Am I supposed to REFUSE my 5 month old food when he's trying everything to get it?

[crunchynerd]

I've looked and looked, and it seems like everyone online insists that babies aren't interested in solids before 6 months anyway, and it almost sounds like they are saying that anyone giving them before then, must be pushing it on the poor dears. Well this is my 3rd child, all are breastfed, and I know the difference between "just wants to put everything in mouth" as he has been doing to everything for months now, and "I want the food I see you eating, Mama!"

Since all my kids have food allergies that began in infancy, well before solids (and all were EBF), I should be extra cautious, but on the other hand, apparently not having solids didn't protect them from having food allergies practically since birth.

I fully inteded to delay solids until either 6 months, or later if he wasn't interested yet, but he started leaning and reaching to get my food, from my lap when I ate, and was trying to eat it, and at first I outright denied him, and he was really upset. I gave him a taste of a complex rice dish with broth and spices and he LOVED it, and eagerly sucked it from my finger. Later I tried him on plain sweet potato, and he didn't care for it as well. He is trying to crawl already and sat up/rolled over a lot sooner than my other two.

I am split: should I assume that his interest indicates readiness despite not reaching the magical 6 month mark, or go by instinctive response to his desire to eat? I would have preferred it if he had just conveniently not been interested until later, but he is, for sure. So far I have only let him have tastes off my finger, though he does like to feed himself taste amounts of mashed sweet potato with an ordinary spoon, and does amazingly well at it.

Has anyone else run into this? What did you do? I'm letting him have tastes, and so far, he really prefers adult table food and really isn't as interested if it's single-ingredient unseasoned food like what I'm 'supposed' to give him. But so far, I am trying to let him be satisfied with just trace amounts, little tastes of the juice, and am encouraging him to nurse instead, or after he has that little taste he keeps sitting up from nursing, to get. So far, no terrible poop issues...his bowel movements had become stinky with some solid poops, and brownish yellow, and had stopped looking like EBF stools, weeks ago...even though he hadn't had solids at all, at that point. Could this mean his gut was changing on its own schedule, and he's in fact ready?

I am very familiary with allergy issues affecting the gut, and didn't see a lot of mucous, or anything at all alarming, these past few weeks when his poop suddenly stopped being like nice EBF poo and started being like nasty solids poo.

Does that happen when babies are ready, even if they haven't started solids yet?

Just trying to figure out whether to go ahead with it, or continue trying to give him just enough taste that he'll quit begging, and then urge him to nurse instead. I plan to BF 2+ years with him like I did the other kids, so this isn't the start of weaning by a long shot.

[LadyCatherine185]

would you refuse him to eat a piece of grass? or a rock? even if he's trying everything to eat it? ;)

I totally get what you are saying, my DS2 has been trying to swipe my food and eat it (and succeeded in eating a piece of sweet potato fry!) since 4 months old. I let him start eating some (banana and avocado) around 5.5 months... BIG mistake. his digestive system was NOT ready for food, he was up crying all night with gas pains for 3 nights. So I waited a few more weeks, and gave him a little less food to eat, and he did fine with it. I still have to limit his food intake, because if he eats too much food he gets a tummy ache.

This was just our experience.. and the reason I asked about the grass/rock is because my DS2 has also tried to eat those things! And would have, had I not fished them out of his mouth. ;)

I don't think there is any harm in letting him have little "tastes" like what you are doing, but I would wait until 6 months before letting him really eat a significant amount.

[teeg1973]

I guess I am in the camp that it is ok to let babes try solids after 4 months if they show an interest...and then if the trials go well.  I don't think the grass/rock analogy is really the same at all.

Additionally, I am living in Europe where they have recently changed the recommendations back down to 4 months (from 6 months).  I don't think it is right for all babes, but I do think you have to look at the individual child.  The change in recommendation here actually has a small bit to do with allergies in that some seems to do better if exposed within the 4-6 month mark (not before or after).  So, I dunno.....

If it were my kid I would give it a try.  With DD who will be 6 months in a few days, we have tried solids a few times (she desperately wants to eat our food), but it hasn't gone well with the baby food, so I backed off and try again every few days or so. 

FWIW, here is a link the the reason for the changes here in Europe

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/1423.pdf

Tracy

[JBaxter]

Im also in the reasonally close age.   OF my 4 I had 2 who ate before 6 months 2 that ate after.  I could have no more refused the early ones as made the late ones eat sooner.   At barely 4 months my oldest was sitting on my lap at dinner ( well after dinner) and my mother was sitting across from me grinning  Logan was rubbing his fingers in my applesauce and licking it off his fingers.  We tried a little on a spoon and I thought he would eat the spoon. He was drinking formula by then ( supply issues big time)  8oz every 3-4 hrs and was not satisfied.   He started on homemade baby foods just after 4 months.  He begged for food ( not rocks or grass) and knew what he wanted.   Carrots, sweet potatoes green beans peas broccoli pears etc

5 months my vote is to feed 'em

[Ola_]

To me the main reason for waiting till 6 months is for the baby to reach those developmental milestones: sitting up, pincer grasp, lack of tongue thrust, interest in your food.  If you've got those personally I'd try a small amount and see how it goes.  If you see any digestive issues like PP had then I'd back off of course.  But that's just my take on it.

