[vermontgirl]

I recently brought Harvest to his 4 month appointment and our pediatrician (who we really happen to love) mentioned that in the next couple of months we should start introducing solids to him. He was really nice about it when I told him that Harvest just isnt ready but he kept talking about it and then said he would check up on us again at the six month appointment.
I asked him about what he thought about waiting a much longer amount of time-like a year or around that time period. He said that he suggests six months. I know he is going to keep pushing the solids thing and I dont know how to deal with it.
What do you all do about your pediatricians? I mean, obviously he knows a lot more about infant health than I do...maybe he is right about six months...I dont know!
Ok so this is a double question: How do you deal with your pediatrician AND what is your opinion on the proper age to start solids. And please, I KNOW that every baby is ready at his own pace but I am asking about a general time period that they should start.

 

[KimProbable]

I'm not good at confrontations, so when I get an opinion from my ped or a health nurse that directly conflicts my own I do the smile and nod routine.

I was pressured about solids like you were, so when I got home I spoke to my LLL leader and did some research of my own. I felt confident that what I was doing was right so I just set aside the other advice because from what I read it was outdated.

While health professionals are trained in what they do, sometimes the information they're using can be extremely out of date. Also, I'm a very firm believer in mommy instinct and following baby's cues. That said, I tend to get a bit thrown when the ped tells me to do something that goes against my beliefs and it can take me a few days to get out of the tizzy I can get into.

:

For the second part of your question, I think that babies generally start to eat sometime around six months and I don't think it can or should be pinpointed more than that. Some babes are grabbing off of mom's plate at 5 months and some won't go anywhere near food until they're around 12 months. I think that following their cues and offering age-appropriate foods makes for a lot less stress for both parents and children.

I also think that the whole idea of introducing cereals then veggies then fruits etc. is a bit absurd. Despite what my health nurse told me, DD eats everything even though she had (Gasp!) fruits first. To be honest, DS ate things "in order" and had pureed foods and he is so darned picky about food that it drives me batty. DD, on the other hand, will generally try a bite or two of anything I'm having.

Wow...that turned into a really long post. Feeling chatty this morning Kim?

 

[Catherine12]

I would politely point out ot him that his own professional organization recommends exclusive bfing for 6 months (not 4 or 5) for most babies. Here is a link:

http://aappolicy.aappublications.org...115/2/496#SEC6

This document contains the line:

Quote:

Unique needs or feeding behaviors of individual infants may indicate a need for introduction of complementary foods as early as 4 months of age, whereas other infants may not be ready to accept other foods until approximately 8 months of age.

So the AAP does admit some babies may not be ready until 8 months, though they might recommend iron supplementation if you wait past 6. So your ped is really not justified in giving you guff about solids until at least 8 months. If you feel you need to wait longer than that, based on your baby's readiness cues, I would personally feel justified in doing that (as long as my milk supply was good and baby thriving, of course) and would just politely ignore the ped.

In my experience, dd was ready at just before 6 months, and ds was ready around 7 months. I think that readiness around 6 months is most typical, but of course babies vary a lot. I think it is fairly rare for babies to wait until they are a year old, but 7, 8 or 9 months is not as uncommon (I don't have any hard data on this).

 

[blumom2boyz]

:

I am also not very confrontational, but being a mommy to three healthy boys, I have learned that doctors don't always know best. I have also learned to trust my own instincts. When my pediatrician suggested starting vitamins and to feed my son three meals and two snacks a day at 6 months, I just smiled and nodded. He wasn't ready for solids until he was 9 months and even then, he wanted nothing to do with pureed stuff or oatmeal-like textures. I just followed his cues and that worked best for us.

 

[jennybean0722]

My DS is 4mo., and I'm being pressured by my parents to feed him solids. No matter what I tell them (even that the AAP recommends and so does my ped), they won't have any of it.

That being said, I still think my sweet baby will be ready for solids in a month or so. Have you looked at Dr. Sears' book (The Baby Book)? He suggests looking at the baby's cues that he is interested. Something like: "Baby is getting interested in eating when: he looks at you when eating, or tries to make conversation when you are eating or bfing." and then, "Baby is ready to start solids when he begs, mimics you eating, and wants to play with your spoon and then your food, opens mouth when you eat."

