I have a question about my third DS for anyone with kids who didn't take to solids immediately. My first two were great eaters, but my third is just not interested and screws his little face up at everything I give to him!!
I'm still breastfeeding, which feels like all day sometimes... but he is really restless at night and I wonder whether he is starting to get more hungry!
My actual questions are..... he is now 7 months old... Do I introduce the solids like he is 4 - 5 months as most of my books suggest? Is he still succeptible to the reaction to foods even though he is now a bit older? Should I give him toast to chew on, I'm worried about him gagging on things!?
Any help would be great from anyone who has been in a similar situation!
I'd suggest you just share whatever you are eating with him. After 6 mths babies can eat anything you eat with the exception of honey & choking hazards like whole nut & raw carrot. Check out the baby led solids threads for tips.
if you're worried about him then start him like he's younger! do whatever feels right to u. he will eat, he just needs to realise its just as good as boobie juice
FWIW my DD started BLS at 6 mths but wasn't really interested until past 7 mths. One day she suddenly started eating everything and never looked back. I think that's the advantage of BLS, baby will eat what they want when they're ready and not before. Some research into babies digestive systems suggests babies are ready to take in other food apart from breastmilk between six and nine months. I do know of one 10 mth old that wasn't really interested in solids and he was thriving! If you let him set the pace, there's really nothing to worry about.
I didn't start either of my girls on solids unless they were over 6 month and then it was a while before they were really into eating.
I found by sharing the food on your plate, when they try & grab it, was another way for them to try different foods.
For some reason the food on your plate always tastes better than what is on theirs.
Starting solids can be one of those really difficult times. We all seem to worry about our babies getting enough - or too much! It might help you to know that breastfeed babies usually start needing food other than breastmilk at some time between 6 and 12 months - there is no set time. Even my two boys were different - DS1 was nearly 1 before he really ate anything and even then was slow, and DS2 was ready at 6 months, started as a great eater and still is.
I really love the idea of Baby Led Solids for a number of reasons (and I consider DS2 a BLS success story). One the great things about it, is that you don't need to know when your DS is ready, or how much he needs. You put food in front of him - and it can be the same foods you are eating so there is less effort - and let him play with it. When he is ready to eat, he'll eat. And as he needs to eat more, he will eat more. It takes the guess work out of it, and allows children to follow their instincts. Allowing babies to eat at their own pace and going with the flow can save a whole lot of stress, and being relaxed about it stops food time becoming a battle ground. It is worrying when your baby isn't eating at 7 or 8 months and you see other babies happily eating at 6 months, but knowing that not eating until later is perfectly normal can help a lot
Charlotte started solids at 7.5 months, when she was ready. (We did mostly BLS but she did eat some puree, yoghurt, porridge etc.)
FWIW, she was a fab eater picked it up fine, and was feeding herself by about 8.5 months with a spoon anyhow - you would never know what age she started.
Oh, she also was never interested in meat until after a year old, as she didnt sut teeth at all until 9 months
As for allergies - nobody really knows. Charlotte had none at all, we have no history at all - until at about 18 months we discovered she has a topical allergy to eggplant. Nothing else at all lol So you will never know until you try, but this is why *they* recommend you introduce one new food at a time so you can guage their response and know clearly which food has produced the reaction if one occurs.
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Starting solids quite late!?
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