Different Views On Introducing Solids

[jenn]

My daughter is 5 now, and started foods at 4 months. She was hungry! She was a big baby (almost 10 lbs, born at 38 weeks) and bottles didn't keep her full. She did great with the food and remains to be a great eater. We did introduce foods slowly, maybe 2 new things per week. She always hated cereal/oatmeal, but loved veggies and fruit.

[TwinKristi]

But there is also the flip theory that holding off on introducing solids and not introducing certain foods early enough (peanuts) is causing the rise in food allergies.

My dr told me that the "golden time to introduce solids" is 4-6 mos. Not before 4 months or after 6 months or it can a) increase the incidence of allergies and b) decrease their desire for eating solids. With my older children I was told to try solids at 4 mos and as early as 3 mos with my twins who were massively huge rolly poley babies after started out tiny! They had tripled their birth weight by 3 mos. None of my children have food allergies.

OP- Maybe you can find a great info sheet to give mom about new foods and perhaps to slow down on trying new ones. I was told every 3 days you can try a new food with no reaction. Obviously stopping if there is one. My DS reacted a little with a rash on his cheeks to sweet potatoes so we never did those again. He's eaten sweet potatoes fries since and been fine though.

[Blackcat31]

In light of this thread, I thought I'd post this...it was interesting info

http://www.today.com/health/allergy-myths-busted-guess-what-you-didnt-know-about-gluten-8C11545200

[blandino]

I don't remember, but what does the food program say? They may require to wait until 6 months?

The food program says 4-6 months. My main issue is that I don't want to deal with the early stages of feeding, learning how to use a spoon, tongue thrust, etc. normally my parents start feeding at 5-6 months, and then once baby has a form grasp on it - we start after 6 months.

Like PP, I think cereal is a good solution for babies who are hungry.

For this DCG I think she is just a fussy little girl, and parents are looking to justify her fussiness and trying to put a reason to it. They also say she cried if there is even a drop of urine in her diaper. I think they just want there to be a reason behind her fussiness. She was very hungry the past few weeks, but I would assume that was a growth spurt, considering her age and the amount of sleep she was getting.

[frugalmama4]

Ok don't read to much into my "train of thought"

But I all ways say "if it didn't kill us on the plantation"...it won't kill us now!

I personal think this "new age" parenting is BS...there is so much information begin printed in books/magazines/blogs etc...that people forget to listen to the child.

No one child is the same, I personal have started all four of my own kids on foods at 4mos and they all did great! I do the same thing with my daycare babies...but, it's only to get them "spoon fed trained" so that when the bottle goes bye bye its easy as 1-2-3.

another note: I run my business with this in mine "I'm the Boss" if lil Johnny don't like yellow fun...well lil Johnny won't be eating most days. I will not do anything extra/different for any one child in care...period!

My food program reps, say 4mo with cereal/veggie/fruit. I have it in my policies that at 4mo we will start spoon feeding if the child shows readies.

[sharlan]

changed my mind

[BrooklynM]

Well, I will say this- I have Celiac disease so I can't eat gluten and I don't blame my mother for feeding me solids too early. First of all, most rice cereals don't have gluten in it. Secondly, there has been no link to Celiac and eating solids too soon that I'm aware of. As for peanut butter, I have no idea what's going on with that. All I know is that I never give the DCK any peanut butter until they have been eating it at home for a while. I don't want to have to deal with that at all.

I do however, blame my mother for many other things...::

[Unregistered]

I wonder if formula feeding vs breast feeding makes a difference? If I had formula fed my kid, I might have introduced solids earlier, just to make sure they were getting enough nutrients and because I imagine getting the same thing everyday must have been pretty boring. At least with breastmilk it changes from day to day, even time of day, and with what the mother eats? Also, I bought more into the "food before one is just for fun" because I wanted to make sure she got breastmilk up to a year and didn't want food interfering with that. I don't know...

To each their own. Once kids are in high school, no one will be able to tell who was breast/formula fed and no one asks when you started solids on college or job applications.

[lovemykidstoo]

The food program says 4-6 months. My main issue is that I don't want to deal with the early stages of feeding, learning how to use a spoon, tongue thrust, etc. normally my parents start feeding at 5-6 months, and then once baby has a form grasp on it - we start after 6 months.
Like PP, I think cereal is a good solution for babies who are hungry.

