starting solids 4 or 6 months??

[MissMetal]

what is the current reccommendation to introduce solids?
ive been told 6 months but i hear people say its 4 months :confused:

[brocknjakesmum]

it used to be 4 but they now recommend 6, but i think it depends on your bub. if you think they need it then you can only give it a go.

[2lovelyboys]

I was told 6 months, then again they make food starting at 4 months. I tried my second one at 5 months and he refused until he was 6 months anyway. If you think they're ready, just try I guess....

[misskittyfantastico]

6 months
http://www.bubhub.com.au/infosolids.php

[MissMetal]

thanks for the link :thumbsup:

A friend of a friend of mine has a 12 week old & she was giving him potato & gravy :eek:

[MsMummy]

thanks for the link :thumbsup:

A friend of a friend of mine has a 12 week old & she was giving him potato & gravy :eek:

:eek: Besides the obvious...does she know how much sodium is in gravy?

I checked the WHO web site a couple of months ago and it's still 6 months, but there was another thread recently where somebody suggested the WHO recommendation was going to change back to 4 months.

How confusing!

I just followed the signs of readiness on the kellymom web site (which coincided with about 6 months), and we do baby led weaning anyway so he just takes what he wants.

[MissMetal]

i know i was so shocked... she was like yeah he loves it :eek:
but what can you say to her when she has 5 beautiful & healthy kids :confused:

[MsMummy]

i know i was so shocked... she was like yeah he loves it :eek:
but what can you say to her when she has 5 beautiful & healthy kids :confused:

Of course he loves it, sodium is pretty addictive!

My partner looks pretty healthy but his diet is pretty ordinary sometimes. Who knows what's happening inside his body!

Even if they are healthy, I think it's better follow the guidelines. Unless recommended by a doctor, why bother with solids at 3 months? It's just more work, if nothing else!:D

[MissMetal]

I completely agree with you :yes:
but i dont think it was my place to say anything, it would have caused all sorts & this chick can be pretty rough when she wants to be :o

[MsMummy]

I completely agree with you :yes:
but i dont think it was my place to say anything, it would have caused all sorts & this chick can be pretty rough when she wants to be :o

Oh, I agree, there's no point in saying anything unless people ask for advice. All you can do is seek out your own advice, and do what you think is right.:)

[ManekiNeko]

I've heard feeding before 6 month in some cases can cause damage to the bowel as the digestive system is not mature enough to handle solids. Also the introduction of solids earlier is more likely to create food alergies in the child. Definaely shouldn't be feeding a baby potato and gravy at that age as you need to start with the most basic rice cereal. You then move on to singular puree fruits or vegitables to know if any cause allergy which foods they are. They also say to start feeding in the day while the baby is awake after the feed for a few hours so you can see any reaction to the food. I guess it's a bit like eating cold meat when pregnant there is a risk of harm but it doesn't necessarily mean harm will come if you do feed before 6 months iyknwim?

[Cordelia]

The new recommendation is 4-6 months but definitely NOT before 4 months and as close to 6 months as you can go.

Reason - is that they say people were hanging off too long for solids and their kids were MORE prone to allergies and also way fussier eaters.

DS is 5 months and he's showing signs but he's not having the recommended milk intake so I don't think he's quite ready yet.

[LeeJ]

I've heard feeding before 6 month in some cases can cause damage to the bowel as the digestive system is not mature enough to handle solids. Also the introduction of solids earlier is more likely to create food alergies in the child. Definaely shouldn't be feeding a baby potato and gravy at that age as you need to start with the most basic rice cereal. You then move on to singular puree fruits or vegitables to know if any cause allergy which foods they are. They also say to start feeding in the day while the baby is awake after the feed for a few hours so you can see any reaction to the food. I guess it's a bit like eating cold meat when pregnant there is a risk of harm but it doesn't necessarily mean harm will come if you do feed before 6 months iyknwim?


:iagree:
this is exactly what i have found too, the digestive system isnt developed enough before 6 months.

that being said, everyone deveolops differently, just take it easy to start with;)

[zephani]

The new recommendation is 4-6 months but definitely NOT before 4 months and as close to 6 months as you can go.

