Curious.. why R people starting LO's on solids before 6 months?

[BabyBsMommy]

I was absolutely intending on waiting until 6 months for solids with our lo.  He was 7lb 14oz at birth which isn't huge but was already 14lbs by 2 months and 17lbs 8oz at his 4 month check up.  He transitioned quite easily to 4 hour EASY after he started waking more to eat at night on 3 hour EASY (and he started moving himself towards it as he started taking longer naps that would take him to the 11am feed).  Then once established on 4 hour EASY for a bit, he went back to waking up around 11pm, 2am and 5am for full HUGE feeds (at first we treated the 11 pm as a strange wake up and would put him back to sleep but finally I tried feeding him one night and he was ravenous, he just isn't a cry baby so it's hard to know!) - we knew he was hungry the other times since they were never at the same times.  He also started to cry to eat earlier than the 4 hours.  We were well past the very obvious 4 month growth spurt he had, I have been a healthy eater throughout (am always hungry because he is such a great eater), and he was in good health and good spirits.  We also noticed him thinning down a bit.  The doctor recommeded we try a bit of cereal and it has helped so much.  We have been doing it for 3 weeks now and he is up to 2 tbsp once a day.  I am thinking he needs a little more now as he is starting his food fuss again about 40-45min before his 11am and 3pm feeds and yesterday he took an 8oz bottle at 3, drained one side and half of the other at 7, took 6oz at the df and woke up 45 min earlier than usual for his night feed where he gobbled for 25 min instead of his usual 15. 
His tummy has been fine.  We are not going to start anything but rice until he is over 5months (another week) and are not going to add more than one more cereal until he is 6 months - no wheat, fruits, veggies or anything until then, which is also what the doctor advised.  He is primarily bf but we have introduced formula to half of his bottle for his df and when he needs a bottle at other times through the day when I'm not there to bf (still half ebm).  I think you just really have to follow your baby's cues.  I agree though that you can't just take what your doctor says because they all have such differing opinions, you have to follow your gut.  As for introducing solids as something to do, that is wacky and so cruel to your lo, in my opinion!

[Mum of girl, boy, boy]

It sounds like your doing the right thing. You know your baby best. I didn't mean my post to be aimed at you or anyone in particular and hope you didn't feel you needed to defend your decision my post was just a general feeling I have picked up around the baby classes and things.

One thing I reckon you will find is that people that are hanging out at this site aren't going to jump in to early without knowing it because they are more aware of their babies needs. Isn't that why were all here, oh and of course to get some sleep.

Good luck.

J

[VLR2006]

I am not trying to start something but i am personally feeling a bit sick of wondering if i'm doing the right thing etc....
I know there may be some people out there who dont show as much care when it comes to keeping themselves healthy and their babies but TBH i feel like people that are weaning from 4months now are made to feel guilty and looked down upon by others.  Babies have been brought up for centuries on instict (no books etc.) by their parents, weaned earlier then 4months, and there arent many people i know with allergies or food intollerances.  there was actually a recent study that said real food intollerances and allergies make up such a small percentage of the people that claim to have them.

There are definately foods that shouldnt be introduced until after 6months and most people weaning are aware of what can and cant be given, but the first taste vege's, fruit and rice cereal are not allergy forming foods and if a baby is ready at 4months and given the go-ahead by their doctor/HV then i cant see why they would wait.  My son has never had gassiness or constipation and was weaned at 4months, so his gut etc. is obviously ready and shows no signs of intollerances.

I can totally respect people for following their own and their babies instincts by waiting as i dont think a baby should be forced into taking solids if they arent ready, then problems may occur.  The WHO recommends only BF for 6months as babies are OK with just milk until then, but not everybody is BF and not every baby will make it to 6months happily on milk. 

I probably didnt need to write this, I just felt a need to vent as i finding the people that wait (and not just on this board, the poeple i know in my area) seem to really have a low opinion of people not BF or weaning before 6months.  Louise x

[BabyBsMommy]

J - did not take offense or feel the need to defend myself at all  - I had posted on this thread a few times throughout our journey into solids from before the doctor's appointment, as we introduced them and so on so I thought it would be a good time to update and to share my story for people who are in this dilemma that so many moms (as seen in this thread) are going through to help them realize, as you said, Louise, that you really have to follow your instincts!  Many babies don't need or show signs of needing solids prior to 6 months but many do, we have just decided to take it really slow so we can make sure his little tummy can handle it (and it seems fine so far!)

