what if baby is "ready" for foods (blw) before 6 mo?

[dahlialia]

My dd is 4.5 months. She is reaching for our food and shrieking when we don't give it to her. If she is in her high chair at meal times, she scans from face to face, leaning in with an open mouth. If she is in a lap, then she is grabbing off the plate.

It was my goal to wait for 6 months then introduce slowly. My older DD had no interest at all until 8 months, didn't really eat until 10 months. But I'm beginning to feel like I am depriving her!

I want to wait for a while more at least. She is only sitting unassisted for a few minutes at a time, though I'm sure that will improve quickly. We have been giving her plate/bowl/spoon to play with at the table, and a sippy cup with a little bit of breastmilk or water.

I have also, twice, given her something that she can just suck on - a slice of hard apple, and a slice of red pepper. So I guess that is technically starting solids : I don't know if it is wise to do that though? Or if we just need to endure 6 weeks of shrieking...

I have my name down for the BLW book at the library, but I'm 3rd in line I think.

[Norasmomma]

NAK

Well I may get flamed, but when my DD was that same age I gave into the fact that she had solids readiness IMO when she literally ripped a sandwich out of my hand and started gnawing on it. I took her in for a well baby and told our then doc that I had given her some cereal with bm due to the sandwich incident. The kid already had teeth at 3.5 months and just wanted food. My dr said while it is best to wait it is also good to read your own child, so she pretty much didn't frown upon me. I'm a big believer in following my baby's cues, and not necessarily what a book says to do. I mean we all develop differently-some faster, some slower. I just don't personally believe that 6 month date is some magic bullet JMO. If you don't have a history of allergies or issues and she *seems* ready why wouldn't she be?

[red and lulu]

My dd is just over 5 mo and I've been letting her play with solid food for a couple weeks, even though I really wanted to delay solids for as long as possible. But she had other ideas. She's been sitting up unassisted for awhile and if someone is eating in her view she dives for the food or cup or watches, mimicking the chewing. It's pretty funny. But I figured, since we're doing blw she's not really ingesting much (if at all) so it's ok to start "early." She teeths on carrots (full size) and celery; she's sucked on apple slices, soft pear, a big wedge of canteloupe and some broccoli. The only thing that made it further than her mouth was a few little broccoli dots. I agree with the idea that you follow their lead and start when they're ready... whether that's a little "early" or "late."

[JMJ]

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/so...earlyreadiness

I've also seen someplace that you can make Mommy milk yogurt and other foods that just happen to be 100% breast milk.

[Bokonon]

Babies grab at everything and cry if they don't get it. My baby grabs at my glass of wine, cell phone, keys, remote control, etc.

[AustinMom]

Grabing at your cell phone is one thing, but grabbing at food, with an open mouth, while imitating you eat during meal time, is, to me, a sure sign of readiness.

Worse comes to worst, try some solids (no need to start with cereal, i'd do a veggie or fruit) and if they don't take to it, stop, and go back to BF

[crunchy_mommy]

I thought DS was "ready" around that age too. I offered him a little food (avocado) and realized he really wasn't as "ready" as I thought... just wanted to do what we were doing. Giving him a cup or spoon to play with solved that issue. He was sitting unsupported... and showing all other signs... but we were able to hold him off a little. However he did grab my banana and take a bite out of it a couple weeks later (around 5 months) and did the same with a plate of roasted veggies, so we started letting him do that occasionally -- not every day but just when he really really wanted it (or took it before we could intervene!) The amounts he actually consumed were minimal (less than half a teaspoon I'd say)... I don't really consider him to have "started solids" until around 7 months when he started getting more into it, eating almost daily, and able to eat without gagging constantly.

[treegardner]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy

I thought DS was "ready" around that age too. I offered him a little food (avocado) and realized he really wasn't as "ready" as I thought... just wanted to do what we were doing. Giving him a cup or spoon to play with solved that issue. He was sitting unsupported... and showing all other signs... but we were able to hold him off a little. However he did grab my banana and take a bite out of it a couple weeks later (around 5 months) and did the same with a plate of roasted veggies, so we started letting him do that occasionally -- not every day but just when he really really wanted it (or took it before we could intervene!) The amounts he actually consumed were minimal (less than half a teaspoon I'd say)... I don't really consider him to have "started solids" until around 7 months when he started getting more into it, eating almost daily, and able to eat without gagging constantly.

exactly

[Parker'smommy]

Originally Posted by AustinMom

Grabing at your cell phone is one thing, but grabbing at food, with an open mouth, while imitating you eat during meal time, is, to me, a sure sign of readiness.

Worse comes to worst, try some solids (no need to start with cereal, i'd do a veggie or fruit) and if they don't take to it, stop, and go back to BF

What the poster was trying to say, is that babies at that age just want what you have whether it's food or a phone or whatever. If you had a glass of wine, and your baby was shrieking for it, and grabbing for it, does she know better and knows that she is ready for that glass of wine? The baby doesn't know what that food is, if she hasn't had it yet. All she knows is that she wants what momma has. Plain and simple.

I wouldn't give foods if the "readiness" the baby is displaying is grabbing for food. It's not the only sign of readiness for solids.

Here are some guidelines for solids readiness. Baby should be displaying all of these guidelines before eating food. I feel the first one is the most important:

Baby can sit up well without support.
Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
Baby is ready and willing to chew.
Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

Good luck!

[Norasmomma]

Originally Posted by AustinMom

Grabing at your cell phone is one thing, but grabbing at food, with an open mouth, while imitating you eat during meal time, is, to me, a sure sign of readiness.

