not sure if I should post here or elsewhere?

[Lizzybee]

LO is 12 weeks. Lots of people ask me if I'm still feeding him and when I say yes they tell me their children were on baby rice by 6 weeks.
I usually smile and say he will have solids when he shows me milk is not enough.
But now he is watching what we eat and DH keeps pointing this out to me. I don't want LO have solids at least until weeks are back from our holiday in august, mainly because he is too young and also because bf will be so much easier than bottles and baby food. How can I sterilise bottles in a hotel room?

 

[Pertie]

LO is 12 weeks. Lots of people ask me if I'm still feeding him and when I say yes they tell me their children were on baby rice by 6 weeks.
I usually smile and say he will have solids when he shows me milk is not enough.
But now he is watching what we eat and DH keeps pointing this out to me. I don't want LO have solids at least until weeks are back from our holiday in august, mainly because he is too young and also because bf will be so much easier than bottles and baby food. How can I sterilise bottles in a hotel room?

I don't understand why you would have to use bottles? There is no need to stop breast feeding just because you introduce solids.

Watching you eat is just normal behaviour for a developing baby, learning about the world around them. It doesn't mean that they are ready for food.

A good indicator of being ready for solids is sitting up without support, picking up food and being coordinated enough to then get in into their mouth!

 

[misspriss]

Around 3 months, babies just watch everything your hands do, not just food or anything, they become much more alert and watch EVERYTHING you do. It is suggested by moth health professionals to not start solids until 6 months.

If you must have bottles on vacation, you can get those microwave bags if you hotel had a microwave. But honestly, I wouldn't fuss with bottles on vacation!

 

[Lizzybee]

I thought you had to give water as well as breast milk when giving solids? How would I deliver water to LO (other than in a cup) but also they still have to have cooled boiled water don't they?? In my experience not all hotel rooms have microwaves or kettles?
I just mainly want to feel that I am right about this before I start feeling pressured into giving him food. So thanks Pertie for the advice on indicators.

 

[cflower04]

Most health providers suggest waiting until 17 weeks at least... 6 weeks seems way too young IMO!

 

[Lizzybee]

But now he is watching what we eat and DH keeps pointing this out to me.

What I meant by this was that DH already has a child and has done all this before. However views have changed in 17 years and she was bottle fed anyway. Because he has heard the advice that babies need to "show interest in food" before you start weening and LO is chewing his fist and is very hungry at the moment ( I suspect growth spurt and potentially teething as this happens early in our family) DH thinks this means early weening.

 

[wannabemomy37]

6 weeks is EXTREMELY early for solids!!

Anywhere between 4-6 mos is average to introduce solids and sippy cup.

Don't let other mommas make you feel like you should change your own parenting preferences

 

[wannabemomy37]

But now he is watching what we eat and DH keeps pointing this out to me.

What I meant by this was that DH already has a child and has done all this before. However views have changed in 17 years and she was bottle fed anyway. Because he has heard the advice that babies need to "show interest in food" before you start weening and LO is chewing his fist and is very hungry at the moment ( I suspect growth spurt and potentially teething as this happens early in our family) DH thinks this means early weening.

Just because you introduce solids doesn't mean you need to wean off breastfeeding?? Many moms breastfeed until their children are 3+ years...

 

[MoldyVoldy]

Breastmilk is enough to sustain a 12 week old. It sounds as though your SO is interested in being able to feed your LO. Which is great. Feeding our babies is a great bonding experience. Maybe try pumping so your SO can feel he has some of that bonding, too.

Your baby is 12 WEEKS old. Not 12 MONTHS old. Breastmilk really is all he needs right now, provided you are nursing on demand.

And chewing/sucking on fists is not always a sign of hunger. It can be a soothing thing, it can be teething (and yes, teething can happen at 12 weeks), it can be a way to pass the time even!

 

[Lizzybee]

I agree cflower04. People seem to want children to do things earlier and earlier.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

I thought you had to give water as well as breast milk when giving solids? How would I deliver water to LO (other than in a cup) but also they still have to have cooled boiled water don't they?? In my experience not all hotel rooms have microwaves or kettles?
I just mainly want to feel that I am right about this before I start feeling pressured into giving him food. So thanks Pertie for the advice on indicators.

Water is not necessary just because baby is eating solid food. Breastmilk is typically more than enough for hydration, and water can be introduced just like any other food, or so baby can practice with a sippy cup.

Don't feel pressured to start solids hun. Recommendations are for closer to 6 months. Starting a little earlier is ultimately up to you, but I would definitely wait a little closer to 6 months

 

[Lizzybee]

OK, how do I tell people that I will bf for at least 6months so that they don't think I'm just doing it because I can't let go (im thinking family here). They sometimes make me feel like I'm only doing things because I've read it on the Internet. Mainly because other children in the family have done everything early and they are measuring it against that. If I say current advice is ....etc they come back with "well it didn't do ****any harm". I seem to only have one friend who understands.

