4 month old ready for solids??

[~Angie~]

I have been planning to wait until 6 months to introduce solids to my daughter. However, she is eating so much I am beginning to wonder if she doesn't need more now. She is about 16 lbs. (8 lb. 1 oz at birth)  and eats around 35 oz. of formula a day. She is hungry every three hours and sometimes after 2.5 hours. Also, she wakes every morning anywhere from 1:45-2:15 am and eats a full 5-6 oz. bottle. A few nights, she will even wake twice to eat.

Thanks so much!
Angie

[jessica5]

It sounds like your daughter is showing all of the signs of being ready for solids.

I started my daughter on solids at four months, at my pediatrician's suggestion (due to spitting up a lot).  She only had rice cereal for the first few weeks, but we've started introducing some other solids - green beans, squash, and such.  So far, she's doing just fine with it.... and we don't have to give her a bottle at night after her dream feed at 11 PM.

You might want to confirm with your doctor, but I suspect it would be okay for you to start solids with your daughter.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Is she showing interest when you eat? That is also a big indicator.

[~Angie~]

Jessica-when you started solids was it with a spoon or cereal added to formula? I haven't checked recently, but I am sure my LO still pushes everything out of her mouth. I am not sure if she would let me feed her with a spoon yet. We go to the doctor Friday for our 4 month visit. I do know our ped. is very firm about starting solids at 6 months. Although, I doubt he would object if we start early. At our last visit he made the comment that he recommends 6 months, but most people start earlier.

Colin Mac's Mom-Yes, she watches everything we do, expecially when we eat. She follows the food with her eyes from our plate to our mouth. 

[jessica5]

I used a spoon to feed my daughter cereal.  I made it almost a liquid.  I could tell she was very excited about it, but it took about a week for her to figure out how to swallow properly - my daughter's whole body trembles with anticipation when she sees the spoon approaching her mouth 

I tried Enfamil AR for awhile (a thickened baby formula), which seemed to help with my daughter's spitting up.  But, now that she eats solids, she doesn't seem to need the thicker formula.

My baby's doctor also recommends to start solids at about six months, but said we could try a little earlier since my daughter spits up a lot and seems very interested in food.

Good luck with your upcoming messy meals!   

[tylersmommy]

Angie-

If she's still pushing things out of her mouth, her tongue thrust reflex isn't gone yet. That's usually a big cue that a baby isn't developmentally ready for solids yet. Until that reflex is gone, there's not much gain in starting solids. You run the risk of getting pretty frustrated trying to get that spoon in, and it's unlikely that she'll swallow much of anything. Adding cereal to bottles isn't a good idea unless it's under a doctor's supervision for treating reflux. It's a choking hazard, and your baby may have a difficult time telling you when she's had enough.

Have you tried putting more ounces in her bottles? It's not uncommon for babies that age to eat 40 ounces or more a day and still wake to eat at night. Sometimes switching brands of formula can make a difference too. I know how frustrating it can be...it does sound like she's wanting more to eat, but isn't developmentally ready to start solids. Keep us posted!

[teezee]

i started my lo on solids early as well (as per dr's advice) and it created nothing but problems with night wakings, gas, and other belly issues.  i would suggest waiting as long as possible as lo's digestive systems aren't ready for anything but bm/formula at that age.

[tylersmommy]

The tongue thrust reflex is when babies instinctively use their tongues to push foreign objects, like spoons, out of their mouths. It makes it darn near impossible to feed a baby solids...even if you can manage to get the spoon in, the baby will use his or her tongue to push out any solid food that may have made its way in. This reflex goes away on its own sometime between 4-6 months. It's usually pretty easy to tell if your baby still has this reflex...if you put a spoon with no food on it (or basically any other object) up to your baby's lips, his or her tongue will pop out and try to push it away. Does that make sense?

