11% EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding. Most resources say it is ok to start solids at 4 months. I asked a nurse once who was advocating 6 months exclusive bm why would you wait until 6 months, and her explanation was confusing and unconvincing. She said the baby needed to have the neck control to turn away when he was finished, she said nothing about gut maturity, allergies, feeding troubles, etc. My mother convinced me that 6 months was better, but she is very distrustful of all cereal/gerber jars/purees etc., so her reasoning was to avoid ever needing to buy any gerber. Health care providers have to believe and convince women that 6 months exclusive bm is beneficial, superior, or a goal to be considered. Most BF moms I know start cereal at 4 months, because they think they are supposed to.
