Starting Solids - Now or should I wait?

[LittleLegs]

Hi

My LO is 21 weeks and consistently maintained weight at the 75th percentile or between the 75th and 91st so he is no small baby (currently 18lbs).  I am contemplating weaning him in the next week or so (22/23 weeks).  I have not noticed any signs that he's interested in food.  He isn't much interested in milk either and hasn't been since he was 3 months but I often try to to get him to take another oz when he's had enough so I'm thinking he will never start to show the signs that he's ready because he's not a hungry baby? 

I didn't want him to become a fussy eater (like me!) so I'm contemplating doing a gradual weaning thing i.e. one meal a day for a few weeks (say 4:00 / 5:00 pm) and then introducing a solid an hour after his morning milk.  Do people do that or have subsequent problems etc?

He is on a 4 hourly feeding schedule:

7:30 am Only usually takes 3 oz
11:00 am Usually takes about 6 or 7oz
3:00 pm Usually takes about 6 or 7 oz
6:30 pm Usually takes about 6 or 7 oz
10:30 pm takes anything from 3 to 5oz[/color]

[Seona1973]

If you do start to give food I would give it in the morning to start with so that if there are any issues with it they will not impact on bedtime.

[~inbalance~]

Hi there!  First of all have a read here for some signs that your baby is ready for solids:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=36922.0

The WHO guidelines recommend waiting until 6mos but I know that other recommendations vary, and so it really comes down to whether or not you think your baby is ready. 

One thing to keep in mind is that larger babies aren't necessarily ready earlier, their digestive systems are no more mature than smaller ones.  If your baby isn't hungry after finishing all his milk, then there is no need to wean out of hunger.

Personally I think that if he is not showing signs of being ready then it wouldn't hurt to wait.  Especially if he is not guzzling all his milk.  You want to make sure that he is still drinking all his milk.

When you do decide to wean it is a good idea to start with just one meal a day, and hour after breakfast or after the 11am feed.  You definitely want to leave a lot of time before bed to watch for any reactions. 

HTH

[LittleLegs]

Thank you both for your helpful responses.

We are going away for a week when LO is 6 months, mid-May, and we wanted to get the weaning process started prior to going rather than that week or a week or two before.

However he is showing little interest in food and he rarely finishes a 7oz bottle (with exception to his BT bottle).  He continues to sleep through the night (with DF at 10:30) and only has 2-3oz at 7:30am.

The signs that he is ready for weaning are: He can hold head up very well and sits with a little support, his birth weight has just doubled, he gnaws on anything possible, and when I have recently given him cough mixture he seems to handle the spoon ok (although tries to spit the contents out/refuse them!).

Is it worth me trying something at around 8:30 (hr after his first bottle)?  Is he likely not to want it because he appears not to be hungry in the mornings or could it be that he's just not hungry for milk?

What are the best things to start on, I was thinking pears for breakfast initially and sweet potato for lunch/evening (when I move onto that).  Assuming that I am right in thinking I introduce one meal i.e. breakfast only for a few weeks and then an evening meal for a few weeks and then finally lunchtime?

[~inbalance~]

I think if you want to start soon then you are thinking along the right lines in terms of timing and what foods to try first.  You can do breakfast first (after his am bottle), or after his late morning bottle is a good time too.  It kinda depends on your LO, some aren't that hungry in the mornings.  Also, pick a time when he is well rested and in a good mood. 

But also too, there is nothing wrong with waiting until after 6mos, so if you find he is not keen to start now you can always wait until you get back from your trip.  Having to think about bringing/preparing food for him would be one less thing to worry about.    Really do what you think is best for him and not necessarily what is convenient.  Not all LOs are ready early, my DS2 need well past 6mos to be ready.

[LittleLegs]

Thanks again Martina.  I don't think he is a breakfast person but thought he might be for solids but yes he probably won't want that in the morning either.  It's tricky to know what to do for the best isn't it.

I'll try him at the weekend, so dad can see the first attempt at solids, at midday-1 O'clock (in between his 11 and 3 feeds) and see how he gets on for a few days.  If he's not interested at all I won't force it and will try again several days or a week later.

I'm not so bothered about him getting full up from it but more getting tastes and textures not too late.  I wanted to make everything myself initially but won't have the facilities to do that when I am away and the pre-made supermarket stock is often more than one ingredient mixed together which would be a few weeks down the line.

In terms of not introducing foods when he's tired I'll certainly try but he's a tricky one with daytime naps, he's a serial catnapper and often shows few signs of tiredness until he's OT.  Nightimes on the otherhand he's a dream!

P.S. I have just realised that you have a little Finley too!

[~inbalance~]

Yep, DS2 is a Finn!!  He sounds like your guy too.  

Sounds like a good plan.  Definitely follow his lead and do what you feel is best for him.  Don't worry if you end up starting late, he will not miss out on tastes and textures.  Picky eaters come from not following babies cues, NOT from starting too early or too late.  

My little F has been a finicky eater.  He has just never been keen on solids, but we move at his pace and he's catching on slowly but surely.  

[LittleLegs]

Hi again,

So I have now been feeding solids for 10 days at around 1pm inbetween his 11am and 3pm bottles.

