my baby is 3 months old and has cut her two bottom teeth, is it ok to start solids?

Question

we were thinking about starting our daughter on a quarter of farleys mixed with baby milk, as she has recently stopped sleping through the night (she wakes 2 times now were as before she would sleep 9 hrs) and as her two bottom teeth have come through we thought maybe she was ready for weaning, any advice would be helpful as the internet search recommends 4 months, i have always bottle fed her she now has 5-6 ounces evry 4 hrs except the night........ please help!!

Answer 1

you paediatrician will advise you on this, 3 months is VERY early for the digestive system.

Keep on the bottles its much easier for the baby.

Answer 2

4 months is just a guideline. You are fine to feed her at 3 months. My 2 friends babies are both on solids one started at about 8 weeks (imagine that) and the other at 3 months also.

My daughter is 3 months and i'm starting her on baby rice because she has started to feed more frequently, which to me means that the milk is not satisfying enough and she needs something a little more.

By the way your describing your daughter goes every 4 hours and this seems to be fine for her. I'd say leave it for a little longer whether she has teeth or not but at the end of the day your the Mother and what ever you think you should do. It will not harm her in any way starting her on solids.

Also if she is waking in the night when normally she would be settled perhaps she is more hungrier so you could try her with hungrier baby (if not already on it) or it prob is her teeth waking her up

Answer 3

I will probably get a few thumbs down for this answer, but so what! My daughter was the same as yours (except she has not cut her teeth yet) sleeping through the night at around 2 and a half months old, then at just over 3 months old she started waking up through the night, looking for a feed, and not just a little to tide her over till morning, she wanted a full bottle feed and she wanted it now! She screamed blue murder too!!! I started her on solid food when she was 13 weeks old, started with pure baby rice for a week or so then moved on to pureed fruit and veg! She is now 19 weeks old and is doing great, she is even sleeping through again, which is great for me! I went against all medical professionals and other people saying that it was too early to wean her, and to wait till she was 4 or 6 months old, but am not being funny, my little girl was hungry and I was certainly not gonna starve her! However, in saying that, you say that you little girl has 5-6 ounces every 4 hours, maybe before you introduce solids you should try giving her an extra ounce or 2, on the formula for hungrier babies if you are not already using it. My daughter was taking 8 ounces every 2 and a half to 3 hours before I started her on solids. All babies are different and you best know your baby, so go with your gut instinct! If you decide to start weaning, I would start with pure baby rice, then start to introduce fruit and veg (Apple, Pear, Carrot, Swede, Sweet Potato, Potato - cooked and pureed with no lumps) 1 at a time every 3-4 days so that you can look out for allergic reactions! Good Luck with whatever you decide!

Answer 4

its actualy recommended that you start weaning at 5 months if poss. NOT at 3 months. Leave it till at least 4 months max. Her body wont be ready for solids and if you gave her sloids now she may develop allergies to some foods as this can happen if introduced too early. She is still so tiny. Keep her as a baby for as olng as poss as it goes soooooo fast. She is probably waking more in the night because she is teething!!! This is usualy what happens. try calgel on her gums (just a little) as it worked for my littlen. Also a small amount of calpol. good luck.
Oh and by the way when you do wean your baby fresh homemade foods are best. For someone who told you to give your baby canned foods thats really bad lazy advice. I have always prepared my babys food from scratch (and i wrk aswell so there is no excuse.) and freezing portions of food is soooo practical and easy. babies keep you up in the night FACT!!!! Mums have to deal with that instead of doing anything to make them go through the night.

Answer 5

no, you need to give her more time before starting solids. Teething isn't a reason for solids. If your baby had been sleeping 9 hrs straight before 3 mo old then consider yourself lucky! babys go through phases where they just don't sleep as well. Cutting teeth can cause sleep problems and trying to get her to sleep longer isn't a reason to feed solids. 4-4.5 months is about the earliest to start solids with an average time of 5-6 months. Starting too early can cause serious digestive problems and can increase the risk of allergys. a constipated baby can keep you up all night too. Keep in mind that breastmilk or formula will still be her primary source of nutrition through her first year so you aren't really weaning when starting solids. Please wait and talk to your babys doctor about this at her 4 month check-up.

