When to give solid food?

Dr.Bunson

Hi, our baby girl is just over 3 months old, she is not satisfied with the amount of bottle that she is getting (as per the guideline on the side of the Aptimel box). I was in the shop yesterday, and noticed that all the solid foods start at 4 months. Is this 4 month thing religious, or could I start her a little earlier?

Thanks for any advice.

MrPudding

We have started our kids at 4 months. We have some powder stuff we got in france that we add to bottles which makes them more filling.

MrP

Oryx

I know some parents who have started their kids earlier than 4 months but that is the benchmark. I was even told to let it go past 4 months if i wanted to, later seems to be better than earlier.

Have you tried the milk for hungrier babies?

Linford

Dr.Bunson wrote:

Hi, our baby girl is just over 3 months old, she is not satisfied with the amount of bottle that she is getting (as per the guideline on the side of the Aptimel box). I was in the shop yesterday, and noticed that all the solid foods start at 4 months. Is this 4 month thing religious, or could I start her a little earlier?

Thanks for any advice.

We started our daughter when she was 4 months, around this time seems the norm from other friends and relatives. I think you are advised to wait till 4 months in order for their systems to be developed enough to cope with solids. I have even heard of people being advised to hold out longer than 4 months if their baby is not too hungry. In any event it is best to talk to a doctor.

You could try giving your daughter Aptimel 2 (if you are currently using Aptimel 1) as it is designed for hungrier babies. Also remember the guide on the side of the box is only a guide, not all kids are the same.

G&T

Have you got her on the formula for very hungry bottle fed babies.

If you do then the next step would be solid's.
Baby rice would be a good first food,
but at her age it's hard to know what amount is correct,
and what time in the day is best to give it.
She could get constipated if she got too much.

You should ask your public health nurse for advice.

When mine were small they recomended you start solid's at 3 months,
which I did ,and had no problems,
don't know why they changed it to 4 months.

Oryx

G&T wrote:

When mine were small they recomended you start solid's at 3 months,
which I did ,and had no problems,
don't know why they changed it to 4 months.

The timescale seems to get longer all the time. I believe its because their digestive systems are too immature. It can cause problems and possibly food allergies in later life. I know youre not meant to give cows milk for at least the first year, and eggs for even longer. Peanuts are a no-no till about 7.

crosstownk

AFAIK, 6 months is now the recommended time to give solids. But I think professional 'opinions' on the matter do vary between 4 and 6.

That said, we gave both of ours solids at 4 months with no problems. Our youngest (now 7 months) wouldn't have waited til 6 months for solids anyway - he's a little savage! We started both of them on the baby rice which we mixed with some formula and then slowly moved them onto pureed fruit and veg over a couple of weeks.

Linford

G&T wrote:

When mine were small they recomended you start solid's at 3 months,
which I did ,and had no problems,
don't know why they changed it to 4 months.

Not sure how old your kids are G&T but I am 32 and my mother told me that the 4 month recommendation was around when I was a baby. But maybe opinions differ among families, doctors, district nurses etc.

deisemum

The recommended guidelines that the professionals promote have changed over the years. I was born 6 weeks early and was on solids at 4 weeks and the rest of my siblings were on solids at 2 weeks. My mother wasa following the recommended guidelines of the time.

Regarding milk we were given cow's milk (straight from the farm) that my mother had boiled and strained through a tea towel. Not one of us has any food allergies.

I started my older boy on solids when he was 12 weeks old as advised at my local clinic at the time.

G&T

Linford wrote:

Not sure how old your kids are G&T but I am 32 and my mother told me that the 4 month recommendation was around when I was a baby. But maybe opinions differ among families, doctors, district nurses etc.

They are 11, 9 and 6.

The dry baby food was from 3 mths and the jar's from 4 months
I also gave mine hard boild egg's mixed with butter and milk before they were one!!!
They were eating everything bar nut's by the age of 1.

Im also 32 and I think when we were small the pre-made baby food was fairly
scarce and expensive.
We were reared in terry cloth nappy's and fed from the table
My mother put rusk's in our bottles when we were 2-3 mths old!!!

When she see's the list now on what you can and can't do with babies
she wonders how all of us survived

OP,I would use the label's as a guideline,
but not a bible, every child is different.

Nevyn

Check with your local health nurse or your gp if you are unsure.

dame

I definitely read somewhere that some doctor was of the opinion that Crohn's disease could be caused by giving solid food too early (digestive system not ready). Perhaps that or the allergies is the reason why they recommend 16/17 weeks now. If the baby was born before their due date then the guidelines say you should wait until at least 16 weeks after the due date (even though that means the child could be 5/6 mths old) before giving them solid food.

Ask doctor/nurse for your particular baby. If the child is hungry then she has to be fed.

