My baby girl is 5.5 months old and about 18 lbs. We've been trying to wait until 6 months to start solids, but I really think she's ready. She's very interested in our food - always reaching for it! And I think she just needs a little bit more to help her get through nights easier. I've heard that introducing solids before 6 months can lead to allergies, but I think she's close enough. What do you think?
Leah - why are you in this group if you aren't ok with people asking questions? The fact is that my daughter isn't my only child. I had twin boys. That's right: I HAD twin boys. My sons died. So excuse me for being a little bit overly-worried. Perhaps you could be less of a jerk.
That is when we started my daughter too...There are mixed reviews about the allergies. It is more about digestion at this point.
I wouldn't try anything other than rice cereal right now and see how it goes. If she is interested, she may be ready. You will never know until you try.
Go for it. My kids and grandkids ate well before 6 months and kids sometimes need extra food, especially at night.
N.
Normal is a range on a bell curve-- 6 months is the MIDDLE of the range for when they're ready st start solids. It sounds like she's ready. But she might actually sleep LESS well while her system adjusts to solids!
I sometimes wonder why parents are in such a hurry. It amazes me that parents don't realize baby food has very very very minimal nutrients. It is for teaching an infant to chew and swallow, not to provide food for them. Formula is complete nutrition and each and every drop you take from her by feeding her food is taking away her proper nutrition.
So, if you really need to feed her then do it slowly, wait as long as possible and give her her bottle first so she won't be lacking nutrition.
At this age food tends to sit in their tummy and rot since is doesn't digest well so feeding them at bedtime usually ends up in tummy upset and lots of gas so they don't sleep better, you sleep a lot less and are dealing with a very cranky crying baby all night.
I can see where you're bothered by some people answers.
Leah.....seriously!!!
The NEW recommendation by the AAP (american academy of pediatrics) is to start around 4 months. They are NOW discoverying that waiting longer is INCREASING allergies to foods!
My advice to you babysmama is that you follow your mommy's intuition! Rice cereal, will NOT hurt your baby, nor will sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, babanas, applesauce for babies etc. Have you heard of anyone really being allergic to this stuff? NOPE.
She is old enough and will be just fine!!! Go for it. She probably is hungry! I got cereal at 4 weeks old as baby some of my siblings earlier. We are all fine! If there's a known food allergy in your immediate family, hold off on that. Otherwise, go for it!
In the future, if you get nasty response, report them. And on a question like this? Really! Someone must be pms'ing LOL :)
Sh
This really helped me.
http://www.happyhealthymom.com/pages/sample-feeding-schedule
My younger son was **extremely** interested in solid foods when he was about 5 m/o, and I held on by my fingernails ;-) and stuck it out till he was fully 6 m/o. But looking back, I wonder if I was just holding to some generic ideal (6 months of exclusive breastfeeding), rather than what was actually the best for my individual son. So, if I could go back in time, I would let him take some of the food from my plate (obviously, food that I chose that would be safe for him -- nothing to sharp/hard or that he might choke on). I never did "baby food", though; it's an unnecessary expense. Babies' digestive systems do not get many nutrients from solid foods for about the first year, so starting solids is more about getting different tastes and textures than it is about nutrition.
I think your little sounds ready to begin experimenting with other foods. But be aware that breast milk or formula should be her main foods for a long time yet – babies can survive on these exclusively for a couple of years. Letting her sample and "practice" with other flavors and textures is fine if she's ready. But these should not be forced, and should only very gradually become larger parts of her diet for optimal health.
It seems that "solid" foods like cereals "should" help babies stay full and sleep longer. And the carbohydrates may have a relaxing effect on the brain soon after eating. However, they are actually digested much faster than the proteins and fats in milk, so they don't satisfy for as long. And they can cause digestive upsets. I've known moms (and I was one of 'em), whose babies began waking hungrier more often after cereals were started. So watch for that possible effect.
I think 5.5 months is way too early. Introducing solids will not help her sleep longer stretches at night, you just need to accept where she is with her sleeping.
My pediatrician said that they are finding that limiting foods is what is causing allergies. My daughter is 9 months and I just made her walnuts and avocados with yogurt. She said to start feeding her eggs as well. I would skip the rice and try things like quinoa, millet and oatmeal. That is what I did for my son and that is what I have been doing for my daugther. I bought a baby bullet and just blend everything up. And don't forget yogurt :) Good luck, feeding is always so stressful.
its fine, i started my daughter on solids at 4 months because she needed that extra food bc she was eating so much formula it was making her sick
I started introducing rice cereal when DD was 4 months, then sweet potatoes a month after that, and she's fine. But she wasn't eating solids on a regular daily basis until 6 months. If she's looking interested, I would go ahead and give it a try.
5 months is an average age range to start introducing rice cereal. Then usually baby oatmeal. Then, introduce foods such as veggies and fruits slowly to prepare for allergic reactions. Such as peas for 3-4 days, then introduce bananas for 3-4 days and so on.
It sounds like she is ready to experiment with foods to me. However, it is not true that babies sleep better when eating solids. Breastmilk or formula will still be the mainstay for nutrition the first year. Introducing foods is about tasting and learning to eat new things at this age, not about filling them up.
She's fine. Start her up! One at a time to start off and then you're good. My DD was 7 months when she was on table food and breastmilk. She hated baby food.
My son was about 4 months old but that was 5 years ago before they changed the recommendation. And he's fine
A friend of mine would add some rice cereal to the night time bottle. Just mix in a bit with the formula or breast milk. Make it thin, but it will stick with your little one awhile longer than "milk" alone.
You can always try a little puree with a spoon and see her reaction. My little guy clearly wasn't ready even at 6 months. He had some texture issues and he is 4 now and still has a few issues, but much better.
