how young is too young for solids

[jennibear]

DS (8 weeks) is a very nice 7kg and gaining weight nicely. He has just started sleeping through the night 730pm (dream feed at 9.30pm) til between 6 and 7am. Woo hoo.

Anyway, the looks he gets on his face when we are eating dinner is very clear...gimme gimme gimme. I always knew he was going to be a early solids starter, he was 9lb 7oz born but im just wondering how early is too early??

Its not a question of him not sleeping, hes a great sleeper and a very happy content boy but honestly, i really do think he'll eat food now if i gave it to him.

Some days, too, he is just absoutely not interested in the breast- to the point where i wonder if hes getting enough!!

I was thinking of starting him at 3 months or so, what do you all think?? DO you thing this is TOO early??

p.s- DD (now 2 years old) started solids at 4 months, she loved them from day one (she was 8lb, 10 oz born) and has a very healthy (not fussy) appetite and has no allergies!!

[TheUndomesticGoddess]

I personally think 8 weeks is too young.

and wow! 7kg..thats huge. DS only just weighs 7.1kg and he's 5 months!!!

[TurnedBatty]

Yup, I would say too young. Especially if there is no reason for it really, other than he looks like he might want it. Whats the harm in waiting to start? Hes sleeping well, gaining weight, not sooking.... Most babies his age are curious as to what adults are doing anyway. Weight is also not a guarantee of readiness to start solids. My son was about 6.5 kilos at 8 weeks, over 9 lbs at birth, and he didnt start until just before 6 months.
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/delay-solids.html

Here is some more info for you

[jennibear]

^
I know right...hes a BIG boy, BTW he is exculsively breast fed!! See why i think he'd eat solids!! Hehehe.

[biscotti]

I'd say that he's attracted to the movement/action when you are eating and not so much an interest in the food.
I'd wait :yes: just in the interests of his gut etc

Cheers

[Lillynix]

Birth weight has NO bearings on when they are physically ready for solids. None at all.

8wks is definitely far too early to be starting solids. So is 3 months. Guidelines state that waiting until 6 months is the best for issues relating to their gut health and for physical readiness.

However, there are people who start their babies on solids at 4 or 5 months, personally, i'm not going to agree on giving solids at 4 months, but 5 months I have no issues with.

You really need to remember that "Food is fun, until they're one". Babies do not need food for nutrition before 1 year old (unless otherwise medically advised).

If your son he already 7kg, i'd say your breastmilk is going GREAT guns and there is NO reason to supplement it. If you notice he's not showing interest in the breast, don't stress about it, so long as he's hydrated (6-8 wet nappies over 24hrs) then he's getting plenty :)

This is a great website for further info: http://kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/index.html

ETA - *snap* TurnedBatty posted the same link while I was slowly typing :laughing:

[Ulysses]

i think this is too young.

The current recommendation is still 6 months, but some mums start at 4 months & there is some debate about which is best - but i wouldnt do anything before 4 months as their digestive system is far too immature & it could cause problems.

Sounds like he is very bright & curious as turnedbatty said - which is great.

[TurnedBatty]

ETA - *snap* TurnedBatty posted the same link while I was slowly typing :laughing:

:highfive:

[MissSteph]

Infact, current recommendations from WHO state 4-6 months. They have changed it only very recently.

I started ds on solids 1 week before turning 4 months recommendations from my pead. He was gaining ALOT of weight very quickly from so much milk intake so i was advised to start solids to reduce the milk intake therefore reducing his rapid weight gain. He's now 8 months old, 11kgs and still thriving. He is now gaining weight at a "normal" rate and not up to a kg (or sometimes more) per week lol.

If there is no real reason other than he seems interested then I would wait till 4 months. 8 weeks is very early, even 3 months is.

HTH

[peanuthead]

reccomendations are going to be brought out to suggest starting solids at 4 months due to the high rate off alergies in children started from 6 months. i give my nearly 4m/o ds a small amount of rice cereal or sweet potato after his breakfast bottle & he has had no reaction to either. he has also had no problems with digestion. this is a big "no no" according to alot of people, but i believe he was ready & made a decision based on information i was given at a class regarding introducing solids.

[MicE]

The rule is if they can sit by themselves without assistance and they show interest you can introduce solids. Earlier then that you may risk choking.

[TurnedBatty]

The rule is if they can sit by themselves without assistance and they show interest you can introduce solids. Earlier then that you may risk choking.

Um, no. Thats not it.....