Nevyn

Please cite references to articles otherwise I will get anoyed with people who are rumour mongering and will scare first time parents.

kelle

I started all mine on solids at 15-16 weeks old. I breastfed all of them , and I found at that stage I had them permanently attached to my chest, so just starting them on a small amount of baby rice or petits filous took some of the strain off me!
My PHN was in full agreement with that, despite the WHO's recommendation not to start solids until they're 6 months old.http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-when.html#experts
My sister-in-law started her sons on solids at 12 weeks old.

nesf

The six month WHO recommendation is for breast fed infants afaik (I could be wrong). It's tied to the whole "you should breastfeed for the first year/six months idea" if I recall correctly.

The whole not feeding them before 4 months seems to be down to their digestive systems not being able to deal well with food. It's not so much a case of the food being bad for them but one of they won't be able to break food down properly and get enough out of it to make it necessary. Versus at 4-6 months where your average baby starts needing more than just milk to get through the day.

Again, chat to your PHN and your GP about it and they'll be able to help. That and if you do start think about baby rice. It's not much hassle to make but I wouldn't add it to their bottles because it can (according to Avent) mess with the nipples and clog them which is an unnecessary hassle considering that bottles really aren't "cheap". Arguably, if a child isn't old enough to eat off a spoon then they probably aren't old enough to need solids (obviously this won't apply to children with some complication that makes spoon-feeding difficult).


I was given solids at two months (mashed potatoes I think, by my grandmother). It didn't do me any harm but the medical consensus seems to be that it's unnecessary (in general) before 4 months for the majority of babies. Some, of course, will be exceptions.

Linford

I think the WHO also recommends that children should be breast fed till they are 2 years of age, I don't know how realistic that is...

Ayla

Linford wrote:

I think the WHO also recommends that children should be breast fed till they are 2 years of age, I don't know how realistic that is...

I have never heard this. The WHO recommends exclusive b/feeding for the first six months. The general consensus being that the longer you b/feed, the longer your child (and you) benefit. That doesn't mean you exclusively b/feed, but you use it as a supplement to whatever solids you introduce.

My DD is now 8.5 months and I'm still b/feeding. I exclusively b/fed till she was around 5-6 months, then I started introducing all sorts of solids. She now eats whatever we're having for dinner (with certain exceptions) and has at least 2 portions of fruit/veg per day. She does not have any dairy, sugar or salt (I figure she doesn't need it, there's loads of good stuff to give instead). I still b/feed first thing in morning and last thing at night but it's more just for the comfort & bonding time.

OP, I agree with some of the posters here who are saying it's important to handle your child's needs on an individual basis. None of this parenting stuff is "across the board" or the same for each child.

deisemum

Linford wrote:

I think the WHO also recommends that children should be breast fed till they are 2 years of age, I don't know how realistic that is...

They've been recommending that for a long time. I breastfed older boy until he was 6 months and I returned to work and younger boy until he was 15 months but had enough of it at that stage and wanted my body back for myself.

prospect

Linford wrote:

I think the WHO also recommends that children should be breast fed till they are 2 years of age, I don't know how realistic that is...

The W.H.O. aren't exactly considering working mothers! I can see the boss appreciating staff members leaving meetings to express breast milk because they are 'bursting'.....

There is a point where you have to balance the reality of life with what is best for baby.

deisemum

Some companies are very accommodating which makes it easier but I don't think it is the norm with a lot of places of employment

littlebug

As far as I know the current recommendation is to wait until the baby is 4-6 months, with the emphasis on going as close to the 6 months as possible. The thinking is that the baby's digestive system isn't ready before that. In families with a history of allergies it is recommended to wait to 6 months and to contact health care provider if you want to start before that. There are apparantly, proven links between early weaning and food allergies in later life. I don't have a link for that just now but it's commonly cited. I'll look it up when I get a chance. I don't think I've ever come across anything referring to a Chrohns link (not to say it isn't there though).
In general it is stated that the right time to start solids is when the baby is ready and showing signs of interest in food and can move food to the back of their mouth with the tongue. It is no longer advised to put "solids" in the bottle to thicken it as if the baby is not able to take solids off the spoon then they simply aren't ready. It would be best to try the hungrier baby formula for a few more weeks instead.

Mine both started on solids just short of 5 months. My son was well ready but I think I should have waited a little longer with my daughter since she was premature... she has had/ does have allergies.

As an aside, like Deisemum, I was premature (6 weeks) and was fed on our own cows milk from the day they got me home from the hospital at 3 weeks, probably not even boiled

Linford

prospect wrote:

The W.H.O. aren't exactly considering working mothers! I can see the boss appreciating staff members leaving meetings to express breast milk because they are 'bursting'.....

There is a point where you have to balance the reality of life with what is best for baby.

I agree, my point was that the WHO recommends a lot of things but many of them are not very realistic.

kelle

deisemum wrote:

They've been recommending that for a long time. I breastfed older boy until he was 6 months and I returned to work and younger boy until he was 15 months but had enough of it at that stage and wanted my body back for myself.

