those who delayed or planned to delay solids...

Mrs.Teddy · November 2009

talk to me about this. I have done my research & hoped to delay till 6 months. I EBF and its going really well ( I feel very lucky about this). Our doctor gave the OK to start cereals but said it was optional. The last week all of a sudden L is SO interested when we are eating, he is really watching and tracking the spoon from my plate to my mouth. He has yet to grab for it tho. He is also eating more like every 2-2 & 1/2 hours during the day (he was going 3+ hrs). I am questioning my decision now. I am considering starting sooner then planned.

Deirdre18 · November 2009

I am waiting until 6 months.

Nicavesani · November 2009

We started at 5 months and he was totally ready. Doing what you described and KNOWING that the stuff that goes in your mouth is good. Like if we put a spoon to his mouth he ATTACKS it! From the start he was swallowing and not pushing it out with his tongue.

I am really happy we waited till 5 months, any longer and he may have walked into the kitchen himself to grab a snack. But any sooner and I think he wouldn't have been ready. You know your baby. Why not do a trial run?

easyBreezie · November 2009

I've started just feeding a tablespoon twice a day of cereal and will try and hold off on other solids until 6 months.

cabo_kate · November 2009

We're going to wait. I'm not sure how much I buy into them being ready for food just because they appear interested in it - at least with my DS, he's interested in EVERYTHING, whether it's a forkful of chicken, my car keys, my hair, etc. I don't think it necessarily means he wants to eat food yet.

We have his 4 month pedi appointment in a week (a little late, he'll be almost 5 months!), and I'll talk to him about it then, but unless they want to start him early for reflux, we'll be waiting.

Mrs.Teddy · November 2009

fredalina:
i didn't delay solids due to D's reflux. i wanted to, though. i will tell you it took about 6 weeks of solids before she really started ingesting any. And yeah, she'd shown interest in food since about 3 months, but she still wasn't "ready". i just had to keep it up because of the reflux devil. You can always change your mind sometime between now and 6 months, but just showing interest in food doesn't really make her ready.

hmmm I still hope to wait, at least till close to 6 months. Its so nerve racking with EVERY person around me questioning my decision, I want to do whats best and then I question myself. KWIM? I am going ot stick to my original plan unless something major changes. Thanks ladies.

gumiberg · November 2009

i am not looking forward the poops that solids make...i intend on waiting.

ljlkm · November 2009

I'm delaying until 6 months. DS doesn't need it for nutrition and I may be able to avoid digestive problems and potential allergies. He's definitely interested in the food, but it's only 1 more month, so we're going to wait.

gizmo909 · November 2009

We're planning on waiting until 6 months as well. We got the ok to start last cereal last week if we wanted. Pedi also said if he's doing well without solids (which he is), that if it were him, he wouldn't do it for fear that it might upset DS's apple cart. I agreed. It's always possible that we'll change our minds before 6 months, but that's the plan for now.

Mrs.Teddy · November 2009

gizmo909:
We're planning on waiting until 6 months as well. We got the ok to start last cereal last week if we wanted. Pedi also said if he's doing well without solids (which he is), that if it were him, he wouldn't do it for fear that it might upset DS's apple cart. I agreed. It's always possible that we'll change our minds before 6 months, but that's the plan for now.

Thats a good point as well. L too is doing well with BFing, he went from the 5th percentile in weight at birth to the 50th, so its working. I will stick to my original plan and tell everyone to mind their own business!

patrickandkim · November 2009

I had planned to wait for solids, but got the OK at 4 months and was worried about weight for LO, so I decided to add it. I definitely intended on waiting for veggies till 6mo, but LO becamse so interested in foods that I started at 5 months. She would stare you down like a hawk when you were eating and would try and grab at whatever was in your hand. I almost felt as if I was denying her. Just do what is best for you and LO and who cares what anyone else says. I have people questioning me all the time. I swear people think LO should be eating steak and potatoes right now.

suscq · November 2009

DD is interested if we have food but hasn't tried to grab for it yet. I will hold off until 6 months unless something drastic happens. I have digestive issues and if waiting a little longer can prevent DD from having them, it's worth it to me. She's growing and developing very well so I'm leaving it alone. I may try cereal before 6 months just for her to "practice" a little with a spoon but that won't be until at least 5 months.

TheDawnn · November 2009

I'm still EBF at around 5 1/2 months... I have been getting a lot of pressure from pretty much everyone to go ahead and start, but I haven't 100% felt Baby is ready. He does watch the food, but when I put a spoon up to his mouth he isn't opening yet. Today I was reading the in the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and again am back to feeling confident about my decision to continue to hold off.

