ok I know that everyone is going to tell you different answers but im going to tell you what my sons doctor and WIC said which is important!
They said NEVER give them solids before 6 months of age because there gigestive system is NOT fully devolped and even if they seem fine it can cause problems now and/or later in the future.
They also said no matter what age NEVER put baby ceral in a bottle because one they are missing out on a very important skill by eating from a spoon and two its mager unnessary weight gain which can later on lead to obesity!
So I followed there instructions because I was concerned about his health and theres no better instructions to follow or advice like your doctors!

can i ask why you think he is ready? i have a list of things that are signs of readiness for solids, and it is recommended that you wait until these milestones are met unless your doctor says otherwise.

does you baby:
sit semi-supported (not fully supported)?
hold his head up while sitting?
watch and open his mouth for the spoon?
not push the food out with his tongue?

if he can do these things he is probably ready. if you do feed him solids before 6 months, they reccomend not to give foods high in nitrates such as:

beets, broccoli,carrots, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, turnips. these can make a young baby very sick.

also keep in mind that breastmilk or formula has enough iron for a baby under 6 months, then their need increases. make sure he has iron-rich cereal and/or finely chopped meat after 6 months.

this is direct info from my local health authority, and i hope it helps you in you decision. as always, do what you feel is best for your baby.

He has hit all the milestones and he constantly opens his mouth when we are putting food in to ours. I even did a search and went down the checklist to see if he was ready and all my answers were yes so i figured i'd give it a try and he loved it. He didn't spit it out at all and now he grabs the spoon and trys to shove it in his mouth. I think he is very advanced for his age. My friend has a 5 month old that hardly does any of the items to be ready to eat and she is starting to feed him now too. I only started yesterday so i really don't want to stop if i don't have to. I only give him cereal 1 time a day , a fruit at breakfast time and 1 vegatable 1 time a day with the cereal. It isn't a large amount just a tablespoon of each. He doesn't finish the cereal so far but he loves the baby food.

My babies all began on solids at 4 to 5 months. If your baby does not have any strange reactions, rashes, tummy aches, etc., there is no reason not to.

--Michelle
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