When to introduce meat?

[lesliemarie]

DD is almost 6 months but has been on solids since 4 months.  She has been doing very well and hasn't had any bad reactions to anything aside from a little extra gas at times.  I'm just wondering since she has been on solids for two months when I can start to introduce meat.  Right now she eats veggies/fruit and oat and barley cereal with some rice cereal the odd time.

[~inbalance~]

Hi there.  I think recommendations for starting meat vary depending on where you are, and it seems to be more of a personal choice rather than what is right or wrong.  Here in Canada they say meats can be started from 6mos onwards.  I have read some recommendations though that say it is better to wait closer to a year because a baby's system is not equipped to digest it at such an early age.  With my DS1 I didn't really start with meats until probably 9+mos.  With DS2 we have done BLW so I started offering them fairly early on, but he really didn't eat any on his own until 9+mos.  I think if you are doing purees and want to offer it starting at 6mos, you'd be fine to do so. 

[lesliemarie]

Oops.  I forgot to mention that she has reflux.  That is probably a big factor.

[~inbalance~]

I'm not sure how much of an impact meat has on reflux, but I don't think it's overly offensive in that respect. 

[lesliemarie]

great.  thanks.