 

[sheldonsmommy]

I would just tell them that it may not have done their kid any harm, but choosing to delay the introduction of solids won't hurt either.

Or they did what they believe to be the best for their children, and I will do what I believe to be the best for mine.

 

[Maxy1]

OK, how do I tell people that I will bf for at least 6months so that they don't think I'm just doing it because I can't let go (im thinking family here). They sometimes make me feel like I'm only doing things because I've read it on the Internet. Mainly because other children in the family have done everything early and they are measuring it against that. If I say current advice is ....etc they come back with "well it didn't do ****any harm". I seem to only have one friend who understands.

Does it really matter if they are thinking that?? My mum would look at me disapprovingly for BFing my first LO past 6 months. She would constantly point out that FF is good now and he was too old to be BF. I would just smile at her and keep doing what I wanted. My mum and I are very close, I would definitely call her my best friend and it was very hurtful that she put so much pressure on me to do something I didn't want to. But in the end I did what I wanted and she stopped nagging me about it about 12 months because she wasn't getting anywhere anyway. I BF for 22 months and it was great. DS is now a happy thriving toddler and no-one, including my mum cares at all that I BF him for 'so long'.

I introduced food to DS about 6 months in accordance with the 'recommendations' and I think he actually started eating food, rather than playing, throwing, licking, smearing and tearing when he was about 12 months old. We did BLW. He had all the so called signs of being ready to wean to food at 6 months. My friends baby was stealing food off plates and scoffing it down at 5.5 months. Kids will eat when they want to, and not before. I would just wait until all the signs are there and then slowly does it.

Good luck!!

 

[noon_child]

If you are about to go on holiday I'd seriously be laughing my ass off at people trying to persuade you on to FF and solids. I mean bf is soooooooooooooo easy once you get established. Who wants to faff around with steralizing bottles etc. when you can just pop LO on the boob.

At 12 weeks I'd only just got pain free breastfeeding (like literally one week pain free under my belt) so I felt like we'd only just started. Once we got to 6months and time to introduce solids I thought "Oh God, not another thing we have to learn how to do and stress about whether we are doing it right!".

If anyone had challenged me about waiting till 6months I would have just said "I just can't handle the thought of all that pureeing etc. at the moment, thank God the recommendation is to wait to six months because breastfeeding is so easy at the moment. I think if I had to worry about weaning as well right now I might go a little bit mad".

RE: your OH saying LO looks interested in food - well he might think the colours and shapes are intriguing and he might wonder what you are doing with it all, but feeding LO boring old tasteless baby rice isn't exactly going to be what he's looking for!!! Seriously though at that age they watch everything you do and they put everything in to their mouths whether they are hungry or not.

 

[Lindsay109]

IMO 6 weeks, and even 12 weeks is WAY too early to introduce food. Babies just don't have the coordination and oral motor skills up manage solids at that age (I work with kids/babies who have feeding issues). Stick to your guns, you're his mom and you know what's best for him

Here's an interesting article on feeding babies
https://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/...160/?service=mobile&cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globe

 

[luna_19]

I just want to add that all babies start sucking in their hands around 12 weeks, it may have been a hunger cue in the early days but now it is just a normal all day behaviour. Either way bm or formula is to be a baby's primary source of nutrition until 12 months, if bf is going well why switch? So much more work and so expensive!

 

[annio84]

I know it's hard when family are being judgy about your choices but if they are being like that then I would simply say I am baby's mother and I believe this is right for them, and then leave it at that. It's not up to anyone else how you raise your child. My MIL was determined to feed my daughter well before 6 months and kept accusing me of starving her. Rest assured that once you do start feeding solids they'll move on to the next thing (for my MIL it was wanting her to have an easter egg at 8 months old!) Your OH is a bit more difficult because he does have a say but I would just talk to him and tell him that even though baby is watching you eat you don't think it's hunger.

My daughter watched me eat like a hawk for nearly two months before I fed her. As she approached six months she started showing signs of actually wanting the food though rather than just, what's mummy doing with that? So we knew then it was the right time to feed her. I know some of my mummy friends have fed from 4 months though which is fine for them. I think the main reasons for that were feeling that baby was too hungry for just milk.

 

[angelandbump]

My son was exclusively bf till 6 months. Loads of people kept telling me that he would need solids early because he was a big baby but he was happy just on mummys milk. Introducing solids too early can cause more harm than good and it can delay the weaning process believe it or not. You should speak to your health visitor for weaning advice before starting or even look to see if there is a weaning course.

Regarding water, I was always told that up till baby starts to wean, your breast milk is enough but if you do want to top baby up with water then there is no harm giving baby water in a cup or a bottle. And to sterilise you can buy Milton when your away or buy a travel steriliser and use that x

 

[Lizzybee]

Cheers All, I just needed to know I was doing the right thing by sticking to my guns.