Why giving solids @4mths when it says everywhere @6??

[ryder]

Toria, thats good for Caitlin.. but isnt always the case for ALL babies... Remember they arn't all the same. I was simply posting information that is given in our area.

 

[Serene123]

That's what I meant, all babies are different. Weaning them early doesn't mean they'll be better eaters.

 

[ryder]

you didnt wean late though, so how would you know?

 

[Serene123]

Because there's other babies on the planet, with their own little tastes, they're not all the same, and weaning them at the same time will not make them like the same things.

 

[leeanne]

Can I intervene a bit? I have to say I do understand what Ryder is saying.

As a baby gets older, they get distracted easier, making it difficult to get solids and even milk into them. After the 6 month mark, they also become more vocal and also know how to play games, making it even more difficult to feed them.

Solids are an acquired taste and if left too late, then often you have problems on your hands.

 

[leeanne]

I'd like to elaborate on the above, if I could.

I know a toddler/young child is not a baby but a comparison can be made here.

My kids, since they were 4, were very picky and trying to get them to try new things was impossible. Of course, they could walk away from the table, they could vocally say they didn't like it (even if they didn't even try it), etc.

This is almost what babies do at an older age. Yes, they don't talk but they scream, they throw food, they get distracted, they shut their mouths when they supposedly don't like things, they spit out food, etc. Just as a toddler/child gets picky, a baby can get picky later on as well if weaned later. Not saying all babies, but I think most.

EDIT: See that cute girl in my siggy? I started weaning her at 4+ months. However, I was so busy with work and had so much pressure on me from Dan, that I was irradic with my weaning. Plus, I didn't have a forum to come to to ask for advice. She was largely picky as older baby and early toddler years. So much so that she barely ate and we had to just give her a bottle just so that she can have nutrients. She hated texturized foods and literally gagged on them. She was on the bottle for quite awhile into her toddler years just because she rarely ate solids. This was because of being irradic with solids, my fault. I should have kept it up and kept her on a routine at a young baby age.

 

[Jkelmum]

26 wks on just milk isnt realistic or not for my babies anyway ....Jake was 10 wks due to not being able to fill him katie was 8 wks on doc advice as she wouldnt drink milk and ethan was 12 wks old cos he was very hungry all time

 

[poppy]

However, I think giving babies a variety of new tastes helps them to become less of a picky eater more than later weaning.

 

[mommyof3co]

I really don't agree....when I said before about waiting longer made it harder, was the texture. As far as new foods I started Landon before 4mo, Casen at 5 and Hayden at 6 though truly he didn't eat anything until 9mo and by far Hayden eats the widest variety, though none of my kids have been very picky eaters...we just dont' allow it lol. Casen was most into trying new foods and textures at first but now is the hardest to get to try new things. I don't think it makes a diff when you start as far as that goes, it's more their personality

 

[sam#3]

you will know when your baby is ready for more than milk and thats what you should go by, not what a packet states

 

[beccyandeve]

eve was 4.5 months when she started on solids, she slept at least 6/7 hours a night pretty much since she was born then one day it stopped and she was waking up all night starving. since putting her on solids she sleeps from about half7/8 til 6 or seven in the morning and she is back to her happy self again.

my hv gave me some very judgemental looks and told me i was wrong for weaning before 6 months. nonsense, everyone is different