Listen to dr or listen to my instincts on breastfeeding

[Beansmommy 87]

I breastfed my 5 year old til she was a year and a half old. I didn't introduce any type of solid food until 9 months because that's how it was then. I have a 5 almost 6 month old and her pediatrician berated me at our last visit because I hadn't introduced cereal into her diet at 4 months. I don't want to! I'm fine with things the way they are and so is my baby. I went ahead and tried. Mixed it with breastmilk and she wont take ot. I've been trying morning amd night for 2 weeks and still nothing. At this point it feels like a waste of breasilk. I'm afraid the dr is going to give me a hard time at our next visit. I've already had to switch pediatricians once I dont want to do it again. Advice anyone? Any advice...even better ways to try to feed her if this really what the new studies say.

[APToddlerMama]

I have a nine month old and I didn't give him a single solid until after 7 months. Our doctor
Is young, up to date on current research and a huge breastfeeding advocate. She suggested we do baby led weaning and that's what we are doing. My son is doing great and he's never had cereal...yuck...no wonder your baby doesn't like it. I've never had a problem with telling my doctors whatever they wanted to hear when they're giving me silly advice.

[artekah]

Run from that pediatrician! They gave you really bad advice. Sadly, nutrition and breastfeeding are not typically covered in depth as part of a pediatrician's training. Even if you go back to the same doctor, don't assume they know what they're talking about when it comes to this subject. Your instincts are correct.

Kellymom is a great resource for breastfeeding info, and you will also find tons of support if you can locate your nearest La Leche League and attend a meeting.

Found these for you:

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/delay-solids/

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/first-foods/

http://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/solids-when/

[Beansmommy 87]

Thank you! That's very helpful. There's got to be a la leche league near me.

[MichelleZB]

Yeah, I don't think there should be an exact set time for solids. 6 months is more of a guideline. The baby starts reaching for stuff and putting it into his mouth eventually, and you just have to watch it happen. We started solids with my son at around 5 months, when he seemed into it.

Whatever. Don't worry about your next doctor's appointment. If he's really keen on the idea of your baby having some cereal with breastmilk, just lie and say you give the baby a little cereal! As long as your baby is growing, how will he know the difference?

[mariee]

Go with instincts, for sure!

And cereal is such an old fashioned recommendation, jeez!  (ok, it was the first thing that I fed our son, but that's because I didn't realize at the time....)

Artekah is right, too.  Its not really the peds fault.... they really don't receive specific training in breastfeeding, etc, so if you feel up to trying to educate and enlighten, go for it.

[chel]

Not an option listed, but I vote for when the BABY feels it is the right time.
Mind you this is more than just the baby grabbing food. Babies will grab for steak knives and cigarettes!
Taking into account all the other factors (sitting up unassisted, pincer grasp, no tongue thrust, etc)

This was 11m for my oldest and 9m for my youngest.

[petitpois]

I got the same outdated wrong advice about mixing in cereal a few months ago! This is definitely NOT the latest and is not based on any science at all.  I did some reading about it even though I'd already succumbed and tried a little cereal (sorry I don't have links handy).

Here's the basic idea: There is no reason to start with cereal or to start it early anymore. Apparently doctors used to advise mixing baby cereal into formula because it was too hard to get iron into the formula, and babies need iron, but it was easy to get it into cereal (back in the golden days of formula-feeding when women were told things like breastmilk wasn't nutritious enough for growing babies). So the cereal advice used to make sense for babies fed exclusively the old kinds of formula, but never applies to EBF babies, and doesn't apply for formula-fed babies anymore either. In other words, it has nothing to do with you or your baby. It's annoying not to be able to rely on doctors for this basic stuff, and that they aren't even current on the research or basic nutrition recommendations. I haven't changed pediatricians either, but I now get my nutrition info elsewhere.

On the (imo) unrelated question of when to start solids, I agree with everyone else -- why not follow the baby's lead, or yes, use your instincts. It's not as if you'll miss the window of opportunity or anything, and not all babies are ready for things at the same time (applies to ALL developmental changes including eating different kinds of things). Besides, you have experience with this -- your firstborn is healthy and eats, right ;) ? 