Signs that indicate baby is developmentally ready for solids include:

Baby can sit up well without support.
Baby has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids out of his mouth with his tongue.
Baby is ready and willing to chew.
Baby is developing a “pincer” grasp, where he picks up food or other objects between thumb and forefinger. Using the fingers and scraping the food into the palm of the hand (palmar grasp) does not substitute for pincer grasp development.
Baby is eager to participate in mealtime and may try to grab food and put it in his mouth.
We often state that a sign of solids readiness is when baby exhibits a long-term increased demand to nurse (sometime around 6 months or later) that is unrelated to illness, teething pain, a change in routine or a growth spurt. However, it can be hard to judge whether baby’s increased nursing is related to readiness for solids. Many (if not most) 6-month-old babies are teething, growth spurting and experiencing many developmental changes that can lead to increased nursing – sometimes all at once! Make sure you look at all the signs of solids readiness as a whole, because increased nursing alone is not likely to be an accurate guide to baby’s readiness.

[TrickyLaLa]

It's so confusing isn't it?! There is some new research to suggest that you should start solids BETWEEN 4-6 months but certainly not before 4 months. However, as far as I can see the WHO still recommend exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months (http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/exclusive_breastfeeding/en/index.html). I have heard rumours that they are thinking of changing it to between 4-6 months but I haven't seen any evidence of this yet... I found this link interesting;
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/solidsconfusion.html

I think in the end you have to use available information and mummy instinct. I would wait until at least 4 months and then see how you feel. Hope this helps.

[waterlily]

I think 3 months is too young I'd hold off till 4.

[BlissedOut]

Our doctor recommended we fed DS on farex at 3 months, one meal a day. We were just advised to monitor his bowel movements and if it thickened or was irregular, then to stop.

[NLM07]

I think you should just do what your mummy instinct tells you. EVERY child is different. Maybe have a visit with a child nurse and see what they suggest ;)

[Bubbles10]

Infact, current recommendations from WHO state 4-6 months. They have changed it only very recently.


Can you referene this because you have said it a few times now but the info i have seen from the WHO still states a recomended age of 6 months. If i am misinformed i would like to know because i don't like the spread of misinformation.

[MissSteph]

Can you referene this because you have said it a few times now but the info i have seen from the WHO still states a recomended age of 6 months. If i am misinformed i would like to know because i don't like the spread of misinformation.

CHNs in my family health center have been told to start advising mothers to begin solids 4-6 months from WHO. They've got all these new brochures and pamphlets too. I was so shocked because they've pushed the 6 month thing so hard and now are changing to 4-6 months. Apparently theyve done a recent study that shows the earlier you start the better in terms of allergies etc.

[Misschief]

First thing I was thinking when I read your post was: "What on earth has birth weight got to do with being ready for solids at an earlier than normal age???" DS has always been a biiiig boy. He hit 7kg at 9 weeks, 12kg at 6 months and 15.3kg at 12 months. Yet I never associated his weight with starting solids.
I started him at 5 months on recommendation from the pead to help his severe reflux.

Afin back to topic. Pretty much everything else that I wanted to say, has been said.
There is no reason to start him at 8 weeks, 3 months or 4 months. As you said he's happy, content and growing well, why start solids so early? I agree with pp about the movement being more interesting to him rather than the food. They're only just starting to focus a bit more on their surroundings. I doubt he associates what's on you fork with food :)

So yes, please wait a little longer before causing chaos in his gut :D

[Bubbles10]

CHNs in my family health center have been told to start advising mothers to begin solids 4-6 months from WHO. They've got all these new brochures and pamphlets too. I was so shocked because they've pushed the 6 month thing so hard and now are changing to 4-6 months. Apparently theyve done a recent study that shows the earlier you start the better in terms of allergies etc.

The recommendations of starting solids at 4-6 months come from the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), not from the WHO (World Health Organisation). The ASCIA also found that introducing solids before 3 -4 months led to an increase in excema and food allergies. The ASCIA also recommend that you breastfeed for at least 6 months, and that formula (cow or soy based) not be introduced before 4 months.



There is no evidence that delayed introduction of allergenic foods like egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, or seafood beyond the first 4-6 months of life reduces the risk of food allergy and eczema. Some studies suggest that delayed introduction of foods beyond 6 months may even lead to an increased risk of food allergy, although further research is required to confirm this.
http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/182/127/

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Australian Dietary Guidelines released by The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), recommend that solids should only be introduced from 6 months of age.


According to current UN recommendations, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, and thereafter should received appropriate complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond
http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/WHO_FCH_CAH_04.13/en/index.html

[A mothers love]

Dd was 8 kilo by 3 months and wasn't even ready for solids when I tried at 6 months but by 7 months was all for it. I would wait a little bit.

[Lynken]

Birth weight is no indicator of readiness. DD was over 10lb and was fully bf until 6 mths. She's now a healthy, happy 2.5 yr old who eats almost everything and is a healthy weight for her height and age. If he's feeding well, growing well and sleeping well don't mess with it!

Having said that, if you think he's growing too fast please see your Dr before resorting to starting solids early. I agree that it's more likely interest in the activity you're doing (eating) not the food itself.