when did you start solids?

[mummy sam]

my sons coming up to 4mths with 2 teeth pushing through, was thinking of starting cereal soon. he shows interest in food and a real interest in my drinks!!
was going to compare what others have to say on this subject, i know its reccommended 4 to 6 mths, but what have you done going to do?

im a little confused by it all :confused:

[dormouse]

I started Ava on solids at 4 months. She was always hungry & watching my food from plate to mouth with great interest. I started her on a little bit of rice cereal & increased it to about 2 tbls over the first couple of weeks. Then introduced other things mixed with it, now she eats custard or fruit for breakfast & veggies for dinner along with her bottles.
She loves it!

[drewid]

I think Andrew was around 4 1/2 months when we started rice cereal. In retrospect though, I wouldn't have. It was just because we felt like thats what we should be doing, and I know now that it wasn't right.

I think bubs at that age are interested in everything and just because they are interested in your food and drink, doesn't necessarily mean that they want (or need) to eat/drink it. They are just curious little beings!

With our next bub it will be 6 months minimum, and even then, I will probably be inclined to wait until he/she is really really ready.

[thirdtimeround]

I started my first son on cereal when he was 4.5 months old. He also was very curious but the reason I decided to was because he was bf every three hours and was a very big boy. My second son is now 9 months and I didnt start him until he was 6 months. He is very fussy with his food and will only eat a small selection on food. This isnt because I started him later its just him.

When I started with my first son I took things very slowly. One small spoon of rice cereal and when he completed that I increased the amount. I didnt increase though like I would have when he was 6 months. I think its an individual thing. Is your baby being bf?

Me 33
DP 33
dd 11
ds 3
ds 9 months

[mummy sam]

yeah his bf, and was 20mins 3 to 4hrly thid from birth. But recently his now 2 to 3hrly and i'm lucky if he goes for 10mins!!! but i think that i have a fast flow

[3cherubs]

I started both my girls at 6 months, they took to it fine. I tried DD1 at 5 months but she just kept pushing food out , so i stopped and restarted at 6 months and she went fine.
But, it all depends on the baby.

[whatwasithinking]

I started Bec on solids on Saturday (a day before her 5mths birthday). Hannah was almost 6mths from memory (tried her earlier but she didn't have any interest - now I can't stop her from eating!:eek: :rolleyes: )

[Mum2Lucas]

I started lucas on rice cereal at 2 weeks but really watery. He was still breastfed at that time and was too hungry at night time. He loved it but once he started on fruits at 8 weeks he didnt touch the rice cereal again.

[Crazy Monkey]

I started DS at about 5 months and he has loved it since...
I wouldn't worry about feeding for only 10minutes... As they get older they get better at sucking and have the job done quicker... Some days I'm lucky to have DS on for 5 minutes each side...

Do what you feel is right for bubs...

[cwsmum]

I started lucas on rice cereal at 2 weeks but really watery. He was still breastfed at that time and was too hungry at night time. He loved it but once he started on fruits at 8 weeks he didnt touch the rice cereal again.

Did you really start solids at 2 weeks? That seems really, really early to me...can I ask why you decided to start that early? Did you just do it or did a dr/chn suggest it?

[draught]

I started both my girls on solids at 6 months - one the day after she turned 6 months and the other the day before she hit 6 months. One was very interested from day one, the other took ages to like solids - then we realised she wanted to feed herself - the independant streak starting early!!

I am also curious about the decision to start at 2 weeks - it does seem incredibly early to me too.

[tyler's mum]

tyler started on rice cereal at 3weeks,,, started on solids such as, pears, applys at 6 weeks,,, then at 8weeks started mixed vegs,, and stuff like that,,,

[tyler's mum]

LOL i meant apple's:D

[cwsmum]

tyler's mum...You are another who started bub on solids really early...was there any reason you did this? Was it a dr/chn who suggested it?

I'm also still interested in hearing why Mum2Lucas started her bub early too.

I started my son somewhere between 4-5mths, but like few others have said, I did it coz thats what I thought I should be doing...and coz my mum was constantly telling me to and I wanted her to shut up :rolleyes:
I think I'll probably leave it til closer to 6mths for DD if I can.

[tyler's mum]

the reason i started her was because she seem to be hurngy all the time,,, i up her milk at frist but she spew up to much,,, she is a bit of a spewing bub anyway but got worst when i up her milk,,,

she only drinks 120mls,,,, my mum said she started me at that age aswell,,, she is happy only having the small bottles and then her food 3 times a day

[Baby Girl]

I started both my girls at 4 months.

DD1 was on rice cereal for about 2 weeks and then onto single vegies, than about 2 weeks after she went onto single fruits too and then after another couple of weeks she was on mixtures of fruit and veg (not together - fruits with fruits and vegies with vegies). I didn't start her on any meats until after 6 months.

DD2 went straight onto single vegies, 2 weeks later onto single fruits and 2 weeks later onto mixtures of a couple of each. Once again I waited until I intro'd meat until about 6 months.

They both fed fine and although DD1 was a picky eater (still is) she loved the actual eating part. DD2 is a little piglet and would eat anything all day long if I let her!!

Go with your instincts. It is to hard to keep up with the recommendations these days - it all changes so fast. When I had DD1 it was 4 months then before long it was 6 months and now the recommended age is 6 months yet all the foods on the shelves in supermarkets are for 4 months onwards. Who knows what is really 'right'. I started at 4 months and made all their food myself for the first couple of months then switched over to can/jar baby food for alot of their meals - they are fine.

[kimmy]

I started Chloe on solids about 4_5 mths.

[reAllytee]

I started putting rice cereal in bubs bottle under recommendation from the paediatrician & this did wonders for bubs. Being such a big baby we were having trouble keeping him full & also being so hungry he gulped too much air so had a lot of trouble with his wind Then by around the 3mth mark we started on him having it off a spoon & he just loved it never spat it out & always wanted more he has thrived ever since.
A mother at my group had to start her baby on solids around the 1mth mark as she refused to drink because she had really bad silent reflux so would only take a few mouthfuls at every feed they tried special formulas & even had the paediatrician make up his own with no major improvement she would still only take half of the recommendation & she wasnt thriving at all. So her mum out her on solids & she has come on leaps & bounds in fact she is now a little fatter to my bubs whereas he is taller. Every baby is different.
Anyways my thing would be to add it slowly & carefully to see how bubs goes & to be careful that bubs is really ready for it & you will know when its right.

[tyler's mum]

i never added it to tyler's bottled,,, i started of feeding it to her straight of,,, some people find it hard to believe but she was pretty good at eating it from a spoon just small a amounts,,,

but like allyoo said all bubs are different.....

[ETsMum]

We are waiting until 6 months.

[Peaceangels]

DS1 I started at 6mths, as he didn't seem to need it any earlier, the breast was all he needed.
DS2 I started at 5mths because he showed interest in food and seemed to need that little bit extra (if that makes sense) - he was also b/f.

[mummy sam]

well my little mister has now started on rice cereal and loves it!! his now 16wks and thriving, his bf feeds are still the same at 7 to10mins and then rice cereal for breaky and dinner..

i'll give him a couple of weeks then we'll start on vegies, homemade.

thanks guys for you feed back