I also learned in a baby food class that the cereals are more of a convinience food and are not necessary if baby is around 6 months. I personally do not eat 'convinience foods' so am likely to skip this introduction.

sorry about spelling and the longness... a topic I am thinking about ALL THE TIME! (:

IselaCid · November 2009

Is he interested in your food or the cool fun things you're putting in your mouth? Just saying it might not be a food thing so much, but more of a fascination with putting things in your mouth...and what baby doesn't love to put things in their mouth? Just something to consider

starlingrose · November 2009

can u post the websites you have been following about this?

mAnYaSha · November 2009

cabo_kate:

We're going to wait. I'm not sure how much I buy into them being ready for food just because they appear interested in it - at least with my DS, he's interested in EVERYTHING, whether it's a forkful of chicken, my car keys, my hair, etc. I don't think it necessarily means he wants to eat food yet.

This and also what's the rush ? LO will eat solids for many many years to come. There is a reason so many organizations are suggesting to wait. At first I tried to present my case to people who were questioning it and of course it did not work. In the end I said hey look, my gut is telling me to wait, so bite it. Whatever you decide in the end, feel good about that decision in your gut and ignore nosy people.

meg1974 · November 2009

The AAP recommends introducing them at 6 months. Breastfeeding experts recommend the same b/c it's difficult for their system to digest it before then. I don't consider introducing at 6 months "late." Rather, I consider doing it before 6 month to be early.

From what I understand they don't even get a lot of nutrition from solids until after 1 year. They continue to get everything they need from breast milk.

DD is interested in food lately as well, but I think it's more that she is interested in whatever DH and I are doing and wants to hold what we're holding. I don't think she knows it's food.

cabo_kate · November 2009

I agree with everything meg1974 said above. Well said!

For me it's a convenience thing, too. I plan to make all his food and the longer I can wait before introducing one more chose and one more mess to clean up, the better.

We're also thinking about skipping cereals or doing them sparsely - I have been reading about baby-led weaning where you skip the whole puree/spoon-feeding thing altogether, but I'm not sure if we'll do something like that.

penguingrrl · November 2009

I was planning on waiting until 6 months, but I also was taking a "watch the baby not the calendar" approach and DD is showing every sign of readiness. So today at her peds appointment we talked about it and even though my ped usually recommends waiting until 6 months she felt DD was ready so we tried bananas tonight. I used this link: https://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/readyforsolids.htm

Since DD showed every single sign for a good two weeks I'm sure she was ready. She ate a few bites of it while making really funny faces lol!

Shlei · November 2009

I am waiting until 6 months because I want LO to hold out and build her system more. Allergies are prominent on FI's side and I have been told that waiting until 6 months would help a lot.

Chrysallys · November 2009

DS has shown all of the readiness signs for a while, including grabbing for my food but we still aren't going to start until 6m. (Well we may start a week early at Christmas).

ilovemygirls · November 2009

I bf'd as well & my pedi told me we could start solids at 4mos if we wanted to. She did tell me that it is good to start when they are showing an interest (such as you describe above, or with grabbing the utensil, etc) because if you don't, you might have a harder time getting them interested later. We all have ideas about what we "want" to do or what we think is "best" and then you have a child who sometimes lets you know what is right on their own schedule. And that's perfectly okay!

BugLuv · November 2009

We have waited - DS will be 6 months in a couple of days and still showing no interest at all. He isn't quite sitting up all the way yet, and doesn't do any chewing motion yet - we will prob wait til closer to 7 months. He is gaining really well with just BM and so we will continue that. My pedi and OB both recommended holding out as long as possible until 8-9 months even... Im going to continue to watch K and see how he is doing - if he shows interest we will start.

jfarmer27 · November 2009

We're waiting until 6mos. She'll actually be 6.5mos when I introduce her first solids b/c of how the holidays fall and I want to wait until after Christmas before starting something new. While she does pay attention to me eating, she also is aware of everything I do now, so I wouldn't say it means she's ready to eat just because she's more alert of her surroundings. I've been asked about cereal/solids, but I've found if you don't sound unsure about your decision to wait, others aren't nearly as opinionated. As soon as I firmly say, "we're waiting until 6 months", the conversation ends. My baby, my choice. We have a lifetime of being questioned about decisions we make and if I feel strongly, there's no way others "advice" would make me rethink what I've researched and decided is best for my baby.

lolo5000 · November 2009

I waited until a couple of weeks before his 6 month bday. Dr. said we could start feeding him solids at 4 mo, but I just did not feel he was ready. We are taking things really slow. I want him to drink as much bm as possible.

*Caress* · December 2009

We started on cereal at 4 months and were waiting for purees/baby food till next week when she's 6 months old. You can do the same. That way he's still getting more BM than solid food.

Manalyzer · December 2009

I really wanted to wait, but unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen. DD is all about the food. She tracks it to my mouth, grabs for it on the table, and smacks her lips at the Food Network. So...I will be discussing it at her appointment on Friday and seeing what the pedi says.

I'm thinking I'll be starting this weekend....

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