Too early of an interest in solids? Just curiosity or is he hungry? - Page 2

[Norasmomma]

I've let both of my kids have solids at 5 months, I personally laugh when people say "well would you give them x,y,z...if they reach for it?" For me both my kids cried, and I mean screaming crying at dinner because we were eating. It wasn't about anything but food. I guess for me I felt I was listening to them, did they "eat" not really, but they felt included and in turn stopped fussing at dinner. I tried all the other tricks, give them a spoon, cup, etc...they wanted food. DD ripped a sandwich out of my hand and started chomping on it, I took that as she was ready

Now are they messed up, well no, DD is an amazing eater and has zero issues. DS does have an allergy to sesame which he may grow out of, but that wasn't discovered until he was almost 1. did I cause that because he ate food a month before 6 months when he magically wouldn't have IDK? There are studies that show delaying too long leads to allergies, too early leads to allergies.

I'm just more of a go with the flow mama.

[AislinCarys]

Just wanted to add:

At the same time I've got a friend, who actually was the one who told me about BLW, which she had done with her older child. He started at 4 months, which I thought seemed early, when she told me. but later I saw her with her second child. Baby was only 3 months old, and mother was insisting she was self-feeding, and that she was ready - the mother held the baby in arms, AND held a large cookie in baby's mouth.

And I've known others, who didn't necessarily do BLW, but who insisted their child demanded food, which showed that the child was ready ("She screams for toast!"), at 4 months.

[Sorin]

Originally Posted by Minxie

Well, my experience is different from most mamas here. I started my DS on oatmeal mixed with breastmilk, and then peas mixed with oatmeal, at four months. He was already a big boy and advanced for his age. He never had any trouble with eating or digestion and gobbled up whatever he was offered even though he continued nursing. So YMMV (your mileage may vary.)

Our experience is the same. We started DD on solids at 4 months. I agree with the poster who said that the ability to sit unassisted can come very late for some children. Also, the pincer grasps can come late as well. DD could *not* have waited that long for solid food. She was showing other signs of readiness that I have read in some baby books--the ability to sit well assisted, good head and neck control with the ability to turn the head at will, being dissatisfied with breastmilk (or formula) alone, and the loss of the tongue thrust reflex. The idea is that the baby should be able to let you know when he/she is full, either by keeping the mouth closed or turning the head. DD was showing the above signs of readiness (particularly not getting full on breastmilk alone--she was *always* hungry), so we gave solids a try. She is now 6 months, and things are going great. She eats (and loves) anything and everything! And she still nurses like a champ. We also have the advantage of not having a history of food alergies on either side of the family, so that works to our advantage as well.

I guess I'm saying that I would not get so stuck on looking at the calendar when it comes to solids. Follow your baby's lead. Also, the AAP does recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, but the also say that solids can be introduced anytime from 4-6 months, which seems a bit contradictory, so I just try to follow DD's lead and do what seems right for her as she develops.

[Perdita_in_Ontario]

Both my DKs showed signs of being interested in foods at about 5 months. With DS (my second) I held off until 6 months because I had read a lot about the infant virgin gut, and wanted to maintain that for as long as possible. That was more important to me that whether he was interested or not up until 6 months or so.

With DD I was a first-time mother and eager, so I started her on purees just before 5 months. I can't see that it hurt her, although she does have issues with dairy now.

Neither child actually ATE much until about 7 or 8 months though. They seemed interested, but didn't actually want to eat. And yeah, I don't believe that 6-month-olds who've never had food know that it will sate their hunger. How could they?

My opinion, after my experience, is that if a child still needs cereal/purees because they can't handle solids, they're not ready for more than milk feeds, regardless of interest. Around 6 months, I feel it's time to start offering some solids and see if they can handle them.

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by Perdita_in_Ontario

My opinion, after my experience, is that if a child still needs cereal/purees because they can't handle solids, they're not ready for more than milk feeds, regardless of interest. Around 6 months, I feel it's time to start offering some solids and see if they can handle them.

[GoBecGo]

Yes, neither DD slumped if sat propped from 3-4 months (i have very strong girls, able to support their weight and stand if supported for balance, from birth) just the balance to sit unassisted takes a good bit longer. i'm really excited to see dd2 eating actually..will she like thai curry like her sister? will she devour dhal, chow down chilli, love my banana lollies (cut one ripe banana in half, wrap in greaseproof paper, freeze, partially unwrap and hand out as required ) it's an exciting phase for sure i'm going to try the breastmilk slush too, and does anyone have a breastmilk yogurt recipe? i can't use cowmilk yogurt to culture, right? what does one use?

[happysmileylady]

Just like some children start walking at 10 months, others at 15, some children will be ready for solids before others. There is no magical biological switch in the human body that says that any child is automatically ready for solids right at that 6 month mark. Some will be ready before, some will be ready after, that's just the nature of human babies.

[SubliminalDarkness]

I guess I do disagree with some posters. The point, along with readiness cues, is internal development. There isn't an external marker for internal development. Just because your child can sit doesn't mean their gut is mature enough for solid foods.

I'd sit a 5 month old in a high chair with a bowl and spoon and let them play around with it. I would not start solids until my child showed readiness signs, interest, AND was at least 6 months old.

[waiting2bemommy]

With my first child I stressed myself out trying to do things at the right time according to these somewhat arbitrary markers.

With this child I have just learned to follow her cues. She was grabbing at our plates at 4 months so, thinking she might be wanting to try some solids I warmed up some cereal (regular cereal not baby cereal) and offered ti to her. It was a no go so I dropped it. At 5 months she started actually grabbing food of the plate successfully and eating it, so I went ahead and got a food grinder and ground up what we were eating, and spoon fed it to her. Not only did she sleep better than she had in weeks that night, she stopped screaming adn crying at the dinner table.

At 6 months she is nursing all day and night on demand, probably 8-10 times a day, at least, and eating two meals a day. Usually at breakfast I will mash up some banana, or mango, and give her that with a few cheerios. Self feeding is huge for her so we don't really don't any spoon feeding except for yogurt and applesauce. I just mash it and put it on her booster tray.

at dinner time I use the food grinder to get whatever we are eating to a decent consistency for her and she happily eats with ehr hands and is included with the family at the table. Over the last couple weeks since she has started eating consistently at dinner we have had chicken in various forms, shark, pork chops, potatoes, sweet potatoes, every veggie you can imagine, beans, rice, pastelillos (like beef patties), fruit salad, soups/stews, and a lot more, and she has loved it all.

i will say that I believe in my method because I did the same thing with ds (just started later) and he is not picky. He is just as likely to eat sushi as fried chicken while most of his peers are stuck on mac n cheese and pizza rolls (ew)

[Dov'sMom]

My youngest started asking for solids at 4 months, right around when he started sitting independently. No, not getting into a sitting position, but I could sit him up and move away and he'd sit straight up and reach for toys.

I did not give him solids until a week or so after 5 months, by which time he was crawling and sitting up himself. He was also clearly hungry. He'd cry his hungry cry and refuse to nurse, instead reaching for food. His first meal I sat him in the high chair and put sliced avocado on the tray. When I saw he couldn't get the pieces up because they were stickign ot hte tray, I held them in my hand for him to grab from me. He ate more than 1/2 an avocado his first meal. Later that day he had a whole banana. He was HUNGRY. I felt the need to justify, justify, justify, but at the end of the day, I think I waited too long. He was sitting independently, had a pincer grasp, and no tongue thrust for weeks already.