Louise, you have a gorgeous, healthy looking son - it is very obvious that you know him well and have made the right choices for him!  I was never really worried about allergies, they don't run in our family and I almost wonder sometimes if they are slowly becoming more predominent (though I agree, still a small percentage) because we are shielding our babies against too many things that the lack of exposure is making them more apt to some allergies.  Just a thought!

I go to a mommy's group made up of about 4-5 friends of mine that all had babies within a month or two of each other and about 5 other moms from our various pre-natal classes.  Of all of those moms, only two of us have opted to give solids early and I get a sense that some of the moms thing we're crazy for that or have been made paranoid by what they've heard.  I couldn't care less - all of the decisions my DH and I make for our son is in for what we think are his best interests!  There is one baby that is almost 5 months like our son and weighs about 22lbs.  He cries every two hours to eat and can't sleep - obviously needs more but their doctor has convinced her to not start...it's going to be a long month for her! 

[VLR2006]

Your little one is gorgeous too, i love that photo.  My son was much younger in that picture but now he's huge, about the size of an average 7/8month old (he's tall as well as wieghing a lot).

I think weaning Luke was the best thing we could have done.  He loves his food and has never had any problems eating.  He was a colicky baby and cried from 6pm until 9/10pm until 8 weeks, he's a refluxer so is constantly being sick, so for us eating has been pure bliss and i'm loving every minute of it.  He is always laughing and the food never comes back up again.  I'm actually now looking forward to him not having much milk as i wont have to be chaning my clohtes 3x a day or doing washing every day :-)

I need to stop worrying what other people say and know that what i'm doing was what was best for him.

thanks, Louise xx

[home alone]

Louise, I gave solids before 6mths and had many second thoughts since "it's wrong thing to do". Even though it was firmly recommended by PED.  Even if you normally don't care about what others say I feel that it's extremely difficult to do that after having a baby.  I needed to be informed not judged but it seems that a lot of times it goes together.
Mia had a terrible reflux and she still doesn't like bottle that much so I am little relieved myself.
Monica

[rosie and joe's mummy]

i fully intended to wait until 6 months, but have started at 5 1/2 months.

this is because:

1. she was an all night sleeper and she started waking at night, and wanting a full feed on top of her normal daytime feeds.
2. she was getting very irritable when adults were eating.
3. if you ate near her she would launch towards food and try to grab it to put in her mouth. (she isn't like that with other objects!)
4. she would watch you eat and make chewing faces (DH says Goldfish faces!) and stuff her hands in her mouth at the same time.


so, i discussed it with my FiL (who is a paediatrician luckily, though he can have some strange ideas!) and he suggested giving her a spoonful of baby rice to see if her tongue thrust reflex was still present or not.  she grabbed at the spoon! all the rice went in and was swallowed and noe came back out. she then sat there with her mouth open!

so we have started earlier than 6 months, but it was 23 weeks really, so not too far off.

FiL actually says that really 6 months is when they should be definitely ready though some are ready a little earlier. he still thinks 4 months is ridiculously soon, but that 5 - 5 1/2 months isn't

[jennyb133]

Our pediatrician recommended starting at 4 months.  With rice cereal, then fruits, then veggies. Every 4 days start a new food.  I took it slow though, b/c I wanted to make sure my LO was getting all his milk and definately did not introduce new food every 4 days! I gave him few tsp. of rice cereal for like 2 weeks before introducing fruit, then tried new food once a week. My baby is 6 mos. old now, & has had rice cereal, apples, pears, bananas, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, oatmeal, peaches, green beans, carrots, & peas so far. (in that order).  My Dr. says we can start on meat, but no more than 1 jar of meat per day. He still BF 4 times a day.

[swiper]

My little girl is 14 weeks and she is on 3 meals aday, I was going to wait until she was 6 months but 2 weeks ago she started to drink two 7oz bottles after each other ( shes on hurngy baby milk)    just the way my son was and he was on soilds at 12 weeks.
I'm giving her 3 teaspoons of the powder food which you mix with their milk.

Also she started to wake up in the night after her df and watch me eating.

It has helped with her refulx loads.

[lauraj79]

my health visitor advised to start at 19 weeks as charlie wasnt thriving on milk and kept spitting it out. he was up hungry at night and generally unhappy on milk. hes now 23 weeks and loves his food, not good with milk still though!where i live the recommendatio is 4-6 months but not to start till 6 months unless advised by a proff to do so. my hv just said they look at each individual case, and need to look at the whole picture, eg if a baby is not thriving on milk, like charlie then solids at4/5 months is advisable. interesting post and nice to see there are no negative or upsetting replies, what a nice website!!

