Starting Solids

[EJTmommy]

Forgive me if this isn't the correct place to post this question - I'm still learning these boards.  

LO is going to be turning 6 months the end of the month. He's EBF'd  and we are about to start solids.  My pediatrician (who I'm not really fond of but that's another story and I'm trying to find a good ped to switch to) says to start with cereal.   Of course all the older generation people in my family say start with cereal.  I've read on many places as well as wholesomebaby.com that it's not necessary to start with rice cereal.  I've been thinking of starting with avocados, bananas or sweet potato.  I'm wondering what others have started with. 

Has anyone gone against what their ped suggested?

[Bebe's Mom]

I tried cereal, but DD didn't like it, even with BM mixed in. I started giving her sweet potato and avocado...There is a great book on the subject, wish I had found it sooner. here is the link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-led-Weaning-Helping-Your-Baby/dp/0091923808 DD hated purees, so we started giving her table food at around 9 months. She never looked back. She is 16 months old now, still breastfeeding, but eats lots of solids too.

[crystal_buffaloe]

I really like the Baby Led Weaning book, too :)

My doctor suggested starting with cereal, and I said I wanted to avoid processed foods, and she said that was fine, especially since we weren't going to introduce solids until 6 months. It really was not a big deal.

We started with sweet potato, avocado, and banana (sometimes mashed and mixed with BM on a spoon and sometimes in chunks for finger food).

Now I just give her some of whatever we're having as long as it doesn't have eggs, milk, honey, nuts, or tomato. She really loves meat, and according to the BLW book, she can get good nutrients by just sucking the juices out of a strip of beef (or whatever), which is what she ususally does. She actually takes bites and chews up softer foods now, too.

ETA: Food really is just for fun for her right now -- her poop is still breastfed baby poop, sometimes with a blueberry skin or a piece of carrot coming out in the wash