Answer 6

Just because baby has cut teeth, does not indicate that she is ready to begin weaning. She is probably waking because of her teeth. The recommended age for weaning is 6 months as the digestive system is better developed to cope with things like gluten etc. Even then, milk should be the primary source of nutrition until 12 months. Speak to your health visitor for more info..that's what they are trained for! Don't rush to advance your baby....they don't stay little for long! Enjoy her!

Answer 7

Teeth have no reltion to whether or not it is the right time to wean or not. My son didn't have any teeth until he was 7 months old and was eating a wide range of foods at that point.

My rule of thumb was when he was emptying a bottle I'd add another ounce until he got to empyting 8oz bottles every feed then I started weaning, around 4 months. Try increasing her bottles to 7 or 8 oz and see if that helps before you think about weaning.

If that doesn't stop her getting up then speak to your Health Visitor about weaning.

Answer 8

My girls are now 22 and 20. When they were babies it was normal to start giving them a small amount of baby rice or cereal. I don't know what the thought is nowadays. But often the old ways are better. Milk doesn't keep them filled for as long as something thicker. If you think your baby is ready for it you could check with a Dr or go with your own instinct.

Answer 9

The reason she has stopped sleeping through is likely because you are causing her extreme intestinal problems.

The guidelines are really now 6 months, or at the very least to go by signs of readiness which your daughter does have -I guarantee it.

The other major problem is Farley's is full of things you shouldn't give a baby under 9-12 months. Wheat and whole eggs are generally withheld until at least 9 months with good reason. I *know* the Farley's box implies you can give it to a 4 month old but let's face it they have reason to be biased, no?

Also your daughter should be getting around 32 oz of formula in 24 hours.

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/solids.html
Your baby is starting to get ready for solids when:

* he is about four months old
* he becomes more sociable, playing and holding "conversations" with you during a nursing session
* he has a growth spurt and nurses more frequently for a while
* he imitates the chewing motions you make whilst eating -- he is practicing!

You will know that he is really ready to start solids when:

* he is about six months old
* he can sit up without any support
* he continues to be hungry despite more frequent nursing which is unrelated to illness or teething
* he has lost the tongue-thrusting reflex and does not push solids out of his mouth
* he can pick up things with his finger and thumb (pincer grasp)

Babies who are ready for solids can usually feed themselves. Mothers often report that they knew their babies were ready when they picked up food from a plate, chewed it, swallowed it, and wanted more.

Listen to your baby! Babies with a tendency to allergies may refuse solids until later in their first year. As long as they are growing well and are happy and healthy, there is no need for concern.

"Whole-grain breads and cereals (rather than baby cereals)
[wheat and corn are usually delayed until baby is 9-12 months old]"
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

Answer 10

The fact she is teething is probably why she isn't able to make it through the night anymore; she might need your help and comfort in this tough time for her.

Nearly ALL pediatricians agree not to start any solids until at LEAST 4 months of age because of the high risk of causing allergies or food intolerance; your little baby's system isn't developed enough to handle solids yet.

My own pediatrician advised me not to start solids until 5 1/2 months of age, and to only make rice cereal diluted with breast milk for a week, and not to start mashed/strained vegetables until 6 months.

Above all, DO NOT make this decision yourself, ask your child's pediatrician, and even get a second opinion if you're still unsure.

Answer 11

I know its hard when the baby wakes up at night but she is still very young, too young for any solids. It is not recomended to start cereal til they are 6 months old, their little tummys just arent ready for it. I had heard of giving it at 4 months but my pediatrician did not recomend so we waited till they were 6 mos. the majority of her nutrition should come from milk until she is one year so she has pelnty of time to get used to solids. (remember she needs at least 24 oz of baby milk every day til she is one year old) take it slow and add baby foods slowly after she is 6 months old. start with cereal, then slowly add veggies, one at a time, if she doesnt like it just give her a few spoons and they usually eventually get used to the taste and texture, just dont push it and keep offering a few bites, later around 7 or 8 months start adding fruits. its good to add the fruits after she has gotten used to the veggies b/c once she has the sweet taste of the fruits it will be harder to get used to the taste of the veggies and we all know how important those veggies are!
Newborns always sleep more and a 2-3 month old is growing or she is probably going through a growth spurt and will need to be feed more often but stick to the baby milk for 2 more months.
good luck to you.