Btw if your doc starts talking about allergies and prevention, or even if he doesn't there is apparently new science on that and recommendations might be worth looking into if you have allergies in the family. 

[mamaprovides]

It sounds like you have some good advice...but I will add mine just for volume...

I think cereal is a horrible first food. I think fruit is a better first food. simply because they can feed themselves. Also because it is raw...banana, avocado, watermelon. None of those give the horrible (perhaps painful) poops that processed cereal gives. (and the cereal bought in stores...have you tried it!)

At six months, we started with the meshy feeder or cheese cloth because we were nervous. By nine months they were feeding themselves and there was little worry. I mean, there is still the learning to eat and the choking and gagging that comes from that but there is more dexterity. A friend of mine has had a heck of a time with her baby. She waited until her baby was 9months and her baby is a wonderfully fat baby who eats well.

It is not crucial that you start food at 6 months. some start at 4 and some start at 9...There are kids that need to wait. You know who knows, YOU...

I have gone through several pediatricians. I like the one I have now...only because he is super old school (he was around before disposable diapers so he knows what different rashes look like with cloth diapers) and he reacts amazingly well when the children are ill, say on New Years Eve and I have to crash his NYE party and he tends to my kid while his guests mill around in the next room.. But when it comes to everyday things, I arm myself with knowledge and make decisions with what they say in mind. It creates a balance and I make decisions...not based on fear but knowledge. It is so hard to do when they are so young. At any rate, I have noticed that the docs that push the cereal and the vaccine also push the early weaning...or at the very least don't tend to think that baby led anything is valid. (I had a firm argument with my previous pediatrician about breastfeeding...my final word on the matter was: "Listen, I have only been doing this for a little less than a year...he has been doing this his WHOLE life. Don't you think that makes him an expert on breastfeeding?" She didn't appreciate it.)

I'm not sure if it was helpful...just thought I would say...go with your baby's instinct.

[petitpois]

Oh, arsenic poisoning! here's one more possible reason NOT to start with rice cereal 

http://www.imperfectparent.com/topics/2012/09/19/new-concerns-over-baby-rice-cereal-and-arsenic-levels/

(apologies for the horrible sensationalistic parenting-nightmare source, I followed a link from someplace reasonable, but try not to look at the links at the bottom of the page)

Edited by petitpois - 9/21/12 at 1:47am

[phathui5]

It sounds to me like it's time for a new pediatrician. Your doctor has no place berating you.

[butterfly_mommy]

Actually on the news last week they were talking about how now the new recommendations is to start baby on meats first not cereal after 6 months. I agree with others to just say "yep gave baby some solids" end of discussion, unless you want to educate your Dr. on the new recommendations :)

[Caracol8]

 That pediatrician is a dingbat.  If you don't want to switch again, then stand up for yourself with research or just lie to get him/her off your back.  I wouldn't waste anymore milk on nutrition-less cereal. I hope you can find a LLL nearby!

[phathui5]

How's it going, OP?

[Sustainer]

I didn't vote in the poll.  I'm inclined to say "when the mother feels it's the right time," but some mothers think that one month or one week is the right time.  I would say "when the mother feels it's the right time, as long as the baby is *at least* 6 months old."  I think, in general, 9 months would be better and 12 months would be even better.

[*GreenMama*]

I voted "when mom thinks its the right time" but what I really mean is when the baby shows signs of readiness, probably around the middle to second half of the first year of life.

[ananas]

I chose 6 months, but really what I meant is "When the mother feels it's right, after 6 months", because I do feel it's important to wait until then.

I would find a new pedi asap. Cereal isn't even good for babies, at ANY age, and certainly not at 4 months.

[EchoSoul]

We did Child-Led-Solids, and 6 months is when HE decided he was ready(as in, no longer watching us eat, trying to grab it and fussing and such). His first solid was a large piece of apple. He still loves apples to this day :)

[lanamommyphd07]

That doc gets an F. For Fired. Berating over anything is bad, but recommending something that is soooo not the best thing is awful.

[SaraOFlaherty]

I voted for 6 and 9 months because on average most babies are probably ready somewhere in between there, but really it's whenever baby is ready.