives cause a multitude of behavioral and mood disturbances. This is just one more reason to avoid feeding your toddler pre-packaged and highly processed "convenience foods"—including the new microwaveable ones."

This article sort of reinforced my decision for me not to give Auria rice cereal (which I kind of needed since it's brought back to mind every few weeks or so when there's a family get-together).

Anyway, I'm not trying to be preachy about what everyone should or shouldn't feed their child. That's each parents preference and I know that every mommy does whatever she feels is best for her baby. Plus, I have no doubt that there will be plenty of less-than-fantastic choices I will make on behalf of my child(ren). Like I said, it's really just about me enjoying the support for my personal verdict. Plus, for all I know, perhaps now you will feel released from the bondage of rice cereal and you, too, can be more comfortable making such out-of-the-box decisions ;)