Now I just gotta figure out how to hold them off from stuffing his face at Thxgiving... Argh.

:

Jenny

 

[mcjessica]

NAK...Just had to chime in to say I love love LOVE the name Harvest!!

And,

: to blumom2boyz!

 

[Quagmire]

In regards to pediatricians I like LLL's theory: take away what works for you and leave the rest

Peds come with their own set of preferences just like everyone else, so perhaps you want to look into getting a different ped who is more in line with your own values?

With my first DD I didn't see peds as that important so I used the woman who first evaluated DD in the hospital. She was fine. She suggested at our 9-month appt that babies should be eating 3 meals a day plus snacks. At that point DD was eating about 2 tbs of solids a day for lunch. I did the "mmmhmm" routine and kept on doing what worked for us. However with DD2 I am really feeling like I want more support on some of these issues like long term bfing, solids, vaxes, circumcision (for future bebes) etc. So we're looking around. It can get tiring to keep fighting or ignoring the advice of someone who should have an advisory role in our lives, you know?

Anyhoo. 6 months is average, which to me means about 50% of babies will be interested and 50% won't. Watch baby's cues and do what works for your family.

 

[Jay'smom]

We also really love DS's doctor. I have found that if I go in already informed he pretty much lets me do as I please. At the 4 month apt. he mentioned solids and that most people start between 4-6 months. He personally recommends closer to 6 months (gotta love him!) I sadi somehting about waiting until Jay was ready. Dr asked if I knew the "signs" and once I assured him I did he let it go-not that he pushed at all. I think that once he knew we were informed he trusted our instincts. I think he just wants to make sure we aren't doing things because it's what "everybody does" or due to some bad advice.

 

[dantesmama]

I practically got into an argument with my son's ped when, at his 4-mo appt, the ped kept insisting that he should have been on solids already (and drinking juice!).

: Funny how he was ebf until 10 mo and turned out *fine* . . .

(We've since stopped bothering with wbvs!) Just remember that your ped may have gone to med school, but YOU know YOUR babe best. Personally I wouldn't give an infant solids before six months, even if they showed the signs of readiness, just to err on the side of caution.

If your ped disagrees with you, so what? If you don't want to get into it with him, just smile and nod and tell him your babe is eating x amount of cereal x times a day (whatever they're recommending now) and let it go.

ETA - I love your son's name!!!

 

[leafwood]

Great advice from the pps on how to deal with the ped. I just wanted to chime in and say that my dd (now 2.5y) didn't eat any solids until about 11.5months. We offered starting around 7m with some yams. Tried a cheerio at 9m. She wanted nothing to do with it. Rest assured, she is a perfectly healthy toddler now!

So, don't stress, and just continue to follow your baby's cues.

 

[AugustineM]

Both of my cousins boys were pretty much exclusively breastfed until they were a year. There are major allergy problems on both sides of her fam, so she was worried about that.

I acutally switched pediatricians because mine (who I liked at first) started showing way too many signs of being blindly mainstream. First she totally balked at us delaying vaxes, then she suggested solids at 5 months, then she asked me when I was going to start weaning when he was 9 months. I think I lied about the sleeping, too, saying he slept in a crib.

I did some research on our local AP group and found an absolutely fabulous ped who is somewhat of a naturopath and supports co-sleeping, extended bfing, delaying vaxes and solids. It's GREAT!!!

 

[KBinSATX]

I got the same from my Pedi. I talked to my LLL leader and she said at that age it's just for fun anyway and not a significant contribution to their nutrition. So I shouldn't stress myself and keep it fun. And that's what I am doing. I just put globs of food in front of him and he squishes it through his fingers, gets it all over himself, etc. He has fun but he doesn't show any inetrest in eating it and that's fine too.
Next week at my 6-months check I can tell him: "We are working on it. We've tried cereal, apple sauce, sweet potato and peas."
I am not spoon feeding him. I figure if he wants some it's there and if he isn't ready then it's no biggie either. He doesn't have to eat solids right now.

 

[InstinctiveMama]

My philosophy about pediatricians is they are medical doctors that I rely upon when medical intervention is necessary. I take my child to the ped to be weighed & measured and when I want the doctor to help. I find the "smile & nod" response works for everything else.