[~Angie~]

Well, I checked  her tongue reflex today. She let me put a spoon in her mouth three times. So, I guess the reflex in gone?? I try to get her to take more oz. at each feed, but she only wants 6. We did get one feed of 7 oz. I think she has a small tummy though. Like teezee said, I don't want to risk starting solids too early. We'll see what the ped. says on Friday. Thaks for all of your advice. 

[~Angie~]

Stacy,
I feel the same as you about starting solids. We started at 3.5 months with my son. We put rice in his bottle. I know a big no no.  But, I was a first time mom and everyone kept telling me how hungry he was and he needed it.  Luckily, we had no problems b/c of it. I am determined this time not to start until she is ready and actually needs it.

Here are her feeds and times for today. Every day is pretty much the same give or take a  little.
2:15 am 5 oz. (spit bottle out many times, but cried for it back. Wondering if she really needs this?? It interferes with morning bottle.)
7:30 wake
8:00 2 oz.
10:30 6 oz.
1:30 7 oz.
4:30 6 oz.
7:30  8oz.
8:30 3oz. (top off before bed)

Total: 36 for the day

We don't really cluster feed. She takes a bottle and a half before bed on her own (over a two hour period.) We tried the dream feed a while back, but she would never wake to take it.

[~Angie~]

Stacy,
thanks for your thoughts. I tried the df again last night (after rereading the sleep interview). Tracy recommends replacing the feed you are trying to get rid of. So, the am feed is the one I want to get rid of.  I feed her at 11:15 and she took a full 5 oz. bottle. She slept through her normal 2 am waking, but instead woke at 3:30 am and took a full 5 oz.?? Which brought her total close to 40 oz. When we didn't do the df she would go 6 hrs between the last bottle and the  2 am. With the df she went 4 hrs. Should we  keep the df or loose it, since she still woke for a night feed?

I am all for stretching the feeds out to 4 hrs. She was doing it for awhile about three weeks ago. Then, she started eating nostop like now. I thought it was a gs, but three weeks??

angie

[~Angie~]

Yes, you're right. She does need to move to the 4 hr routine. Like I said we were almost there a few weeks ago. I am thinking the gs came and she got stuck on 3 hr. feeds again. Who knows though. 

[Gippie]

AngieB,

I had the same questions about my LO.   Just before 4 mo.  we hadmt transitioned to the 4 hour EASY and it seemed like she was eating ALL DAY.  At the 4 hour switch - she was a new person.   We HAD dabbled in "solids" and I say "solids" caue it was so little - that it was more fun than food.    We still introduce her to foods - nothing organized and only a few teaspoons each day - or every other day.   The Dr. said we could - although he did quote the reccomended 6mo. wait.  Our DD was born at 10.5 and is close to 17# at 4mo2weeks.   We started with fruits - pears as Tracy mentioned.  We do veggies as well.  I have avoided the cereal as I feel it is the most overprocessed food and an odd place to start when I am doing the most natural thing with BFing.  I also recieved a pamphlet from LaLeche that quoted the iron absorption realities that make the nessecity of cereal as a first food a lot less true.  They state that the iron in BM - although less than cereal - is absorbed much better than the iron in cereal.  I can't quote it 100% cause my friend has the pamphlet.

I guess my final post is that I am introducing foods here and there.  We move slow.  3-5 days for a food and if we do it at all - we give her tastes once per day.  We do NOT eliminate any BF'ing for foods - she is doing well.  I can't say if the foods made her sleep more cause she always slept from 8-6 (with a DF), she has had no odd wakings or gas more than usual.   Her diapers DID change.  She poo's once a day or once every other.   Oh and last thing - she LOVES her foods!!!!    She LOVES it!!!!   

I am still BF'ing her and will continue to do so.  Let me know what you end up doing.

Stacey

[~Angie~]

Hi Stacey,
Thanks for your reply. We ended up waiting until 5 months. She is 5.5 months now and gets one 'meal' a day. Although, she doesn't really eat that much. We are just dabbling right now. She also lover her food.