For this DCG I think she is just a fussy little girl, and parents are looking to justify her fussiness and trying to put a reason to it. They also say she cried if there is even a drop of urine in her diaper. I think they just want there to be a reason behind her fussiness. She was very hungry the past few weeks, but I would assume that was a growth spurt, considering her age and the amount of sleep she was getting.

Forgive me, but I'm confused. Is the reason you don't want to feed baby solids is because it's too hard to get the baby to take the food and it's inconvenient or because you're concerned about an allergic reaction? If you're worried about the allergic reaction, then have mom write down the foods that the baby has eaten for 2 weeks and serve those. End of concern with that. If the baby has had it for 2 weeks and no allergic reaction then you're fine. My kids were like BC's. They were eating very early. They were both bit babies. My daughter is almost 13 and my son is 15 and they eat us out of house and home with no allergies at all and are healthy, so I guess I didn't scar them too much LOL!

[Maria2013]

I follow whatever mom and pediatrician decide, so long as it is in compliance with the food program....so far I have had no issues

[lovemykidstoo]

My food program starts solids at 4 months, but they don't penalize you if the parents don't give solids until 7 months.

[Angelsj]

In light of this thread, I thought I'd post this...it was interesting info

http://www.today.com/health/allergy-...ten-8C11545200

See, I have been through so many of these things:
Sleep on their belly, no, on their side, no, on the back!
Feed them early, no late, no midway!
Breastmilk, no, formula is best, no, breastmilk....etc...

This is why I am not willing to unequivocally jump on the "vaccines do NOT or DO cause autism" bandwagons or any other absolute when it comes to science. They are always researching and finding "new" information. As it should be, but I chuckle every time someone makes a claim to hold THE answers.

[blandino]

Forgive me, but I'm confused. Is the reason you don't want to feed baby solids is because it's too hard to get the baby to take the food and it's inconvenient or because you're concerned about an allergic reaction? If you're worried about the allergic reaction, then have mom write down the foods that the baby has eaten for 2 weeks and serve those. End of concern with that. If the baby has had it for 2 weeks and no allergic reaction then you're fine. My kids were like BC's. They were eating very early. They were both bit babies. My daughter is almost 13 and my son is 15 and they eat us out of house and home with no allergies at all and are healthy, so I guess I didn't scar them too much LOL!

That's also part of my concern, is that mom has fed at minimum 3 foods in a week - and I believe it is actually more than that. So the whole "try for two weeks" is out the window. And also, I usually wait until they have a great grasp on spoon feeding - which usually happens with my DCK at 6 months (once they have had practice at home.

My main concern is just being on such different wavelengths about food. I guess I can just set standards for why happens under my roof, and be settled in that.

[lovemykidstoo]

That's also part of my concern, is that mom has fed at minimum 3 foods in a week - and I believe it is actually more than that. So the whole "try for two weeks" is out the window. And also, I usually wait until they have a great grasp on spoon feeding - which usually happens with my DCK at 6 months (once they have had practice at home.

My main concern is just being on such different wavelengths about food. I guess I can just set standards for why happens under my roof, and be settled in that.

So what did the mom say when you told her that you wouldn't feed her baby solids until 6 months old?

[Play Care]

I wonder if formula feeding vs breast feeding makes a difference? If I had formula fed my kid, I might have introduced solids earlier, just to make sure they were getting enough nutrients and because I imagine getting the same thing everyday must have been pretty boring. At least with breastmilk it changes from day to day, even time of day, and with what the mother eats? Also, I bought more into the "food before one is just for fun" because I wanted to make sure she got breastmilk up to a year and didn't want food interfering with that. I don't know...

To each their own. Once kids are in high school, no one will be able to tell who was breast/formula fed and no one asks when you started solids on college or job applications.

The last two babies in my care were both breast fed exclusively. They were BIG babies and ****ed down the EBM. If mom could have been a
SAHM and allowed them to feed as much as needed then not introducing the solids until 6 months or later may have worked. But these boys were HUNGRY and in group day care.