What age did you start . . .

[FitMommyOf2]

With both of our kids we started early ~ 16 wks and eventhough I know many say it's an old wive's tale, for us it really did change a lot as both started sleeping through the night from that moment on. I guess we just have lil' hungry 'caterpillars'

That being said though, I just want to make clear that we didn't start at that time to make them sleep through! That was just a positive result. We started early b/c they both were never satisfied w/huge amounts of formula!

[vick]

I waited until 6 months, but it's never been about eating - it's been about getting her into tastes and textures - she still gets the bulk of her nutrition and calories from me.

I wish I had waited longer. Once I started solids she stopped sleeping through the night, and she really didn't get into eating until maybe the last month or so. We also had a TON of constipation issues, and learned that she doesn't do well with the iron-fortified foods. So now I have to go get her iron level checked - and it's gonna be a full-on blood draw

[Velvetpage]

With my first, I started around 4 1/2 months. With the second (due any time now) I'm planning to wait a bit longer. The WHO and the Canadian Society of Pediatricians both say six months, and I'm not in a hurry this time.

[stacim]

Thanks for all the input, links, etc. My ds is definitely intrigued by that stuff we are putting in our mouths. He hasn't screamed for it yet, but if we aren't careful, he has been known to reach for out plates. Fortunately for us, the presence or absence of cereal, solids or food in general hasn't affected any of our children's sleep. I am curious to see what my ped says at his 6 mo check in two weeks, not that I will necessarily follow her advice. I am perfectly happy to provide all of his nourishment at this point, so we will most likely be waitin' for a while longer. This is my first babe that I didn't have to go back to work with, so we are doing things a little different this time, including cloth. . . and I'm lovin' it.

Staci

[mom22lilguys]

Ds #1 started on solids at 5 months this is the same time we had to stop BF due to my health issues. He did ok I guess, he had a tough time adapting to the bottles so suddenly so he was really hungry for the food

DS #2 was EBF for 7-8 months until he started to show interest in what we were eating he never liked any type of comercial babyfoods and he never really ate any significant amounts regularily until he was about a year old. He BF until 22 months and still won't eat much at 3

[jls~Kain~Drake]

My babies weren't breastfed (unfortunately)...and I was very much pressured into doing everything the mainstream way. With ds1, the ped said since he was so big..he'd need solids (babyfood) a lot earlier than most...so we actually attempted baby food at about 2.5 mo - uhm, no! He definitely liked it..but very much lacked the skills. He was so little (in age)! Looking back, I can see the err in my ways - except it's what the ped suggested...i didn't know (stupid me!) that i had options...anyway...we started at 4mo and he was big hog and ate heartily. It seemed like it took us a long time to graduate to table food because it took him forever to get teeth and he was NOT good at gumming the food to mash it up...he choked a lot

Ds2 was going good with baby food around 5mo...he got sick and long story - baby food pretty much dropped off the planet. We worked baby food back in about 6 weeks later, but he was absolutely not interested. Now, at 8 months...he would much rather have something he could feed himself...or table food..than baby food. He gums food really well and can eat table food (within reason of course) pretty well. He's a slow teether too (at least, according to my ped)..and he's only got the 2 teeth on bottom.

[negrapy]

We just started, 4 1/2 months. We hadn't planned on starting so early. We are big supporters of bf and didn't want to jeporize it. However our little guy was so fussy when we were eating, and not everybody appreciates breastfeeding at the table. We got a little rice cereal and I mixed it with my breast milk. Oh my we have a chomper. After the first couple bites he was lunging for the spoon, making chewing motions with his face, and yum yumming while the food was in his mouth. We made it pretty thick, like pudding and gave it to him out of a regular spoon. We have already started mixing in banana and now applesauce, or banana and avocado (he loves it)
He gets mad if the spoon doesn't keep the food coming fast enough.
I almost always bf him before and after and he still wants to at least a couple oz, or more if I have made it
At first I worried my milk would decrease but it still falls out his mouth when he's done so
you should check out Dr. Jack Newman, he is great, really laid back about solids and gives you a list of the signs you should look for to start solid foods
Good Luck!

[sesa70]

our pediatricians have always been really pushy about the solids issue. With my older dd I actually started giving her rice cereal at maybe 2 months? She had bad reflux and she would get a couple of spoonfulls fo the rice stuff before her bottle and it seemed to help keep her from barfing. It wasnt like a mealtime thing though it was more to keep her off of harsher drugs to control the reflux.

With dd#2 she is 5.5 months now and has been sortof eating solids. We tried at 4.5 months, mostly to shut the ped up, and she really hated it so I backed off for another couple weeks.
Her issue is though that she never really tolerated her formula well. She is adopted so not bfed. She cant ever really seem to drink a large amount at a time and its a mystery as to why. She is healthy and pretty chunky so its never really been too much of a concern. Well after a bottle she was still hungry, it was obvious, but just couldnt handle more formula so I have been a little more insistant with the solids than I otherwise would be. She has maybe one meal of solids a day and its usually a veggie like sweet potato or squash. It seems to help fill up her tummy but honestly she still isnt really into it and could easily do without it. So I am torn about giving it or not. I figure though how much better is formula really? I dont want her to go hungry either. So I dont know, I guess I am not much help here!

[fullernj]

Originally Posted by sesa70 our pediatricians have always been really pushy about the solids issue.

Our Family doc tried to be pushy about solids. When our big boy (born 9lb 8oz) was 4 months and consistently at 120% of weight chart, he said -- you'll probably have to start feeding him cereal to keep up. But when I successfully, and quite easily raised him on nothin but mamma's milk until he was 8 months, Doc backed off. Since then he has been super supportive with our other two as far as feeding goes. DD has her 6 month next week, and although he'll ask if we've started solids, I will happily say, nope.

The truth of the matter is, I'm kind of lazy about it. BF is so easy, no prep work involved. When we do decide to start solids, I'll have to start thinking ahead for her meals and try to remember how much of this and how much of that and if I fed her too many carrots and sweet potatoes or if she just has that rosy orange glow because she got too much sun

[Luv2bemommy]

With #1 it was 4 months exactly, since he was our first I went 100% by the books.. LOLOL

With #2 and #3 it was around 6-7 months.. And I threw that book away.. rofl