Baby food from 4 months?

[silvetstar]

Why is it so shocking to feed a baby from 4 months? If it was so bad for a baby why is there baby food available from 4 months?

Because baby food companies know they can make money off the parents of babies generally too small to be weaned.

I wouldn’t say it’s shocking but it’s to do with the development of their digestive systems.
Manufacturers make a lot of things that aren’t recommended or safe - cot bumpers, Baby walkers, formula for over 1 year olds all aren’t recommended by health professionals are all sold. I can also think of a lot of other things that are sold more generally that aren’t recommended so I don’t think it can really be made sense of in that way.

Department of Health has adopted WHO guidelines that recommend not starting on solid food before 6 months, because of risk of adverse effects. This has been the recommendation for about 12 years now, though there is some argument about whether it is strictly necessary. (All agree before 4 months is a complete no no.) Personally, I'd stick with the official advice but if you have particular reasons for wanting to wean earlier you can discuss with your HV?

It probably won't do any harm from 4 months, especially if your baby is showing all the other physical signs of readiness eg sitting steadily, holding their head well, picking things up and putting them in their mouths, no tongue thrust reflex (means they don't push food straight out with their tongue).

However, waiting til around 6 months definitely won't do any harm so is the safer bet.

Far more nutrition in milk than in a bit of puréed carrot. WHO guidelines are in place to ensure parents continue to give milk as main food source rather than replacing milk feeds with solids too early.

Sorry I should of added a bit of back story I have a 5 month old son who is huge and is in 12 month old clothes who is very hungry and has been that way from birth feeding every hour and now has dropped down to every half hour. My HV said maybe try him on baby rice mixed with breast milk but when I mentioned this to my friend who is also a HV she was shocked and said absolutely no try him on hunger baby formula along side his normal breast milk.

He has been able to hold his head up from 6 weeks old even the doctor was shocked during his 6 week check and had always been big for his age.

How much is he taking?

If he is feeding every 30 mins for 24 hours a day and is in 12m clothes i would be asking a Gp to asses him.

I’d take him to the doctor too if he’s 5 months old, in 12-18 month clothes and feeding every 30 minutes. How many feeds is he having in a 24 hour period?

Even if your son is large and hungry, developmentally he may not be ready to take solids.

DC1 was big for her age and staring at our food smacking her lips from 4 months. At 5.5 months I gave her some solids and I’ll never forget the screaming all night because she got constipated. Wasn’t ready for it.

He has been tested for thyroid problems and was given he all clear, he is not fat just big and my doctor thinks he will be a big/ tall adult so they said it's normal for him.

He's in 9-12 month old clothes.

There's not really any evidence that introducing solids before 6 months causes any problems, only before 4 months. If you've been advised to wean your 5 month old by your HV then I would. Maybe something a bit more substantial than baby rice though.

Guidelines are around the halfway point of the first year but no earlier than 17 weeks.

Do what you think is right within those guidelines.

There are lots of things which people can but that are not good for people alcohol,cigarettes and my personal hate is baby cot bumpers.

My DS was 11lb 7oz born. He was ducking massive.

Still no reason to wean early.

Baby rice is nutritionally void. Vegetables are far less calorie dense than milk. You can’t satisfy a hungry baby with food in place of milk. The biology doesn’t work that way.