when should i start solids?

Question

My daughter is 5 mths old in a few days and already weighs 8.5 kilos (which is nearly19 lbs).... she is formula fed.... When should I start her on solids? Her health nurse says I can begin to give her rice cereal that was @ her 4 mth check up! but I'm scared to because the recommended age is 6 mths old! ADVICE PLEASE!!!!!

Answer 1

Babies are *not* supposed to get anything other than human milk (or formula) until 6 months old. If your nurse is saying otherwise, she is giving you *outdated* information. Every health organization worldwide recommends solids at 6 months old.

Giving solids earlier can harm a baby. It *probably* won't cause death or permanent damage (many, *many* babies have and continue to get solids prematurely), but why risk it?

Answer 2

My pediatrician recommended starting my boys on rice cereal at 4 months old. Just a tablespoon at a time (mixed with formula/breastmilk/water) to make it very soupy so they can swallow it. Rice cereal for a week, then barley for a week, then oatmeal for a week, then mixed grains for a week. At this point (once she's had all four types of cereal) you can start giving her larger amounts of it, and make it a little thicker. After that, you start with Stage 1 veggies and fruits. Just make sure you feed your baby a new food for at least three days to rule out any reactions, should she have one. At this point, she'll be about six months old, and my boys' doctor recommended starting Stage 2 meats.

Some pediatricians say wait until the baby is 6 months old before introducing any solid foods. Studies have shown that starting solids too early can cause obesity or food allergies for the child later in life. Eh, you know, what do they know? Not ALL kids get fat and have allergies to peanut butter, you know? LOL My boys are 27 months and 11 months, and so far, so good. :)

Just make sure before you start feeding her solids that she can sit up and hold her head up without being too wobbly.

Answer 3

You can start a baby on rice cereal as early as a week old if the child is not getting enough from simple nursing/bottle feeding. At 5 months old your daughter is old enough to handle rice cereal as well as soft-scrambled eggs, softened french toast and even Ramen noodles. The reason your daughter is heavy at this age is due to the amount of formula she is taking in to satisfy her tummy. This is NOT your fault.
Feed her some rice cereal that is thinner than prepared oatmeal. It may not take much to fill her little tummy at all. You can also begin feeding her some of the beginner baby foods in about a month.
I've had two babies and have done this with both of them. They are now ages 16 and 9. Relax...you can always message me directly if you need advice.

Answer 4

Most doctors are starting to agree that we're introducing solids too early. Most babies don't need them until they're about six months old. It depends on how big the baby is, too. If the baby is very big for his/her age, cereal may be needed from month 4 on. Can your baby go about two hours between feedings? If she's hungry an hour after each feeding she's either not getting enough formula (she's probably taking anywhere from 6 to 8oz now) or she's just not getting enough food! It's really up to you and the baby to decide....only you know if she's ready.

Answer 5

I started my son on a small amount of rice cereal mixed into his formula at 3 months old. Not recommended but he needed it. He was not satisfied with just formula. It sounds like you have a healthy baby and I would definitely do it. My son has always been on track with his weight and height and has only been sick once in the past 2 1/2 years.

Answer 6

My son is also formula-fed and he weighed 9 kilos at 5 months. His Thai doctor adviced us to start him on solids at 4 months. Babies' digestive systems are not mature enough to absorb nutrients optimally, so solids at this stage are more for "practise" than nutrition. In other words, there's really no harm in starting at 4 months, but you should continue giving her her regular dose of formula.

Personally, I decided to wait till he was closer to 6 months. I started him on solids when he was 5 and a half months only because he was starting to drink less and less milk. It worked out fine for us! He's now 9 months, weighs over 10kg, eats 3 meals and about 18-22 oz of formula a day.

Don't underestimate your mommy instinct! Go with what you FEEL is best for your baby. Good luck!

Answer 7

ya they say nothing is needed until 6 months then they need iron at that age.not all babies can wait til then.u def need to supplement the formula w cereal.once she has cereal she will drink less formula.my son is also 4 months and 2 weeks ago at his 4 month physical his ped said start him on 2 tablespoons of rice cereal,morning and night,then at 5 months start w the baby food,yellow baby food,least amount of allergies and the easiest to digest,other veggies then the fruits last so they dont get accustomed 2 the sweet taste then refuse the veggies.hope this helped you.good luck.how tall is she?when was she born? my son is 14.5 lbs and 26 inches tall!!!

Answer 8

all depends on the child. All my children started solids before a month old. It is not true they will get allergies because of it...allergies depend on genetics....my youngest was 10 ponds 4 ounces at birth........formula did not hold him, he needed food.....also, have you ever seen a milk baby? They are big, fat white blobs that usually do nothing......you have to go by your instincts, is your baby ready, can your baby eat from a spoon? My grandson is 11 months old, does not eat babyfood, did from about 2 months to 6 months, he eats table food, and is very advanced for his age, so it basically depends on the child

Answer 9

your daughter should be ready by now. try to give her a little bite of rice cereal and see what she does. my babies didnt understand what to do with it so the doctor said give them another month and try. so around 5 months i did and they werent really big on the rice cereal so u can buy it flavored banana or put a little bit of baby food in it. something fruity maybe.. good luck

Answer 10

There is no certian age to start them. I started mine on cereal (just a little once a day) at a little over 3 months. You can tell if they are ready if they open their mouth for the spoon, or if they spit it all out. Try it, it won't hurt them...I was so excited to see what her reaction would be.