solid food?

[x_harmoni_x]

How do you really know your baby is ready? And is there really any benefit to giving them solids before 1 year? I am trying to debate whether or not to start some rice cereal. I am pretty sure at my DS 4 months check-up they dr will say go ahead, but I am afraid it may cause early weaning. I want to BF until he is at least a year old. But he shows all the signs of being reayd for solids (sits up almost on his own, does not push a spoon out of his mouth, eyes and trys to grab my food).

[sweetkisses]

There are many pedis out there that will say it is okay to start solids before the age of six months but the AAP says you should wait until baby is at LEAST 6 months of age. I'm not sure why so many pedi's go against what their own professional organization recommends. I would most definitely wait until then. After 6 months of age you can slowly start to introduce solids but even at that point it is just for fun and experimentation. Even if you pedi gives you the okay, you're the mama and you get to make that decision. :)

Signs baby is ready for food do include the ones you listed but it also includes baby being at least 6 months of age, not either or. Introducing solids early can increase baby's risk for developing allergies.

[StillSingingMom]

There is no reason to start solids at four months.

At or after six months, you can look for readiness signs.

Rice cereal, or any cereal, does not have to be a first food. Depending on your family history with allergies, you can try all sorts of things.

If your four month old baby is sitting up almost on his own, it will do no harm until he is sitting up all on his own and can grab that spoon himself. And it will be much easier to feed him.

[Shaunsmom]

In agreement with PP.

The list of what I would go by to determine if my 6 month old was ready for solids is this (pulled from Kellymom.com):

*Baby can sit up well without support.

*Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.

*Baby is ready and willing to chew.

*Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development. (does your baby do this?)
*Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.

As far as rice cereal goes, that is up to you whether you want to have your baby try it. Personally, that stuff tastes pretty horrible. Rice cereal does not have to be a first food. We didn't even use it with our DD, who is now 2 years old.

Another good kellymom.com reading link on first foods is here: http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

There are benefits to an infant under the age of 1 learning how to eat solids. It's mainly for fun and experimentation. The solids should not replace any bfing sessions. The breast milk should make up most of an infant's diet for the first year.

Does your family have any history of food allergies? That may be a cause for concern and you may want to delay solids as well depending on the allergy risks.

[crystal555rose]

No reason to rush solids. Although I am the minority on here, I started with rice cereal mixed with breastmilk. First it was very watery, then I increased the thickness over time. I personally am not horrified by the taste of rice cereal, it only tastes bad when mixed with water alone.

Although the AAP recommends waiting until 6 months if you actually do a literature review on early introduction of solids and allergies, the data is not very clear. I think that aspiration risk and people pushing solids to get their kid to sleep through the night is a more likely reason for the AAP recommendation. Pedis that have practiced for 20 years or have been trained by seasoned pedis are probably not concerned with the recommendation because they have not correlated these problems in the thousands of patients that they see. Also, pedis seem almost worse than parents to get kids sleeping through the night "because the child can" which may be why they see no problem with solids at 4 months.

Solids at this point just fill your kid up when breastmilk is what they really need. Do not stress out about solids. Your baby seems eager to participate in what they see everyone else doing often through the day. Maybe a mesh feeder with frozen breastmilk to play with?

[whitnessforhim]

I agree with the others, no reason to rush.

[Nipple_nectar]

http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/showthread.php?t=344

Being the mom of an insulin dependent DS which is directly linked to premature introduction of solids, I firmly recommend waiting the minimum of six months. DD2 actually had some sensitivities and we went even more gradual with her. She is 30 months now and has grown out of all her dairy sensitivities.

[x_harmoni_x]

Thank you ladies!!! I like the idea of frozen breast milk with a mesh feeder. I had looked for like making some sort of breast milk cookie so he could hold it, but the mesh feeder is a much better idea.

It is funny though because when DS#1 was a baby his ped had me start solids at 2 months.