dont want to introduce solids yet!!

Carrie - posted on 07/23/2010

MDs advice introducing cereal as a first solid and I completely disagree. There is a lot research stating that a baby's digestive system is unable to handle grains until they are 8-9 months old when their system starts producing the enzymes needed to break down grains. My son never ate baby food and I would buy him the baby toast and puffs just to get him used to 'eating' but I continued to EBF him otherwise. He did not eat solids regularly until he was 18 months. I know MDs mean well and we put the care of our children in their hands but only you know what's best for your child. Do what your gut says and if you're a little unsure, do your research!!!

Donna Marie - posted on 07/23/2010

forget the mush, and the baby rice, just let your child, baby led feed, just sit her in the high chair with a few small bits of food, such as small pieces of cheese, veg, bread whatever and let her have an exploration, its just to get her motor skills going and baby led feeding is the way. i support breastfeeding mums for my job and we often use a you tube video called baby led weaning (which is now is being called baby led feeding as the word "wean" can be confused by some mums) , if shes hungry she'll eat, baby led feeding lets them control what they eat, as they do withbreastfeeding, they just take what they want/need and thers no need to be shovelling x amounts of mashed up, bad tasting baby foods in which they will neither enjoy or come cheap at. x

Kathy - posted on 07/22/2010

Tricia, I think that's the way to do it. A pile of mushed food is so much fun (messy, but fun!) and the idea is to get them enjoying food, playing around with it, until they do the usual thing that babies do and put it in their mouth!

Tricia - posted on 07/22/2010

My exprience matches Kathy's. DS just wasn't interested until about a year old. After a month of pureed veggies that were ignored and/or smushed about for 15 minutes, I just dumped a tabespoon of mushed whatever we were eating on his tray at every meal (no sense in cooking 2 meals, right? Especially when the second one isn't even eaten!). And around 12months he started putting that in his mouth and asking for more.

Kathy - posted on 07/22/2010

None of my 3 girls had any interest in solids until around 12 months of age. With my first (she's 29 now, so it's a while ago!) i was so prepared - mashed veggies frozen in ice-cube trays etc! but she wasn't interested. I kept offering, but she didn't become interested after about 12 months. With the next 2 girls I didn't try as hard!

Now that they're all grown, they have no allergies, are not fussy, love eating and cooking - real foodies,in fact!

Breanne - posted on 07/21/2010

I started my son at 6 months but I would have waited if I knew better. I thought you "had to" at 6 months. I'd wait, wait for ques and just really listen to your baby. I wasn't fed solids until I was almost a year old and I was healthy as a horse! You know what's best for your child.

Lara - posted on 07/21/2010

I was told last week at my daughters 4 month visit that the AAP now recommends starting solids at 4 months of age. Something about introduction of solids between 4 and 6 months decreases food allergies in children. Ack!! I'm not ready for this! And honestly, she isn't either in my humble opinion.

My previous children didnt' start on any kind of solid foods until 6 or 7 months of age, and even then, it was merely cereal in their bottle while I was away at work. True baby food didnt' start until closer to 8 or 9 months.

It's your call as there are pro's and con's to each side. But I would not worry about still bf-ingyour child exclusively.

Dawn - posted on 07/20/2010

I started baby led weaning at 6 months which meant my daughter didn't really start eating til 7-8 months possibly 9. During this time she was just experimenting with feeling the food in her mouth and learning about different tastes and sizes and textures. I urge you to read the book called 'baby led weaning' by gill rapley. As a breastfeeding mummy it seems like the most natural way to introduce food.

Racheal - posted on 07/20/2010

i did introduce solids around 6 months but he didnt start eating them everyday till about 7.5 months, my pediatrition said that solids dont become extremely important in there diet until closer to 9 months! my dr is very pro breastfeeding! keep doing what your doing! congrats on ebf

Jeannette - posted on 07/19/2010

My son's ped. said I could start feeding him solids at 4 months. (I breastfeed also.) I didn't start him them. I waited until he was six months. While I know that my son was thriving just fine without solids and I know that solids are just "for play" before they turn a year, I've also read some research saying that it is important to at least try feeding your baby solids around 6 months so that they won't refuse it later on. Also, my son was showing all the signs of being ready to eat. He is now 8 months, breastfeeds every 2 hours from 7 AM to 7 PM, and eats "3 meals" a day. He never eats too much of the solids I prepare for him, but at least he is learning how to eat and understanding what solids are for.

Catherine - posted on 07/19/2010

Let your baby tell you when she's ready, I let my husband convince me with my first that she needed more and was hungry at five months when all it really was was a leap in demand. With my second I held my ground but come six months on the dot she was in need of more and I felt she was showing me rather than me telling her. She wasn't as satisfied after a feed and was always looking for food. She still BF four times a day but now sleeps through the night and takes in breakfast lunch and dinner like it's the best taste ever. i was a little gutted when I knew she needed other things and I wasn't enough anymore but now I love dicovering new foods with her and the mess that comes with it. lol.

Charlotte - posted on 07/19/2010

thanks for all your replies! yer, i think i'm definatly going to wait until 7 or 8 months, and maybe longer if we still aren't ready... i ve also read that it can be easier to introduce solid food to older babies! my mum waited with me and i've turned out just fine (...at least i like to think i have! lol)

Laura Zoey - posted on 07/19/2010

I started Eric at 6 months but in retrospect he was not ready. His tongue thrust reflex hung around until he was around 8 months and around a year he actually started enjoying some foods. I will watch my next baby closely to see when to start. But before six months can cause permanent harm to your babies intestines and stomach so no matter what don't start before six months.

Briana - posted on 07/19/2010

Every baby will be ready at different times. My son is 4 months and is ready for solids. I know some women who's babies are around 8 months and still aren't ready. It won't hurt your baby at all to wait. :)

Amanda - posted on 07/19/2010

I waited on my babies to let me know when they were ready for solids. With my oldest it was around 8 months...I think my mother was secretly feeding her oatmeal already though :) When she showed an interest in the food I was eating that was when I offered her solids and went the veggie/fruit route vs baby food or fortified cereal. My second was closer to 6 months. When he grabbed a hunk of chicken off my plate I knew it was time. He just wanted to gnaw on it a little and we offered an avocado the next day. I didn't really stress about 3 meals a day etc. When we ate they ate and when they wanted to nurse we did...well still do actually! I'm not sure my son actually ate 3 meals a day until he was almost 2 and could tell me what he wanted to eat and when he wanted food vs the breast.

*Fluffy Bunnies - posted on 07/18/2010

My doctor pushed solids at 6 months also. My daughter was not showing all the signs of readiness so we waited. Her doctor said that some babies will reject solids if you wait too long, then she added that that was very rare. My daughter was 8 months. She only tried a few things here and there. At 10 months she really started wanting more solids so I added a meal a day (on top of what she was breastfeeding). It wasn't until about 13 months that she started 3 meals of solids. I pretty much just followed my daughter's lead.

Julie - posted on 07/18/2010

my son is 6 months next week and we started solids just this week my dr also wanted solids started but he wanted them started at 3 months which i was strongly against.... after my son being interested in eating and mimicing me for over a month now and being at a much older age we made the decision to start him on veggies and fruit as for the iron that is the main reason we are starting him on veggies first because some moms like me have iron deficiency anemia and since he is exclusivly BF his dr did a blood test on him and his iron stores were low and the dr told us that he would not be able to handle the iron fortified cereals.........i hope this helps you out :)

Angela - posted on 07/18/2010

I didn't introduce solids until 7 months. If your baby is happy and healthy then I wouldn't worry about the HV too much.
Something you could try is Baby Led Weaning. This way she can explore it on her own. It gives her a chance to join in at meal time and she can do the all important 'learning to chew' under your watchful gaze. Chewing is just as important as breast milk I think as it builds up all the talking muscles. Hope this helps anyway.

Charlotte - posted on 07/18/2010

thanks lerin! i think im going to wait nine months, hopefully longer! i'd love to wait a year, but who knows!!!

Lerin - posted on 07/18/2010

The iron stores do begin run down around 6 mos. but the iron in solids- aka 'iron fortified' ones such as cereals- they don't absorb them as well. If iron is the concern, then veggies that are naturally high in iron would be better choices than iron fortified ones.
I didn't start my LO on solids until she was nearly 9 mos. old. I was going to wait even longer, but we were visiting my husbands family and well you know how in-laws can be sometimes.
There is no hard & fast rule about when to start them on solids. A friend of mine waited til her daughter was nearly 1 yr old and she skipped traditional baby foods and went right to bland table food.
Good luck!

Charlotte - posted on 07/18/2010

thanks for those links! at least i know ive got a couple more months of exclusive breast feeding before i need to worry! :D thanks for your comment!

Celeste - posted on 07/18/2010

My twin boys weren't ready for solids at 6 months. It was closer to 8 or 9 months.

As far as iron, here's what I found on kellymom: Scroll down to "Delaying solids help protect baby from iron deficiency anemia"
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids...
More info:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/vitami...

Charlotte - posted on 07/18/2010

hi kimberly, thanks for your reply! yep, i know its just for getting them used to it, but i read somewhere that once you start introducing solids they don't get enough iron from breast milk alone which is why they recommend six months (something to do with, the baby has enough backed up for the first six months of life), yet if you keep exclusivly breast feeding then they continue to get enough from the mum! which is why i want to avoid it a little bit longer!

Kimberly - posted on 07/18/2010

Solids before the age of one are simply to get the baby used to eating. Breast milk is still the primary source of nourishment. While you should introduce solids at some point around 6 months, that doesn't mean you need to wean the baby off breast milk.