anyone else started solids with 5 month old baby?(dob 01/09/04)

[elliesmoomoo]

I feel I have prematurely started my DD on solids. She is breastfed and has always put on weight and we both enjoy feeding. Just after xmas i gave her a few tsp of baby rice (because of my mum persuading me it was a good idea ) as she stopped going through the night. She wasnt interested so i stopped. I restarted 2 weeks ago as she was waking 2 be fed 3-4 times a night. she used to wake once from 6 weeks. I have given plain vegs like avocado and broccoli and cauliflower. She has it for lunch and tea.With many bfs throughout the day. She has also started to have half hour naps when before she had hour long ones. Help!!! Very confused mum needs reassurance!!!

[elliesmoomoo]

any suggestions??

[Blu]

I started DS on soids at 4 months because I was working from an out of date book and didn't realise that 6 months is the new 4 months!

I gave him babyrice with EBM, and then graduated to pureed carrot with EBM, butternut squash, stewed apple, pear.

He was fine - and kept drinking loads of milk, too - I didn't cut down on his milk, I don't think.

[Gwenick]

I weaned DS1 (BF) at 4 months (as was then recommended)

DS2 (bottlefed) was also weaned at 4 months (my choice) as I felt he was ready for it.

Both completely different eaters - the oldest is picky and awkward (although will eat just about anything if he really wants to)

Youngest (14 months) is going through the 'I'm too busy to eat" stage but will usually eat absolutely anything you offer him

[Fran1]

I weaned my dd about 41/2 mths and i didn't notice any difference in her sleeping better or worse, i think it is a myth about fuller tummmy's making them sleep more.
They should be having such little amounts to start with just to get used to texture, not really to "fill them up".

One suggestion though, broccoli and cauliflower can both cause a lot of wind, could this be what is causing your dd to wake? Maybe try less windy veg like carrots, butternut squash etc these are the foods my dd started on.

[nicky111]

sweet potato is a real favourite with my dd

[highlander]

ooh, EL I am asking the same thing over on the BF topics. DS was born on 13th Sep (thus 22weeks now) and I have just started giving him a few teaspoons off rice cereal with EBM at teatime. He's also cut down on his nap times to 30 mins and been a bit more restless at night (espec 4-6am). I've put that down to a developmental thing as it seems other MNs are going throught he same thing.

[highlander]

I rad somewhere that the orange veggies are good to start with as they tend to be a bit sweeter. Once they scoff that, gradually introduce the more bitter green veggies. No idea if it works though!

[HappyMumof2]

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[elliesmoomoo]

Thank u guys 4 ur advice ellie loves broccoli i know its really odd!!! will try carrot tomorrow. highlander its great to know someone out there is in same boat. think babies change their routines to keep us on our toes. oh and what u described bout ur lil one is exactly how DD is being :O

[elliesmoomoo]

i started her on rice then only a few days ago introduced some vegies.

[weeboagie]

dd was born on 06/09/04 and I started her on solids in early Jan as she seemed ready for it. Began with baby rice and ebm. Now takes pear, apple, banana, courgette (favourite - don't know why!), carrot, squash, parsnip etc.

Still BFing well and has slept better since also.

May be timings of feeds need to be changed to help with sleep? DD has lunch at 1200 and dinner at 5pm before bath.

[highlander]

HM2 - isn't your book a bit out of date? I've been told rice cereal only from 5-6 months, then veggies and no animal protein until at least 7-8 months.

[Twiglett]

well I weaned DS at just under 4 months too because that was the given advice .. and I didn't know any better at the time

H2M that actually sounds like something my mum would say .. 'well it didn't do you any harm' but she says it about lots of nothing many mothers nowadays wouldn't dream of doing (like putting to sleep on front, crushing a rusk into a bottle, formula feeding from birth)

new information comes out all the time about the best way to protect our children .. that's why I looked at the current available information before I decided to wait till DD was 26 weeks old

I don't know if it will make any difference, I just know I did the best for her based on current information that I could .. just as I did the best for DS (weaning at 14 weeks) that I could at the time .. and that's all we can do

[elliesmoomoo]

Thank u for all ur advice. She has lunch at 12.30 and tea 4.30 bed at 7.30. bed routine is bath,book,songs,bf all in our room with light off and lightshow on.she goes to sleep on own.she wakes at roughtly same times each night 4 a bf. up at 7ish.slightly teething

[HappyMumof2]

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[hercules]

Lots of babies were weaned early with ill effects. Nor is it new advice to wean at 6 months. The WHO have been saying this for over 10 years.

[HappyMumof2]

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[NotQuiteCockney]

Health visitors like to say that larger babies need solids earlier. Also, smaller babies need solids to get them growing more. We just need a reason for the medium-sized babies, and everyone's covered.

I weaned DS1 at 16 weeks. I don't know of any problems that's caused in him, but it was a giant waste of time and energy. DS2 is currently 21 weeks, and won't be getting solids any time soon.

I think many people see early weaning as a sign their babies are advanced. I'm afraid I see it as a sign that the WHO guidelines are still not really appreciated here.

[HappyMumof2]

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[hercules]

But it's not about how large babies are, it's about whether their stomach linings are ready. That doesnt change according to the babies weight. The signs that people think means their babies are ready at 4 months are not actually signs for solids but are misintrepreted that way.

[hercules]

Yes, but that doesnt mean wrong information should be given for anyone else reading. The way to get rid of misconceptions is to educate ourselves.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Um. Elliesmoomoo's first words, in her first post, were: "I feel I have prematurely started my DD on solids." If she doesn't think her baby is really ready now, or if it's not working for them, she should feed free to stop.

I wouldn't make the "wait until 6 months" argument on a thread started by someone who wasn't feeling these doubts, any more than I'd argue for breastfeeding on a "which formula is best" thread.

[Amanda3266]

You lot are fantastic. In the area I work (where there is lots of deprivation) I have a hard time just persuading some parents to wait for 16 weeks. When we say 6 months they freak
On the other hand I am under no illusion that what I suggest goes.

[hercules]

good info here

[Amanda3266]

Brilliant site hercules. I use it alot for up to date stuff. Well worth a look.