What age did you introduce food (and why)?

[Maid Marian]

I've been researching weaning/BLW/etc like mad, so I'm all prepared when we start, and have found lots of varying information and advice from the people I've talked to.
What age was your LO when you introduced food to their diet, and what made you start?

 

[PipPlus3]

We started weaning at 4 months as LO had reflux and was still hungry after a full 9oz bottle. We managed for 2 weeks (from 3 1/2 months) till he was 4 months and then started. In addition, when I had my previous 2 children (11 and 8) we were told to start at 4 months... didn't hurt them!

Good luck, it's fun!!

 

[cat lover]

5 months - LO could sit up quite well, move her head well and move things smoothly to her mouth. The HV said she thought LO was ready. We are TW

 

[Natsku]

5 and a half months. She had the signs of being ready for several weeks (sitting unaided, taking things to her mouth and no tongue thrust reflex) and then she tried to steal my pizza so figured maybe it was time to start.

 

[RebeccaG]

Am also so confused about all this!! So much conflicting advice of what everyone thinks is 'best'. What is the tongue thrust?

 

[Natsku]

Am also so confused about all this!! So much conflicting advice of what everyone thinks is 'best'. What is the tongue thrust?

Its where they push things like food back out of their mouth.

 

[chelseaharvey]

18 weeks as he was on 9oz bottles & also ad relax my Gp advised to wean him although it was what I was going to do

 

[loz27]

i started at 4 months due to refux, bottle aversion and very poor weight gain. after extensive research and chats with my hv i gave it a go, he took to it well and as gained weight the best he ever had x

 

[Emmea12uk]

4 months as she was ebf and her 3 month growth spurt lasted a month. She could sit, had been holding her head very well for ages and was fascinated with meal times. She even snatches food. The first food I gave her she ate really well with no mess. So we have carried on. she is back to sleeping through again.

 

[summer rain]

3 days shy of 6 months; he did go through a short phase of sleeping less well at around 5 months but it was very short lived, also he had no interest in solids before then. I have also read that when their liver is ready to process solid foods they will develop sweaty hands and feet, crazyguider posted it on here as her friend who is a paediatric nurse told her this; if it is true my son only got sweaty hands and feet a week before he was 6 months-before then his hands and feet were bone dry. I still don't think he was totally ready for solids when he did start them because he was extremely constipated for over a month, we did BLW and despite him having soft fruits every day, avoiding consitpating foods, and him having water and lactulose (was told to try this after everything else had failed) it made no difference whatsoever. My eldest had the same problem but was weaned much earlier xx

 

[lozzy21]

I started at 23 weeks so 5 and s half months. She was sitting with very little support, lost her tounge thrust reflex and was trying to grab at our food. We started on home made puree's and then introduced whole foods at 6 months. We have had no problems weaning at all and will eat anything.

 

[lilyanne]

We started at 4 months. We talked to the doctor and the practice recommends 4 months to start with solids. I looked at the research (AAP, WHO) as well because I had been planning on waiting until 6 months; after looking at it I decided to start at 4 months.

 

[EllaAndLyla]

5 1/2 months, last week to be precise

She has reflux which it has helped (only slightly though) and I just felt she was ready, she would open her mouth so wide when me or OH were putting our spoon/fork into our mouth and she just didn't seem as interested in milk. So far she is loving it x

 

[Emmea12uk]

3 days shy of 6 months; he did go through a short phase of sleeping less well at around 5 months but it was very short lived, also he had no interest in solids before then. I have also read that when their liver is ready to process solid foods they will develop sweaty hands and feet, crazyguider posted it on here as her friend who is a paediatric nurse told her this; if it is true my son only got sweaty hands and feet a week before he was 6 months-before then his hands and feet were bone dry. I still don't think he was totally ready for solids when he did start them because he was extremely constipated for over a month, we did BLW and despite him having soft fruits every day, avoiding consitpating foods, and him having water and lactulose (was told to try this after everything else had failed) it made no difference whatsoever. My eldest had the same problem but was weaned much earlier xx

My baby has had sweaty hands & feet since 3 months?

 

[Lauki]

My baby has had sweaty hands/feet since forever!

We're waiting till 5 days shy of 6 months (Christmas) but she was 2 weeks late, so I'm okay with that .

 

[summer rain]

3 days shy of 6 months; he did go through a short phase of sleeping less well at around 5 months but it was very short lived, also he had no interest in solids before then. I have also read that when their liver is ready to process solid foods they will develop sweaty hands and feet, crazyguider posted it on here as her friend who is a paediatric nurse told her this; if it is true my son only got sweaty hands and feet a week before he was 6 months-before then his hands and feet were bone dry. I still don't think he was totally ready for solids when he did start them because he was extremely constipated for over a month, we did BLW and despite him having soft fruits every day, avoiding consitpating foods, and him having water and lactulose (was told to try this after everything else had failed) it made no difference whatsoever. My eldest had the same problem but was weaned much earlier xx

My baby has had sweaty hands & feet since 3 months?

That may have been the case but there is that and other signs a baby is ready for weaning; which includes them being able to sit pretty much unaided and losing their tongue thrust, according to the latest NHS/UK government guidelines issued in July 2011 all the signs together rarely appear before six months xx

 

[summer rain]

4 months as she was ebf and her 3 month growth spurt lasted a month. She could sit, had been holding her head very well for ages and was fascinated with meal times. She even snatches food. The first food I gave her she ate really well with no mess. So we have carried on. she is back to sleeping through again.

From the NHS choices website

Three signs your baby is ready for solids

Every baby is an individual, but there are three clear signs which, together, show that your baby is ready for some solid foods alongside breastmilk or infant formula. It’s rare for these signs to appear together before six months.

They stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady.
They co-ordinate their eyes, hand and mouth so that they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth all by themselves.
They can swallow food. Babies who are not ready will push their food back out.

Some signs mistaken for a baby being ready for solid foods:

They chew their fists.
They wake in the night when they have previously slept through.
They want extra milk feeds.

These are normal baby behaviours and not necessarily a sign of hunger, nor being ready to start solid food. Starting solid foods won't make them any more likely to sleep through. Extra feeds are usually enough until they're ready for other food.

 

[cheese lover]

We chose to start because she was showing signs of being ready and based on research it was unlikely to do harm to start. Her first food was avocado. I allowed her to feed herself all the food she had when I was around.

 

[ashley2pink]

My youngest is not quite 3 months so obviously not yet with her, but with my last dd I gave solids for the first time at 7 months. My 1st it was 6 months. I plan on doing 7 months again. I breastfeed and since my lo's grow so well on it and are very content to just have breastmilk I dont introduce it until then. I would go longer exclusively nursing, but I read solids shouldnt be introduced later than 7 months due to increased risk of allergy.

 

[ashley2pink]

Agree SummerRain. My not quite 3 month constantly chews and sucks on her fists. And sometimes my lo will nurse a lot extra. She has never slept through or even close, but I have heard a 2 months old sttn and then waking to feed a month later. Would you give a 3 month old solids?