Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Making it to 6 months without solids...

29 replies

Cavy · 26/09/2004 07:53

I didn't last time, would really like to now (baby breastfed, only 14 weeks old). How do I resist the social pressure to start earlier, the attitude that it will make him sleep better (never worked with my first 2!), and my own curiousity about will he like it? Plus, I am starting work soon and I know I would worry less if baba was on solids not just my EBM.

Thing is, I remember when my last baby reached 6 months I just couldn't imagine her not being on solids. She was so happily, firmly established on them. But I don't think any of those reasons (curiousity, social pressure, etc.) is good enough reason to start.

Sorry for the ramble. Is anyone in the same boat of trying to resist the temptation to start early? Right now I am trying to motivate myself by thinking how proud I'll be to point at DS when he's 6 months old and 8-9kg and think "I did that!" "That's all my hard work, that lovely plump baby."

OP posts:

suzywong · 26/09/2004 08:05

cavy

I know what you mean about the pride and satisfaction of seeing a baby that is all your own work. And I can see your point about the pressures on parents to start or not to start solids.

My first baby was born outside the 6 months with no solids boundary and my second was born within it. I started DS1 on solids too early, I now feel, at 13 weeks because he was big and seemed ready. But he could well have waited for another 6 weeks. So with DS2, the same size, I didn't listen to any other source but my own feeling and started him pears and sweet potato at 20 weeks, just the right time for him and me.

I am an avid BF, still mixing it in with the formula at 12 months, and I think it is great that BM is being given the good press support it deserves. However I have to say that I think a second, or in your case third time, mum has the qualifications to know what is right for her and her baby. So what I mean is if you feel DS would benefit from a bit of the old mashed pear then do it when it seems right to you. If he is ready for solids and you would have one less thing to worry about once you are back at work then be your own guide. Because even if you work on the principle of resiting temptation to start that is still external pressure.

I'm all for being sensible and cutting yourself some slack (was entirely different border line obsessive with first baby but an now slightly older and wiser).

HTH

hercules · 26/09/2004 08:37

Personally i've never had a problem doing things the way i think best despite all the things you said. I have always read a lot and knew that these recommendations have been around for at least 10 years so werent something new. It is simply unnecessary to give solids before around 6 months and can cause health problems in later life as no matter what the childs weight is the gut is not ready until this time. That knowledge was enough for me.

Twiglett · 26/09/2004 08:39

message withdrawn

toddlerbob · 26/09/2004 08:44

I found it was the 4 month question. Like at 3 months everyone says "is xxx rolling over"?" at 5 months it's "is xxx sitting up?" and at 6 months "is xxx crawling yet?". So once you resist until month 5 you get a different question, so think of it as just having to resist the social pressure for one month instead of 2.

As you are going back to work I would actually worry less about EBM than solids, after all EBM is EBM, no negotiation and no capacity to mess it up.

jellyhead · 26/09/2004 09:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

woodstock · 26/09/2004 09:42

My ds experienced nipple confusion after I went back to work so EBM was the only answer. We still went with the 6 month guideline.

As for sleeping, he didn't sleep through the night on BM and he still doesn't now that he is on solids. Total myth on that one IMO but it was the hardest argument to resist when I found myself wavering. Very glad now that I didn't cave in though. I have lots of problems with allergies and asthma and wanted to do anything I could to prevent same in ds.

kiwicath · 26/09/2004 11:33

I've never known anything except for the 6 month rule as this ones my first, so found it very easy to go the full 6 months + some. At 9 months, he's still on 5 boobs and 2 solid meals. He thrived then and he's thriving now so worked well for us. Yes, had the odd jibe from friends and husbands family about starting earlier. Their argument was that he was a big baby and needed it???? If they really thought about what they were saying, they'd realise how silly it was and actually strengthen my argument. Know exactly what you mean by "I did that". I'm as proud as punch

pixiefish · 26/09/2004 12:19

kiwicath- does he eat his full solid meals- I ask because dd is 7 1/2 months and bf 3 times a day, once in evening and seems to wake twice in night for feed (doesn't bother me) dd doesn't eat her full solids- she'll only really eat one properly- we have a lot of bother with the others.
She's happy and healthy so I don't really want to cut her bf's down. Do you think this is ok?
A friend of mine (who's kids are same age as me) said she didn't start on solids till they were 8 months

yurtgirl · 26/09/2004 12:50

Message withdrawn

yurtgirl · 26/09/2004 12:53

Message withdrawn

hercules · 26/09/2004 12:53

The boundaries havent been moving about.It's been 6 months for at least 10 years!

hercules · 26/09/2004 12:55

Yurtgirl - that isnt true either. Recommendations in the 20's were 8/9 months for solids. Why would waiting make a difference to tastes?