My son's pediatrician is a long-time family friend (he was my pediatrician and we have Thanksgiving dinner at his house) so I know a little more about him than other docs. To be honest, he does not know very much about taking care of kids' daily needs. Of course, he is a wonderful pediatrician! But if I want advice or information about when to start solids, how to get baby to sleep, etc. I would probably call his wife instead!

:

Also, I started introducing my son to solids when he was 6.5 months old. Over the next few months I offered avocado, banana, sweet potatoes, etc. He did not want anything until he decided to grab a cheerio by himself at 11.5 months. I never did get his to eat mashed food either. It was the true thing or nothing at all. He's 3.5 yo now and a great, healthy eater.

 

[thefragile7393]

Quote:

What do you all do about your pediatricians? I mean, obviously he knows a lot more about infant health than I do...maybe he is right about six months...I dont know!

Doc knows about infant health more than you do??? Nooooo mama, you know more about your infant's health than anyone! If he knew so much about infant health, why would he be pushing 4-6 months starting solids when it shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach? Child-led solids, IMO, is one of the best ways to do it. Of course if your child is ready, really ready, at 5 to 6 months then there you go! My ds was nowhere near ready in that stupid 4-6 month range...at 10 months he's still mostly exclusively breastfed but does accept more solids.

http://www.borstvoeding.com/voedseli...nes.html#choke Follow your infant's lead. He is the best teacher.

What do I do about my son's ped? Ignore her mostly. In fact I'm pretty much going to stop well-checks because they are useless....but for the most part I tune her out when she says stuff that I know is useless or won't work for ds. I have given up trying to set the record straight about my own child....she dosn't listen

:

 

[thefragile7393]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quagmire She suggested at our 9-month appt that babies should be eating 3 meals a day plus snacks. At that point DD was eating about 2 tbs of solids a day for lunch. I did the "mmmhmm" routine and kept on doing what worked for us.

My doc did the same thing. That's a whole heck of a lot of food....Milk, breakfast, snack, milk, lunch, snack, dinner, milk. Good lord!!!

 

[4imprints]

It took my ped and I a few years to get on the same page about things. Originally I just went along with whatever she said for baby #1. Then for baby #2 things became more comfortable and I realized that things weren't necessary. So she would suggest things and I would nod my head in agreement and say "ok". Then when the next check up came and the question of "how much food" I would say ..."well - we haven't gotten to that yet, he doesn't seem interested and I don't want to push it". A few times she would say "well - the issue is nutrients" then she began to realize that I was still nursing and it was a lightbulb in her head. He didn't NEED anything as long as he was gaining weight. And he was gaining weight fine.

Then the issue of vaxs came up. He is vax except for MMR. I kept asking questions about it leading up to the "big day" when I knew she would say he would need it. I keep saying how concerned I was about it - but didn't exactly question her intelligence. Eventually - as long as she knew that I was educated on the subject she let me make my decision.

Now - she doesn't even bring up the flu vax cause she just knows its a waste of office time!

There really is no way to "deal" with it. You just have to remember that its your child. As long as your child is healthy and continuing to progress than the decision you make is fine for the time being.

 

[mollyeilis]

"obviously he knows a lot more about infant health than I do...maybe he is right about six months"

It's just NOT true that doctors know more about HEALTH than we do.

Doctors are trained in the LACK OF HEALTH. That's their job, it's their training, it's what they are there for.

But health? No.

And nutrition? Oh heck no. If he's an older MD, he probably got no nutrition training. If he's younger, graduated in the last 10 or 15 years, he might have gotten one, perhaps two classes (making their nutrition knowledge equal to mine).

In the entire nutrition department at Case Western medical school, there is ONE professor who is an MD. The rest are PhDs and RDs.

If I have questions about my kid's nutrition, I'm taking it to a nutrition expert, not an MD...

Switch peds to someone you've interviewed ahead of time, or just nod and smile, then tell him later on that you haven't started yet.

We use an Naturopath for our primary care. She's the one who suggested delaying solids until a year. Most brilliant idea ever! (though we didn't quite make it- he snagged my apple just after he turned 11 months, bit into it, chewed the bite, and swallowed it...now THAT is readiness!!!)