To consider starting my baby on solids early

[scottishegg]

Hi all I'm a mum of 3 with my youngest child being 4 and a half months old.
My son is on the 99th percentile for weight and height and is fairly advanced in his physical development.
He is currently going through a tub of formula every 3 days and is becoming very unsettled day and night whereas before he was a very settled baby and was sleeping through.

He is showing a great interest in food and isn't as happy with milk as before.

However I know that the current guidelines are not to wean them until they are 6 months old but the older generations of my family are very insistent that due to his size and his current behaviour that it may be worth introducing food within the next couple of weeks.

I waited till 6 months with both of my other 2 children before introducing food but my youngest is a very different baby and is getting less satisfied with milk, I am reluctant to put him on hungrier baby milk as it can lead to constipation in some babies and up until recently the normal milk was fine for him.
So do I just suck it up for the next 6 weeks or so or is it possible to introduce solids fairly soon also will doing this ( introducing solids) harm the little chap.

All advice appreciated thanks

4 month growth spurt/sleep regression is often mistaken for a readiness for solids.

I'm sure someone who knows more will be along but I think it's ok after 4 months but avoid Wheat/Dairy etc or anything that could be an allergen.
I'd say mushed up banana, avocado, carrot etc should be fine.
Can you ask your HV?

I'm sure someone who knows more will be along but I think it's ok after 4 months but avoid Wheat/Dairy etc or anything that could be an allergen.
I'd say mushed up banana, avocado, carrot etc should be fine.
Can you ask your HV?

I wouldn't do it, but what does your GP think?

You'll get mixed opinions but if he's acting like this at 4.5 months then I personally would try him on solids.

As you said yourself...the 6 months advice is only a guideline and all babies are different.

I would if it were my dc.

I weaned early on paediatric advice. Our paed said the advice to wean at six months has been good from a public health point of view as it helps stop people giving big macs and fries to four months olds, but that the problem is that people who would give their kids good food then also wait till six months as they are the sort of people who follow rules.
There is also a big study currently going on called eat which is showing that kids weaned early and given foods that people tend to develop allergies to are LESS likely to develop allergies than kids weaned at six months. My paed reckons the advice to wean at six months will change as a result of this study.
Your baby sounds like he wants solids. I would listen to your baby.

I would try the hungrier baby milk first. It doesn't always cause constipation. You coukd aldo offer the baby cooled boiled water.

It's a growth spurt.

Well, his size has naff all to do with his readiness for solids, so politely tell the relatives saying that bit that it isn't a factor. Unsettled nights are also pretty common at 4 months, regardless of weaning.

As for the rest of it, at 4.5 months he is past the window of it being 'extremely early weaning' (as in, corresponding to real health concerns from doing so. You're not giving him baby rice at 10 weeks like I was).

What are his other readiness signs like? Can he sit with a bit of support and hold his head? Has he lost the tongue thrust reflex? If you gave him something easy to chew what do you think he would do with it - could he get it in his hand to his mouth and have a slobber? (I thinking something like a wedge of cooked potato, a stick of banana or pear, etc)

Hungry baby milk is just designed to be harder to digest so baby stays fuller longer.

and what Penguins said.

Nosleep - I wasn't aware that the eat study had reported any findings yet? I thought that they were still just testing the hypothesis that early weaning may help allergies? Would be interested to hear if they have any preliminary results.

I'm pretty sure I started the boys at about 5 - 5.5 months - baby rice then fruit/veg purees. (BLW was not fashionable then)

DD was about 7 months but that's because we had a lot of problems with her feeding & weight gain.

the guidline is 6 months - but it's your decision. baby sounds big and hungry, I'd start on solids sooner than later.

the book I used for all 6 of ours is called "What should I feed my baby" by Suzannah Olivier
Starts with liquidy then thicker purees, then moves onto mashed/crushed, then finely minced/chopped/grated foods arriving at the more chunky/sliced, bitsy food.
it worked for us.

its about £5.00 off Ebay

That's normal behaviour for baby's that age and not something solids would really help with.

But nothing wrong with having a chat with your GP about it.

I am currently weaning my 5 month old, she sits unsupported, can bring food to her mouth herself and gives it a good go at chewing so I've been putting soft veg and fruit in front of her and letting her play with it and eat what she wants to. My HV is OK with this but said to not give wheat, eggs, dairy just stick to fruit and veg until 6 months. The guidelines are there for a good reason but you know your baby and you can make a judgement after doing some research and perhaps ask the opinion of your HV or GP. Waking through the night, doubling birthweight, wanting lots of milk, watching you eat etc are not signs of readiness, they're just something all babies do.

I would start to introduce solids now tbh. Both of mine were weaned early (3.5 months) due to reflux so 4.5 months seems reasonable if your baby is particularly hungry; it's not as if you're going instantly into full meals, just a few spoonfuls of puree to supplement his milk feeds to start.

In fact Zingwantscake weaned exactly like I did (a few posts up).

More milk, more often?

Purée has fewer calories than milk, if he's hungry give him more milk. If he's unsettled, than unfortunately that's just his age. It's a prime crappy time for babies.

If you baby is hungry i wouldn't substitute formula (designed to be as close as possible to perfect nutrition) for rice or fruit.
If he showing the signs of being ready for weaning, that's one thing. But being hungry is a sign that he needs good nutrition.

I started weaning my 3rd just before 5 months. I waited until 6 months with 1st and 5.5 months with second. I just started by giving cooked veggie sticks to stop him screaming while we were eating.

If its been longer than a week or two its not a growth spurt.

Sounds like a growth spurt to me.

Its not that long ago since the advice was to wean at 4 months, millions of babies came to no harm during the years when that advice was accepted.

It may now be proved to be a bit better to wait but it's not inherently wrong to wean at 4 months as all of us with older children will tell you.

I weaned both children at 5 months with no (apparently) bad effects. I am fairly sure I've heard the 6 month thing is to do with WHO that are concerned about children in deprived areas of the world (Africa etc.) being given stuff that could hurt them (I guess unclean water and stuff), and so want to promote breastfeeding for as long as possible.

I think I've also heard that in terms of body development it can harm the system if weaning occurs before or around 3 months.

I think Penguins talks sense. If you look at stage one foods they are all labelled 4-6 months anyway. No doubt someone will be along to say I'm being naïve and brainwashed, but to me it seems unlikely the powers that be would allow that if there was real concern for the health of the nation as a result. As long as you give really basic stuff, pureed carrot, apple, pear - all that innocuous stuff (and actually I think bananas you are advised to wait a bit because of constipation) - I think you will be fine.

BLW... might be fashionable but I still think it's pants. I hate waste.