Starting solids early?

I am really torn as to start solids as per guidelines or sooner?

What happens to bubs if you start them earlier? DS2 is fully breastfed. He is much bigger than DS1 was at this age? And seems ready...I knw that when they look at food doesnt nescessarily mean they are ready iykwim?

I trust my milk is doing the right job but it jsut seems that most people put their babies on solids even though its guidelines say 6 months?? So is there a risk? I really think Ds2 may be ready for something other than Breastmilk?

Do you just follow your instincts? I am just such a goody tooshoes and try to follow guidelines lol!

Any help wopuld be great :)

The guidelines are always changing....apparently now its between 4-6months. For me personally i would go with your gut instinct they are usually right.

I personally didn't start trying until my DS was really good at sitting so about 6 months. He'd been interested in food for AGES but turns out he never actually wanted to eat any, just play and in the end was exclusively BF for 8 months. I did BLS so he just used to look and play with fingerfoods maybe give them a suck but didn't actually ingest any till later on.

Maybe if you do try solids early try BLS as this will be the best indication that your bub is ready as they are regulating the intake of food rather than you spooning them food. Something like soft florets of broccoli would be a good starter or sweet potato. I think it's important that their body control is good though to minimise the risk of choking just incase they do ingest something. But go with your instincts, it wouldn't hurt to try if you think they're ready.
Hope that's helpful :)

Thanks girls! I think thats why i am so confused cause they guidelines do change!

Allycat we did BLS wihtb DS1 and love it....so if DS2 grabs food and sneaks it in I shouldnt frek out lol! He is pretty good with sitting in the highchair?

Is there a medical reason why you shouldnt start them early?

I believe the medical reason is increased chance of allergies but as PP said the guidelines have now changed to 4-6 months so I reckon theres no harm in trying! Sounds like seeing your DS1 eating might be the reason he's so interested, even at that age they love to copy!

remember they are just 'guidelines' so go with your gut on this one :)

I go with my instincts. The recommendations are 6 months. Anelise started just before 5 months. I knew she was ready fo food and from the very first mouthfull she has loved it, she even goes 'Mmmmmm' when eating something she likes and did that with the first solid feed.

BLS guidelines suggest that starting too early might be detrimental to your baby's digestive system (not developed enough to handle solid food too young, as best as the research determines a baby's system is ready at 6-10 mths, which means it will be different for every bub). There's probably nothing wrong with letting him play with and explore solid food (as you did with DS1) and let him take the lead. Chances are, he will be listening to his body and will only be 'eating' when he's really ready anyway.

On the other hand, there's really no harm in waiting, he'll be getting all he needs from your bm for a little while yet and even after he's exploring solids, bm is still his main form of nutrition. So if you are reluctant, rest assured there really is no need to start early, you won't be starving him!

I started DS on solids at 4 months per the instruction of my CHN and what I'd been telling her, but only one 'feed' per 2 or 3 days - it wasn't till a couple days before he turned 5 months that I started 3 feeds a day, and haven't looked back since! He's even taken to taking the spoon off me and feeding himself!

I have come to the conclusion that it is something where you just need to follow your instincts. If you dont intend on doing BLS, then those guidelines wont really apply to you, just as if you do intend doing BLS, then you should probably wait till he is older. have a think about how you want to approach solids too, is there anything you would like to change from last time round?

At the end of the day, I don't really think it makes much of a difference to the child. In my 9 years as a Mum, I have seen the recommendations be for 4 months, then up to 6 months and now to 4-6 months. I started my first baby at 4 months and we never looked back, then the next two took a lot longer to get going on it, so we didn't rush it and with #4 I held off due to reflux and took it slow once we started and it was the best thing we ever did. out of the older 3, they all have wonderful diets, eat well and no fussiness at all and no adverse heatlh issues. #4 is still a typical toddler and lives on fresh air alone ;) The research in this field is going to be changing all the time as they make new discoveries, so it is up to you whether you want to follow the current advice or just follow your instincts and both will be right :) Your little one is nearly 5 months old, so there may be no harm in trying them to see how he goes. You are a smart person so you know that BM is all he needs till he is 1 and that solids just supplements the milk. If he isn't interested, then there is no harm done by trying.

I thought the official guidelines were still 6 months and it was just MCHN's who were given false information at a seminar that were going around saying the guidelines were changing.

The WHO guidelines have not changed - 6 months exclusive breastfeeding is their recommendation.

the guidelines havent changed..(is it possible to get a sticky with that rather then miss information being continued?)

the risk is that his internal organs may not be ready and you could do damage to them, (kinda like we all know you should poo every 24ish hours doesnt mean you start pushing even though you have no urge.. you will do damage) Gut health has been linked to SOO many other health issues.

the allergy thing, well i guess it depends on if you have allergies in your family to what you personally decide on that front.