[LadyCatherine185]

just wanted to clarify- my DS2 (the one who was eager for food at 4 months) will eat just about ANYTHING, all kinds of food, paper, grass, flowers, rocks, etc. and just because he WANTS to eat it, doesn't mean it is good for him. it's my job as his mom to know what is good for him and what isn't. and just because a 4 month old WANTS food, doesn't always mean their tummies are ready for it.    

[lilikoi]

I am on the exact same boat! I could had written your post, except for the allergy issues. My DD is trying hard to eat from my plate. I was eating a mango and she got a hold of it and sucked the juice from my fingers. Last week I let her have some avocado because she was trying to get a hold of some while we were having dinner. She is my first and I was only going to introduce solids after 6 months, but I think she is ready and I am going to let her lead the way. What I am trying to do is to have some avocado or sweet potato on my plate for dinner and if she tries to grab the food, I will give her that. 

[QuestionGal]

Same boat here too! DD is 5 months and showing all the signs of readiness.  I was also aware of the recent recommendation changes that the PP referenced (introduce solid between 4-6 months instead of delaying until 6 months).  My plan with DD was to wait until her first tooth broke through (as I'd heard that coincides with the maturation of the gut??) but she showed us she was ready before then. That's why she got to have her first solids this past Saturday.  There have been no ill side effects (upset tummy, gas, or constipation) so we are going to continue.

I think the BABY will tell you when they are ready, and the BABY will tell you when it's not ready (ie major tummy troubles).  I say go for it. You can always back off if necessary but it sure sounds like your LO is very much ready.

[stik]

I wouldn't try feeding a 4 or 5-month-old a meal of solid food without some significant build-up to the occasion, but I would let them taste the food I am eating if they are interested.  I'd let them take a lot of tastes if they were very interested.  My kids barfed when they ate too much, so they didn't suffer the consequences for long.  

FWIW, my children also both ate rocks and grass right around that age, with no ill effects.  I don't think it was good for them, but no harm done.  I felt like, if the grass and rocks didn't hurt, the bananas and rice were unlikely to cause a problem.  

[expat-mama]

I agree with PPs saying let baby lead. If I were you I'd let baby try very simple foods at this point- like the sweet potato or avocado if baby is really wanting foods. I also don't quite agree with the rock/grass analogy- if your baby is showing you he might be ready to eat FOOD, then try it! If your baby wants to eat grass or rocks...umm...DON'T try it!  
 

I am aware of all the research about baby gut being sensitive and not "sealed" etc. but I don't think very simple first foods will be harmful. If baby has a bad digestive reaction you can go back to waiting a little longer with little damaage done I'm sure. Just pay close attention as I'm sure you would anyway! It's only a few weeks between 5 months and 6 months, anyhow.   

Not everything is so darn black and white.

Have fun!

[eclipse]

I'd let him have at it. Just little bites of whatever you're eating, until you know his stomach can take it.

[Terrilein]

My oldest wasn't interested in solids until 10 months. So it came as quite a shock to me that my ds demanded  solids promptly at 4 months when I was planning to introduce them at 6 months at the earliest. Ok, so we introduced him to the fun world of solids and never looked back. He seems sensitive to certain items, but so far he's doing great!

[Greenlea]

We started my first son on solids at 4 mths and he did great.  My second son I tried introducing solids at 6 mths but he wasn't interested and at almost 8 mths is now just beginning to love food.  Every baby is different and I don't think you HAVE to wait until 6 mths.

[Ellien C]

I certainly didn't. I think there was something in one of the Sears books where an experienced mom of 6 said that when they were grabbing it off your plate, they were ready for solids. My son was started on people food around 5 months. I tried a few jars of baby food but he wasn't interested. Just soft people food.

[mommy212]

Well everyone is always talking about baby-led weaning- but, it seems, only if it's later, not earlier. I have heard people brag about how late their LO started! (though not on mothering, no flaming intended!) If you think it is best for him to start eating, by all means go for it!

[katelove]

The the new guidelines linked by a PP don't actually *recommend* starting solids at 4 months. They say that solids may be started *between* 4 and 6 months. That BM provided all the nutrition *most* babies need for the first 6 months but that *some* may benefit from starting solids earlier. 

My concern about recommending solids be started between 4 and 6 months is that it will encourage people to start them even earlier. We used to say "son't start solids before 6 months" and how many threads do you see saying "I know the rec is 6 months but I think my baby needs solids now (at 4.5, 5, 5.5 months or whatever)." So now we say "not before 4 months" how soon before we start seeing threads saying "I know the rec is 4 months but I think my baby needs solids now (at 3, 3.5 months).

My personal view is that 6 months is soon enough. I refuse my baby plenty of things and she's rarely happy about it but, as PPs have said, that's what our job is as parents.  BLW is about allowing the baby to choose what to eat and how much but it is the parent's job to choose what to offer and when to offer it.