For moms.

dg730

My baby is 3 months and breastfeeding. Her doctor said he wants her to start on solid foods at 4 months
But I am not going to start till 6 months. I was just wondering what other moms did with their babies.

pinuplove

It's generally accepted now that there is no need to introduce solids before 6 months of age. Breastmilk is a complete and perfect food for the first year, and should be the main source of nutrients. Any solids introduced are more for 'practice' than nutrition, in my opinion.

momwhosbusy

I would find out why your Dr. wants solids intro'd already. I agree with above poster...breast milk is the only necessary nutrition for quite some time. If your baby is growing and thriving there is no reason to into solids yet. There is less likelyhood of food allergies the longer you wait as well! I nursed all 4 of my kiddos and my oldest was given solids at about 4 mo. becuase I thought that was just the time you were supposed to do that. I learned more with each baby and my next 3 each were given solids much later. My youngest never even had a bottle at all and was weaned right to a sippy! She didn't have solids until she was at least 6 mo. old if not older. (She's 5 1/2 and its a little fuzzy)

Brianna72994

My little sister is 5 months old and she already eats mashed bananas, apples, and pears. It keeps her full for a longer time and I'm sure she enjoys being able to consume things other than just breast milk

m0ll3pprz

I agree that 6 mos is soon enough for all of the reasons listed above! I will go one further though, waiting to introduce solids until 6 mos may help your child to avoid future allergies. Breast milk is also looked at as highly beneficial for the same reason~ Well for sooo many reasons! You are doing a great favor to your baby :-)

MsNewBooty83

if ur exclusivly breastfeeding, ur baby does not need anything else for 6 months. introdcing solids any earlier can do a real number on their under developed digestive system.
i recommend the WHO(World Health Organization) site and Kellymom.com for breastfeeding advice and info. it blows my mind how uninformed docotors and nurses are on breastfeeding practices.
if your having problems, find a lactation consultant in ur area, they know whats up. alot of older docs dont have the new info and mis guide patients regularly! its aweful.

PS...congrats to u! im always so proud to hear of a breast feeding mama! too many ppl give up too soon for so many different reasons. youre doing whats best for ur baby. creating and sustaining life is what us moms were made for! keep up the good work mama!

bushidowoman

I start feeding solids when my babies can sit well alone, have good head support, the tongue-thrust reflex has diminished, and they show an interest in eating food--watching us eat, mimicking our mouth movements, reaching for our plates, etc.
This is different for each baby, but it's generally around six months.

blueeylb

we (both parents) have histories of asthma and allergies so we waited till after 6 months. Dr encuraged it.

mitch16

I'm pretty sure that my son was 6 months old when he started on solid foods (rice cereal first)--he's 12 years old now, so my memory is a little fuzzy--and he was breastfed (or took breast milk from a bottle) exclusively up until then. If I recall correctly, our physician (who was pretty young, hip, and on board with breastfeeding) wanted him to be able to sit up on his own before starting to use the highchair to feed him, and 6 months was about the timing for that.

Is there a breastfeeding support group through the local hospital? You might want to see what they offer as guidance, but remember to keep your own preferences/lifestyle in mind, too. (For example, I know many breastfeeding support groups advocate nursing well beyond 12 months--as a working mother I knew that this wouldn't work in my life, and my son actually solved the weaning 'problem' himself when he started walking at 11 months and couldn't be bothered to sit still and nurse anymore.)

chelsiem87

It's generally accepted now that there is no need to introduce solids before 6 months of age. Breastmilk is a complete and perfect food for the first year, and should be the main source of nutrients. Any solids introduced are more for 'practice' than nutrition, in my opinion.

I've heard too it's more for practice purposes as well to start as early as 4 months. I, personally, started around 4 months feeding my daughter the step one gerber foods. I only fed her food like every other day for awhile until she gained better head support. I would agree, too, to ask your pediat. why he wants you to start feeding solids so soon, ESPECIALLY if you are breastfeeding. That's best thing you could be doing right now and for the next couple months. (i'm jealous, lol I could only BF for about 2 weeks...)

That_Girl

6 months. Doctors aren't the end all, be all. Do what you feel is right.

Farburnfred

Mine were all started on real finger foods at around 6 months.. Google baby led weaning if you are interested.. None were particularly interested in food until a year or so but are healthy specimens nonetheless.

Some great stuff from LLL
http://www.llli.org/faq/solids.html

zyxst

I start feeding solids when my babies can sit well alone, have good head support, the tongue-thrust reflex has diminished, and they show an interest in eating food--watching us eat, mimicking our mouth movements, reaching for our plates, etc.
This is different for each baby, but it's generally around six months.

Yeah, that's when I started my daughter on solids.

MB_Positif

I think we started with some rice cereal when my son was 4 months but it was b/c he was gaining slowly. Not sure if that is why your doctor is recommending that you start or if they pretty much tell everyone that because they give everyone the same advice.

ChristineMarie89

i gave my babies solid foods as soon as the dr said. if he thinks they are ready he is a doctor after all and the baby might be happier to keep their lil tummy's full for longer

86rollyb

I didn't introduce solids til my son was 6 months & I won't this time either.

