Mothering Forum banner

Feel like I made a mistake w/ solids, need advice how to fix it!

851 views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  SplashingPuddle 
#1 ·
So the pediatrician reccomended that we start giving our baby girl little tastes of food starting at 4 months, just so she could have the experience. He said she seemed ready. He was right in that she LOVED it. Hasn't found a food she doesn't like, and she was handing eating really well...putting food in her mouth herself, making chewing motions and swallowing. Wouldn't really gag at all. So I took that as a sign that she was truly ready and gave her little soft bits of whatever I was eating (not nuts, shellfish, sugar, caffeine etc). Now she's 5 months old so I've been doing this for a month BUT I read a really well researched article about why you shouldn't start any kinds of solids until AT LEAST 6 months. I looked at the research and I think they're right...nothing but breastmilk til 6 months really is best. So now I have to make a decision: should I stop solids completely and then start again at 6 or 7 months when she's met all the readiness milestones? or since she's had a month of solids already should I keep giving her table food? or some other options I haven't thought of yet?

Thanks for your advice!
 
#2 ·
I did this! I started my son on purees around 5 months bc that's what I did with my first and then i just didn't feel right about it and stopped and EBF until almost 9 months and then did BLW. He is 15 months now and still night nurses and nurses quite often throughout the day so we still do BLW!
 
#3 ·
Eh, I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. Recommendations have changed but there are still a lot of doctors saying four months. I did 4 months with my oldest four and held off till 6 or 7 with my youngest two. Not sure I see any difference in them, at least at this point.

If your baby is actively "asking" for food I probably wouldn't stop her from taking it. If you are doing the whole feed them a jar at every meal, you could probably cut back on that.
 
#4 ·
If she's into them then I wouldn't worry. There's mixed information on whether to start at 4 months or 6 months. My daughter wasn't really interested until 7 months, but if yours is interested now, I don't see anything wrong with giving her small amounts of solids.
 
#5 ·
You have done exactly the right thing for your baby, my baby girl is/was the same way. By allowing baby to feed his/her self, you are not stuffing the baby full of foods they aren't ready for. My baby girl has been feeding herself for about 3 months now and still barely manages to get a full tablespoon in at each meal.

My baby started going for our food at 4 months, and I made her wait until 5 months before I started letting her taste. There's nothing wrong with letting your baby eat real foods (what you eat, not rice cereal) in small portions at such a young age.

Remember, you know what's best for your baby and if it feels right it probably is :)
 
#6 ·
I waited with my first until 6 months, but I chose to give "tastes" to my second starting at 4.5 months. Some recent research has suggested that tastes of wheat early on can help prevent wheat allergy. We waited until 12 months to introduce wheat to my oldest and then she was allergic. So we wanted to introduce early with the second. So far so good, and no allergies.

I find I'm a lot more relaxed now and that also translates into health benefits for all of us. So I think whichever approach you choose is fine.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top