Worse comes to worst, try some solids (no need to start with cereal, i'd do a veggie or fruit) and if they don't take to it, stop, and go back to BF

Yeah there's a difference of grabbing a sandwich and gnawing it, while I was eating it and grabbing keys, etc. I guess I just am one to follow my baby's lead and my mama gut. I guess if my DD is messed up for life because of a little cereal or a frozen piece of fruit in her teether that's my bad. I just think like anything involving a baby(or anyone) development is different. I just don't necessarily agree that BAM a baby hits 6 months and then is ready.

[LadyCatherine185]

Here is a great quote from kellymom.com--

Four- to five-month-old babies are sometimes very eager to participate at mealtime, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are ready to eat solids - more often it's just the normal developmental urge to do what everyone else is doing. Research studies tell us that there are many health advantages to delaying solids for about 6 months for all babies, not just the babies who are not yet interested in mealtime.

There are a number of things you can do to let baby participate in mealtimes without starting solids:

Let baby sit with the family at mealtime - in a lap, booster seat or high chair.
Give baby a cup of water or expressed milk. Your baby can entertain himself at mealtime while learning to use a cup. 1-3 ounces of water in the cup should be plenty (often for the entire day). Many moms choose to use only water or a small amount of breastmilk to avoid wasting the "liquid gold" while baby learns to use the cup.
Offer baby sips of water from your cup or straw. Even if baby hasn't figured out how to use a straw yet, you can put your straw in water, block the top end of the straw with your finger to trap a little water in the straw, then let baby drink the water from the lower end of the straw (unblock the top end once it's in baby's mouth).
Offer baby spoons, cups, bowls and other baby-safe eating utensils to play with during mealtime.
Give baby an ice cube (if it's a baby-safe size & shape) or ice chips to play with.
Offer baby a momsicle (popsicle made from breastmilk) or slushy frozen breastmilk to eat with a spoon.

[2xy]

The way I see it is that there is a huge difference between allowing a younger baby to reach for/eat solids and forcing a spoonful of food into its mouth. Children walk, talk, potty learn at different ages. It only stands to reason that they will eat solids at different ages, too.

[mamazee]

My opinion is that there are two things that must happen before babies get solids. One is the readiness signs you're talking about. The other is gut maturity. The gut matures between 4 to 6 months, and there's no way to know specifically when that's happened for any particular baby, so 6 months is a safe number to wait for, and I waited for it even though my baby showed all the other readiness signs before that time.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by mamazee

My opinion is that there are two things that must happen before babies get solids. One is the readiness signs you're talking about. The other is gut maturity. The gut matures between 4 to 6 months, and there's no way to know specifically when that's happened for any particular baby, so 6 months is a safe number to wait for, and I waited for it even though my baby showed all the other readiness signs before that time.

That is my understanding, too.

[sugarpop]

can someone tell me what BLW is?

[Abraisme]

My DS started showing all the signs that he was ready around 5mo as well, so I let him eat. I would give him the mesh bag feeder to hold and suck on, bits of fruit or organic teething cookies. He always digested what he ate, fed himself and really enjoyed it. Personally, I think it's fine if your baby wants to.

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

can someone tell me what BLW is?

I think some people have a slightly different version of it but generally, it's allowing baby to take the lead when it comes to eating solids. Eating solids is the beginning of the weaning process... So BLW'ers will offer a few foods starting around 6-9 months or so and allow baby to choose whether to eat & how much. Most BLW'ers don't use purees but instead allow baby to eat whatever they are eating (as long as it's safe!) in baby-friendly shapes so he can self-feed. You don't actually need to do purees, the only *real* purpose of purees is so parents can start feeding solids before baby is truly ready. Also, spoon-feeding can interfere with the gag reflex (because the food is placed BEHIND the area that triggers baby to gag) so they may be more likely to choke, especially when they eventually transition to chunky purees or finger foods. That's the very short version, there is lots of info if you google it (and it seems to be more common in Europe) and I believe there is a book by Rappley (not sure I spelled that right) who has studied BLW...

[Triciabn]

I have had bald babies grab hairbrushes... I was just positive they were "hair ready"

I have had non-verbal babies grab cell phones...I was just positive that they were "verbal ready"...or is it "texting ready"?

I have had almost nearly every baby almost wean at 9months....but I didn't let it happen...because although they thought they wanted to just be busy and not stop and nurse...I knew in a month they would want back to the tap...and sure enough they did....good thing I don't listen to everything babies say , lol...although sadly I did listen to the first one and stupidly weaned him at 9months...I thought I was listening.

Bottom line do what you want... it really doesn't matter what anyone tell you.. you want to feed your baby a pastrami on rye then rock it out! I mean you can always stop if doesn't work out... or move onto steak and lobster it if does.

Babies want and imitate tons of things... yet they haven't seemed to adjusted to the thought that just because a being wants something ...doesn't mean a being knows what is best.

[Amatullah0]

Originally Posted by sugarpop

can someone tell me what BLW is?

aka: baby-lead weaning

[TulsiLeaf]

Originally Posted by AustinMom

Grabing at your cell phone is one thing, but grabbing at food, with an open mouth, while imitating you eat during meal time, is, to me, a sure sign of readiness.

Worse comes to worst, try some solids (no need to start with cereal, i'd do a veggie or fruit) and if they don't take to it, stop, and go back to BF

just replace that with dog food, the remote control and all that. Same difference.

She would also go for ice cream, but we all know that ice cream for a 4 month old is not very good. Just because they grab for it, doesn't mean they are really ready for it.