We started when our little one turned 5.5 months. He also started showing an interest! When you know, you know. I'd start!

The AAP says you can start at 4 months if you like but recommends starting at 6 months. We started at 5.5 months, but he was ready around 5 months.

ETA that I think I started at 4 months with my first, but he definitely wasn't ready.

Also in Canada and started at 6 months, but like others she showed interest earlier. I also have a MIL who said 6 months was too late and that her kids were eating grated apples at 3 months old. Good for you, MIL! That was 35 years ago and in another country! :laugh:

Anyway, I'd go with whatever your doctor says. Some babies start earlier with cereal in their bottle if there's concern about weight gain, but if her growth is fine there's likely no need to start earlier.

I started making purees around 5 months - carrots, sweet peas, butternut squash. Applesauce, bananas, pears, avocados, cooked soft noodles, scrambled eggs, toast are all on the menu for our 9.5 month old twins now. They had a long bought of illnesses (pneumonia & RSV) during the winter and were on a rice cereal & applesauce diet for about 3-4 weeks but are bouncing back STRONG now. I use our Magic Bullet to whip up their rice cereal based portions and love to be able to cut up a soft food and watch them explore new textures, flavors and colors. They still get bottles but love yogurt melts, baby puffs, and really anything they can cram in their mouths.

We started at a week short of 6 months. But we did baby led weaning so the amounts of food were negligible for a while. Only as of a month ago is he really starting to consume a sizeable amount of food. Growth is all on track, so there are no concerns. Iron checked and that was good as well. I think some studies suggest that if baby does not have the gross motor skills to put the food in the mouth, their digestive system is just not ready yet. This was the primary reason for us waiting till 6 months and just letting him lead the way. Plus I'm lazy, so purees really turned me off

Edited: to say that he's 9.5 months now and I'm glad we did this since at this point they are supposed to be off purees anyhow.

What kinds of foods did you use for the baby-led weaning? This is the approach I'd like to take. My daughter is just over four months and doesn't seem to have any interest, but I was thinking after five and a half months, giving it a go (per our ped's recommendation).

We started solids a few days shy of 6 months. DH bugged me to start around 5 months but I stood my ground and waited until 6 months. My personal opinion is that their gut isn't ready for solids before then. DS is now 12 days shy of his first birthday and we are working on incorporating more finger foods (besides the normal puffs, yogurt melts, Cheerios, pancakes, etc).

I wouldn't say that rice cereal is pointless. It's used as an easy/gentle food to sort of practice for "real" purées, but it has a lot of iron, which is much needed. I prefer to use baby oatmeal, which has just as much iron, and it seems a better choice to me than just rice cereal, but baby cereals do have a purpose. I generally don't feed them on their own, though, but mix them with veggies/fruits/meats. My baby likes thick foods now, so I can take a stage three pouch and mix it with cereal to thicken it up.

late to the party. we started around 5 months. we started off slow, but by around 7 months he was eating three meals a day. I think if we have another kids, I would start at 6 months and do more of a baby led weaning approach (maybe with just a bit of cereal with meals to meat the iron demands.

at 9.5 months I am now having problems with my milk supply. I've cut out water completely for a few days am pumping to empty the boobs after nursing (I am Canadian so I'm at home for the first year), and am taking blessed thistle and fenugreek to try to keep my supply up. I think if I had been slower with the solids, my milk supply would be better now. I partly pushed to try to make him sleep better at night, he pretty much stopped nursing at night, but was still waking up every few hours, so it really didn't help with that.

late to the party. we started around 5 months. we started off slow, but by around 7 months he was eating three meals a day. I think if we have another kids, I would start at 6 months and do more of a baby led weaning approach (maybe with just a bit of cereal with meals to meat the iron demands.

at 9.5 months I am now having problems with my milk supply. I've cut out water completely for a few days am pumping to empty the boobs after nursing (I am Canadian so I'm at home for the first year), and am taking blessed thistle and fenugreek to try to keep my supply up. I think if I had been slower with the solids, my milk supply would be better now. I partly pushed to try to make him sleep better at night, he pretty much stopped nursing at night, but was still waking up every few hours, so it really didn't help with that.

Maybe I'm reading your post wrong but if you are trying to keep your supply up you should not be cutting out water from your diet. You would want to increase your water consumption. If you are dehydrated your supply will most definitely take a hit and decrease. You can also try eating oatmeal (old fashioned oats) and taking More Milk Plus. Also, lactation cookies are awesome at helping supply. You can Google "lactation cookies" and you will get tons of great recipes. The brewers yeast, rolled oats, and flaxseed are essential to the recipes.

late to the party. we started around 5 months. we started off slow, but by around 7 months he was eating three meals a day. I think if we have another kids, I would start at 6 months and do more of a baby led weaning approach (maybe with just a bit of cereal with meals to meat the iron demands.

at 9.5 months I am now having problems with my milk supply. I've cut out water completely for a few days am pumping to empty the boobs after nursing (I am Canadian so I'm at home for the first year), and am taking blessed thistle and fenugreek to try to keep my supply up. I think if I had been slower with the solids, my milk supply would be better now. I partly pushed to try to make him sleep better at night, he pretty much stopped nursing at night, but was still waking up every few hours, so it really didn't help with that.

Maybe I'm reading your post wrong but if you are trying to keep your supply up you should not be cutting out water from your diet. You would want to increase your water consumption. If you are dehydrated your supply will most definitely take a hit and decrease. You can also try eating oatmeal (old fashioned oats) and taking More Milk Plus. Also, lactation cookies are awesome at helping supply. You can Google "lactation cookies" and you will get tons of great recipes. The brewers yeast, rolled oats, and flaxseed are essential to the recipes.

I meant cutting the water that LO is drinking so that he has to nurse for hydration

Also taking blessed thistle and fenugreek pills.

Even then, food before 1 is just for fun!!!....Granted my 19 month old still is more of a boob man himself.

^ That. I start letting my babies have little bits of whatever is on my plate whenever they start trying to grab for it, which is usually around 4-6 months. But I don't bother with rice cereal, purees, or any kind of baby food because I don't expect them to be getting their main nutrition from anything but breastmilk until they are at least a year old. Anything before that is purely for the joy of trying out new tastes and textures, and practicing eating. You don't need baby food for that.