[Mrs. Gravy]

I don't mean to criticize anyone with this post, but I just wanted to mention that while it's nice to have a doctor that you trust, you shouldn't necessarily take everything they say as gospel.

Many doctors, especially general practitioners, aren't fully up to date with the new recommendations of waiting to start solids at 6 months.  In fact, up until 2 years ago, Health Canada was recommending solids at 4-6 months, so it's only a very recent change.

My own doctor told me it was OK to start solids at 4 months, but I had done my own research and decided that with all the benefits associated with delaying solids, I chose to wait until 6 months.

Also, just because a baby seems interested in your dinner doesn't mean they are ready for solids!  At that age, babies want to put everything in their mouth!  It's also important not to confuse a growth spurt with readiness for solids.

The following signs indicate readiness for solids:

Baby can sit up well without support.
Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
Baby is ready and willing to chew.
Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

This happens for the most part between 6-8 months.

[Mariek]

I don't mean to criticize anyone with this post, but I just wanted to mention that while it's nice to have a doctor that you trust, you shouldn't necessarily take everything they say as gospel.

By that same token, people shouldn't take everything they read in "new research" as gospel either. Research contradicts each other all the time on all issues regarding babies. Just because the Latest research says that solids shouldn't be given before 6 months that doesn't mean that people shouldn't give their babies solids earlier if they feel that's whats needed, or if that's whats recommended by their GP.

To scaremonger people with research is the worst possible thing it can be used for. At the end of the day, we as parents have to make a decision based on our own knowledge of our children (and who knows our babies better than us??? Certainly not a some lab researcher who, lets face it was probably funded to do research by someone with an ulterior motive - I don't believe there's any truely neutral research in this day and age).

Yes, arm yourself with all the information you can, but no, don't take everything literally and think it can be generalised to all babies.

love

[Mrs. Gravy]

At the end of the day, we as parents have to make a decision based on our own knowledge of our children (and who knows our babies better than us??? Certainly not a some lab researcher who, lets face it was probably funded to do research by someone with an ulterior motive - I don't believe there's any truely neutral research in this day and age).

I agree. 

That's basically the point I was trying to make, just about doctors instead of researchers!

Let's face it, doctors are human and they can't be expected to know everything.  Like you said, nobody knows our children better than we do!   

I love my doctor, but when it comes to infant nutrition, I would tend to trust a researcher who has devoted his career to studying ONE thing - specifically, some aspect of infant nutrition.  I feel that quite often doctors will say "Start your baby on solids at 4 months" just because it's routine and that's the way they've done things in the past.

There is so much going on in medicine every day doctors can't be expected to keep themselves updated on every single topic.  That's why it's important to do your own research, investigate other sources and make the best decision you can for your family.

For the record - I work in medical research.  I find your comments about lab researchers offensive.  Not all research is funded by people with ulterior motives.  Not all lab researchers are how you portray them - as easily biased, fudging statistics to get the results they wanted.  If all research was like that, medicine would not be what it is today.  The majority of the researchers I work with are MDs and PhDs, many with 10+ years of post-graduate training, which is a lot more education than a regular family doctor usually has.  I do research at a children's hospital, and many of the other doctors I work with also do clinical work at the hospital.  They treat patients, perform surgery and also make time in their busy lives to do research, not because they're trying to make a buck or become famous, but because they are committed to improving the quality of health care.  Never once in my years of working in this field have I witnessed someone intentionally alter their results in order to please the group funding their research. 

I'm not naive, and I agree that those things do occur, but for you to suggest that is the norm is quite insulting.

[Mariek]

My apologies if you found my view of research insulting - it wasn't intended to be (for what it's worth I have a Bachelors Degree in Biology myself and have done research in the past).

I suppose my main issue with taking the information from new research as set in stone is that research (as with anything) tends to follow trends with whatever is currently a "hot topic". I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see ground breaking new research in a few years time that tells exactly the opposite of what the current thinking is regarding the age to start solids. Just look at the research regarding alcohol intake in adult - every week there's a new research study with opposing facts "Don't drink at all", "Drink one or two glasses of wine - that's okay" "Don't drink wine, beers is better for you" - or whatever they're coming up with next.

It's not really fair of me to have hijacked someone's thread over this issue so apologies to the original poster and again to you if I've offended. These are just my opinions at the end of the day - and hey, if we all agreed then where would the fun in life be??

love

[Wife and Mummy.]

well my first dd was on solids just before 4 months as she never drank any milk for nearly 4 weeks and she lost loads of weight,docs took her in hospital for drip and she just sicked it all up everytime so they gave her baby rice and she was fine.seond dd was 5 months when weaned ok from health visitor too.