moving onto solid foods..

jackben

hi all, im just wondering what is the best age to start your baby on solids, i.e baby rice to start off with... i know it says on the box from 4 months but would it do any harm to start around 3and a half months old,,my son is now 3 months and is a very hungary baby, and lots of people have suggested giving him 1 or 2 spoons of the baby rice each day... not sure what to do,,,

Morag

You will hear a range of different times from people.
Some day 3 months, some say 6 months, some say even longer.
Best thing to do is check with the public health nurse.

January

You're best to ask your GP or PHN.

Ayla

As always, I'm going to disagree...

I think a lot of things require the advice of your GP/PHN, but this may not be one of them; as a parent myself, I go with my gut on a lot of things. If my babe is hungry, I feed her.

Granted, I exclusively breastfed both of mine until they were at least 5 months, so I wasn't in the same shoes as you currently are, but if you think your son's genuinely hungry, then do something about it. Stay away from anything "risky" (ie: gluten, nuts, sugars etc), but a bit of diluted baby rice will hardly hurt him.

Personally, I see this as common sense, but if you're concerned *of course* you can refer to your GP or PHN.

jackben

hi all thanks for responses,,yes it would only be a small bit of diluted rice so i dont think that would do him any harm,,,he loves his bottle so i can imagin he will the rice too:):) its only 2 weeks to the 4 months old so ill see how it goes...thanks guys

Lola18

Well I stared my little man on 2-3 spoons of rice as soon as he was 3 months and gradually built it up he's 4 months now and has the sunshine orange in the morning and rice in the evening and he's well able for it, He was a very hungry baby too!

bubbaloo

I started my little man on baby rice at 17 weeks and he loved it. Make sure you vary his diet once you start the solids. Start with rice for a few days, then move onto something else - carrott, sweet potato, apple, banana etc. If he doesn't like something, try it again a week later. And from my experience, don't let him get too used to sweet stuff (fruit etc) or you'll never get any veg into him!!

Ballyman

We never bothered with the rice. We bought it and it's still in the press but we never used it!

I'd recommend pureeing a little carrot and seeing how you get on. Once it's puree'd properly then I can't see how it could cause any problems. You could mix it with a little formula also if you want to get it more watery for him

Just so you know, it can be a little emotional when they first eat from a spoon

jackben

thanks for yer reponses, i can imagin it might be a little emotional,im a bit excited about him having his first spoon of rice:).
i agree that if your baby is hungary then give it a go, i have a feeling he is going to just love it:D.. i have the baby rice got and the the cow an gate porridge so i can start with the rice and gradually try the porridge in the mornings.....
thanks again x

Terpsichore

I need to quote "The baby book" from William & Martha Sears:
"One day I decided to ask an experienced mother of six, 'How do you know when to begin giving your baby solid foods?'
'When he starts mooching!' She replied.
'Mooching?' I asked, a bit surprised.
'Yes' she went on to explain. 'I wait for signs that he is interested. I watch him watch me eat. When his eyes follow my food as I move it from my plate to my mouth, when his hands reach out and grab my food and he is able to sit up in a high chair and join us at the table, I know it's time for the fun of solids to begin.'"

LegacyUser

Just be aware that the WHO, Unicef and a host of other organisations recommend starting solids at six months, not four and certainly not three. This is because babies' digestive systems are not yet capable of digesting solids.

There is research that demonstrates a link between childhood obesity and the early ingestion of solids, as well as later disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome etc.

Babies should be able to sit up properly, hold their heads and, as the PP said, demonstrate a clear interest in food. This usually does not occur before six months.

Waiting a few extra weeks really won't hurt and will do your baby the world of good. Go with your gut sure, but don't be in such a hurry that you risk future harm.

As for your son being hungry, you should reassess his milk feeds, and remember that around four months they start going through some developmental changes that leave them fussy and clingy, and this is often mistaken for hunger.