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Pennsylvania Babies
Questions about starting solids...
Ok, there is so much information out there about not starting solids until your LO is 6 months of age (if you can wait) but can start as early as 4 months. Keaton just turned 3 months and I'm so tempted to start rice cereal because he wants to eat ALL THE TIME and has become VERY fussy. I can't take him out much any more because he just screams his head off for more food. He is getting 7-8oz bottles now already with very little spit up. Everyone keeps telling me that he is hungry and its time for real food. I must admit that we tried a tiny bit of cereal last night to see what happened and he really seemed to like it and was very good at eating it. I've talked to other mothers that have 2 or more kids and they ALL said that they started their babies earlier than 4 months (all have kids between 1-5 so they are newer moms). My mom started my brother and I on solids at 2 weeks old (half because we were over 11 lbs. when we were born) and we both turned out just fine and were NOT fat babies or kids growing up. I'm so confused about all this. I am usually VERY much by the book and what the doctors say but on the other hand I think about how it was when we were young. My parents just shake their heads when I tell them the stuff the doctors say or the research I do. I do think there is WAY too much info out there and studies for this and that driving new parents crazy thinking they are doing something wrong. Just wondering if anyone else started earlier then recommended or any advice. Thanks.
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Re: Questions about starting solids...
We started M at 3.5 months with her pedi's go ahead. When we tried she still had her tongue thrust reflex so it didn't work. My advice is to see what happens.
If you feel he's ready and you give him a spoonful and he doesn't thrust it out, you have your answer. If he does, then he's just not ready yet IMO.
It could also be that he's going through a growth spurt. M went through one at about that age. She nursed like a mad woman & then a couple of days later it was over & she was back to her one breast meals.
In the end you're his mom & whatever you decide to do is going to be the right thing to do.
GL
Ditto everything that PP said about giving it a try, but that it could also be a growth spurt. We started Adam at 4.5 months and by the end of the first feeding he was begging for more, grinning, squealing with delight and loving getting cereal on a spoon. And he was able to actually get the cereal into his mouth and down his throat. So he was clearly ready. Some kids who start early don't get much in their mouths, so that's the signal that they're not ready. Try it, see what happens. I think the only "rule" is to not put cereal into the bottle unless instructed by a pedi.
ETA: I do think that solids are hard for moms who are "by the book." I had NO experience with kids, so everything I know if by the book or from other moms. Solids is the first (of many) things in babyhood that there are no hard and fast rules. I did cereal for a few days, then started carrots and other veggies. He did great. I did wait the 2-3 days because DH has a very severe food allergy. But once you start, it's all up to you and your kiddo!
Have you ever tried cereal mixed in the bottle? This might help.
Also, if you want to do cereal, I recommend not using Rice cereal. I would use either oatmeal or mixed grain. We had the worst issues with the rice binding our son up, but as soon as we switched, we didn't have any issues.
Hi Lesli,
I didn't read the other reply's so I hope I'm not being redundant. What did your pedi say?
I imagine it would be very frustrating to have a hungry baby. I had the opposite frustration, which was that I couldn't get her to eat as much as she was "supposed" to eat. That was frustrating as well because I was worried she wasn't getting enough nutrition. How many bottles is he taking a day? I know they aren't supposed to eat more than 40oz of formula, so if he's still hungry after that, it sounds like he needs more!
I would check with your pedi, but no one knows your baby better than you do! I saw that he is already rolling from back to belly...what an advanced little guy!
I think it's recommended that you start with Rice Cereal because it's the easiest for babies to process. Brynne didn't do well with multi grain cereal or oatmeal.
Good luck!
I am very much like you that I can be very by the book and go by what the doctor said but like others, I have to given in to what other parents are doing or what my mom did with me growing up. We started Natalie on cereal at 3.5 months. We tried Rice however we soon realized that it was giving her TONS of gas so we used oatmeal all the time and she loved it. I believe we started fruits and veggies shortly after her 4 month check up. I started with a veggie first and then went to fruits. My aunt had told me that starting with a veggie first wont give them the "sweet tooth" and refuse the veggies...wheather or not it works, I don't know but we did it that way and it worked for us.
Overall I think go with your gut. I know my manager has a baby and she started solids already and he is about 3 months already. Good luck with whatever you decide!
FWIW, I was interested to learn from my pedi that solids aren't a hunger/nutritional thing at all (at least for BF babies; I don't know about formula).
Rather it's a behavioral development that is fostered by introducing solids. My doc said to watch for "little bird" imitations -- the baby reaching for our forks/spoons/food when we eat and opening his mouth when we open ours to eat -- and when they become a pattern, that's when he'd recommend starting solids.