Solids at 4 months

[Lolpigs]

So my poor DD has reflux, she spent the first 8 weeks of her life screaming, and then we finally got it sorted on Goats Milk formula and thickener along with Losec after much trial and error.

The Pead recommends Solids at 4 months due to them being more difficult to flux, any suggestions what we should start with? I was keen to do BLW and bubs has already dropped to 4 feeds a day so I am thinking when the time comes she will be interested. She is already facinated with food and stares at it alot when we are eating.

Thanks guys

Also I cannot believe in 4 weeks my DD will be 4 months old Too fast!

[onthefly]

The poor love! What a rough ride.

If you've had to turn to special formula, have you investigated allergies? I'd be really cautious about introducing foods, if so. Is the vomiting actually affecting weight gains? Is that why the doc suggests solids? It's worth noting that the sorts of things you'd typically start with - rice cereal, purees - would have less calories and nutrition compared to milk.

They do grow so fast, don't they!? Glad you've got the reflux under control now at least

[Lolpigs]

Thanks Mad No not yet although I suspect a cows milk issue as the first formula was and caused lots of painful gas and tummy issues. I am going to go straight to goats milk rather than cow at 12 months.

Our new pead, old one was rubbish suggested this because solids are harder to reflux up and may help her not have so many episodes.

Could I start with vegetables steamed instead of rice cereal?


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[Razzberry]

I was told to start my dd on solids at 4 months by our paed as she had gastro reflux and he thought it might help, but I found it didn't help at all - not that it means will be the same for you!

[onthefly]

You mean pieces of veg? you could try. You can't really give solid food till they can sit up by themselves, though. Otherwise puree obviously

Just on BLW - the main point of it is that it's baby-led. Your baby decides when and what to eat and feeds themselves and the initiation of eating is part of this. You can do it any way you like, naturally, it's just that if you're actively feeding your child then it's not BLW.

[sunshine 11]

My DS was a bad reflux baby too, and solids at 4.5 months was a godsend. I didn't want to do it as with my DD we were told strictly no solids before 6 months, then apparently they changed it to 4 months! The poor little man was starving all the time, and waking constantly but hated drinking milk because he was so used to throwing it up so just snack fed ALL THE TIME. He is still not really into milk at almost 12 months and far prefers solids.

We started on rice cereal for maybe one day (just as a safe option to see how he went, we already knew after trial and error he wasn't allergic to milk or wheat/grains), then went straight to pureed vegies. BLW was too hard initially because he was too little and also had a very strong gag reflex so threw up food if it was too chunky for him. But within a few weeks he was chowing (or gumming really) down on steamed broccoli with the best of them.

Good Luck and I hope you have the same experience as we did

[[M]umma[M]ia]

WHO havent changed reccomendations and still states no solids before 6 months. 4 months is way too you IMO. I too have had refluxy babies. Solids didnt make an ounce of difference (only time did... you cant force their bellies to mature) in the vommiting. Sorry to be blunt, but if bub is still bringing up formula when its thickened (its just thicker now yeah?).. solids wont make an ounce of difference.

[shan23]

Could I start with vegetables steamed instead of rice cereal?

Heck yeah, start with whatever you like! We started DS on avocado, he loved it. He did have some rice cereal later on, but he hated it. I cant even remember why we gave it to him.

With the BLW thing, you can always switch once she is ready for it! Nothing says you cant, or that you cant do both!


And I hear you on how fast they grow ... my little man is 1 in less than a week!

[Lolpigs]

Thanks guys appreciate the help! Thanks for the info re: puree I will to for those till she can sit up properly.

Fingers crossed I can do BLW once she is older. Good to know it might actually help!

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[Lolpigs]

Thanks MM guess it depends on the baby. This is true about WHO, but wasnt 4 months common practise till it was advised otherwise? I know our pead has said the pediatric allergists association has put up information saying this may be causing more allergies than it prevents.

Lots of conflicting info, much to think about I will see how much interest she shows over the following months

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[onthefly]

No. The national guidelines have not been changed. It is still 6 months for healthy, full-term babies.

Yes, the allergenists are now saying that *maybe* it hasn't changed allergy rates. However, this has not been proven, nor can it be when we consider that very few babies are actually exclusively breastfed for 6 months (as recommended). In any event, ASCI (and not the health dept, WHO, ABA etc) is now recommending starting solids 4-6 months (not at 4 months, but sometime in this window).

However, allergies are only one reason why there are recommendations for the timing of solids. There are 2 other important factors: 1, does you baby need other nutrition? 2, Is your baby's gut mature enough to digest other foods? Research shows that breast milk contains everything a baby needs for at least 6 months. And we know that many baby's guts are mature at around 6 months. There is also reason to believe that if a baby is physically capable of feeding themselves, then their gut may also be mature enough.

For my money, I think following your baby's lead is the 'safe' way to go. If my baby picks up food and eats it, then I can feel assured that they are developmentally ready for it.

[luna moth]

I have known heaps of refluxy babies who have been given this advice and not one who has been helped by solids. For one baby it actually got way worse, and for another it just added constipation into the mix. I'd be pretty wary of it, actually.

[Lolpigs]

Thats really interesting, why do they recomend it then?

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[luna moth]

Thats really interesting, why do they recomend it then?

Because in theory, it works. In practice, lots of babies grow out of reflux anyway around that time, so it appears to work. It's also very hard to actually test any of these theories to provide the evidence.

As for PZ's money theory, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Mr Farex and Mr Heinz had funded a "study" that showed that it has some effect.

[HotI]

Possibly another reason is because doctors want to give you advice, something to do, and as parents we find it easier to 'do' something to try to fix what is hurting our kids, rather than hope it fixes itself.

[PumpkinZulu]

Money? Sorry, that's just the cynic in me, I have no idea why 4 months is 'recommended' or 'suggested' outside of medical need (reflux for eg, although as PP mentioned, the results even then are questionable).

[lise]

Our pead also recommended solids for DS at four months to help his reflux, and so we tried, but honestly DS had NO idea and we stopped. Although he used to watch us eat quite closely he really didn't know what to do at all and wasn't interested. We took this as a sign he wasn't ready and didn't try again until after six months.

His reflux did improve around four months so fingers crossed your DD's does too, I know all too well the joys of living with a reflux baby

[PumpkinZulu]

I could be wrong, but I believe the thinking behind the solids for relux is that it's 'heavier' and will sit down more in their stomachs, holding the stomach acid down instead of it coming back up. DD had reflux from about 3 weeks and just grew out of it at about 8 weeks I think. I cut out acidic foods and dairy and that really seemed to help ease things, no idea if that was a placebo though I know for some babies it goes on a lot longer and is a lot more severe too.