DS was about 5.5m and DD was 6 months both still bf at that time.

boomba- there's some great articles on kellymom about starting solids and what the research says

thnaks girls...i am feeling more confident in my descions now. I rreally feel in my heart he is ready but I will wait a few more weeks till he is about 5.5 months...I dont plan on giving him heaps just a little bit here and there...BLS rocks cause I am pretty lazy..hence no bottles in this house lol!

But if I was to start him on say organic rice ceral wiht Bm and some mash stuff is that ok too?

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But if I was to start him on say organic rice ceral wiht Bm and some mash stuff is that ok too?

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Wouldn't that require spoon feeding and thus be contrary to BLS principles??

Yeah...sorry I am going to be doing BLS but thought i may try him on some spoon fed stuff? See Ds1 was great wiht BLS but som,etimes wasnt so would like to do a bit of both...but definitely no forcefeeding :)

Boomba, I tried spoon feeding DD a few mashed things at the beginning of our food journey, but found she didn't much like it. There's nothing wrong with trying it if you want to (once he starts feeding himself a bit), but for us it wasn't something that worked. As soon as DD was ready to eat she was much happier feeding herself. The ony exception was yoghurt, where we would both hold a spoon, but at the start I was the only one getting any in her mouth! Surprisingly she learned to use a spoon very quickly and by about 9 mths could happily feed herself with very little mess.

There's nothing wrong with going with your instincts, I'd just be cautious about spoonfeeding 'solids' before 6 mths.

Hey, for what it's worth, if you feel he's probably ready and sitting up ok, I'd just put him in the vicinity of suitable foods and let him go for it if he wants to. If he's ready, he'll eat. If he's not, he won't.

That's my plan for next time anyway - just let baby figure it out themselves (I'm lazy too ;))

Marcellus thats what I was thinking of doing ;)
Jen DS1 didnt like to be spoon fed either...but do you think that this has attributed to him not wanting to eat much? I look at other kids who were spoon fed and they eat heaps? Or is that cause they were force fed iykwim?

Hi,

Popping in very late (have been away for a couple of weeks - just reading/responding sporadically)
The Australian guidelines as articulated by the National Health and Medical Research council have not changed. It is recommended babies start solids at 6mnth. Nor have I heard that this is seriously being reviewed either Federally or by any states. This recommendation is in line with the World Health Organisation.
The Allergists Association is fairly much out on a limb in pushing "solids at 4 mnths" Unfortunately they seem to have gained some traction. Their hypothesis is that, in the time that we have been introducing solids at 6mnths allergy rates have soared. There are a couple of problems with this. There has been a very poor uptake of the 6mnths recommendation (many experts believe it takes a good 5 years after new guidelines are introduced for any sort of acceptance in the community) and it overlooks the fact that virtually every Australian child is exposed to foods other than breastmilk by 6mnths. While the statistics are hard to work out, it seem as though possibly as few as 1% of Australian children are exclusively breastfed to 6mnths. Almost every Australian child has formula before the age of 6mnths.
However, even the Allergists Association reinforces (in bold on their website) that solids should not be introduced before 4 mnths, and that food should definately be introduced while the baby is still breastfed.
WHO research shows that when babies are introduced to solid foods before 6 mnths this tends to displace breastmilk in the child's diet. Breastmilk is all babies need for the first 6mnths of life, and is their major food in the second 6mnths of their life. Babies who are introduced to solid food early tend to be weaned at an earlier age.
Apart from this, many of the enzymes needed to digest food do not develop until around 6mnths. Babies cannot adequately digest solid foods when their system is so immature.
Boomba, it sounds like you are doing a great job of sifting through this information, and have a thoughtful approach to apparenting, working with the guidelines and watching your child's cues. You'll surely do the right thing by your little one.

Boomba, are you still an ABA member? If you have a look in the January 2010 edition of Essence there is a fantastic article by Gill Rapley (who came up with the term Baby Led Weaning and is considered the expert on it). It talks about why BLS does and doesn't work with a baby under 6 months. It works because the baby will only actually eat the food when he is ready to do so. However, when BLS is started early, there is a big risk that an adult will put food in the baby's mouth at some stage (either a parent or a well meaning other family member or friend), and so there is a high risk of food actually being consumed before the baby is ready. For this reason Gill recommends not starting BLS until 6 months.

Boomba, I think you have fantastic instincts and I am sure you will use them wisely. If you suspect that DS is ready now, perhaps you could try putting some finger food in front of him and see what he does. This would be a better option than feeding him on a spoon, as this way he will get the food whether he actually wants/needs it or not. Otherwise, waiting another couple of weeks won't hurt.

And I do want to reiterate for everyone that the guidelines are still for solids to be started at 6 months. The guidelines have NOT changed.