Starting baby on solid (pureed food)?

Question

Ok, so i know i am going to get a lot of different answers but i am just looking to see everyones answers and kind of get an idea.

My daughter is 3 1/2 months and i want to start her on foods. I know you only give one a week to see if there are any allergic reactions. And i know they said that you should wait til they are 4 months for cereal and introduce foods slowly. But i am mom. i have 5 sisters that have kids and they were all on pureed table food by 3 months and they are all just fine and none of the are over weight. They are actually probably under weight! My daughter has been on cereal in her bottles since she was 2 weeks old because of reflux and she has been eating it off a spoon since Sunday. So what has really changed from 8 years ago (my youngest neice) til now that they say wait? And if you really are to wait til 6 months to start food then why does the the stage 3 food say to start at 8 months? How does a baby go from stage 1 at 6 months to stage 3 at 8 months? That is a little quick isnt it?

When did you start your kids on solid foods?

Answer 1

"WHY WAIT? 6 REASONS

1. Baby's intestines need to mature.

2. Young babies have a tongue-thrust reflex .

3. Baby's swallowing mechanism is immature.

4. Baby needs to be able to sit up.  

5. Young infants are not equipped to chew.

6. Older babies like to imitate caregivers."

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/T032000...

The website also explains each reason!

Answer 2

i started my son on baby food at 3 1/2 months he sits up with assistance and does not push food out with his tongue as long as you think its ok then ok do it remember its YOUR baby you decide

Answer 3

What has 'changed' since 8 years ago -- actually 11 years, the 1997 AAP statement changed the recommended start age to 6 months+, unless there is a clear and unique need to begin a bit earlier -- is further recognition that breastmilk (or formula if breastmilk isn't available) provides all the nutrients a baby requires for at LEAST 6 months, and so adding solids earlier exposes babies to a small but real increased risk of allergies, obesity, etc., while providing no benefits.

The 'stages' on jars are meaningless -- you offer the different stages when baby  is ready.  And yes, many babies who don't start until 6-7 months are ready for stage 3 foods at 8 months.  In fact, many babies who start at 6-7 months start with table foods and never eat purees at all.  They don't HAVE to start with purees; there isn't any sort of learning curve that all babies have to follow, from watery cereal to thin purees to thick purees to lumpy purees to table foods.  You can start at any point, and skip the previous 'stages.'

I started my daughter on soilds at 5 1/2 months. (She is 16, and 16 years ago the recommendation was still '4-6 months.')

Finally, while some babies DO start on solids earlier, and most do ok ... if the only reason to start is that you 'want to' ... I''m hard pressed to understand why you would want to take even a small risk, just for your own pleasure.  While an occassional, very hungry baby may benefit from starting solids a BIT earlier, your daughter is still extremely young, and since you don't mention anything about her eating vast amounts of formula, or being constantly hungry --- why not wait?  

Answer 4

Another reason to wait until a baby is older is because of the risk of developing food allergies when the baby is older, not just because of obesity.  A reaction may not show up right away (I have seen this happen several months later as levels of allergens build up in a baby's body).  A baby's intestines are not always ready to process all the ingredients, enzymes etc. in solid food until they are a little older.

As far as the timing, one food a week is a good rule of thumb.  The timing on the food jars is just a guideline, not a rule or anything.  According the the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastmilk or formula should be a baby's primary nutritional source for the first year.  Solids are just introduced to compliment that.  They don't "need" solid food yet.

My kids all started solids at 6-7 months.  By then they can also start with soft table foods.  Mine never really liked baby food and went straight to table foods.

Answer 5

Do what is best for your child. Since she is already eating cereal per her doctor's request. Then just double check with your doctor about starting veggies or fruit now. If he says no, then you can just wait two weeks and start. According to the AAP it doesn't matter what you start with, but cereal is usually recommended first. But since she has already had cereal, I don't see the problem as long as your doctor says it is fine.

WIC and the AAP say it is fine for a baby to start eating solids, including cereal, at 4 months of age. Things have not changed. (Just people are saying different things, not doctors.) Do what is best for you and your child. Do not worry about what others think. As long as the baby is healthy and loved.

To answer your other question, my oldest started baby solids at 6 months due to severe allergies and the doctor requested that I wait. My youngest started at 4 months.  They both started cereal sooner than 4 months. When my little girl is born in 12 weeks or so, she will probably start solids at 4 months as well as long as it is okay with the doctor.

Answer 6

she will be fine on stage one, i started my son on stage one when he was three months old!  

Answer 7

What has changed in 8 years?  More research has been done.  Why would you want to use outdated medical advice when it comes to your baby?  A baby started on food at 6 months can progress quite quickly to stage 3 foods because they are physically ready to eat solid foods.  My baby started on solids at a little over 6 months.

Answer 8

I started both of my kids on solids at 4 months (one is 5 yrs and the other 5 months).  I tried straight cereal on my daughter and she hated it so I mix the veges and fruits with the cereal to make it thicker for less mess and more in the tummy.  We went from 1/2 a jar the 1st months 3 times a day and know he is eating a full jar 3 times a day.  My Dr. was the one who advised me to start the solids and both took to them very nicely.  I am going to start my son on stage 2 at 6 months strictly due to variety.  There are limited flavors in stage 1 and I know that I would get bored with the same 5-6 things 3 times a day.