This morning, i vowed there's no more of my milk for my nearly 9-month-old, after having her permanently sucking from me during the night. She's going crazy and won't drink from bottle. But I refuse to give in. Wish me luck! ( i'm returning to work in 3 weeks time, so it is necessary!)

Oryx

kelle wrote:

This morning, i vowed there's no more of my milk for my nearly 9-month-old, after having her permanently sucking from me during the night. She's going crazy and won't drink from bottle. But I refuse to give in. Wish me luck! ( i'm returning to work in 3 weeks time, so it is necessary!)

Hopefully shell go straight to a cup then. Best of luck!

Ayla

For all of those who keep *incorrectly* quoting the WHO has recommending b/feeding for two years, here's a quote directly from their website:

"Breastfeeding is the ideal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family and the health care system. Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age."

If you'd like to check up on it further, here's the link:
http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/

And for those who are returning to work and are therefore stopping the b/feeding, that's your choice. It is, however, a law here in Ireland that employers allow opportunities for b/feeding mothers to express and/or feed their child:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/birth-family-relationships/birth-and-children/after-your-baby-is-born/breastfeeding

Not that this has anything to do with the OP's original queries...

Linford

Ayla wrote:

For all of those who keep *incorrectly* quoting the WHO has recommending b/feeding for two years, here's a quote directly from their website:

"Breastfeeding is the ideal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family and the health care system. Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age."

If you'd like to check up on it further, here's the link:
http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/

And for those who are returning to work and are therefore stopping the b/feeding, that's your choice. It is, however, a law here in Ireland that employers allow opportunities for b/feeding mothers to express and/or feed their child:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/birth-family-relationships/birth-and-children/after-your-baby-is-born/breastfeeding

Not that this has anything to do with the OP's original queries...

Please enlighten me as to how I keep *incorrectly* quoting the WHO?

Here is another quote directly from the WHO website:

"Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. A recent review of evidence has shown that, on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond."

http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/infant_exclusive.htm

While this does not directly relate to the OP query, the WHO recommendation re feeding were and I was pointing out that the WHO recommendations are not always realistic...

nesf

I think the confusion is coming from the term "exclusive breastfeeding".

Kildrought

And for those who are returning to work and are therefore stopping the b/feeding, that's your choice. It is, however, a law here in Ireland that employers allow opportunities for b/feeding mothers to express and/or feed their child:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/ca.../breastfeeding

Only until baby is 6 months old.

The provision applies to all women in employment who have given birth within the previous 6 months

Ayla

Dr.Bunson wrote:

Hi, our baby girl is just over 3 months old, she is not satisfied with the amount of bottle that she is getting (as per the guideline on the side of the Aptimel box). I was in the shop yesterday, and noticed that all the solid foods start at 4 months. Is this 4 month thing religious, or could I start her a little earlier?

Thanks for any advice.

Linford - hate to be splitting hairs, but this is the OP. Where does it question the WHO recs?

As far as commenting on b/feeding and the recs of the WHO, I would welcome this discussion in another thread. I think it's fairly clear the OP isn't b/feeding.

looksee

I breast fed my first two only for a month, both of them had good appetites and wanted more, they were both big babies and the second one - a boy - had hollow legs. Since I was living in Kenya at the time I had no-one to tell me not to, so I gave him baby rice, then mashed banana (small, pinkish and gorgeous, nothing like the supermarket ones) from about 6 weeks. He's now 36, very tall, quite slim and has no problems - well not food related anyway. I'm not particularly recommending this, just making the point that you really don't have to get too hung up on the rules and regulations. Guide lines and common sense go a long way.

Ickle Magoo

I think the recommendation is 6months to start on solids but of course the best gauge is your child...if they push the food out with their tongues, gag, etc then they are not ready - alternatively if they try to grab food from you & put it in their mouths then they probably are, hth.

Kernel32

prospect wrote:

The W.H.O. aren't exactly considering working mothers! I can see the boss appreciating staff members leaving meetings to express breast milk because they are 'bursting'.....

There is a point where you have to balance the reality of life with what is best for baby.

I don't think the WHO is or should be considering working mothers, they are considering the overall health of the global population. In the non-industrialized world the breastfeeding recommendations that the WHO makes are achieved at a much higher rate than the industrialized world. This is a product of how we set up our society, not whether a mother is a working mother or not.

If the WHO were to tailor their recommendations based on criteria such as working mothers in industrialized nations then they must also change their recommendations for immunizations because the majority of the global population cannot afford them so for them it's not realistic. In spite of that through public and private donations and the perseverance of doctors and local populations polio has been virtually wiped out through immunization.

Just think what we could do for the overall health of the population if the WHO recommendations became a priority and the vast resources of Ireland and other countries were used. It's not like these recommendations are a new thing, it's how our species and others have survived this long in the first place.