when did you introduce solids?

[spuddy]

what age did you put your baby on solids?? i have a very hungry baby she nurses every 2 hours when ive heard its normally between 3-4 i recently saw in the news they are now recommending solids at 4 months. what are your thoughts on this? when did you introduce solids to your baby?

 

[tobyink]

No, the recommendation is still 6 months.

There was one study back in January suggesting 4 months might be better, and while it provides incentive for more research into this area, the vast bulk of research suggests that 6 months is ideal. (And wait until 7 months before introducing meats.) Some doctors and healthcare workers have jumped on the 4 month bandwagon because of this one study, and advise early weaning because of it. Treat such advice sceptically.

Our first child sounds like yours - she was feeding every 2 hours, even at night. But we still waited until 6 months to introduce solid food, and we don't regret it. She took to solid food quite easily, though lumpy food took a while longer as she was a late teether.

Our second was a much better milk feeder - feeding roughly every 4 hours and often sleeping 8 hours uninterrupted at night. We gave him solids a week or so before he reached 6 months because it was the Easter weekend, and we had some extra time off work, which seemed like a convenient time.

Introducing solids a bit earlier than 6 months is not going to do her any harm, but if she's not really ready for them, then you'll probably have a harder time of it. If she's anything like our two, at 4 months she'll still have difficulty sitting up straight, which will make spoon feeding her really tricky.

PS: also wait until a year before introducing nuts, honey or strawberries, as these can trigger allergies.

 

[Wyatt's Mom ?3.17.10?]

I started my son on solids at 5 months. If he hadn't been showing signs of readiness then I would have waited until he was 6 months. But he was starting to sit up with minimal assistance, he had great head/neck control, and he was interested in our food when we were eating (actually trying to grab for our food). When I did give him solids his tongue didn't push it back out so I knew he was ready.
I think 4 months is way too early.
Also, adding solids won't change the amount of milk a baby drinks. You should nurse/give bottle before solids so the food doesn't affect milk intake.

 

[*Danni* proud Mum <3]

The World Health Organisation and many others recommend EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding (or formula) for the first 6 months, which is what I did. My boy at nearly 7 months old still has days where he will hardly touch solid foods. I have always breastfed on demand, so figured why wouldn't I continue this.

The thing is, you should always trust your babys cues. Feed her when she is hungry. Don't listen to the guidelines of how often they "should" be nursing. (one doctor told me to cut my baby's feeds down when he was a few weeks old to every 5 hours at least. it was the worst piece of advice i was ever given.) Every baby is different, just like our eating habits are as adults! As long as she is having enough wet nappies then you'll be fine. Babies go through fussy phases and as Mum's we are the first to blame it on the milk, but that's hardly to blame.

My baby is a frequent nurser and still feeds every 1.5 - 2 hours and this hasn't changed since his birth. Also, the whole thing everyone says about babies sleeping through the night once they start solids is a MYTH. That doesn't work for everyone and didn't change my boys sleeping habits at all.

For the best interest in your baby's health, I would honestly recommend waiting until she is 6 months old, as they have proven time and time again that this is the best option. As well as in the first year there main source of nutrients comes from breastmilk (/formula) so that should be what is consumed the most anyway, with solids to experiment with on the side.

 

[heleneaustin]

Even though it was recommended to me not before 4 months i had my son semi on solids at 8wks old. He's a healthy 7yr old now and never had problems. Just remember when you do that the solid is additional to the milk not a substitute for the milk.

 

[Mummy of 1 x]

I introduced solids to my daughter at 17 weeks (4 months). It did nothing for my daughter, she took to it fine but it had no affect on how often she had milk, she wasn't a particularly hungry baby and I only offered very small tastes of solids at this stage. Personally looking back it more about me being excited to offer them than her needing them. With my next I'll probably wait to closer to 6 months.

My thoughts are that offering very small amounts after 17 weeks is probably fine, follow guidelines and do not offer any potential allergens at this stage (wheat/egg whites/strawberries etc), but it is important to remember that your baby needs ALL the milk they are currently taking and solids should only be in addition not a substitution.

 

[cathrl69]

12 weeks. He now has permanent digestion problems.

It is completely normal for a breastfed baby to nurse every 2 hours. Please, PLEASE don't rush your little one onto solids. There are no advantages and lots of risks. Sure, some kids get lucky and have no ill effects...but not all of them. Mine wasn't lucky. Yours might not be either.