Reason - is that they say people were hanging off too long for solids and their kids were MORE prone to allergies and also way fussier eaters.

From Lukeysmummy in the Feeding - allergies & intolerances (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=73) (hope she doesn't mind)

Yep....the recommendation as of new research has shown that delaying the introduction of solids has not reduced the incidence of allergy. Recommendations are to introduce solids from 4 months, introducing everything in your pantry (everything the child will usually eat) by 7-8 months.....yes, including peanuts!

I was also unsure when I first heard about this so checked with our immunologist, and it is indeed correct. What I find odd is that I was told about it at my first MCHN visit with DD in October 2008.

From zephani

I found this (http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/350/287/) on the ASCIA (Australiasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy) website. ASCIA is the peak professional body of Allergists and Clinical Immunologists in Australia and New Zealand.

[naiwen]

I would say no earlier than 4 months, other than that when the indvidual baby is ready whether that be 4 months or 8 months.

[MissMetal]

Recommendations are to introduce solids from 4 months, introducing everything in your pantry (everything the child will usually eat) by 7-8 months.....yes, including peanuts!



peanuts :eek: thats sounds crazy :confused:

[MissMetal]

also, if your baby was early should you go by there actual age or corrected age???

[LeeJ]

corrected age;)

when they start eyeing off your food, and that sort of thing, thats some of the cues they're ready, how's hunter going?

[Jules16]

Every bub is different so it's hard to say. That's why we loved baby led weaning - then bub feeds at their own pace. We just started off with some steamed broccolli and carrot. If they are putting things in their mouth and sitting up well, this is a good sign they are ready aparrently.

[em1984]

I started noah at 5.5 months and he was definitely ready, took to it like a duck to water and is a guts now.....But I agree with others all babies are different, one bub in my mums group you could tell was ready by about 4.5 months, another has only just started at a little over 6 months. Another one tried to start her baby at 5 months and she couldnt even hold her head up properly yet, it just looked so wrong and the poor bub didnt know what was happening, thank god she stopped and waited a few more weeks, although she did persist for way to long initially and it just didnt seem right....

[MsMummy]

peanuts :eek: thats sounds crazy :confused:

I think they mean a peanut product, not whole or part peanuts (due to the choking risk).

I was out recently and gave A some veggies that had a little bit of satay sauce residue. I was with another mother and asked her what she thought, and then I recalled somebody telling me that a little bit of peanut has now been found to be okay (ie. what Zephani said).

It's so hard to know what's right! :)

[BabelFish]

From what I read (and what my GP told me) WHO is changing the recommendation back to four months, because the six-month recommendation was intended for babies in developing countries, where breastfeeding is recommended to be prolonged because of the diseases that can be present in water, therefore passed along into solid food.

For women in developed nations, the recommendation is being revised back to four months.

Also, medical science is revising their opinion on keeping foods out of bubs' diets due to allergies. The latest research refutes the idea that you should introduce allergens later to avoid an allergic reaction. Studies show (and intuition and common sense dictate) that the earlier you introduce allergens the more your child's body will react well to them and also have the ability to build up an immunity if need be. I'm not saying give your four-month-old peanuts, just that the commonly held view that introducing allergens later is more beneficial is being debunked.

I happen to think it depends on your baby. There are signs to tell whether your child is ready for solids - and trying won't hurt if you think your bub is ready. If they're ready they'll take to it, if they're not, they won't.

I started DD on solids at 4 and a half months and she responded like she'd been waiting for it all her life. So it suited her. Some babies aren't ready until they're older.

Really - I think a mother's intuition in this case is better than all the WHO recommendations on offer. :)

[SuperGranny]

hi , I have to say I go along with what ever the baby indicates. I gave my three week early, twins, baby rice cereal at the age of one month. They were able to hold their heads up and I managed to get the one solid meal into them each day.They were having breastfeeds every three hours, 24 hours around the clock, I had to give them something else to satisfy them at the horror hour in the afternoon. My two single boys, they were about four months when I started solids with them. You do what you need to do for your own child, and take advice when you think it suits your situation. The potatos and Gravy, I would just casually ask how much salt is in the gravy, ?? no judgement, but my goodness, it is not wise in my opinion. Marie.