when can i start feeding my baby solids?!?

[xaneesx]

Have a 3month old. Baby food jars say start at 4 months health visitor says 6 months. I feel he is very hungry and ready for solids however have been told his digestive system may not be fully developed. Please help.

Milk for calories, sure. There may be, though, another good reason to expose babies to solids sooner - and that's allergies. There's a theory that recent increases in food allergies could be caused by later exposure to common food allergens -ie babies are less likely to get allergies if exposed earlier.
There's a big randomised study at Kings and Thomas' hospitals looking at this www.eatstudy.co.uk

Don't really see how I'm being ignorant I did was state when I weaned my baby... And that I went with my instincts far from ignorance I think also very pathetic how you bring my family's education into the conversation to 'wgces between them' my family are well educated good jobs don't be so judgmental I'm far from a bad mother either that's funny

Two-

I do get the difference between evidence and anecdote, but anecdotally the child I weaned at 4 months (bad advice and glad I know better now!) has severe allergies to tomato and strawberry and various skin allergies ranging in severity. The child I weaned at 6 months has lactose intolerance and mild ezcema that normally flares up after dairy is accidentally consumed. This is in part why we are choosing to wait until 6 months. Other variables like the food given (purée from jar and home made vs BLW) and weight etc but to me I'd rather wait.

Katie, how did instinct tell you that your baby's gut was mature?

Ignorance is choosing to believe anecdotal evidence based on outdated advice, over modern scientific evidence, katieemily.

It is also believing that a company whose first priority is making money will give you unbiased advice.

Hope that helps.

"I was weaned at a couple of months like most of my generation."

I probably was.

I have had IBS for years

*"I was weaned at a couple of months like most of my generation."

I probably was.

I have had IBS for years sad*

And me.

I started weaning my dd at about 5 months partly cause she could already sit up supported, had started to bring food to her mouth which she had stolen off my plate. And also cause she had reflux and the Dr suggested it to help which it did. 6 months isn't a magic number you will know when they are ready I think.

www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/12/nine-good-reasons-not-to-use-baby-rice.html?m=1

www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2013/09/13-baby-led-weaning-myths.html?m=1

Links regarding weaning and baby rice/rice/Myths

cricketqueen, the guidelines are for dc without health issues such as reflux. They also state that if there are issues which need to be considered, then weaning should be done under medical advice but not before 17 weeks. Which was the case for you.

The guidelines don't say 6 months is a magic number either. They are very clear that you should follow your baby's lead, use the signs that they're ready which are sitting up, picking up food, putting it in mouth, chewing and swallowing (NOT taking more milk, dribbling, chewing fists, waking up at night etc). They point out that this happens around 6 months. Which it does. Some will be earlier, some a tad later. DS was actually 23 weeks so nearer 5 months but then developed pneumonia at the same age so we had to delay weaning for 3 weeks anyway.

katie didn't you post asking for advice on when to introduce solids? What advice did you receive?

Please reconsider weaning your baby. I have a chronic bowel condition which my consultant attributes to early weaning and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone

Yes all babies are different but I don't understand the obsessive rush many mums have over weaning!!! Babies don't 'need' anything more than milk for the first year technically!!!
I started weaning with both around 6 months. My dd1 took to it really well and was eating well by 7 months. Dd2 is 8 months now and has only just started really eating anything. She had terrible reflux but still wasn't interested in food at all until about 3 weeks ago.

I have no idea why anyone would want to feed their baby rice mush at 3 months. Not sure what it's meant to achieve as it has no nutritional value.

There is now evidence to suggest that excessive rice consumption isn't a good idea because of the naturally occurring levels of arsenic in it and that many baby's rice products have been found to have high levels of this.

I had a conversation with a newly pregnant young woman and was talking about trying to give up smoking. Her arguement was that the effects of smoking in pregnancy were rubbish as her mum had smoked 60 a day and that she had turned out ok...

Oh Katie, I've just realised why I recognise your name. You started a thread about your baby having a fever last week post immunisation? I remember you being very worried. Your baby was 9 weeks iirc. So 10 weeks now? And you're already weaning?

I've just searched to check and it was you. You also asked about weaning on another thread last week, and following lots of very good advice, you said you'd be waiting until 5 or 6 months.

I know how desperately you can want to reassure yourself that you're doing the right thing and sometimes that can translate to being blasé and determined in the face of what seems like criticism. However, there really is no doubt that if your baby is 10 weeks and you're already giving solids, you really are making a decision against everything we know about babies and healthy guts.

I asked yes was going to wait then my family told me how ridiculous it sounded and that I should give him some baby rice so my mum gave him some so I guess I'm just going with what she's doing....

6 months. The jars are a throwback to over a decade ago. You can buy jars or tins of "chocolate pudding" for babies, but that's a commercial thing and nothing to do with it having any nutritional benefit over breastmilk or formula.

3 month old babies are hungry as it's a time for a growth spurt. They just need feeding more to increase, or maybe given a higher protein "hungry baby" formula if not breastfed but consuming a lot more milk than recommended.

And yep, I started weaning my almost 12yo at 5 months - at which point he was crawling across the floor on his belly or reaching over and stealing my food and eating it. I tried him with some apple puree which he ate and swallowed without pushing it all out again, so we got on with it.

DS2 had no interest at all in solid food until past 8 months. Unlike DS1, he was EBF until then, so we didn't worry about it.

That's trusting a mother's instinct - not sneering at the idea that research has been done that demonstrates that giving a "hungry" 12 week old jarred custard or mash potato and gravy (what I was weaned on) is not that good for babies in the long run. I see that Katiee's family know better than this, though. It's oh so funny and silly, all this work done by scientists

The highly processed powdered rice used in so many baby foods is little more than starch, zzzzz. Most of it doesn't even have the benefit of the husk.