Liz Ruby
I ahave just read the part on weaning in the baby whisperwe solves all your problesm book and can find the area you refer to, what I have done for you is scan the pages that are relevant to you, so you can make a decision on what to do.
Four to Six months: Getting Ready (for solids)
Does my baby seem hungrier than usual? Unless he’s been sick or has been teething, increased feeds often indicate that a baby needs more than an all-liquid diet supplies. Every day, the average four-to-six-month-old consumes around 950-1075 ml (thirty-two to thirty-six ounces) of breast milk or formula. For a large, active baby, especially one whose physical development is proceeding at a rapid pace, liquid alone might not be enough to sustain him.
In my experience with average-weight babies, activity becomes a factor at five or six months and not usually before. But if your baby is above average —for example, at four months weighs 7.25—7.5 kg (sixteen or seventeen pounds)—he drinks to full capacity at every meal, and still seems to need more nourishment, then it might be time to consider solids.
Does your baby get up in the middle of the night for a bottle? If your baby finishes a full bottle when he wakes, his night-waking is due to hunger. But a four-month-old should not be eating in the middle of the night, if so you first have to take steps to stop the night feedings (see Maura’s story at the bottom of page 120, the BW solves all your problems). Once you’ve upped her liquid intake during the day, if she still seems hungry for more, that might indicate she needs solids as well.
Has your baby lost his tongue-thrust reflex? The tongue-thrust is apparent when a baby roots, or sticks his tongue out in search for food. This action helps babies suckle in infancy, but tongue-thrusting works against ingesting solid foods. To see where your baby is developmentally, put a spoon into his mouth and watch what he does. If the tongue-thrust reflex hasn’t disappeared, his little tongue will automatically push the spoon out. Even when this reflex disappears, your baby will still need time to get used to eating from a spoon. At first, he’ll probably try to suck the spoon the way he sucked a nipple.
Does your baby look at you when you’re eating as if to say, “Hey, why aren’t I getting any of that?” As young as four months, some babies start to notice us eating; most do by the time they’re six months. Some even imitate a chewing motion. That’s often the time parents decide to take those cues seriously and offer a few teaspoons of mushy food.
Can your baby sit up without support? It’s best for a baby to have fairly good control of her neck and back muscles before starting solid food. Start your child out in an infant seat and then progress to a high chair.
Does your baby reach for things and put them in his mouth?Those are precisely the skills he’ll need for finger foods.
Solids Before 6 Months?
There are few cases in which I recommend solids as early as 4 months, but one in particular springs to mind: Jack weighed 8 kg (18 lb.) at 4 months, and his parents were large, too—his mum was I .75 in (59”) and Dad, 2 m (65”). Jack was wolfing down 250 ml (8 oz.) of formula every 4 hours and had recently started waking in the night, too, always ta~ng a full bottle. Although he was drinking nearly 200 ml (40 oz.) a day, his tummy could only hold so much liquid, and it was obviously not sustaining him. It was clear to me that Jack needed solid food.
I’ve seen this pattern in other babies, too. But instead of waking in the night, they seem hungry 3 hours after a full feed. Rather than keep a baby on a 3-hour routine, which is not appropriate for a 4-monthold, we introduce solids as we did in Jack’s case.
In either instance, if you start your child on solids as early as 4 months, the food has to be finely pureed. Most important, solids should be an add-on, not a replacement for breast milk or formula, as they are with children over 6 months.
It’s a Myth
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No scientific research supports the popular notion that solids help a baby sleep longer. A full tummy does help a baby sleep, but it doesn’t have to be full of cereal. Breast milk or formula does the trick without running the risk of digestive problems or allergies.
Taken from pages 142 – 144 – The baby whisper solves all your problemsHTH's
Lauren x