Day 1,2, & 3 - baby rice
Day 4 & 5 - carrot
Day 6 & 7  - sweet potato
Day 8 & 9 - pear
Day 10 - butternut squash

It's going really well and although he licks and sucks food off the spoon (doesn't open his mouth wide...assume he will with time when he learns what he has to do?).  He has been taking a few tablespoons a time.  He appears to like it but he doesn't reach for more but will happily take more.  How do I know what's enough or do I keep on giving him it?

I think I'm going to start some baby rice for breakfast tomorrow (an hour after morning bottle) in addition to a mix or single pureed vegetable for lunch as he's been much hungier the past week and the solids are going well (so far!).  I'm not sure how much I should be giving though and when I should introduce the 2nd and 3rd meals without impacting too much on his milk intake?

[~inbalance~]

Hi there!  Glad it's going well so far!  With regards to amounts, you can offer as much as he likes as long as he is drinking his milk.  It's kinda about reading him and experimenting with amounts.  There is no right or wrong amount.  A few tbsp at each meal is excellent!  You don't have to rush to offer more, but if you think he would like it and his milk intake is ok, then by all means try it.  If you offer more and he starts refusing milk, then you know you should back off a bit. 

I would do 2 meals a day for a few weeks and see how it goes, and then move on to a 3rd meal.  Again this kinda depends on you reading him and gauging when he's ready to move forward.  And again, there is no right or wrong, but there is no rush either. 

Mommy instinct is almost always right. 

[LittleLegs]

Thank you for the quick response.  I wish there was a set manual, I just want to get everything right! 

I'll try him tomorrow and see how he fairs and I think I'll start with a little amount and gradually increase it as I get really stressed when he doesn't drink his milk so a gradual thing is probably best in view of your advice. I don't think I'll introduce another meal for a few more weeks yet so I can gauge the impact of 2 meals; I never thought I would introduce the second meal so quickly but he seems hungrier and he seems to be taking to it quite well.

[~inbalance~]

That sounds like a good plan, and it sounds like you are reading him well.  I know it seems really overwhelming in the beginning, I remember feeling that way too with DS1.  You're doing such a great job! 

[LittleLegs]

Hi

Ok we're 4 weeks downous the long solid food road and I have just introduced the 3rd meal (evening meal) so LO is now on 3 meals a day (now 26 weeks).  I am trying to introduce him to as many flavours as possible but I am still on the vegetable and fruit purees at the moment.  This week I started putting finger pieces of toast, organix rice cakes and pieces of banana on his high chair for him to explore, and hopefully attempt to eat, but other than the rice cakes he's not been interested in anything else.  He also only takes between 3-10 baby spoons of food at a meal, usually less than 5 though.

6:45 Wake
7:15 Bottle 5oz (takes 3-5oz)
8:00 Solids
11:00 Bottle 7oz
12:30 Solids
3:00 Bottle 7oz
5:00 Solids
6:15 Bathtime
6:30 Bottle 7oz
10:30 Dreamfeed 3oz (would take more but we only prepare 3 as we would like to wean off this and he's happy with that)

Sleeps through the night with no wake ups.

His naps vary from 30 mins to 1.5 hours so his nap times vary by the day dependant on the length of his morning nap.

I am struggling to get far in the day because if he's not napping he's due a bottle or due solids etc.  With giving him solids being a completely messy business at the moment I find it hard doing this while we're out and about.  When would I expect him to start taking more solids so that I can remove the 11:00 and 3:00 bottles and give him one at lunchtime ish?

Should I see what the effect is reducing the DF to 2oz?

Thanks in advance

[~inbalance~]

It is way too early to be dropping bottles in favour of solids.  If you can't fit it all in in a day, I would back off on the solids a bit.  Remember they are for fun and not so much nutrition yet.  Babies on bottles don't start dropping them until 9+mos usually.  After 9mos many moms will go down to 3 bottles a day, but until then most babies are still having at least 4.

You can try reducing the DF and seeing how it goes.  I think around 6/7mos is the time to drop the DF anyway. 

[LittleLegs]

We have been reducing the DF down for the past week or so (from 5oz) and we're currently at to 2oz and still doing ok.  We'll keep it at 2 for a few more days and then try nothing or 1oz if it's worth it.

Ok I'll stick with the 4 bottles for longer than I initially anticipated (7 months) unless he reduces the mid morning and mid afternoon one himself then I'll think about joining them.  At the moment though he very much likes those 2 bottles.

I'll be less worried about lunchtime solids if I have a jam packed day ahead.

He isn't very interested in solids though (he was until about 2/3 weeks ago).  I have been giving him veg and/or fruit purees and babyrice for 5 weeks and for the past week offering him finger foods also (banana, toast, carrots, broccoli, rice cakes, organix carrot sticks) and he'll have a few baby spoons (sometimes more) and that's it and he's not interested in finger foods other than rice cakes and organix carrot sticks (which I don't want him to get too acquainted with to the point he refuses anything else).  Is this quantity normal and will there be a point that he'll start consuming more?

[*Kara*]

At his age, solids are only to learn and not for nutrition, any amount is the right amount as long as he is still taking at least 20 ozs of formula

Teething could be the reason for an abrupt change to his eating habits