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.

Posted too early.
The attitude seems to be that because their children have survived in to adulthood that it did them no harm.

Katie you are this baby's mother, not your mum. If you are old enough to have a baby you're old enough to make your own decisions about its care. Weaning this young is not recommended at all. If he's hungry give him more milk. That's all he needs.

Here is a link to a review of evidence over recent years relating to this subject which supports the stance that introduction of solids between 4-6 months is not harmful and discusses potential concerns re introducing solids outside of this window. It was conducted by paediatricians/gastroenterologists who have an interest in this area. The article is in the BMJ which you most likely cannot access unless you have an Athens password. It provides the abstract so you may be able to find it elsewhere. It also has a link to the Swedish study that I previously mentioned.

Here it is!!! www.bmj.com.proxy.lib.ul.ie/content/342/bmj.c5955

I didn't wean til 7 months with dd2 as she didn't want to eat. I think sometimes that can panic parents whose babies are slow to wean as you may be outside be 'guidelines' but there's not much you can do to 'force' them to eat. My dd2's tongue thrust reflex was still very prominent at 6 months and she gagged on everything. I tried purée with her and she flipped out with that and just used to clamp her mouth shut and wasn't interested in finger food.
I think babies do let you know when they're 'ready' in that they won't eat until they're ready. If you're having to force it in then they're not ready.
However I don't think that a baby taking a lot of milk at 3 months or reaching for food means they're ready either. My dd2 tried to grab my food from about 15 weeks but she was Defo not ready to eat.

Katie please stop giving your 11-week old baby rice. He does not need it, it's bad for him. Really.

katieemily I feel for you, as it can be difficult to go against an overbearing mother.
However, your mother is not right here, and it is up to YOU to stand up for your baby's best interests.

Gracey - Thanks for the link. We were referring to the same thing then: the meta analysis in the BMJ. Whilst not disagreeing with your basic point that weaning after at least 17 weeks is unlikely to be an issue (I'm not one of those who rents my clothings at the idea of weaning at 22 week old), I think it's fair to say that the BMJ article wasn't without considerable controversy and criticism when it came out. This is a link to the La Leche response to the study. I recalled that from a quick google, but I know that there was a lot more at the time as I had a baby I was just about to wean when it all came out!

ps. Sorry for what autocorrect did you name in my earlier post. Grrr.

would not rush on to food they grow to quick as it is 6 months is suggested as everyone else already said :)

Hi lovely, just a thought your little one maybe having a growth spurt .. So just go with it, add in more feeds if needed.. Should settle down again soon love xx

Libraries I remember the criticisms too as I was weaning at that time. The most vocal were La Leche League and the Royal College of Midwives, partly because of the fact that evidence shows when mothers introduce solids a large percentage stop breast feeding. The European Safe Food Guidance advises that solids can be introduced after 17 weeks in formula fed babies as is the guidance in Ireland www.safefood.eu/Healthy-Eating/Food-Diet/Life-Stages/Weaning.aspx

Graceymac it's actually 6mths now in ROI. Advice was updated earlier this year in line with WHO recommendations

www.hse.ie/eng/health/az/W/Weaning/

When I had my DS I was temporarily living with my Mum, she weaned us all at 3 months. Along with her and my Grandmother's input I decided to wean DS at 3 months also. Fortunately my DS took well to weaning and hasn't developed any problems BUT I know I could've just upped his milk feeds and was silly to give into pressure. Guidelines are there for a reason and we are lucky to have the amount of advice we do now. If you are concerned speak to your health visitor. I wish I had instead of just going along with a "they know better" mentality. Also, it is true that once they start eating going out is really not the same! Taking food with you (whether pureed or jarred) is a pain along with everything else a baby needs, as is finding somewhere willing to heat baby food. Trying to warm food in a styrofoam cup of barely hot water is a massive pain in the arse.

Katie
It's understandable that as a young mum you look to your mum for advice. Maybe your mum doesn't realise that the advice has changed since she last weaned a baby. Perhaps you could go together and talk to the health visitor. She is the best person to advise you. I'm sure you both want the best for your baby.

My son was a very hungry baby and at 2 -3 months he was drinking hungry baby formula every 2 hours and he was having the big bottle.. we kept upping his milk intake cos he just wasn't full up! My nan came down for a visit and said what they did in her day was get a falls rusk and soak it in milk until it was pretty much dissolved and give them that, we tried it he loved it and he actually start going a bit longer between feeds. My health visitor said it was wrong but my son was happy and I was happy cos I couldn't have gone on with 2 hour feeds he was drinking what a toddler would drink! Xx

I too was weaned early (because that's what people did back then) and have suffered IBS since my 20s...some days it's so bad I can't even leave the house and other days I just don't eat because I have to leave the house! My DC were all weaned about 5-6 months and thankfully so far none have any problems apart from DS3 who had terrible gagging and couldn't manage ANY food at all until he was nearly 2 years old apart from homemade custard! The HV and pediatrician told us just to stick with milk and the custard.....BUT some other people always think they know best, my MIL always scorned this & thought I jyst couldn't feed my own baby (he was our 3rd child ) one day she asked me to give him a SAUSAGE but I refused, when my back was turned she gave him the SAUSAGE oh my goodness!! He choked... I could have gladly killed her, I was soooo furious, lucky he was ok. Just because they're older doesn't mean they know best, my own DM never interfered, said they were my DC & I knew best...bless her

Why would you think a qualified health visitor would be wrong on matters regarding your baby's health?

I never cease to be amazed by people who are happy to ignore current HCP advice and base their decisions on older relative's advice/experience. Rusks have wheat in them which contains gluten, which is not meant to be given before 6 months. It can increase the risk of things like IBS, coeliac disease and allergies.

Ref my above post it was actually our DS4 (so our 4th DC) I should also add DS4 is now nearly 10 years old and is one of our best eaters, he'll eat anything...the only food he doesn't like is cucumber

You're right Culture. In addition to the wheat in Rusks, the second ingredient in them is sugar. You may as well dissolve a digestive biscuit in your baby's milk really...

My elderly relative said as well that you should put rusks in baby's bottle. She also said to feed baby every 4 hours and if they get hungry, push the buggy in the garden so you don't hear it. That's what they did in her days and children were fine! All fine!
I didn't take that advice either.

Most people would just give baby milk every 90mins or 60mins if hungry after 2-3 hrs. Not a sugary biscuit..

I don't know of any baby who drinks 9oz formula every 60 mins and still hungry

This has been said up thread, but just to reiterate: Damage to a baby's digestion from early weaning (pre - 17 weeks at least) may not show up until well into adulthood.

If you wean a baby at, eg. 10 weeks, all may seem fine. But you may be sowing the seeds of gut problems well into their 20s and 30s.

Why on earth would you risk that?!

DD1 was grabbing food from my plate at 14 weeks and we held her off until 17 weeks and started food (on advice from HV).

DD2 was born 5 weeks early. We decided to wean at 6 months but she just wasn't interested (although she had all the requisite skills) and she did a mixture of BLW and soft foods.

DD3 did completely fend for yourself BLW from 6 months.

Milk has more calories gram for gram, hence the 'food is for fun until one' ditty.