Is this a good time to start introducing solids?

[PrincessBoo]

Hi all, my little princess is now just over 4 months, shes started rolling over and getting more active and this w/e I have seen a dramatic increase in her feeding. She is exclusively bf and has always fed every 2-3 hours but before now she only fed for 15-20 mins and shes full, however this w/e shes started feeding for 45-60 mins every 2 hours (from the start of one feed to the next). We have been camping the past 3 night so I'm not sure if the increase is due to lots of fresh air and exercise (I've been taking her swimming and for lots of walks and so on over the weekend) or if its because she is getting hungrier because shes a growing girly! She's very good at night and will gennerally sleep for 5-8 hours without waking for a feed. So I was thinking would now be a good time to introduce a small bowl of porrage or some mushed banana or something in the morning to fill her up a bit more? I have been doing my research and I would like to blw but I know shes not ready for that yet. Would she be ok with one small 'solid' meal a day? Do you think this would stop her being attached to me for the most part of my day? and would this affect the chances of successful blw in a few months?
Any advice is really appreciated I am a ftm so I'm still learning lol. Thank you ladies x

 

[Scottish mum]

I personaly wouldn't at 4 months. Your hv reccomended 6 months. I started by lo on baby porridge at 5 and a bit months I think. But your the mum. X

 

[Sparrow85]

I would hold off until 6 months if you want to do BLW. I started at 5 months due to extreme reflux and although it helped, I would much preferred to have waited. Solids contain much less calories than formula/breast milk, so it's not going to fill LO up any more.

At 4 months, not many babies are ready for solids as they still have the tongue thrust reflex. Also, it can hinder BLW as with BLW, babies feed themselves and so learn to chew first and then swallow. If you start at 4 months, you have to feed purees, so babies are just swallowing and don't learn to chew until much later, meaning you may have more problems with choking.

Honestly, it's so much easier before you introduce solids. I wish I could go back to the days of just giving bottles. Now, I've got bottles and three meals a day plus snacks to think about. Enjoy this time lol.

 

[randomrach]

She's likely hungry from all of the exercise and fresh air, probably a growth spurt aswell - my lo needed extra milk at 7 months during a growth spurt and she was weaned aswell.
Honestly, I tried at 4 1/2 months as my lo was already sitting unaided by then and she was hungry but she just wasn't ready, the tongue thrust reflex is usually still there at that age but I did wean about 3 weeks later at just over 5 months.

Just to add, banana is not the best weaning food, alot of babies get constipated eating it and my lo also wouldn't eat porridge (too boring I think ) I started with steamed puree fruit and veg - carrots, sweet potato, pears etc and lo was fine with that they also have more nutritional value than cereal.

 

[biglebowski]

If you want to BLW Id wait until 6 months. Lo is just going through a growth spurt, so that's why shes feeding more. A bowl of porridge is nowhere near the nutrition you are giving lo through breast milk. Solids can bring digestion issues, constipation and wakings. Completely up to you though but BLW is a great way to introduce solids. We waited until 6 mo with our lo and he's doing great with BLW. But he's really only been eating very recently. He still gets the majority of his nutrition through his milk, as it should be. Plus the nappies are enough of a reason to wait....so gross!!!!

 

[PrincessBoo]

Thank you, Ill hold off for a while longer, I really hope the blw works when we're ready I can't wait for her to start having fun exploring new tastes!

 

[Fortune Cooki]

Wait until 6 months or after. My pediatrician said it is unbelievable how many babies have been fed before 6 months and end up getting surgery due to intestinal obstruction. The gut isn't closed yet. It seems like so many people feed their kids too soon, because they show interest, are sitting up and so forth. Just wait. It doesn't hurt to wait. If you need to supplement iron, then do that.

 

[SarahBear]

I don't think it would do much in terms of making her nurse less and her digestive system isn't physically mature enough for it right now.

 

[bunnyg82]

The best way to give her more calories is breast milk, not food. This is likely the extra exercise she's doing plus a growth spurt. Just keep doing what you're doing xx

 

[Bevziibubble]

I would try to wait as close as 6 months as possible to start introducing foods. Her digestive system won't be ready for it yet. Plus the first foods will likely be something such as vegetables which are very low in calories compared to her usual milk. I would just give her milk every time she is hungry as that will supply her with all the energy and nutrients she needs up until six months and beyond

 

[Button#]

She's increasing your supply so would probably feed just as much anyway. I did BLW and it's worth waiting to do it as it's fun but it's also so much less stressful just breastfeeding so I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to wean if I were you.

 

[melfy77]

I waited until she was 4 1/2 months, and that was after 1 month of feeding every 2 hours during the day plus 4-5 feedings at night, for a total of 50-55 oz/day. I was aiming for 6 months, but she was also getting very constipated. Started her on solids made a huge difference; she went back to her normal sleeping pattern within 2 days and her constipation went away. But I really wouldn't have been ok with it before that. And i didn't want to to BLW, she's now just starting to eat food with her fingers.