MTS · 26/09/2004 12:55

hercules - why do so many hvs ignore them?

hercules · 26/09/2004 12:56

There are no adults who never learnt to chew because of late weaning.
Sorry to rant but there are so many myths that are untrue about breastfeeding and weaning.

hercules · 26/09/2004 12:57

I phoned my health trust to ask that mts and was told that it is mainly down to them not going to training sessions and finding this out.
I was appalled in hospital to be given wrong advice about bf (I was told to give formual as both were hungry). I complained then too.

hercules · 26/09/2004 12:58

My hv insisted on refering dd to salt at 8 months! I really have had lots of crap advice off them and so dont go.

yurtgirl · 26/09/2004 13:26

Message withdrawn

hercules · 26/09/2004 13:28

The WHO guidelines have been 6 months for about 10 years. This country has taken a long time to officially implement it.

yurtgirl · 26/09/2004 13:37

Message withdrawn

hercules · 26/09/2004 13:38

That makes sense yurtgirl.

hercules · 26/09/2004 13:43

I dont agree with what they did though but i can see why they did it iykwim.

Bozza · 26/09/2004 15:36

I'm another one in this position. DD is 19 weeks and exclusively breast fed. I will be going back to work when she is 5.5 months. As I mentioned on Twiglett's thread she has dropped down the centiles which has made me wonder if she is getting enough. But she seems to have plumped out recently and with DS's health issues (operation adenoids/grommets and chicken pox) and DD having a cold I've not had her weighed for a few weeks and I think my mind has been taken off it. We're off on holiday next week so no intention of starting anything before then.

at Toddlerbob and "this month's question". Because actually I think you're right and I have weathered the storm and people have stopped asking me - maybe they just presume she is on solids already.

hewlettsdaughter · 26/09/2004 16:06

DD is 23 weeks today and I haven't started her on solids yet - although people have asked about it I haven't felt too much pressure (think I must be stubborn!). Know what you mean about worrying what will happen when you start work though. I'm in that position - and I don't know if dd will take a cup or a bottle yet!

californiagirl · 26/09/2004 16:44

DD is 6.5 months and started solids at 6 months. She is sitting on my lap eating a chunk of watermelon and some cereal bits as she rejected babyfood completely.

I also found the pressure was worst at about 4 months. After that, people mostly stopped bugging me and I found other things to worry about. We started her on water (first from a sippy cup, then from an open cup), ice in a baby safe feeder, and empty spoons at various points between 4 and 6 months, and that seemed to satify her need to learn new mouth tricks.

Now all the people who were horriied at my holding her back by not feeding solids are equally horrified at watching her eat bread crusts. There's no pleasing people.

prufrock · 26/09/2004 18:12

ds is nearly 5 months and we are nowhere near starting. he is looking longingly at food, but nothing but bm and calgel (just like twig) has passed his lips. Oh and a bit of a biscuit courtesy of dd, but I managed to fish that out
He is very large (98th centile according to my amateur weighings) and perfectly content. He sleeps from 8-8, with an occasional wake in the night, when I will feed him, but I know it's not hunger that's waking him, it's just that a quick feed is the easiest way to get him back to sleep (don't tell Gina).
I don't get any pressure from HV, cos I don't bother going, and if friends/family ask, I jsut tell them that he seems to be fine on just me so far!
Don't think the 4-6 months guideline was anything to do with re-training thinking - more that the gov could not recommend 6 months of exclusive milk, and recommend breast milk, whilst only paying mothers to be off work for 4 months. Or was it only co-incidence that the UK finally adopted WHO guidelines a matter of weeks after bringing in 6 months paid maternity leave?

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread