Solids for an exclusively breastfed baby

[Candle]

I read the FAQs and know that it is recommended that I wait for my baby to be 6 months before introducing solids but what if I just give her cereal/oatmeal until 6 months and not fruits, etc.? So many people tell me babies sleep better after they start eating solids so I am anxious to start. My LO will be 5 months in a week and a half.

[*Becky*]

Hi there,
Personally I would not start solids in order to get LO to sleep better as it can often have the reverse effect. I am sure you know but before 6 months many LO's digestive systems are not mature enough to digest solids and it can cause more problems and actually increased NW's.
Having said that I did start to wean my DS at 5 months as I felt he was genuinely ready for solid food. He was taking around 40oz of formula and was very interested in what we were eating etc. I started very slow with just baby rice, then fruit and veg and stuck with that until 6 months.
Hope this helps
Becky x

[Scate]

Hang in there. You're going through a difficult patch. I remember with my lo at about the same age went through a major growth spurt and was sleeping very badly at night. I admit I was very tempted to start solids, but I am a big believer in the 6 month mark. Not long after this, he started sleeping really well again - about a 10 hour stretch and I was really glad I didn't give in to the temptation. This is the point where a lot of moms start solids and I totally understand why!

Cate

[~inbalance~]

It is a myth that solids help babies sleep better so I would wait until closer to 6 months.  People kept telling me that too, so I gave in and started at 5.5 months, and it didn't make a difference with sleeping.

HTH