OnionMomma

We started at 12 weeks due to needing to get something heavier in my son's stomach. He had VERY severe GERD and we needed to try and get his food to stay put.

We also needed to start because we had to boost all of his solids with all sorts of things to get more calories into him.

He is the exception to the rule.

We already had him on 27 calorie per ounce formula per the Ped and Cardio DR to try and put weight on for his open heart surgery. We had a weight goal in mind and needed to get there before his heart did perm. damage to his body (specifically his lungs).

With a baby who had no out of ordinary circumstances, 6 months is a pretty good rule.

LisaMarie8713

I introduced some cereal to my oldest at about 4 months, but it was more for her to gain practice at eating. I didn't intro anything much more to her until she was 5-6 months old.

My son needed more solids sooner since he was hungry all the time. I could hardly keep him fed long enough to get any sleep!! He was chowing down on things like bananas in the middle of the night at about 7-8 months (it was a bit of a blur though)... he had teeth early too..

He also graduated to meats sooner than my daughter too. He's still eating like that, he's very tall and thin build. Each child is different, but most children are satisfied on the breast milk for longer than 4 months old. I would go with your gut.

TropicalFlowerz

It's generally accepted now that there is no need to introduce solids before 6 months of age. Breastmilk is a complete and perfect food for the first year, and should be the main source of nutrients. Any solids introduced are more for 'practice' than nutrition, in my opinion.

bravo,..this!!!!,...

3foldchord

I had one son that grabbed an apple and gummed his way through with 1 tooth, at barely 3 months old, and officially started on baby cereal at 4 months and there was no looking back, he barely visited babyhood on his way to real table food.
My other two basically refused solids. One was Breastfeeding exclusively until a year, no Cheerios, fruits, cereals, nada.. That was HIS doing I kept trying to offer food.
(I was getting sick from being his only food source actually. I was eating round the clock and dropping weight like crazy, my dr got concerned because I got so thin, and I woke up to eat full meals in the middle of the night even.)

And all 3 boys were fine.
bit the one who started early was and is a better eater, the 2 who started late are very picky. Which may not be related when they started on solid foods at all


There is no hard fast set rule for every single Infant.

StarIsMoving

My oldest was HUGE at birth and by the time he was 4 months old I HAD to supplement him with cereal and rice to hold him over and keep him full (he was 10Lbs 11 1/2 oz at birth and grew FAST). My 2nd though, she didn't start on any "food" until she was 7 months old... she was fine without it and was sustained with nutrients from me... my youngest had a tooth broke through at 6 days old, so she was my only partially bottle-fed child. Personally, in your situation... a mom knows her child better than anyone. Ask the doctor why, take it into consideration, but make YOUR choice based on YOUR child

poesch77

I started both my kids on baby food at 4 months....and they both hated rice cereal so food it was. Every kid is different. I also took tone off formula before a year. As soon as either kid got teeth they gave up baby food and wanted the real stuff. Do what YOU feel is right/

smtorti

Both of my kids were just BM to 6 months - I would ask the doc why?

tistal

Each baby is different. My daughter was eating mashed up everything at about 3 1/2 months. Right at Thanksgiving and that child loved her food. My son was 10lbs 5oz at birth and he was eating the same way at 3 months. Neither of mine nursed but I pumped for the first 3 months with both so they got the good stuff. They are both very good eaters and healthy eaters at that. Tall, skinny and healthy. And I have never had to deal with an ear infection or any other major illnesses besides a few bouts of strep over the years and colds. Im a big believer in sunshine and dirt!

Do what you feel is best for your baby and watch for signs that your baby might be ready to start trying cereal or other foods. Mine hated the cereal and I dont blame them. It is nasty. But mix it with a little applesauce or pears and they loved it!

OddChoices

My baby is 3 months and breastfeeding. Her doctor said he wants her to start on solid foods at 4 months
But I am not going to start till 6 months. I was just wondering what other moms did with their babies.

We started at 6 months.

kimad

I am also pretty sure I went closer to 6 months! Good luck.

emtjmac

We've started all our kids at 6 months.

leejayem

My first question would be why did the Dr recommend solids? My understanding is that babies generally start solids at about 6 months because this when their iron levels begin to deplete - up to 6 months they are able to use the iron their bodies stored from when they were in utero. This is why iron enriched cereals are the recommended first foods, even before fruit & vegies, although vegies certainly have some iron. All babies are different, so go with your instincts - you're Mum!!

leejayem

It's generally accepted now that there is no need to introduce solids before 6 months of age. Breastmilk is a complete and perfect food for the first year, and should be the main source of nutrients. Any solids introduced are more for 'practice' than nutrition, in my opinion.

Formula is fine too!! Let's not forget the Mum's who feed til they bleed & it still doesn't work. :brokenheart:

AllonsYtotheTardis

My first baby started solids at 6 1/2 months, second baby at 6 months. They were both thriving and growing like crazy (still are, for that matter).

If you're exclusively breastfeeding, 6 months is early enough.

DesireeLovesOrganic

9 months. They nursed until 2 years old. They were both super-chunks and people would ask me "What are you feeding him?!" "Just boob juice!" Haha

They are 10 and almost 7 now, no allergies, never had any ear infections, nothing more than a cold in their lives.